Digital Commons Network^™

Annual Report Fy 2016, Tennessee. Department Of Correction.

Annual Report

No abstract provided.

John M. Hagedorn, The Insane Chicago Way: The Daring Plan By Chicago Gangs To Create A Spanish Mafia, Thomas Barker

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"In The Insane Chicago Way, Professor Hagedorn opines that the super street gangs in Chicago have fundamentally changed since the 1990s. He provides an “institutionalized history” of the rise and fall of the Spanish Growth and Development (SGD) alliance to document the fundamental changes in Chicago. He rightly concludes that the SGD is “almost completely unknown to the public, the police, the professors and even most gang members” (p. 1). This powerful SGD case study is supported by the author’s long history of gang study and his interviews with gang leaders and street gang members, and with organized crime—Chicago …

Editorial, Tom Holt

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"Welcome to the first issue of the fourth volume of the Journal of Qualitative Criminal Justice & Criminology. This is my first issue as editor, and I am pleased to continue along the path established by Will Oliver. It has been both exciting and challenging to take the reins and transition into this role. Thankfully Will already had a great crop of articles prepared for this issue. In a way, you could argue this issue is a result of both of our efforts. To that end, this issue highlights the journal’s continued emphasis on high-quality qualitative scholarship. The first …

Mass Murder And The Mass Media: Understanding The Construction Of The Social Problem Of Mass Shootings In The Us, Jaclyn Schildkraut

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"Nearly as soon as the first shot is fired in a mass shooting, the news media already are rushing to break coverage, the likes of which typically last days or, in the more extreme cases, weeks. Though mass shootings are rare in occurrence, the disproportionate amount of coverage they receive in the media leads the public to believe that they occur at a much more regular frequency than they do. In order to understand how the public comes to understand mass shooting events, however, one first must understand how the stories are constructed by the media. The present study takes …

Old Message In A New Bottle: Taking Gang Rivalries Online Through Rap Battle Music Videos On Youtube, Joseph D. Johnson, Natalie Schell-Busey

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"The Internet is changing society, including criminal behavior. It has been shown that gangs are active online, but it is unclear how gangs are using the Internet. Most studies seem to conclude that gang members are not using the Internet instrumentally to commit or promote criminal behavior, but these same studies show that gang members use social media for flame wars— to insult and threaten one another. We argue that using social media in this way is actually an instrumental use of the Internet because it promotes violence. According to the code of the street, a diss requires a response, …

Jody Miller And Wilson R. Palacios, Editors, Qualitative Research In Criminology, Carl Root

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"Qualitative Research in Criminology is Volume 20 in the series titled Advances in Criminological Theory edited by William S. Laufer and Freda Adler. The title of Miller and Palacios’ contribution brings to mind the saying “one of these things is not like the others.” In fact, they acknowledge as much on page three of the introduction, as they state, “For some readers, our strategy may beg the question, why does a volume oriented around methodology belong in a theoretical series?” Miller and Palacios give a brief answer to this question, but allow the seventeen chapters that comprise their volume …

Homeland Security In The Post-9/11 Era: Forced Compliance Along The Northern Border, Nancy E. Marion, Ronald Gelleny

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"The border relationship between the U.S. and Canada has traditionally been very trusting, allowing for an ease of trade and travel. However, the terrorist attacks of 9/11 altered this comfortable association. Now, U.S. policy is geared toward protecting the homeland from illegal immigration and potential terrorist actions. In other words, for Americans, security concerns trump trade. At the same time, Canada remains concerned with maintaining an ease of trade and travel with the U.S. To do this, Canada has been forced to establish and implement increased security measures as outlined by U.S. officials, even though there is strong opposition from …

When The Watchers Are Watched: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis Of Body-Worn Cameras, David A. Makin

