Legal Studies Commons^™

Reasons For Gaps In Crime Reporting: The Case Of White-Collar Criminals Investigated By Private Fraud Examiners In Norway, Petter Gottschalk, Maria Tcherni-Buzzeo

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

A private investigation is an examination of facts, sequence of events, causes for deviance, and responsibilities for negative incidents. Recent years have seen an increasing use of private internal investigations in terms of the assessment of financial irregularities. The form of inquiry aims to uncover vulnerabilities to unrestricted opportunities, failing internal controls, abuse of position, and any financial misconduct such as corruption, fraud, embezzlement, theft, manipulation, tax evasion and other forms of economic crime. When fraud examiners discover evidence of white-collar crime, they almost always leave it to their clients to decide whether or not to report crime to the …

Legal Responses To Nonconsensual Pornography: Current Policy In The United States And Future Directions For Research, Cynthia J. Najdowski

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

Technological advances have created new avenues for the perpetration of sexual violence. The widespread availability of cameras has made it easier to take covert recordings of an individual’s intimate body parts, and whether sexually explicit images are recorded with or without an individual’s consent, growing access to the Internet has facilitated the nonconsensual dissemination of those images. Yet criminal laws have not kept pace with technology in most jurisdictions across the United States, and victims of nonconsensual pornography typically have no avenue by which to seek justice. There have been efforts to reform laws in a variety of jurisdictions, some …

The Complexity Of Public Attitudes Toward Sex Crimes, Laura L. King, Jennifer R. Roberts

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications and Presentations

Previous research suggests that public opinion about crime is nuanced as it has been found to vary greatly depending upon the type of questions asked and the amount of information provided. Few have similarly examined the complexity of public attitudes specifically about sex crimes. A survey was administered to a sample of U. S. residents utilizing the factorial survey method. The results suggested that specific details about the offense, offender, and victim had a significant effect on perceptions. The findings point to discrepancies between policy and public opinion, as well as to the importance of educating the public about the …

What Impact Is Felony Disenfranchisement Having On Hispanics In Florida?, Angel E. Sanchez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This research produces original empirical estimates of Hispanics in Florida’s Dept. of Corrections (FDOC) and uses those estimates to measure the impact felony disenfranchisement is having on Hispanics in Florida. Research institutions find that data on Hispanics in the criminal justice system, particularly in Florida, is either lacking or inaccurate. This research addresses this problem by applying an optimal surname list method using Census Bureau data and Bayes Theorem to produce an empirical estimate of Hispanics in FDOC’s data. Using the Hispanic rate derived from the empirical FDOC analysis, the rate of Hispanics in the disenfranchised population is estimated. The …

Ideology, Race, And The Death Penalty: “Lies, Damn Lies, And Statistics” In Advocacy Research, Anthony Walsh, Virginia Hatch

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications and Presentations

We use the literature on race in death penalty to illustrate the hold that ideology has on researchers and journalists alike when a social issue is charged with emotional content. We note particularly how statistical evidence become misinterpreted in ways that support a particular ideology, either because of innumeracy or because—subconsciously or otherwise—one’s ideology precludes a critical analysis. We note that because white defendants are now proportionately more likely to receive the death penalty and to be executed than black defendants that the argument has shifted from a defendant-based to a victim-based one. We examine studies based on identical data …

Rewiring The Anger: Learning New Responses In The Therapeutic Community, Emma Marie Burleson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Extensive research has been conducted in correctional settings on the effects that therapeutic programs that utilize cognitive-behavioral therapies have on recidivism rates and cognitive-behavioral changes among inmates. Research on anger management programs in correctional settings has shown that there are measurable effects on the anger levels of participants based on quantitative pre-testing and post-testing. The present study sought to build on this research in a unique way by conducting qualitative research to examine the personal perceptions of inmates that have graduated from a therapeutic program in a maximum security prison. The study focused on participants’ perceived changes in how they …

Black Male Probationers' Perceptions Of Juvenile Probation Officers' Role In Reducing Recidivism, Fern H. Clarke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The high recidivism rate of Black male juvenile offenders is a problem in the United States that continues to be of great concern. Probation has gained popularity as being a means of addressing and reducing the high recidivism rates of juvenile offenders. However, there is a lack of research regarding Black male juvenile probationers' perceptions of their probation officers' role in reducing their recidivism. This study examined the following: a) the predictive relationships between Black male probationers' perceptions of their probation officers, their perceptions of the probation officers' job, and their recidivism within 3 years of being place on probation; …

