Digital Commons Network^™

Information Trolls And Democracy: A Qualitative Examination Of Disinformation Campaigns In Canada, Rachelle Louden, Richard Frank

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

This research explores disinformation delivered during the 2019 Canadian Federal election. This study explores the methods and techniques used by the perpetrators of disinformation campaigns in the context of Canadian elections. This research also examines whether the disinformation discovered during the election falls within criminal foreign interference. Critical discourse analysis is used to qualitatively analyze 26 articles published by a Northeastern U.S. based independent news website within the ten months leading up to the election. This research finds that the use of unnamed sources, hyperbolic statements to misrepresent facts, and strategies to de-legitimize reputable institutions were the most common tools …

Thoughts Beyond Stigma-Implications For Change Reflected In The Voices Of Previously Incarcerated Citizens, Amy Frankel, Elizabeth Depoy

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

State and federal prisons release more than six hundred thousand people annually, with nearly 95% of those returning to the communities in which they resided before incarceration, albeit frequently with discomfort and marginalization, largely due to stigma (Alexander, 2020, Park & Tietjen, 2021). Programs to foster reintegration exist in almost every locale, yet recidivism remains due to many factors. Stigma has received much attention as a cause of failure for successful reentry and acclimation (Park & Tietjen, 2021). With the surge of interest and empirical study of stigma as a barrier, the voices of returning citizens can further enhance significant …

I Had Nowhere To Go: Disenfranchised Grief And Support Groups For Families Of Incarcerated Individuals, Allegra Pocinki

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

Almost two million Americans are incarcerated in state and federal prisons, juvenile corrections facilities, and local jails. While many studies have examined the impact of mass incarceration on the daily lives of wives, female partners, and children, little is known about support groups for families of incarcerated loved ones. Throughout 2021, I conducted virtual interviews with 13 respondents across the United States who created support groups for families of incarcerated individuals or are executive leaders in these organizations. I find that support groups provide space for families to grieve without judgment, can help re-frame the grief experience and provide tools …

Guns On Campus: The Impact Of Campus Carry On Student Behavior And Emotions, Inara Ramazanova, Terressa Benz, Joseph Deangelis

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

Most research on campus carry uses a quantitative approach to measure attitudes towards campus carry policies, existing or pending. Using focus group data, this paper examines self-reported impacts on behavior and emotional responses to a three-year-old campus carry law at one university in the rural west. We explore whether guns on campus impacted student-reported behavior in the classroom or on campus. Student responses were entered into qualitative analysis software, where data was categorized according to themes. The two most prominent themes were that students reported no impact on their behavior on campus while also expressing anxiety over the lack of …

Pathways To Freedom: The Evolution Of The Parole Process For Youth Lifers In California, Laura S. Abrams, Kaylyn C. Canlione, Leah Ouellet, Audrey I. Melillo

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

This paper explores the evolution of resentencing/parole mechanisms for youth lifers in California through the lens of lived experience. We use a case study approach with a triangulation of data sources, including qualitative interviews, parole hearing transcripts, and state legislation. For three purposively selected cases, we analyze the emotional experience of seeking resentencing/parole and analyze how the parole board determined suitability for release based on standard parole factors as well as “youth-specific” mitigation considerations. In all three cases, the parole board leaned heavily on standard parole factors such as demonstration of remorse and insight, compliant prison behavior, and participation in …

The Experience Of Correctional Officers Who Have Witnessed Inmate Suicide, Amanda Michelle Burrell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Correctional officers are tasked with supervising individuals in custody. Their duties are plentiful and include responding to critical incidents, such as inmate suicide. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore the experience of correctional officers in the United States who have witnessed inmate suicide. Lazarus and Folkman’s transactional model of stress and coping was used to guide this study. Participants included eight correctional officers within the United States who have witnessed inmate suicide. These participants were selected using purposive and snowball sampling. Virtual, semi-structured, audio recorded interviews were conducted with participants. Data were analyzed using Braun and …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Section 1983 Filings By Incarcerated Plaintiffs, Hollie Macdonald

Theses and Dissertations

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic was a “watershed moment" in human history, transcending its role as a mere health crisis to reveal deeper fissures within societies. The present retrospective longitudinal study examined COVID-19 as an “era” of complexity utilizing it as an intermediate construct that delineates “pre-COVID” and “post-COVID.” In order to understand the impact of the COVID-19 era, the design of the study and hypotheses stem from an assumption of the interconnectedness of issues related to health, social justice, racial justice, politics, and information dissemination.

