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Illinois State University, One Hundred And Sixty-Third Annual Commencement, May 2022, Illinois State University

Commencement Programs

Illinois State University
One Hundred and Sixty-Third Annual Commencement
May 2022

Food Deserts, Crime, And Neighborhood Context: An Examination Of The Impact Of Food Insecurity On Violent Crime In Little Rock, Sarah Dean

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis seeks to explore the indirect and direct relationships between food insecurity, concentrated disadvantage, and distribution of violent offenders through the lens of social disorganization. Data gathered by the Little Rock Police Department, American Community Survey, and city business license records are used to test neighborhood-level relationships across Little Rock, Arkansas’ 155 Census block groups. Pearson’s Correlation is used at the bivariate level and negative binomial regression tests multivariate relationships. The results suggest a null relationship between food insecurity and distribution of violent offenders across Little Rock block groups. However, several findings are consistent with prior research and theory– …

Parenting While Black, R. A. Lenhardt

Fordham Law Review

Changes in law and policy—not to mention developments such as the COVID-19 pandemic and its devastating effects on families—raise important questions about how to define parental rights and how to best support parents and children during these challenging times. The Symposium also presented important questions about issues of race, gender, sexuality, and class in our modern context. Even more salient in this space are issues of race. Here, as in other contexts, Black families, like my grandmother’s and so many others, are the “canaries in the mine.” Their experiences provide us with important insight into the signs of danger facing …

From Empathy Gap To Reparations: An Analysis Of Caregiving, Criminalization, And Family Empowerment, Charisa Smith

Fordham Law Review

America’s legacy of violent settler colonialism and racial capitalism reveals a misunderstood and neglected civil rights concern: the forced separation of families of color and unwarranted state intrusion upon caregiving through criminalization and surveillance. The War on Drugs, the Opioid Crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic are a few examples demonstrating the precariousness of our nation’s collective empathy well toward caregivers and our tattered social safety net. In fact, these instances illuminate what this Essay coins an “empathy gap” in perception when the general public, policy makers, and the mainstream media view similarly situated families with different identities. Ironically, the COVID-19 …

Criminal Justice Expertise, Benjamin Levin

Fordham Law Review

For decades, commentators have adopted a story of mass incarceration’s rise as caused by “punitive populism.” Growing prison populations, expanding criminal codes, and raced and classed disparities in enforcement result from “pathological politics”: voters and politicians act in a vicious feedback loop, driving more criminal law and punishment. The criminal system’s problems are political. But how should society solve these political problems? Scholars often identify two kinds of approaches: (1) the technocratic, which seeks to wrest power from irrational and punitive voters, replacing electoral politics with agencies and commissions, and (2) the democratic, which treats criminal policy as insufficiently responsive …

The American Racial Divide In Fear Of The Police, Justin T. Pickett, Amanda Graham, Francis T. Cullen

Criminal Justice & Criminology: Faculty Publications

The mission of policing is “to protect and serve,” but recent events suggest that many Americans, and especially Black Americans, do not feel protected from the police. Understanding police-related fear is important because it may impact civilians’ health, daily lives, and policy attitudes. To examine the prevalence, sources, and consequences of both personal and altruistic fear of the police, we surveyed a nationwide sample (N = 1,150), which included comparable numbers of Black (N = 517) and White (N = 492) respondents. Most White respondents felt safe, but most Black respondents lived in fear of the police killing them and …

Brandishing "Plus": The Difference Between Five And Seven Under The United States Federal Sentencing Guidelines, Chelsea R. Small

University of Dayton Law Review

No abstract provided.

Outside And In: Social Support's Relationship With Support While Incarcerated, Phillip Michael Galli

Dissertations

Positive social support acts as a barrier against life events. Related to crime, positive social support may improve prison institutional behavior, reentry outcomes, and reduce recidivism. Conversely, negative support may create deleterious effects for individuals as they navigate life’s challenges. This dissertation explores the relationships between indicators of positive pre-prison social support (living as a family unit, marriage, financial help) and pre-cursors to negative social support pre-prison (caregiver substance use, family criminal history, growing up in foster care, receiving welfare, living in public housing and physical/sexual abuse) and three forms of carceral social support (visitation, making/receiving phone calls, and religious …

Criminalizing Starvation In An Age Of Mass Deprivation In War: Intent, Method, Form, And Consequence, Tom Dannenbaum

