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Associations Between Traumatic Life Events And Substance Use Among Black Men Who Are Incarcerated, Jasmine K. Jester, Brittany Miller-Roenigk, Paris B. Wheeler, Danelle Stevens-Watkins

Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications

The current study examined associations between traumatic life events, current and lifetime importance of mental health and substance use treatment, and crack cocaine use among 201 Black men who were incarcerated and nearing community reentry. Results indicated age, sexual trauma and lifetime importance of drug treatment were significantly associated with an increased likelihood of crack cocaine use. Substance abuse treatment in correctional settings should consider culturally tailored assessment and treatment for history of unaddressed sexual trauma among Black men who are incarcerated and use crack cocaine.

A Gap In The Cybertipline: Electronic Service Provider Liability And Child Safety, Brianna Evans-Sheehan

NYLS Law Review

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The online exploitation of children is a widespread problem that requires immediate action. This Note proposes that Congress …

The Innocence Trap, Caitlin Glass, Julian Green

Minnesota Law Review Vols. 106:2 onward (2021-present)

What makes a conviction wrongful? Developments in DNA science have led to a wave of exonerations over the past thirty years, revealing sources of error in the criminal legal process. Innocence organizations proliferated to represent people whose convictions could be overturned by newly discovered evidence. This is vital work for the individuals who are released and for the purpose of systemic change. At the same time, a focus on exonerations constructs a relatively narrow conception of wrongful convictions—one that is synonymous with factual innocence.

This Article argues that a broader conception of wrongful convictions may be revealed through co-ideation with …

The "Miscarriage Of Justice" Exception To Appeal Waiver Enforcement: Debunking And Demystifying The Circuit Split, Bex Warner

Minnesota Law Review Vols. 106:2 onward (2021-present)

Ninety-seven percent of all federal criminal convictions come from a plea agreement, and two-thirds of federal plea agreements contain an appeal waiver. The Supreme Court has held that appeal waivers can be enforced, but not under what circumstances. What happens if a criminal defendant waives their right to appeal and then is sentenced to time incarcerated that is higher than the statutory maximum? Or what happens when a defendant claims counsel was ineffective in giving them advice about entering into the plea agreement? Or when a criminal defendant claims the judge gave them a higher sentence because they are Black? …

Comparative Law: Cases, Text, And Materials, Francesca Bignami

GW Law Faculty Publications & Other Works

This new casebook offers a contemporary approach to the teaching of comparative law.  By integrating an up-to-date set of cases, code texts, and scholarly materials drawn from the civil law and common law traditions, as well as from Islamic law and customary law, it captures today’s dynamic legal landscape.  Beyond the western jurisdictions that typically feature in the general comparative law course, the book gives sustained attention to Brazil, Pakistan, South Africa, and Ethiopia. Subject areas covered are private law, procedural law, labor law, administrative law, digital law, and constitutional law.  Looking to professional life after graduation, this book equips …

Allocation And Governance Of Opioid Response Funding In Rural Kentucky: A Case Study Of The Big Sandy Area Development District, Hayley M. Mccarty

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The opioid epidemic continues to present significant public health, economic, and administrative challenges throughout the United States, with rural Kentucky experiencing some of the nation's highest rates of opioid-related morbidity and mortality.

Effectively responding to this crisis requires not only adequate financial resources but also transparent governance, coordinated implementation, and accountability for how public funds are distributed.

This study examines the allocation, governance, and implementation of opioid response funding within the Big Sandy Area Development District (BSADD), a rural multi-county region in eastern Kentucky. Using a qualitative case study and policy analysis approach, the research evaluates four primary funding sources: …

Constitutional Structures In Private Law And The Example Of Waste Law, Fraley, Jill M.

Santa Clara Law Review

This Article proposes three criteria for when a private law mechanism performs a structural constitutional function: when it constrains present authority in the name of future stability, when it disperses enforcement to avoid centralized authority, and when it has structural entrenchment to avoid ordinary displacement. While many private law doctrines contain constitutional resonances or echo rights, the core of constitutional law is the power structure—a precondition for the protection of those rights. Constitutional structures have three key components: self-binding through time, separation and diffusion of power, and entrenchment beyond ordinary politics. For a private law doctrine to do more than …

Integrating Routine Hiv Screening Into A Sexually Transmitted Infection Panel At An Opioid Addiction Treatment Facility: A Dnp Clinical Practice Change, Stephanie Bass