This study utilized both manifest and latent content analysis to explore the most …

A Critical Incident Analysis Of Humanizing Interactions Between Correctional Officers And People Who Are Incarcerated, Aimee Califano

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The correctional officer (CO) has one of the most critical roles in the correctional setting and is one of the least studied topics amongst criminal justice professionals (Butler et al., 2018). In the United States, a CO’s primary responsibility is to ensure the safety and well-being of an incarcerated individual and the staff that work in the prison setting (Cheek, 1984). Paradoxically, in the United States, the CO works in an organizational system based on deprivation and punishment toward incarcerated people. The United States Prison system’s current structure does not support rehabilitation efforts of incarcerated people and ultimately impacts any …

State Of Tennessee Board Of Parole 2022-23 Annual Report, Tennessee. Board Of Parole.

Board of Parole

No abstract provided.

Methodological And Practical Considerations For Cross-Cultural Focus Groups On Sensitive Topics Within Criminal Justice And Criminology, Hillary Mellinger, Belén Lowrey-Kinberg, Maya Pagni Barak

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

Cross-cultural focus groups offer several advantages over other qualitative methods, particularly when the research goal is to better understand individual and collective perceptions, opinions, or conceptualizations of issues salient to marginalized groups. However, cross-cultural focus groups also pose several unique challenges despite their advantages. Therefore, more scholarly attention needs to address how to overcome these challenges. In this article, we tackle three issues related to cross-cultural focus groups: (1) defining homogenous regarding focus group formation; (2) incorporating intersectionality into cross-cultural focus groups while maintaining homogeneity in crucial aspects of participants’ identities; and (3) overcoming unexpected practical challenges that may appear …

Blood On The Walls: The Influence Of Place Management On Jail And Prison Victimization, Victor J. St. John

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

This study examines the influence of place management on victimization within jail and prison settings. The author conducts content and thematic analysis of narratives deriving from 87 individuals who were formerly incarcerated in Newark, New Jersey, and Cleveland, Ohio. Qualitative findings illustrate that place management may set the stage for victimization by exposing persons in custody to coercive interactions, inadequately surveilled places, deplorable physical conditions, and limited access to quality health services. Such treatment fosters poor relationships among occupants within the correctional setting. I conclude that mismanaged prisons and jails influence the perpetuation of violent victimization. Correctional administrations may foster …

Pilot Study: An Exploration Of Medication Assisted-Treatment (Mat) For Indigenous Americans Within Tribal Healing To Wellness Courts, Fanni Farago, Lindsay Smith, Violette Cloud, Michael Gordon, Faye Taxman

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

Considering the opioid epidemic’s adverse and disproportionate consequences on Indigenous American communities across the nation, United States federal agencies (i.e., Indian Health Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy) and Tribal nations are urgently calling for more substance use treatment and prevention efforts. Problem-solving courts (PSCs) are a well-known innovation for treating individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) and those who have committed non-violent offenses. However, very little is known about these courts in indigenous communities and how they address substance use disorders. Drawing on a small sample of court coordinators …

Eroticization Of The Body, Reflexivity, And Qualitative Methodology In Criminology: An Omerta, Catherine Montgamny Grenier

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

This article reflects upon the notion of reflexivity in qualitative methodology, both generally and specifically within the field of criminology. This reflection stems from completing my pre-field research in Costa Rica, which I undertook while completing my doctoral thesis regarding the sexuality of solo female travelers. Based on a sexual assault I experienced during this pre-field research, I critically discuss the notion of reflexivity in cases where the security of researchers is undermined by the relations of power that exist between gatekeepers and participants as a result of gender identity and the eroticization of the body. This article specifically questions …

Actionable Motivational Interviewing: Gendered Perceptions Of Probation Officer-Client Relationships, C.J. Appleton, Lindsay Smith, Danielle S. Rudes

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

Prior research purports that probation officers (POs) view the differences between women and men clients as emotional, with women being more "in-touch" with their emotions and "self-aware" of their issues (Welsh, 2019). Since probation client satisfaction links to relationships with POs (DeLude et al., 2012), it is also important to examine clients' perceptions of POs using a gendered lens that considers the potential variations in women and men clients' views of officers. This study uses 15 semi-structured interviews with women and men clients in one Northwestern probation agency. We examine clients' perceptions of the officer-client relationship, finding that clients desire …

A Multiple Case Study: Male Correctional Officers’ Experiences And Attitudes Regarding “Gender Quota” Human Resource Management Strategies In Corrections, Rebecca Jo Patterson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The stigma of corrections being labeled as a “male” workplace is a factor in the male/female ratio gap; thus, the new question is how to bridge the gender gap. In response to this human resource managers have implemented affirmative action strategies to ensure more females were being hired and promoted in corrections. Though unofficial in most areas, some state correctional agencies incorporated “quotas” in their affirmative action HRMS. Even though ‘quota-based’ or ‘gender based’ HRMS intended to reduce or eliminate discrimination, they have linked backlash effects and stigmatization toward females and minorities when the dominant group felt it was used. …