Untangling The Interconnected Relationships Between Alcohol Use, Employment, And Offending, Margaret M. Chrusciel

Theses and Dissertations

Both substance use and employment are correlates of crime that are heavily examined by criminological research. Efforts to explore these connections have produced two rich bodies of literature that provide insight into the nuances of the relationship between substance use and offending and the relationship between employment and crime. Research shows that while substance use increases subsequent criminal behavior, employment seems to reduce offending. Given the strong positive association between substance use and crime and the inverse effect of employment on offending, it is possible that drug use and employment interact in their impact on crime. In addition to potential …

Sex Offender Policies That Spin The Revolving Door: An Exploration Of The Relationships Between Residence Restrictions, Homelessness, And Recidivism, Deanna Cann

Theses and Dissertations

Within the past two decades, a variety of specialized sex offender legislation has been implemented across the United States. Typically brought about in attempt to ebb the societal disquiet after notorious sexual assault cases are sensationalized in the media, these policies appear to be based on faulty assumptions, and lack any evidence-based foundation. In fact, empirical research suggests that policies such as sex offender registration, community notification, and residence restrictions do little to prevent sexual offending, and may actually work to increase the risk of these events through a number of collateral consequences. The current study critically examines the rationale …

Inmate Time Utilization And Well-Being, Mateja Vuk

Theses and Dissertations

Qualitative studies about prison culture and examinations of correctional recreation and programming offer a comprehensive understanding of prisons’ social dynamics, including how individuals spend their free time while incarcerated. Theoretical models and the extant research suggest that involvement in structured and prosocial activities is associated with positive behavioral and emotional outcomes in offenders. However, the majority of studies that provide the empirical evidence for these conclusions do not examine all aspects of time utilization explicitly or do not provide statistical evidence of the strength and significance of the associations. Additionally, many of these investigations are dated.

To address these gaps, …

The Implementation Of Body Worn Cameras: Lessons Learned The Case Of Detroit Police Department, Toycia Collins

Wayne State University Theses

The level of mistrust between citizens and the police continues to have serious implications for police legitimacy. Police legitimacy is an important phenomenon that must be preserved, since it forms the very foundation of police authority. The intricates surrounding police/citizen mistrust is further compounded in this era of citizen journalism, where the increasing availability of cellphones and varying social media platforms, have given rise to the ability to share the captured footages with a wider audience. In 2014, then president, Barack Obama proposed a compromise to bridge the gap between citizens and the police. This compromise came in the form …

Trends In The Community Supervision Population Of The United States: An Analysis Of Race, Gender, And Region's Effect On Probation And Parole, Patricia Bynum

Wayne State University Theses

Past research noted that the community supervision population of the United States has grown at a rate comparable to the incarcerated population. The two-fold purpose of this study was to describe the trend of growth for the community supervision population of the United States at the state- and national-level from 1990-2010, and to quantitatively examine whether race, gender, or region influenced the ratio of individuals under community supervision over incarceration by state. Data were collected from the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) database from four different publications for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Data were prepared in …

Exploring The Characteristics And Motivations Of Undergraduates Who Sext, Mackenzie Boehler

Wayne State University Theses

ABSTRACT

IDENTIFYING THE MOTIVATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF UNDERGRADUATES WHO SEXT

by

MACKENZIE BOEHLER

May 2017

Advisor: Dr. Matthew Larson

Major: Criminal Justice

Degree: Master of Science

In recent years, sexting has become a controversial topic among legal scholars and behavioral scientists. Research has displayed varying accounts of the prevalence of sexting among young adults and has yet to answer the question of why. This study seeks to understand the characteristics and motivations of young adults who are involved in sexting. A survey of sexting behaviors was administered online at a large urban university. Identifying the factors and influences for a …

Police Assisting Addicts Towards Recovery: A Preliminary Analysis Of Drug Policy, Sherah Dickinson

Undergraduate Research Journal

The War on Drugs began in 1967 with the hope of ending the devastating effects of drug addiction. Unfortunately, the prevalence of drug use and abuse has only spread across socioeconomic, cultural, and geographic lines. This research describes the implications of criminalizing drug addiction, for example: crowded prison populations and disparate treatment of minority and disadvantaged groups. This review further investigates alternative methods and policies using evidence-based practice to treat substance addiction such as the ANGEL Program in Gloucester Massachusetts.