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

People who use drugs are at increased risk of contracting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, hepatitis B infection, hepatitis C, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) due to high-risk behaviors, including needle sharing, incarceration, multiple sex partners, and unprotected sex. Individuals with substance use disorders are also at increased risk for liver dysfunction, renal impairment, and other medical comorbidities associated with chronic substance use. Although many organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), recommend routine screening and laboratory monitoring in high-risk populations, many addiction treatment facilities in the United States lack standardized protocols for bloodborne infection, STI screening, …

2026 Spring Commencement, Georgia Southern University

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Get Out Of Jail Free: The Monopoly Of Big Pharma & Drug Addiction, Melissa E. Morello

Journal of Race, Gender, and Ethnicity

This article analyzes the legal and social parameters of drug addiction and the opioid epidemic, arguing that pharmaceutical companies, lawmakers, and systemic institutions have effectively “gamified” public health, addiction, and their own accountability. It traces the historical trajectory of drug regulation, from early opioid use and racially motivated enforcement policies to the War on Drugs and the emergence of the prescription opioid epidemic fueled by aggressive pharmaceutical marketing. The analysis explores pivotal case law and legislation addressing addiction, highlighting the legal system’s struggle to reconcile criminal accountability with the recognition of addiction as a disease. Throughout this article, there will …

Religion And International Relations: The Concept Of Soft Power And Orthodoxy In Kazakhstan, Ali Ukenov

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article examines the role of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan (OCK), a constituent part of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), within the framework of religious soft power. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the relationship between the ROC, Russian foreign policy, and transnational religious influence has attracted increased scholarly attention. Drawing on the concept of soft power and constructivist approaches, the study combines qualitative field research with media content analysis. The empirical material includes twenty semi-structured interviews conducted with Orthodox clergy and active parishioners across Kazakhstan, as well as an examination of the case of former priest Yakov …

Statistical Analysis Of Evidence In Criminal Cases, Giuliana Leon Carrillo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Ideally, the evaluation of relevant forensic evidence must corroborate the hypotheses that the prosecution and/or the defense holds regarding the commitment of a crime. Therefore, optimal forensic evidence would be the one that can be found all the time under the same circumstances, and cannot be found otherwise, making the forensic scientist able to evaluate this evidence given the hypotheses provided. Nevertheless, this is hard to find, as ideal evidence being only a concept.

In this project, the probabilistic interpretation of relevant forensic evidence investigated in criminal cases with the aid of Wigmore charts and Bayesian networks was proposed. Using …

Community Resilience Drives Change, Claudia Rose Dilima

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The opioid crisis has impacted many Americans. From 1999 to 2023, approximately 800,000 people have died due to opioid overdose (CDC, 2025). What began as overprescription of painkillers has evolved into a complex social health issue that is now worsened by stronger synthetic drugs like fentanyl. Fentanyl and fentanyl analogs (synthetic opioids that are very similar chemically to fentanyl) are often found in illegal drug supplies and in counterfeit pills (CDC, 2025). Thus, individuals who might have been initially overprescribed painkillers might now be pushed toward illegally produced drugs that are significantly more potent than what they were originally prescribed. …

Improving The Continuity Of Care For Opioid Use Disorder: Investigating Fentanyl Overdose Outcomes And Pharmacy-Level Buprenorphine Access, Lyn Yuen Choo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Opioid overdose (OD) deaths remain a leading cause of injury-related death in the United States (US) and approximately 76,516 drug OD deaths were predicted in the past year prior to April 2025. While previous research has focused on fatal opioid ODs, less is known about outcomes following non-fatal opioid ODs (NFOO) involving fentanyl. Patients who experienced a fentanyl OD may develop significant morbidity and inpatient mortality due to fentanyl’s high potency, rapid onset of action, and decreased response to naloxone. Research efforts to improve continuity of care for opioid use disorder (OUD) are highly needed to ensure appropriate follow-up care …

Unsuccessful? Universal Human Rights And The United Nations: Russian Imperialism In Ukraine And The Post-Udhr International System, Sofiia Novytska

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Human universality has always stood as a controversial subject and remains politically contentious today. Following the humanitarian crisis of World War II, the international community was determined to protect the integrity and dignity of people worldwide by developing the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights. However, universal human rights were not invented by the Declaration and were already conceptually established in global ancient thought, further evolved into Early Modern scholarship, and later paved the way for modern humanitarian frameworks. The UDHR was not universally well-received, and was criticized for its revolutionary legal character, postcolonial contestation, and practical ambiguity. The …