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Mass starvation in war is resurgent. Across a range of conflicts, belligerents have attacked farmers and humanitarian workers; destroyed, looted, or rendered unusable food and food sources; and cut off besieged populations from the external supply of essential goods. Millions have been left in famine or on the brink thereof. Increasingly, this has elicited calls for accountability. However, traditional criminal categories are not promising in this respect. The situation and nature of objects indispensable to survival is such that they typically provide sustenance to both civilians and combatants; the conduct that deprives people of those objects often involves acting on …

Fraud In The Elderly Community, Brian Castelle

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Lack of knowledge and experience with the fast-changing technology tools makes the elderly community vulnerable to fraud. The consumer and environmental protection division at the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office is serving an increasing number of adults impacted by fraud crimes in the County. This capstone project addresses this issue by increasing awareness around fraud, with a focus on the elderly population. The project consisted of implementing an awareness campaign focused on creating education messages about fraud risks for the elderly community in collaboration with local agencies and senior living centers. Printed materials and social media were used to reach …

Motivating Youth On Probation To Post-Secondary Success, Ximena Soto

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The Silver Star Youth Program at Rancho Cielo Youth Campus works with at-risk youth ages 15 ½ to 18 to help them achieve a high school diploma. Unfortunately, many Silver Star participants lack the motivation to graduate high school and continue on to higher education or to pursue good jobs. Of the 25 students surveyed, 25% stated having some knowledge about college and future plans after graduation. The remaining 75% of students were unsure or undecided on their plans. This capstone project was designed to motivate these at-risk youth to post-secondary success. Two intern-led workshops provided students with information about …

From The Victims: A Needs Assessment And Training Program For Victim Advocates At The Monterey County District Attorney’S Office, Sophia Lopez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The lack of awareness of services and procedures of the criminal justice system causes victims of crime to not make reports to law enforcement. The Victims of Crime Unit in the District Attorney’s office provides support and services to victims in hopes to help reduce the trauma and insensitive treatment they may endure in Monterey County. The purpose of this project was to inform the creation of a training geared to increase awareness of the needs of victims of crime to the employees in the Victims of Crime Unit. The project consisted of a series of interviews with victims and …

The Inequity Of Informal Guidance, Joshua D. Blank, Leigh Osofsky

Vanderbilt Law Review

The coexistence of formal and informal law is a hallmark feature of the U.S. tax system. Congress and the Treasury enact formal law, such as statutes and regulations, while the Internal Revenue Service offers the public informal explanations and summaries, such as taxpayer publications, website frequently asked questions, virtual assistants, and other types of taxpayer guidance. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the IRS increased its use of informal law to help taxpayers understand complex emergency relief rules implemented through the tax system.

In contrast to many other legal scholars who have examined important administrative law issues regarding informal tax guidance, in …

Commercial Sexual Exploitation: A Survey Of The Knowledge, Concerns, And Training Of Transit Personnel In Las Vegas, Nevada, Elena A. Bejinariu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Transportation personnel, in particular bus drivers, encounter young people who are commercially sexually exploited frequently and throughout the course of their daily jobs. Given the frequency of this interaction, bus drivers are perceived to be the eyes and ears of the transportation industry, playing a key role in the identification and prevention of trafficking. To support national efforts in combating human trafficking, between September 1st, 2020 and June 15th, 2021, the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) of Southern Nevada trained all its existing employees and new hires on human trafficking dynamics and reporting protocols. These included legal definitions, victim characteristics, recruitment …

An Examination Of Interactions Of U.S. Players With Offshore Gambling Sites And Online Casino Reviews: Are They Offenders Or Victims?, Sinyong Choi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

While the recent liberal stance of the United States has facilitated the proliferation of legal online gambling venues, the ‘black market’ of online gambling remains prevalent. Illegal online gambling poses concerns for the legal market and risks for gambling addiction and consumer protection. Numerous law violations occur in this domain, which are produced by the interactions between players, gambling sites, and online casino reviews. Exploring the interactions of players with online gambling sites and online casino reviews is vital in enhancing our understanding of illegal online gambling activity and therefore allows us to develop preventive measures that can reduce the …

Built Environment, Land Use, And Crime: A Las Vegas Study, Stacey Lynn Clouse

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study examined land use and crime against persons and crime against property in Las Vegas, Nevada at varying spatial levels of analysis. Using crime data provided by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the Clark County Assessor’s office, results at the macro-level of analysis reveal that property crime rates concentrated on commercial, transportation, communication and utilities, and industrial land use, whereas violent crime concentrated at commercial, multi-residential, and civic, institutional, and recreational land use. Upon examining the subtypes of land use that generate or radiate more crime, property crime concentrated on transportation land use, class 1 resorts, and …