Analysis Of Traffic Stops Involving Drug Seizures, Robert Messbarger

Undergraduate Research Journal

This paper is a content analysis of traffic stop drug seizures throughout the Midwest from January 1, 2015 to September 30, 2016. Information is gathered from news articles regarding interstate or major highway drug seizures. The results examine various characteristics of the traffic stop and the suspect involved. The average traffic stop drug seizure happens on Thursday afternoon. The suspect is usually male, aged 20-29, and in most cases is charged with intent to distribute. The suspect is typically in a newer SUV and is in possession of marijuana. It is likely the suspect is a resident of the state …

Vocational And Life Skills Monthly Data Update: January 2017, Uno Nebraska Center For Justice Research, Johanna Peterson

Reports

Grantees use an online data management system to submit data on participants served under their Vocational and Life Skills programming. This data is due monthly and reflects all services provided during the previous month to participants. Evaluators at the Nebraska Center for Justice Research work with grantees directly to correct any data errors on an ongoing basis during monthly update calls and site visits.

Data presented below is from the monthly data pulls. Because this data comes for an active database with live data being entered and updated daily, data, including previously submitted information, may fluctuate depending on changes made …

Status Offenders And The Juvenile Justice System, Sara E. Moore, Emily Wright, Ryan E. Spohn

Reports

Status offenses are noncriminal acts that are considered law violations because the offender is a minor; status offenders in the juvenile justice system are often first-time offenders and pose low-risk to society. Status offenders become involved in the justice system primarily by displaying problem behaviors that result in school personnel or law enforcement response, which may lead to a referral to the County Attorney. Once the juvenile has been referred, they may be diverted or further entrenched in the system. Net widening occurs when low-risk youth are brought under the purview of the court and juvenile system – this punishment …

Youthful Familicidal Offenders: Targeted Victims, Planned Attacks, Rosa Viñas-Racionero, Louis B. Schlesinger, Mario Scalora, John P. Jarvis

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

A nonrandom national sample of 16 familicides, which involved 19 offenders (ages 14 to 21 years) who either killed or made a serious attempt to kill their families, was studied. The majority of offenders were Caucasian (78.91 %) males (84.21 %) with interpersonal family conflicts due to parental control, substance use, or physical violence. Prior to the murders, 50 % of the offenders reported to others their intent to kill their families. All of the 42 reported victims were specifically targeted and most of the homicides were planned shooting attacks (75 %) rather than spontaneous eruptions. Immediately following the homicides, …

Convicting The Innocent Redux, Brandon L. Garrett

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Politics And The Application Of Law: Crime Construction And Police Power, Komysha Hassan

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The shooting death of Michael Brown in June of 2014 by police in Ferguson, Missouri triggered massive public protests across the United States, calling attention to a wave of similar incidents thereafter, where unarmed black men have been killed at the hands of officers in a wide range of locales. The recent coverage has revealed the extent and dispersion of aggressive and, in many cases, fatal interactions between law enforcement and the public, particularly minorities. Actions by the Department of Justice and other state and local agencies have consistently focused on individual agencies and/or agents, as the cause of the …

Probation Officer Productivity: Using The Effort-Reward Imbalance Model, Brandon Presley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine the extent to which workplace efforts and rewards are associated with probation officer stress, overcommitment, health, and productivity. This research uses the effort-reward imbalance model, which is an indicator of job stress, on a group of criminal justice probation officers. The probation officers completed questionnaires regarding their perceptions of health, perceived reward, perceived effort, perceptions of overcommitment, and perceived productivity. Afterward, the responses were collected, and analyses were conducted using correlation and multiple regression to determine the extent to which perceptions of effort, reward, and overcommitment effect probation officer productivity and health. …

Race And Death Sentencing For Oklahoma Homicides Committed Between 1990 And 2012, Glenn L. Pierce, Michael L. Radelet, Susan Sharp

Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

This Article examines 4,668 Oklahoma homicide cases with an identified suspect that occurred during a twenty-three year period between January 1, 1990, and December 31, 2012. Among these, we identified 153 cases that ended with a death sentence. Overall we found that while the defendant’s race did not correlate with a death sentence, there was a strong correlation with the race of the victim, with cases with white victims significantly more likely to end with a death sentence than cases with non-white victims. Homicides with female victims were also more likely to result in a death sentence than other cases. …

Adult Justice In Nebraska 2017, Nebraska Center For Justice Research, University Of Nebraska At Omaha, Ryan E. Spohn, Emily Wright, Joselyne Chenane, Sara Toto