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"This research explores the individual construction of the bodyworn camera (BWC) within what would be labeled as an average size police agency. Using a pre- and post-implementation qualitative design and leveraging interpretive phenomenological analysis as the analytical strategy, this research explores the nuanced reaction to this technological diffusion within the agency. Results reveal global themes spanning a continuum of negative and positive reactions to the diffusion, with an overwhelming acceptance of the device and individual construction of how best to use the device. While providing an initial lens of analysis for future researchers, the research includes considerable unanswered questions concerning …

Sensationalism In Newspapers: A Look At The Reporter And Amandala In Belize 2010 – 2014, Deseree L.P. Cain-Arzu

Theses

Belize has been named among the list of 10 most violent countries in the world. The news media in Belize have been known to use crime stories as headlines in both electronic and print, but there has never been a formal study to determine how prevalent and sensational. This research seeks to address the question of whether two of Belize’s most-read newspapers, the Reporter and the Amandala, have more sensational stories in their headlines, and how these stories compare to government and other human interest news. A sample of 120 front-page headlines/stories spanning a five-year period – from January 2010 …

War On Drugs: Examining The Effects On Social Disorganization And Crime In Cities, Ruben Ortiz

Master’s Theses and Projects

The work of Shaw and Mckay (1942) paved the way for researchers to study inner-city crime by focusing on the environment and its effects on residents. Social disorganization, characterized by weakened institutions led researchers to analyze and predict patterns of crime in urban areas. Researchers argue that social disorganization theory arguments developed from this approach, but lost appeal among researchers due to limited empirical tests. The theory experienced a renewed interest in the 1980s, as structural factors (e.g. poverty, heterogeneity, residential mobility, racial inequality, and family disruption) were considered, all of which allowed researchers to study patterns of crime in …

Does Crime Correlate With Fear?: Analyzing The Spatial Relationship Between Perceptions Of Safety And Crime Using Sketch Maps And Geographic Information Systems (Gis) In The Main South Neighborhood Of Worcester, Ma, Marina Khananayev

Sustainability and Social Justice

The relationship between reported crime and residential perceptions of safety is understudied and inconclusive due to its highly complicated nature. This study seeks to narrow this gap by using sketch maps collected from residents about their safety and crime data. Two methods, one visual, the other statistical (Bivariate LISA), were tested using data from sketch maps drawn by about 95 survey respondents and crime data spanning three years (2011-2014). Data was disaggregated by gender, age, and length of residency. Visual analysis of results show that perceptions of safety occur at a fine scale. Respondents marked sketch maps at varying scales …

Fear Of Crime And It’S Effect Upon Opinions Of The Police Related To Police Professionalism And Police Efficiency: A Secondary Data Analysis, Brittany Bourne

Criminal Justice

Understanding what effects opinions of the police is vital to police officers and departments as it has been found that police are more likely to reach their goals if they have support, cooperation and trust from the citizens within the areas they work. That said, this secondary data analysis investigates whether or not fear of crime has an effect on an individual’s opinion of the police related to aspects of police professionalism and police efficiency. Initial results have shown that the higher an individual’s fear of crime is, the more likely they are to view police professionalism and efficiency more …

Reform Virginia's Civil Asset Forfeiture Laws To Remove The Profit Incentive And Curtail The Abuse Of Power, Rob Poggenklass

University of Richmond Law Review

Part I of this article will review the historical roots of civil asset

forfeiture law. Part II will provide a more modern history of these

laws and an overview of Virginia's current asset forfeiture

scheme. Part III will examine the criticism of Virginia's drugrelated

civil asset forfeiture laws and highlight due process concerns,

risk of abuse of power, and misallocation of priorities due

to the structure of these laws in Virginia. Finally, Part IV will

provide recommendations to reform Virginia's civil asset forfeiture

laws.

Spatial Patterns Of Motor Vehicle Theft In Beltrami County Minnesota, Alexander Yocum

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduation requirement for the BSU Honors Program.