Evaluating Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation To Reduce Opioid Cravings In Opioid Use Disorder, Cameron Duncan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) is a multi-faceted, complex ailment affecting many individuals and their families across the globe. Currently, there are multiple interventions used in the treatment of OUD, many of which are designed to reduce cravings for opioids. Cravings for opioids are a strong predictor of relapse in the disorder. However, many of the interventions used in clinical practice have inherent risks including a potential for abuse and diversion. Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) is an outpatient procedure that may be effective in reducing cravings for opioids, thereby reducing relapse. Methods: This study employed a randomized, single-blind, experimental design …

Policing Sin City: The Creation And Impact Of The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, 1973-1985, Richard Kim

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This thesis examines the creation of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department in 1973 and its impact on the War on Crime. The first chapter examines the significance of race and policing in Las Vegas from the early twentieth century until the consolidation of the Clark County Sheriff’s Office and Las Vegas Police Department in 1973. Chapter 2 then analyzes how the federal government’s so-called War on Crime played out at the local and state level in Nevada from 1973 to 1985. The thesis argues that this period witnessed a punitive turn in policing that had long-term consequences for Las …

Stigma Towards Sex Workers In The Clinical Setting: Sixteen Guidelines For Therapists To Improve Their Practice And Provide Ethical Mental Health Services To Sex Workers, Alessandra Lanti

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study qualitatively investigates therapists’ attitudes toward their clients who work in the sex industry and assesses sex workers’ perception of these attitudes in therapy. Two separate surveys are used to assess attitudes. One is distributed to mental health professionals, and it uses clinical vignettes to evaluate the approaches used in therapy where the variable of “profession” is manipulated. The second survey is distributed to sex workers to evaluate their experiences in therapy. Then, indicators of persistent attitudes in the narrative responses are identified, organized into groups, and surveys are compared. Results suggest that participants in the survey distributed to …

The Impact Of Collaboration Outcomes In Rape Crisis Centers, Robin J. Mendoza

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Sexual violence is a health and human service issue that touches a multitude of individuals, organizations, and communities. Collaboration is essential to achieving desired outcomes to prevent or intervene in sexual violence. Rape crisis centers depend on cooperation and communication with other health and human service organizations to achieve common goals of reducing sexual violence. Increasing organizational effectiveness and diversifying social and systems change through maximizing relationships is an important facet of collaboration. The purpose of this research is to identify the extent of effective collaboration amongst rape crisis centers and their affiliates in the United States. Social and organizational …

Student-Athletes’ Career Adaptability, Academic Motivation And Athletic Motivation, Alexandria N. Petrolia

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Many Division I student-athletes find the transition of graduating college, leaving the athletic arena, and entering the workforce to be extremely challenging to navigate. Due to the high demands of being an elite athlete and the prospect of continuing to compete professionally after graduation, an overwhelming majority of student-athletes expend little to no effort in exploring potential careers and are unlikely to take advantage of the opportunities available to them prior to graduation. This study aimed to examine the relationship between athletic career motivation, athletic motivation, and academic motivation to the skills necessary to navigate work responsibilities in career adaptability. …

Promoting Paradise: The Recruitment Of Volga German Immigrants To The American Midwest, 1870-1900, Kassidy N. Whetstone

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In 1762 and 1763, Russian tsarina Catherine II issued manifestos encouraging foreign immigration throughout Russia, and received an overwhelming response from German farmers. These farmers, who would later be known as Russian Germans, Mennonites, or Volga Germans, quickly gained a reputation for their successful farming skills. As a result, following the Homestead Act of 1862, United States recruiters used promotional land advertisements to entice the farmers to migrate to the Midwest. The posters often depicted “open,” abundant lands in paradise. Upon arrival, however, the Volga Germans faced a reality starkly different from what the advertisements had promoted. This paper analyzes …

Measuring Perceptions Of Safety Among Staff And Women Clients In A Prison Substance Abuse Program, Jaclyn Parker Keen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Women who are involved in the criminal justice system have unique pathways to criminality. Prevailing themes of dysfunctional and traumatic relationships, addiction, mental illness, poverty, and having limited human and social capital dominate the women’s pathways perspective. A large body of existing research focuses on how these unique risk factors require unique treatment options for women while they are incarcerated in jail or prison settings. Entering prison can be an overwhelming experience and prison is an environment that has a high potential for conflict and violence. In order to be safe in prison it requires that women both feel protected …