Reports

From the Director: The Nebraska Center for Justice Research was established in 2014 with a mission to develop and sustain research capacity internal to the State of Nebraska, assist the Legislature in research, evaluation, and policymaking to reduce recidivism, promote the use of evidence-based practices in corrections, and improve public safety. The primary purpose of this report is to provide an overview of recent trends in Nebraska’s adult criminal justice system. Most of the data in this report is presented statewide as well as separated into Nebraska’s twelve judicial districts. Nebraska’s two most metropolitan counties are represented by District 4 …

Annual Report 2017, Nebraska Center For Justice Research, University Of Nebraska At Omaha, Ryan E. Spohn

Reports

The Nebraska Center for Justice Research (NCJR) was established in 2014 with a mission to develop and sustain criminal justice research capacity internal to the State of Nebraska. Our goal is to assist the Legislature, justice agencies, practitioners, foundations, and stakeholders with research and evaluation to reduce recidivism, promote the use of evidence-based practices, and improve public safety. This annual report summarizes the activities and financial status of NCJR in its third year. In the 2016-2017 fiscal year, NCJR once again crafted our Adult Justice in Nebraska report to provide a foundation of data trends in areas such as law …

Evaluation Of The Crossover Youth Practice Model (Youth Impact!): Executive Summary 2017, Nebraska Center For Justice Research, University Of Nebraska At Omaha, Emily Wright, Ryan E. Spohn, Joselyne Chenane

Reports

This project evaluated the Crossover Youth Practice Model (CYPM) – now Youth Impact! (YI!) – in Douglas County, Nebraska. The goals of the project were: a) to conduct an outcome evaluation of the initiative (does YI! decrease recidivism and increase prosocial outcomes among youth?), b) to conduct a process evaluation of the initiative (how does YI! achieve these goals?), c) conduct a cost-benefit analysis of the initiative, and d) explore a broader systems analysis of the impact of YI! on juvenile justice in Douglas County. The findings from the evaluation are presented below, and recommendations are provided as well.

The Transformation Project: Program Update 2015-2016, Nebraska Center For Justice Research, University Of Nebraska At Omaha, Starr Solomon, Ryan E. Spohn, Marcia Van Dyke, Laura Schoenrock

Reports

In 2014 Nebraska took a giant step toward fixing pervasive issues plaguing agencies throughout the justice system culminating in a prison system that was bursting at the seams. The state enlisted the services of the Council of State Governments (CSG), a national organization dedicated to helping state governments problem-solve and develop policies for the common good. Over the next several years, the CSG worked to help Nebraska usher in policies that would begin to shape justice reinvestment in the state. Along with the CSG’s initial assessment procedures, the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services (NDCS) asked the group to do an …

Marijuana Enforcement In Nebraska (2013-2015), Nebraska Center For Justice Research, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Reports

In our 2016 report, Marijuana Enforcement in Nebraska (2009-2014), the Nebraska Center for Justice Research (NCJR) examined whether marijuana-related arrests and jail admissions in Nebraska had increased significantly in the first year of recreational legalization in Colorado, by comparing counts and rates of marijuana-related criminal justice activity in 2014 as compared to 2009-2013. In that report, we found that Nebraska’s marijuana arrest rate had increased by about 11% from 2013 to 2014 and that counties along the Colorado border, in the panhandle, and along Interstate 80 had the highest rates of arrest in 2014. We also found that increases in …

Restricted Housing Among Juvenile Populations, Clara Braun, Emily Wright, Ryan E. Spohn

Reports

Restricted housing among juvenile populations – the social and physical isolation of certain youth from other juveniles, recreational time, and educational materials – is a punitive method employed by juvenile correctional facilities that restricts youths’ physical movement for a prolonged period of time. Nebraska houses the third highest per capita number of juveniles residing in detention, correctional, or residential facilities in the United States, and many facilities across the state report using restricted housing for much longer period than surrounding states. Due to their age and associated developmental needs (e.g., brain development, social interactions, etc.), juveniles are at higher risk …

School Killers Speak: A Comprehensive Examination Of Traditional School Violence Perpetrators In K-12 American Schools, Gordon A. Crews

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Law Enforcement Officer Knowledge Of Mental Illness, Nashira Funn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Media and activist groups have recently exposed the problem of negative interactions between law enforcement officers and civilians. Many of these civilians have a mental illness. Various researchers attribute these negative interactions to insufficient officer knowledge of mental illness due to a lack of training, education, and personal experiences. Very little research addresses how insufficient knowledge of mental illness may influence interactions. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and analyze self reported law enforcement knowledge using Malcolm Knowles' conceptualization of adult learning theory and andragogy as the theoretical framework. This framework bases self-directed learning/training on a needs …