Pulling The Trigger: Dehumanization Of African Americans And Police Violence, Themal I. Ellawala

Scholarly Undergraduate Research Journal at Clark (SURJ)

Police shootings and killing of African American targets has reached epidemic proportions and has captured the attention of the entire country. Research in social psychology has studied many dimensions of this layered issue, and has generated disparate findings regarding the role of racial bias in police violence. The process of implicit dehumanization of African Americans, especially youth, has been proposed as particularly salient in making shoot/don’t shoot decisions. This paper suggests that the paradigm of dehumanization could complete the understanding of racialized police violence and reconcile contradictory research findings, while highlighting areas for future research.

The Long-Term Economic Impact Of Juvenile Criminal Activity, Eric Hyla 16

The Park Place Economist

When the juvenile penal system is supposed to be focused on rehabilitation, how does committing crimes and being caught as juveniles affect their future economic success? In 2012, the FBI Arrest Statistics reports an estimated 1,319,700 minors were arrested. Since so many youths interact with the criminal system, it is vital for the strength of the workforce and for the quality of life of the minors to ensure that the system is rehabilitative. Using ordinary least squares regressions, I examine data collected from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth's 1997 cohort, and examine how interactions with the formal juvenile correctional …

Public Space, Public Policy, And Public Understanding Of Race And Ethnicity In America: An Interdisciplinary Approach, Teresa A. Booker

University of Akron Press Publications

This interdisciplinary anthology contains a collection of materials, including personal accounts, analyses of historical and/or current events, and legal rulings told through the lens of various racial or ethnic groups living in the United States. Included are discussions of housing and neighborhoods, recreation and work, crime, education, and politics.

Juvenile Justice Referrals And Charges In Alaska, Fy 2006–2015, Khristy Parker

AJSAC Fact Sheet

This fact sheet presents summary information on referrals and charges in the Alaska juvenile justice system for state fiscal years 2006–2015, including: the total number of referrals made to the Alaska Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) by law enforcement, the total number of charges by class and offense type, and the number of unique juveniles referred to DJJ. Data is drawn from the DJJ Data Trends website.

Nuisance And Call For Service Data Analysis, Dr. Jennifer Burnham, Kristin Schoenecker, Irene Mekus, Melisa Ribikawskis

2015-2016: Clinton, Iowa

No abstract provided.

Life In Hampton Roads Survey Press Release #2: Police, Crime, Offender Rights, And Attitudes Regarding The Homeless And Mentally Ill In Hampton Roads, Social Science Research Center, Old Dominion University

Life in Hampton Roads Survey Report

[Introductory paragraph]

This report examines regional and sub-regional perceptions of crime and police from the 2016 Life In Hampton Roads survey (LIHR 2016) conducted by the Old Dominion University Social Science Research Center. Data from prior years is also provided when available to show comparisons in responses over time. Responses were weighted by city population, race, age, gender, and phone usage (cell versus land-line) to be representative of the Hampton Roads region.

The Relationship Between Increased Police Patrols And Violent Crime Rates In Seven United States Cities, Victor Sylvester Kabia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Large, metropolitan areas across the nation have experienced high rates of violent crime over the past 2 decades. As a consequence, law enforcement agencies have increased patrol efforts, but little is known about whether the decrease in violent crime rates was correlated to increased police patrols or to the economic variables of unemployment, inflation, level of education, unemployment compensation, and homeownership. The purpose of this non-experimental, correlational study was to examine the nature of the relationship between increased police patrols, the 5 economic variables, and violent crime rates in 7 large US cities for a 10-year period. The theoretical framework …

Social Support And Crime: A State-Level Analysis Of Social Support Policies, Jessica Brown

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

There is a growing theoretical and empirical tradition that examines the relationship between social support and crime. While academic research supports the idea that social support inhibits crime, public discourse and the popular media often assert that support, especially instrumental support to the poor, can increase crime. This article adds to the growing literature by including multiple forms of social support in an investigation of the relationship between social support and property crime and violent crime over a ten year period. Results indicate that while some forms of support have the expected negative relationship with crime, others displayed a significant …

