Digital Commons Network^™

Ghosts Of The Shelves: A Sequential Quantitative Study Of Book Banning And Libricide In The United States, Gregory A. Wadsworth

Doctoral Works at the University of New Haven

The United States is entrenched in a new era of censorship and libricide, characterized by unprecedentedly high rates of book banning, legislatively mandated restriction, and the disproportionate censoring of works authored by and prominently showcasing sexual and racial minorities. This ongoing perpetration of libricide, the prolific characterization of literature as a cultivator, and the societal structure which manifests and promotes literary restriction has thus far received little empirical attention. The current study represents a sequential quantitative study of book banning and libricide in the United States. Mirroring Gerbner’s (1998) method for establishing cultivation effects, the present study (1) utilized open-source …

Reducing College Dropout Rates Of People With Autism In Hillsborough County, Florida, Jennifer Warren

Selected Social Change Portfolios in Prevention, Intervention, and Consultation

Goal Statement

Significant barriers exist for neurodivergent individuals when they try to access higher education and these barriers continue to disrupt their ability to persist and obtain a college degree or secondary professional education. By implementing targeted academic supports and increasing authentic inclusive education practices on campuses and in online education spaces, barriers can be reduced or eliminated. With clear actionable steps and intentional buy in from institutions, barriers present for teens and young adults with autism are removed and higher education.

Significant Findings

College students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are a growing population in higher education, but they …

Mmu: 04/27/26-05/03/26, Student Bar Association

Monday Morning Update

This Week @ NDLS

Mass Times

Commons Daily Menu

Saint of the Week

General Announcements

Hak-Hak Anak Dan Peradilan Anak: Suatu Tinjauan Atas Uu No.3 Tahun 1997, Harkristuti Harkrisnowo

Jurnal Hukum & Pembangunan

Abstract

Stability Without Support: Kinship Care And The Reproduction Of Inequality In Child Protection, Kiera Fischer

Senior Seminars and Capstones

This project examines child protection outcomes in Minnesota through a structural and inequality focused lens, analyzing how poverty, housing instability, racism, and system overlap shape family involvement with Child Protective Services (CPS). This literature review draws from sociology, anthropology, social work, and child welfare research, to examine how child protection systems disproportionately surveil and penalize low-income families and families of color, often framing structural disadvantage as an individual parental failure rather than a systemic or institutional issue. I specifically consider placement outcomes following child removal, with particular attention to differences between kinship care and non-relative foster care. Kinship placements are …

From Home To Campus: How Familial Criminality Shapes Deviant Behavior In College Students, Morgan Boone

Honors Theses

Previous research has established a link between parental criminality and crimes of offspring. Low socioeconomic status has also been established as a risk factor to criminal behavior. Trends show that most individuals who attend college are of a higher socioeconomic status and are therefore at a potentially lower risk of criminal offending. The goal of the present study is to determine whether familial criminality has an impact on the criminality of college students despite the mediating factor of school involvement. Fifty-seven undergraduate students completed a survey on criminality within their family, their individual histories of deviant behavior, and their level …

The Perils Of Trademark Co-Ownership And The Need For Co-Ownership Agreements, Cameron Quilling

DePaul Journal of Art, Technology & Intellectual Property Law

No abstract provided.

Oakwood "Future Pathways" Legacy Project: Career Exploration & Curriculum Library, Adrian Rodriguez-Mandujano, Victoria Garibay, Bassam Hanania, Alana Yuzon, Paul Consuelo-Valencia

Service Learning Showcase

The main objective of our SPA project was to develop multi-subject lesson plans that better support fifth- and sixth-grade students in Oakwood Elementary’s Bridge Program as they explore future career pathways. This project included lesson plans representing a variety of academic disciplines, including Pharmacy, Engineering, Criminal Justice, and Music.