“Prison Tiktok”: Incarcerated Life Shared On Social Media, Kayla Reid, Nicole Niebuhr

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

Different areas of the criminal justice system interact with social media, but not much is known about how those incarcerated may be using it. A thematic analysis of “Prison TikTok” videos was conducted in order to gain a better understanding of what those incarcerated are sharing. The most represented themes in the sample are performance, food, prison views, and pains of imprisonment. Performance and food demonstrate creativity within the sample, and highlight how those incarcerated may be looking for creative outlets. Prison and pains of imprisonment include the realities of life incarcerated, and contain messaging that those incarcerated may be …

Blowing In The Wind: Cannabis Legalization, Insiders, And Methodological Insights From British Columbia, Jon Heidt, Johannes Wheeldon

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

Legalizing cannabis in Canada has proven momentous in some ways and insufficient in others. This paper presents findings from a re-analysis of two studies on cannabis legalization conducted in British Columbia (B.C.) before and after legalization. Prioritizing public health over access appears to prolong stigmatization, complicate policing, and undermine efforts to disrupt illicit cannabis markets. We outline three contributions to the nascent post- prohibition cannabis research agenda. First, we demonstrate the potential for secondary data analysis (SDA) and model an approach to address recent concerns about this practice. Second, we show the value of insiders when assessing cannabis policy by …

“I’M Not Unemployed, I’M Unemployable”: Challenges Finding And Sustaining Work For People Requires To Register As Sex Offenders, Jennifer L. Wooldridge, Danielle J. S. Bailey

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

Many individuals convicted of a sexual offense (ICSOs) experience various collateral consequences due to registration requirements, including income loss, unemployment, harassment, social isolation, homelessness, and more. Finding employment post-conviction is a difficult endeavor for many reentering citizens with criminal records, but for ICSOs, the difficulty increases due to their label as sex offenders. When these individuals are unsuccessful in obtaining steady, living-wage employment, it can result in mental health impacts such as depression, hopelessness, and other reactions. This paper seeks to analyze participants’ emotional and mental health reactions to their direct experiences with employment struggles due to registration. What feelings …

Stroking Reflexivity Into Practice: The Pros And Cons Of Resorting To Gatekeepers To Conduct Qualitative Criminological Research, Gabriela Mesquita Borges, Ana Guerreirro, Leonardo Conde

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

Accessing research settings and participants can be deeply challenging for scientific research, especially when gatekeepers are involved. Gatekeepers are known to affect research through, among other reasons, their position inside institutions, their knowledge of the research topic, and their power over prospective participants. This article explores the methodological and ethical challenges that may arise from resorting to gatekeepers to access participants in qualitative criminological research. Using reflexive notes from the fieldwork of two doctoral research projects in criminology, this article emphasizes the central role gatekeepers can assume in qualitative research regarding gaining access to participants for a study and conducting …

Dying In Prison: End-Of-Life Care Services In A State Correctional Facility, Brook Cooley Webb, Mollee K. Steely Smith, Tusty Ten Bensel

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

The aging inmate population in American prisons has noticeably increased, contributing to a more significant number of offenders who will die in prison, thus forcing correctional facilities to aid in caring for prisoners at the end of life. Two common responses have emerged to deliver adequate healthcare to inmates, including hospice programs and End-of-Life (EOL) care services. This study aimed to explore the nature of EOL care in a state prison by interviewing correctional administrators, correctional officers, and relevant medical personnel (N=17). The current study provided insight into the inclusion criteria for inmates who utilized EOL care in the prison …

Occupational Therapy In The Criminal Justice System: Assessing Social And Occupational Engagement Within The Correctional Facility Context, Erika Tucker

Occupational Therapy Doctoral Student Capstone Posters

This capstone consisted of conducting an observational research study at Northeast Reintegration Center utilizing the Assessment tool for Occupation and Social Engagement -- Correctional Facilities to understand how a prison environment supports and/or limits pro-social behaviors and engagement in productive activities among the understudied population of females who are incarcerated.

Doing Death Work: A Mixed Method Examination Of Imprinted Events And Behavioral Responses Of Medical Examiner's Office Employees, Elizabeth L. Gilmore, Kevin Buckler

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"This study provides a qualitative and quantitative data analysis from interviews of current and former employees of medical examiner offices. These employees’ current and former positions required that they arrive at scenes of natural, accidental, suicidal, undetermined, and homicidal deaths, document and retrieve the decedent(s), and assist in eviscerating the remains to aid forensic pathologists during autopsy procedures. The authors interviewed 14 current or past employees of different medical examiner offices to understand what they liked and disliked about this curious profession and aimed to understand professional struggles. Additionally, study participants answered questions about imprinted events, how they and colleagues …

Editorial, Kevin Buckler

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

This issue contains five articles that utilize various qualitative and mixed methods.