Cross-Sectional Challenges: Gender, Race, And Six-Person Juries, Jeannine Bell, Mona Lynch

Articles by Maurer Faculty

After two grand juries failed to indict the police officers that killed Michael Brown and Eric Garner in 2014, our nation has engaged in polarizing discussions about how juries reach their decision. The very legitimacy of our justice system has come into question. Increasingly, deep concerns have been raised concerning the role of race and gender in jury decision-making in such controversial cases. Tracing the roots of juror decision-making is especially complicated when jurors’ race and gender are factored in as considerations. This Article relies on social science research to explore the many cross-sectional challenges involved in the jurors’ decision …

Serious Juvenile Offenders: The Need For A Third Sentencing Option In Wisconsin, Danielle S. Snyder

Marquette Law Review

In light of the “Slenderman” trial, it has become abundantly clear that a gap exists between the sentencing options available for “Class A” juvenile offenders and “Class B” juvenile offenders. This Comment proposes an expanded sentencing option for “Class B” serious juvenile offenders under the Juvenile Justice Code to allow those “Class B” serious juvenile offenders the benefit of extended supervision in the Serious Juvenile Offender Program as is available to “Class A” serious juvenile offenders currently. This expansion aims to alleviate the concern that certain “Class B” serious juvenile offenders must remain under original adult court jurisdiction in order …

Office Of Criminal Justice Programs Annual Report 2014-2015, Tennessee. Department Finance & Administration.

Office of Criminal Justice Programs

No abstract provided.

Tennessee Office Of Criminal Justice Programs Fy 2016 Statewide Strategy For Drug And Violent Crime Control And Criminal Justice System Improvement Update

Office of Criminal Justice Programs

No abstract provided.

Tennessee Office Of Criminal Justice Programs Strategy For Victim Services Fy 2016, Tennessee. Department Finance & Administration.

Office of Criminal Justice Programs

No abstract provided.

Examining The Strain-Crime Relationship Among African American Women: An Empirical Test Of Agnew's General Strain Theory, Nathan Lowe

Theses and Dissertations--Sociology

Agnew’s (1992; 2006) general strain theory (GST) has become one of the foremost theories to explain crime in contemporary criminology. While it has undergone several empirical tests over the years, there remain many understudied aspects of the theory. The current study addresses some of these aspects by longitudinally exploring the relationship between multiple types of strain and drug and non-drug crime among a sample of African American women.

Data for this study were collected as part of a larger study on how drug use and criminality are related to health disparities, particularly HIV, and service utilization among African American drug-using …

Doing Community Safety By Locality Working: Regime Theory And Micro-Climates Of Crime And Disorder Co-Governance, Neil Chappell

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

The co-governance of crime and disorder and the involvement of the public within quasi-deliberative consultations of participatory forums to this end has been the subject of significant bodies of research (Clarke et al, 2007, Barnes, Newman and Sullivan: 2007). Such forums were applied to the micro-level of the neighbourhood during New Labour’s tenure in office in an attempt to reduce crime and disorder and to improve the responsiveness of service delivery. This has created situations whereby the governance of communities has been shifted to the micro-level of the neighbourhood (Stoker: 2004). Hughes and Edwards (2005) have proposed examining these micro-climates …

The Use Of Minors In Material Support Of Terrorist Organizations, Teresa Maria Feliciano

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adult criminals' use of minors to commit crimes associated with the support of terrorist organizations is a significant problem in the United States. Despite strict laws prohibiting adult offenders from exploiting youth, these individuals aggressively pursue minors to commit crimes associated with the support of terrorist organizations. This quasi-experimental, cross-sectional study used resource dependency theory to explore the likelihood that adult criminal offenders in the U.S. will use minors for crimes that are associated with the support of terrorist organizations, based on crime typology, country of origin, and location of crime. Data were collected from a crime database maintained by …