Each lesson incorporated an interactive, career-focused activity such as Mock Drug Counting (Pharmacy), a Musical Career Showcase (Music), Creating a Claw (Engineering), and Who Did It? (Criminal Justice). These activities were designed to help students gain a better understanding of different subjects and professions while actively engaging in hands-on learning.

In …

Bridging The Gap: Expanding Educational Access For Male Students Of Color Through Parent Empowerment, Salwa Abdulla, Asrar Abdulla

Service Learning Showcase

Improve Your Tomorrow (IYT), a program that aims to increase the number of young men of color to attend and graduate from colleges and universities.Their vision is a nation in which young men of color are overrepresented in higher education, underrepresented in the criminal justice system, and leaders in their community. Educational equality continues to limit college access and success for many male students of color often due to limited resources, systematic barriers, and the lack of family engagement in their students' academic success. We explored how parent empowerment can help bridge this gap between parents, students, and schools. Our …

Masalah Prostitusi, Topo Santoso

Jurnal Hukum & Pembangunan

Abstract

Automating The State: Public Sector Ai In India And The Challenge Of Rights-Based Regulation, Medha Garg, Shravani Nag Lanka

Indian Journal of Law and Technology

This article examines the deployment of Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) by Indian Central and State Governments across key public sectors, namely, healthcare, law enforcement, justice, welfare delivery, and urban governance. AI applications in these domains promise enhanced efficiency and service delivery but also introduce risks such as algorithmic and automation biases, inaccuracies, and accountability gaps. The absence of a comprehensive regulatory framework in India exacerbates these issues, leaving citizens vulnerable to opaque decision-making processes. We discuss the current fragmented regulatory landscape in India and compare it with AI governance models in the European Union, United States, and China. Building on this …

Aces And Trust In Courts, Michael A. Wesley Jr.

Psychology Student Publications

Trust in the American court system is a foundational pillar of the legal system, based on the public's belief that authorities will make fair and just decisions.1 Therefore, understanding what factors degrade the public’s faith in the system is crucial. Most research on this topic examines the amount of trust placed in the police or the government.2, 3, 4However, there are no articles that investigate the relationship between trauma and trust in American courts. This is an issue because, as previously mentioned, individuals who have any number of ACEs are more likely to encounter the criminal justice system, including courts.5Understanding …

Doc 2026-22 Proposal To Integrate The Departments Of Political Science, Criminal Justice And Security Studies And Pre-Law Program, University Of Dayton. College Of Arts And Sciences

Senate Documents

By bringing together Political Science, Criminal Justice and Security Studies, and Pre-law, the Department of Political Science will offer a comprehensive approach to understanding power, justice, and governance at local, national, and global levels. Guided by the University of Dayton’s Marianist values, we emphasize ethical leadership, service to the community, and the dignity of all persons. We offer undergraduate degrees in Political Science, Criminal Justice and Security Studies, along with a robust Pre-law program that prepares students for legal education and careers in law. Through partnerships with local law enforcement, courts, government agencies, and community organizations, we provide students with …

The Minutes Of The Marshall University Graduate Council Meeting, April 24, 2026, Marshall University Graduate Council

Graduate Council Minutes

No abstract provided.

Doc 2026-19 Proposal For New Bachelor Of Arts In Global Studies, University Of Dayton. College Of Arts And Sciences

Senate Documents

The Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies prepares students to become thoughtful global leaders who engage effectively across cultures and contexts in an increasingly interconnected world. Grounded in intercultural understanding, the program equips students with applied skills for diverse professional settings. Through pathways in Global Citizenship & Intercultural Communication and in Area Studies (Global Spanish and Hispanophone Studies, Global French and Francophone Studies, and Global German Studies) students develop the knowledge and experience needed for careers in international organizations, NGOs, public service, international law, healthcare, or education, among others.