Beyond The Headlines : Investigating Media Framing Of Malaysian Human Trafficking In Southeast Asia During Covid-19, Muhammad Asim Imran, Kah Choon Ng, Cheng Kin Meng

Journal of Urban Culture Research

This study presents a comprehensive analysis of human trafficking involving Malaysians in Southeast Asia, with a particular focus on Cambodia, Thailand, and Myanmar. Employing a systematic review approach based on the PRISMA methodology, the study examines 63 news records from The Star, covering the period from March to September 2022. The findings reveal a notable increase in media coverage during this time, signaling heightened awareness of Malaysian human trafficking issues. The COVID-19 pandemic emerges as a critical factor exacerbating vulnerabilities and contributing to a surge in trafficking incidents. Malaysians were identified as victims of forced labor in diverse industries, including …

Student Perceptions Of Clinical Psychology Workforce Diversity, Ogochukwu Obi

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Clinical psychology remains a predominantly White field, with more than four in five current clinical psychology academics and practitioners being White. Increased racial representation in the field could contribute to more culturally responsive treatment research and practice and improved treatment outcomes. Barriers to increasing racial representation exist across all levels of psychology education and careers. The current study focuses on a potential barrier to pursuing a clinical or counseling psychology doctorate for Black undergraduate psychology majors. Research on social identity theory, perceived identity compatibility theory, and social-cognitive career theory show students’ identities can influence career aspirations, educational experiences, and sense …

Plea Bargaining And The Destruction Of Procedural Justice: A Theoretical And Empirical Critique Of Fairness In The U.S. Legal Sphere, Emma Scillitani

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the legal process of plea bargaining as it currently operates within the criminal justice system in the United States. Through both an empirical and theoretical evaluation of this procedure, it analyzes how plea bargaining exists in practice and whether it can be considered a fair mechanism of case resolution. This project investigates the practice on a molecular level through its presence at a county-level court jurisdiction, which represents broader structural implications of the national legal system. Furthermore, it identifies three central factors that drive the overutilization of plea bargaining: power asymmetry, information, asymmetry, and case processing time. …

Constitutional Structures In Private Law And The Example Of Waste Law, Jill M. Fraley

Scholarly Articles

This Article proposes three criteria for when a private law mechanism performs a structural constitutional function: when it constrains present authority in the name of future stability, when it disperses enforcement to avoid centralized authority, and when it has structural entrenchment to avoid ordinary displacement. While many private law doctrines contain constitutional resonances or echo rights, the core of constitutional law is the power structure—a precondition for the protection of those rights. Constitutional structures have three key components: self-binding through time, separation and diffusion of power, and entrenchment beyond ordinary politics. For a private law doctrine to do more than …

Recruitment Of Black Minority Community Into Irish Police: Evaluating The Dynamics Of Culture In Decision-Making., Adeyemi Adekanle

Dissertations

Ethnic and racial diversity in police services has been a focus for criminologists and policing scholars for some considerable time. But despite intense efforts, most multicultural societies still struggle to get Black minority communities recruited into their police services. Two widely held interconnected assumptions appear to be at issue. The first is that police occupational culture, which has been shown in some studies to be prejudicial, is, in many cases, blatantly racist. This may well be a catalyst or “push factor” in discouraging members of Black communities in particular from taking up police careers. The second is that members of …

An Advocacy Appetizer: Students Write Their Lawmakers About Issues That Matter To Them, Darren Ilett

Information Literacy

In these two 50-minute lessons intended for first-year undergraduates in an English composition, first-year experience, or standalone information literacy course, students write letters to lawmakers about issues that interest them or that impact themselves, their families, or their communities. After the lessons, students will be able to 1) determine an appropriate audience for their topic (relating to the “Authority Is Constructed and Contextual” and “Scholarship as Conversation” frames); 2) find and select evidence from source types that would convince or appeal to their audience (relating to the “Information Creation as a Process” frame); and 3) use information ethically by citing …

Making Ai Use Visible: Teaching Students To Develop Personal Ai Policy Statements, Megan Stoneberger Johnson

Posters

Students are rapidly adopting generative AI tools to perform a myriad of academic and personal tasks, often without much critical thought or ethical deliberation. Without clear guiding principles or predetermined standards of practice, some students are bypassing the cognitive work learning requires and robbing themselves of meaningful intellectual development. To break the cycle of mindless AI use, I developed a project in which students craft their own personal AI policy statements that detail the ethical and professional considerations that guide their decision making. Students are required to model their AI use through a narrated screen-capture video that demonstrates their prompt-crafting …