Child Sex Abusers In Protestant Christian Churches: An Offender Typology, Andrew S. Denney

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

Sexual abuse within religious settings has been the focus of prior research for over fifty years. However, most research has focused on the Roman Catholic Church, not Protestant Christian churches. Yet, Protestant Christian Churches are the most prominent religious institutions, both in the physical number of churches and total participants, across the United States. By examining 326 alleged instances of sexual abuse at or through activities provided by U.S. Protestant Christian churches, this study sought to create the first typology of sexual abusers within this setting. This study found that three types of offenders exist within these settings, (1) on-site …

Infidelity, Liability, And Violence, Jason Manning

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

Much criminal violence arises from conflict and is moralistic. The perpetrator is punishing someone for a perceived wrong. Liability refers to accountability for a wrong: Who exactly has to suffer punishment? Here I argue that violence arising from infidelity and sexual jealousy is a strategic research site for studying liability. When these matters trigger lethal violence, there is variation in who the perpetrator targets. Using detailed descriptions of US homicides, as well as the cross-cultural ethnographic literature, I describe and classify three patterns of liability: mate, rival, and dual. I conclude by suggesting sociological factors relevant to explaining these patterns …

“Title Ix Isn’T For You, It’S For The University”: Sexual Violence Survivors’ Experiences Of Institutional Betrayal In Title Ix Investigations, Katherine Lorenz, Rebecca Hayes, Cathrine Jacobsen

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

Institutional betrayal occurs when an institution fails to appropriately respond to harm experienced by a member of the institution, such as by failing to act or by mishandling cases. The concept has been applied to higher education institution’s (HEI’s) response to students who experience sexual violence, particularly Title IX investigations, showing that institutional betrayal is common among student survivors. Yet, to our knowledge, institutional betrayal in HEI Title IX investigations has not been qualitatively explored. We conducted interviews of graduate and undergraduate student sexual violence survivors (n=21) who participated in a Title IX investigation at a U.S. HEI to understand …

Treating Criminal Justice-Involved Serious Mental Illness (Smi) Clients In The Community, Brittany Hood

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

With criminal justice-involved individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) at an all-time high in the criminal justice system, research on community mental health centers (CMHCs) demonstrates a lack of treatment for justice-involved persons. Scholars have argued that providing appropriate treatment to criminal justice-involved individuals with SMI could alleviate symptoms. Therefore improving the effectiveness of mental health treatment to reduce recidivism in this population is paramount. The current study used a qualitative approach to examine how community service providers perceived organizational-level variables and legal constraints to influence treatment decisions for justice-involved individuals with SMI. Findings suggest three critical implications for policy …

Modern Approaches To Addressing The Mass Incarceration Of America's Mentally Ill Population, Cameron A. Bice, April N. Terry

Academic Leadership Journal in Student Research

Correctional facilities negatively affect individuals with pre-existing mental and behavioral health concerns while also creating an environment that manifests future mental illness. Issues include facility overcrowding, restrictive housing practices, lack of accessible services, and ill-informed practices and procedures when working with individuals with mental illness. Incarcerated individuals with mental illness also face disparities through (1) sentence length, (2) race/ethnicity and gender, and (3) increased risk in victimization. This paper draws attention to a long-standing, yet current critical issue in the American criminal justice system—the use of jails and prisons as modern-day psychiatric hospitals. This literature yields many options for disrupting …

Workplace Bullying On Human Resources Management Performance In Correctional Facilities, Oliver Onyeka Ehiahuruike

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractWorkplace bullying, as part of a hostile work environment, impacts human resources management (HRM) work outcome metrics, employees' attitudes toward their job, organization, and behavioral intentions that collectively affect organizational goals. Addressed in this study are the problems of workplace bullying of corrections employees, which negatively affect HRM outcome measures of turnover intention, organizational commitment, and employee job satisfaction. The purpose of this quantitative correlational research study was to determine the relationship between workplace bullying and turnover intention, organizational commitment, and job satisfaction among corrections employees in Texas. Homans's social exchange and Bourdieu's social capital theories were used in this …

Occupational Burnout Factors Among Correctional Mental Health Providers, Morgan Gruhot

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Burnout rates of correctional employees are higher than employees in the general public. The purpose of this study was to identify how occupational factors impact burnout rates among correctional mental health workers. Grounded in the job-demands theoretical model, this study compared burnout rates among mental health staff within county jails and state prisons. Burnout was measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory and Occupational factors were measured using the Areas of Work life Survey and Pandemic Experience and Perception Survey. Data was analyzed using IBM SSPS software to address multiple a priori directional research questions. Research questions considered how occupational factors …