You Can Be Innocent—Or You Can Be Free: Prosecutorial Power And Dark Pleas In Innocence Litigation, Tori Simkovic, Craig Trocino

University of Miami Race & Social Justice Law Review

This Article examines the phenomenon Justice Michael P. Donnelly has termed the “dark plea.” A dark plea is a post-conviction guilty plea extracted from defendants who maintain their innocence but accept freedom over exoneration. Through the lens of State of Florida v. Lawrence K. Johnson, this Article exposes how dark pleas operate at the precise moment when newly discovered evidence threatens to unravel a conviction and expose actual innocence in a nearly two decades old wrongful conviction. Johnson’s case illustrates the coercive dynamics of this type postconviction “bargaining.” After eighteen years of incarceration, compelling DNA recantation evidence, and an appellate …

How Social Media Provides Access For Human Traffickers To Victimize Children: A Literature Review With Combative Measures., Ashton Lamb

Honors Theses

This literature review focuses on how human sex traffickers utilize social media to groom children. Social media is utilized by a great number of people around the world, including many children. While social media is intended to be fun and interactive, it does provide new access for dangerous people to reach victims. There is a very real, growing issue online that is not widely known to the public. This hidden danger is known as human trafficking. Human trafficking is defined as the involvement of any force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some labor or commercial sex act (Department of Homeland …

Mental Health And Sexual Victimization Among Incarcerated Populations: A Literature Review On Types, Prevalence, And Services Provided, Brianna Cerda, Laura King

2026 Undergraduate Research Showcase

Incarcerated individuals have a high risk of developing a mental illness and experiencing sexual victimization due to a variety of individual and system risk factors. There is extensive research on the prevalence of mental illness and sexual victimization among the incarcerated population, but research on mental health and victim-support services offered during incarceration is limited. This review examines the prevalence of mental illness and sexual victimization among the incarcerated population, the relationship between mental illness and sexual victimization, and the mental health and victim-support services provided during incarceration. Overall, findings indicate that 66.1% of individuals in prisons and 44.3% of …

Unsettling Settled Science: The Perils Of And Rationale Behind Blind Faith In Forensic Evidence, Jaclyn Marra

University of Miami Race & Social Justice Law Review

Science—a seemingly compelling and infallible adjudicative element—plays a pivotal role in criminal trials, serving as a cornerstone for evidence interpretation and decision-making. However, the perceived infallibility of scientific evidence often masks its inherent limitations and vulnerabilities. Forensic methods, widely regarded as objective and precise, can suffer from a plethora of inconspicuous constraints—including flawed methodologies, human error, and biases—which undermine their reliability. The American public and legal system frequently place undue trust in forensic evidence and experts, influenced by portrayals of their certainty in media and popular culture. This phenomenon has been referred to as the “Reverse CSI Effect.” This note …

Presumed Guilty By Proximity: How Geofence Warrants Undermine The Fourteenth Amendment, Radha Patel

University of Miami Race & Social Justice Law Review

Geofence warrants are utilized as a surveillance tool to gather location data on every user within a specific area and are being integrated into policing without a stable legal framework. This integration threatens individual rights and disproportionately impacts people and communities of color. While these warrants are often scrutinized under the Fourth Amendment, this note argues that they significantly undermine the Fourteenth Amendment by granting law enforcement excessive discretion. This unchecked discretion allows systemic bias and racial profiling to influence criminal investigations, creating the potential for wrongful convictions. The analysis in this note details the three-step execution process of geofence …

On The “Storied” History And Sustained Impact Of A Thriving Social Justice Journal, Mario L. Barnes

University of Miami Race & Social Justice Law Review

No abstract provided.

Innovate Springfield's Ben Hage Named Director Of Illinois Wesleyan Petrick Idea Center, Ann Aubry

Press Releases 2020-2029

No abstract provided.

Doc 2007-05 Processes And Procedures Of The Academic Senate, University Of Dayton. Academic Senate

Senate Governing Documents

These "Processes and Procedures" are intended to facilitate the smooth and transparent functioning of the Academic Senate of the University of Dayton.