Art Curriculum Lesson Plan: Horace Pippin’S World War I Journal, Tracie Dana Sykes

Theses

This report contains a detailed curriculum plan for a ninety-minute, eleventh grade Art class. The purpose is to provide the students with a thorough study of Horace Pippin’s World War I journal, while implementing two assignments to test their understanding of the areas which will be emphasized in the lesson. The students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of Pippin’s War journal by presenting a detailed slideshow about the artist and his journal. The students' foundational knowledge of Naive art will be recognized through the creation of his/her unique piece of art which will implement the mannerisms of Naive …

Public Health Contagion Of White Supremacy: Examining The Pipeline Of Attitudes About Racism And Racial History Education Among High School Students., Trinidad Jackson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We are living in compounded states of upheaval. Violence and exemption from it across socioecological levels have shaped how humans survive, thrive, and die. While different violence typologies exist, the U.S., prioritizes interpersonal violence as its primary target of intervention, often through structural means that foster and reinforce interpersonal violence. The omission of structural and cultural agents and outcomes of violence allows perpetrators to infiltrate and reproduce savage, dehumanizing ideologies in perpetuity. Instead of sustaining societal pillars that oppress and destroy, we must fertilize public health research, practice, and sociopolitical activism with pillars that both inform and activate liberatory consciousness …

Factors Influencing American Indian Adolescents' Abstention And Desistance From Drug Usage., Ruben Olegovich Pavlov

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Informed by Hirschi’s (1969) social bond theory and by Gottfredson and Hirschi’s (1990) general theory of crime (GTC), the proposed study intends to identify the factors more likely to differentiate drug-use desisters (i.e., adolescents who reported life-time usage, but did not report recent drug use) from those who never used drugs and from those who reported continuous use of drugs. The study is based on a quantitative analysis of survey data collected between 2009 and 2013 and obtained from a sample of American Indian (AI) adolescents, attending schools located on or near American Indian reservations. Although recent statistical information indicates …

Hiv And The African American Church: Millennial Faith Leader's Perspectives., Kelsey Leann Burton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

African Americans are disproportionately impacted by HIV compared to other racial groups. Stigma surrounding HIV has created challenges for effective HIV prevention and stigma reduction programs. The African American church has been criticized for its slow and stigmatizing response to the HIV epidemic. Despite this, African American faith leaders play significant roles in guiding the perspective of the community. Numerous studies examine African American pastors’, faith leaders’, and ministers’ perspective about HIV and other HIV-related topics. However, there is no research that specifically examines young African American pastors’ perspectives of addressing HIV, stigma, and prevention. The purpose of this dissertation …

Putting Colorism On Trial Intraracial Colorism And Its Impact On Crime Trajectory Among African Americans., Shaderica Ta'shawn Sibley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the impact of experiences of colorism on the crime trajectory of African Americans. It is qualitative in nature and utilizes semi-structured interviews with incarcerated African American people. As previous research has shown the painful impact of colorism on its victims, this study ultimately seeks to unearth if that pain translates into crime commission and trajectory. The primary purpose of this research is to contribute to the existing body of research that seeks to support “colorism healing” in the African American community. If this indicates that colorism contributes to crime trajectory, such an outcome would have practical implications: …

Rape, Consent, And The U.S. Military, Siris Fernandez

Institute for the Humanities Theses

The military’s sexual assault prevention and response program is unable to effectively eliminate or even minimize occurrences of sexual assault in the service. This program focuses primarily on the elimination of sexual assault through yearly mandatory education on the current policies and procedures that occur when a victim comes forward. The Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) program is reactionary and unequipped to tackle a culture that continues to promote a climate in which sexual assault and harassment exist without fear of retaliation. This thesis explores these issues and provides suggestions for changes in future revisions of the SAPR program. …

Are Ems Prepared To Respond To A Pandemic Or Bioterrorist Attack?, Douglas Howard Schneider

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The 2019 Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic increased America’s awareness of the amount of death and damage to the economy that pandemics and bioterrorism can cause. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed significant shortfalls in national preparedness for a pandemic or bioterrorism event. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the current preparedness level of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel in the United States to prepare for, respond to, mitigate, and recover from a natural or manufactured pandemic across the United States. The significance of this study is an accurate picture of preparedness for pandemic and bioterrorism events by American EMS systems. …