Male Disposability, Law, And Feminism, Edward Cantu

Faculty Works

This article explores scientific evidence that societies care more about the welfare and safety of females than that of males, and that this dynamic of "male disposability" is deeply entrenched in culture, and thus in law. The recognition and integration of male disposability theory would mean an evolutionary leap in modern theorizing about gender and the law, but it is ignored. Why? Feminist theory dominates current academic gender discourse. Far from appreciating the explanatory power of male disposability theory, feminist theorists are often invested in theorizing gendered problems in ways that mischannel compassion away from men and toward women. The …

Shotspotter In The Courtroom: Addressing The Evidentiary Challenges Of Acoustic Gunshot Detection Technology, Samantha Mazzone

Suffolk Journal of Trial and Appellate Advocacy

No abstract provided.

Criminal Procedure—When Procedure Overrides Purpose: The Fight Over Judicial Authority To Modify Restitution—United States V. O’Hara, 114 F.4th 557 (6th Cir. 2024), Alexandria Cormier

Suffolk Journal of Trial and Appellate Advocacy

No abstract provided.

Criminal Law—What Was Its Intent? First Circuit Presumes Mens Rea For Machinegun Provision, Ignoring Congress’S Purpose—United States V. Pérez-Greaux, 83 F.4th 1 (1st Cir. 2023), Allison O’Heany

Suffolk Journal of Trial and Appellate Advocacy

No abstract provided.

Legalizing Magic Mushrooms: A Different Set Of Laws For A Different Kind Of Drug, Edward S. Adams

Articles

This Article explores the regulation of the cannabis industry, highlighting its origins, history, and shortcomings. The Article then compares the cannabis and psilocybin industries, arguing against the replication of the cannabis regulatory structure for psilocybin. Instead, this Article will propose tailored regulatory solutions designed to address the unique characteristics of psilocybin and foster a well-regulated, safe, and effective market.

Court Review: Journal Of The American Judges Association, Vol. 62, No. 1, Eve M. Brank, David J. Dreyer, Reba Ann Page, Ana Cienfuegos-Silvera

Court Review: Journal of the American Judges Association

Contents

Creating “Buy-in” for Juvenile Restorative Justice Programs: Lessons from Nebraska’s Community Mediation Centers, Kristen M. Blankley, Lisa M. PytlikZillig, and Ashley M. Votruba

Consensus and Conflict Over Context: Select Criminal Law and Procedure Cases from the Supreme Court’s 2024-25 Term, Eve Brensike Primus and Elena Schultz

In the Shadow of Trauma: Opportunities and Obstacles of Restorative Justice with Young People Who Offend, William R. Wood

Restorative Transitional Justice: The Judicial Role in Colombia’s Peace Tribunal, Gabriel Rojas-Andrade

Editor’s Note: Restorative Justoce: Repairing Harm, Rebuilding Community, Eve Brank

Thoughts from Canada: Restorative Justice Through Prohibition on Arrest, Wayne K. Gorman …

Why Does The U.S. Still Practice The Death Penalty? An Application Of Waltz's Three Images, Anika Tracy

University Honors Program Senior Projects

The United States is the only Western democracy that still practices the death penalty, and legal scholars, domestic politics scholars, and comparativists have written extensively about American capital punishment. In this thesis, I will synthesize this scholarship to present a multifaceted explanation for America’s uniquely continued use of the death penalty through Kenneth Waltz’s three “images” or levels of analysis. While Waltz’s three levels of analysis is an established theory in the field of international relations (IR), the utilization of IR theory for an analysis of American capital punishment is particularly enriching because death penalty abolition is a norm in …

Match Or Mismatch? : The Effects Of Fingerprint Evidence And Expert Testimony On Jury Decisions, Kassie N. Thallas

Dissertations

Fingerprint evidence is widely perceived as objective and reliable, yet is typically presented to jurors through expert testimony rather than directly evaluated. The present study examined how fingerprint match status and expert testimony influence juror decision-making. Participants (N = 225) read a mock criminal trial summary and were randomly assigned to one of five conditions. Four conditions were derived by crossing Expert Condition (fingerprint expert alone vs. conflicting experts) and Match Status (match vs. no match), with an additional control condition without fingerprint evidence. The participants made verdict decisions and rated the credibility, honesty and believability of the expert. The …