Elected Sheriffs’ Election Process And How It Affects Their Behavior, Brian James Ardoin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Scholars have widely examined how electoral pressures influence the behavior of judges and prosecutors; however, less attention has been given to how elections affect law enforcement leaders. This quantitative study examined whether sheriff election cycles in Louisiana were associated with changes in law enforcement behavior. Louisiana parish sheriffs occupy a unique role as both elected officials and chief law enforcement executives, which may create incentives that influence enforcement priorities. Using secondary arrest data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation Uniform Crime Reporting program, this study analyzed parish-level arrest patterns from 2009 through 2019 to determine whether deputies’ arrest behavior differed …

Disparities In Policing Through The Lens Of Indigenous Communities In Michigan: A Research Proposal, Abigail Ruddle

Honors Theses

This study examines the historical and contemporary factors shaping relationships between Indigenous communities and law enforcement in the United States, with a specific focus on tribal nations in Michigan. Using a historical framework that includes treaty-making, forced removal, and evolving legal decisions, this research examines the use of treaties and diplomacy to initiate new socio-political structures in Native American communities. Similarly, the emergence of policing in the United States impacted the relationship between law enforcement and Indigenous communities by creating hostility and distrust. The existing literature highlights themes of police violence and the paradoxical nature of over-policing and under-policing in …

April 24, 2026 Minutes, Swosu Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Minutes

No abstract provided.

Public Policy Design In Georgia Child Support And Fatherhood, Troy Gathers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Child support policy in the United States has been widely studied as a method to ensure financial responsibility; however, existing research has identified concerns regarding enforcement practices and their disproportionate impact on African American noncustodial fathers in Georgia. Limited qualitative research examined how Georgia fathers experience and interprets these policies, creating a gap in understanding how policy implementation influences paternal engagement. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine how African American noncustodial fathers in Georgia perceived the child support process and to explore how modernization of enforcement policies might improve paternal engagement. Guided by policy feedback theory, this …

The Opioid Crisis In The United States Vs. Portugal’S Public Health Approach, Ciara Dillon

Student Publications and Presentations

The opioid epidemic in the United States is a persistent public health issue exacerbated by increasingly dangerous and potent synthetic opioids. Although there are growing levels of access to naloxone and medication-assisted treatment (MAT) as well as growing numbers of overdose-related deaths, these data indicate that U.S. drug policy continues to be characterized by a primarily reactive and partially punitive framework. This study will compare the U.S. drug policy model to that of Portugal, which fully decriminalized all illicit drugs in 2001, shifting from a national drug policy based on punishment and repression to one focused on preventing the consumption …

Murder And Non-Negligent Manslaughter Rates In Southern And Western America, Madison Penkalski

Student Publications and Presentations

The variation in violent crime rates in the U.S. has been a persistent concern in the criminal justice system, notably homicides and offenses like murder and non-negligent manslaughter (NNM). Prior research has suggested that socioeconomic factors like poverty, firearm availability, population density, along with regional and cultural differences, could be a primary contributing factor to geographic disparities in violent crime rates. It is hypothesized that southern states will exhibit higher mean murder and NNM rates than those in western states. Crime data was collected from the Statista database and from the U.S. Census Bureau. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize …

“Tolling For The Outcast”: A Therapeutic Jurisprudence Consideration Of The Relationship Between The Americans With Disabilities Act, Death Row Conditions, And Capital Punishment, Michael L. Perlin, Esq., Talia Roitberg Harmon, Maren Geiger, Chelsea Henning

San Diego Law Review

The press has regularly reported on the level of abysmal conditions on death rows in those states that have retained capital punishment. Death-row prisoners are often incarcerated in solitary confinement, and are subject to much more deprivation and harsher conditions than other prisoners. As a result, many experience declining mental health, and it has become clear that persons with mental illness are disproportionately put to death. Some litigants have turned to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as a potential source of relief; the Supreme Court’s decision in Pennsylvania Department of Corrections v. Yeskey underscored that the act’s language “unmistakably …