Legal Studies Commons^™

Rural Police Crime 2005-2017, Chloe A. Wentzlof, Philip M. Stinson, John Liederbach

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Presentation at the Annual Meeting of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences in National Harbor, MD, on March 17, 2023.

Off-Duty And Under Arrest: An Exploratory Study Of The Arrests Of Off-Duty Police Officers, 2005-2017, Taylor E. Henn, Chloe A. Wentzlof, Philip M. Stinson

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Presentation at the Annual Meeting of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences in National Harbor, MD, on March 17, 2023.

An Exploratory Study Of Police Officers Arrested For Sex-Related Crimes, 2005-2017, Leah M. Jolliffe, Chloe A. Wentzlof, Philip M. Stinson

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Presentation at the Annual Meeting of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences in National Harbor, MD, on March 17, 2023.

Police Crime Against Sex Workers In The United States, 2005-2017, Jillian G. Grzywna, Chloe A. Wentzlof, Philip M. Stinson

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Presentation at the Annual Meeting of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences in National Harbor, MD, on March 17, 2023.

Family Violence Committed By Law Enforcement Officers In The United States, 2005-2017, Madison Raye Engelbert, Chloe A. Wentzlof, Philip M. Stinson

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Presentation at the Annual Meeting of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences in National Harbor, MD, on March 17, 2023.

Employing Individuals With A Criminal Record: How Prior Experience And Belief In Redeemability Impact Hiring Decisions, Kiera O'Connor

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to better understand the mechanisms that play a part in employers’ hiring decisions when considering an applicant who has a criminal record. Specifically, two key variables were analyzed as a predictor of an employers’ willingness to hire (WTH): the presence and quality of an employer’s prior experience (PE) having hired an individual with a criminal record, and the extent to which they hold a belief in the redeemability (BiR) of those with a criminal record. Further, the current study aimed to contribute to the body of literature pertaining to WTH, PE and BiR by introducing BiR as …

The Interconnectedness Of Criminal Offenses Committed By Law Enforcement Officers, 2005-2017, Jonathan R. Kutz, Chloe A. Wentzlof, Philip M. Stinson

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Presentation at the Annual Meeting of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences in National Harbor, MD, on March 17, 2023.

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 …

With Liberty And Justice For The Wealthy: The Criminalization Of The American Poor, Ashlyn Dickmeyer

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The last phrase of the Pledge of Allegiance states “with liberty and justice for all”. However, not everyone has access to this liberty and justice. Liberty and justice can be bought in this country for a price, and those who can’t afford to pay it are often left in the hands of those who can. One of the most prominent ways to see this is by analyzing the criminal justice system. Despite clauses in the Fourteenth Amendment and court cases like Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) establishing and upholding that the poor are entitled to equal treatment within the criminal justice …

Chippin ’ In: An Analysis Of The Criminological Concepts Within Cyberpunk 2077, Morgan Steele

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

The cyberpunk genre dominates much of our popular culture, from how we think of cyber- and white-collar crime, to our understanding of how technology influences the criminal justice system. This article explores the common criminological themes prev- alent within the recent video game Cyberpunk 2077 as an example of popular crimi- nology. Specifically, it explores the game’s story and environment by examining key characters’ responses to structural inequalities through an anomie theory lens. Key characters and groups within the game exemplify Merton’s (1938) different responses to rampant poverty and socioeconomic inequality. This is then extended to the “cyberpsycho” problem within …

The Invisible Victims Of Commercial Sexual Exploitation: Boys And Their Barriers To Access To Services, Amanda L. Connella

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While there has been a large body of research conducted on girl (under the age of 18) victims of commercial sexual exploitation, boy (under the age of 18) victims do not seem to receive the same attention. From the few studies that have been conducted, boys and young male victims of commercial sexual exploitation have been shown to have gender specific barriers that prevent them from getting help, yet not many papers explore this unique problem. Using survey data from key providers that work in programs that serve commercially sexually exploited boys, the present study fills this hole in the …

Sticky Situations: Understanding The Law And Life, Krystal Banks

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Law and life go hand in hand. Understanding the law and how it connects to life can be an effective tool in teaching youth and adults the value of making good decisions when it comes to life and the law. Sticky Situations places real-world situations in the context of learning how to apply the law and effectively respond to life's sticky situations.

Criminal Justice And Criminal Justice News, Georgia Southern University

Criminal Justice & Criminology: News & Publications (2012-2023)

• Current Issues in Policing Course Option!

Criminal Justice Update - March 2023, Patrick Mahoney

Criminal Justice Updates

The Criminal Justice Update is a monthly newsletter created by the Adams County Bar Foundation Fellow providing updates in criminal justice policy coming from Pennsylvania's courts and legislature as well as the US Supreme Court.

Contents:

• Updates from PA Governor's Office
• No updates this month.
• Updates from the PA Legislature: Criminal Law & Procedure
• Updates from the Courts
• US Supreme Court (no updates this month)
• PA Supreme Court: Criminal Law & Procedure
• PA Superior Court: Criminal Law & Procedure

The Grass Is Always Greener: Analyzing Crime Concentration And Specialization In Urban Greenspace Environs, Cheyenne Pamela Hodgen, Kathryn Wuschke

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications and Presentations

Greenspaces play an important role in the urban landscape, with prior research suggesting that they are associated with numerous health and social benefits for residents. Despite this, research conflicts regarding the relationship between greenspaces and crime, with some studies finding these locations to be criminogenic and others finding them to be protective against local crime. This study examines this relationship in Portland, Oregon, considering different greenspace types as well as different crime types. Further, this study presents a novel methodological adaption to measure crime concentration and specialization around discrete location types by integrating a street network buffer into the standard …

Crime Leads To Time And Time Back To Crime: The Effect Of Employment On Recidivism, Connor Weiss

Master of Arts in Criminal Justice Leadership

This paper opens with a general history of prison systems and the recurring issue of overpopulation in prisons, which leads to the main topic of recidivism rates amongst former offender populations who find themselves with work opportunities. A summary of this issue as a whole is brought up with possible solutions to address the issues, as well as the problems that can and would arise with the proposed implementation of a streamlined prison-based career exploration and job training program. Continuing through the paper, the focus shifts to the ethics of the topic. Ethics play a significant role when looking at …

Law Enforcement's Assistance To The Mental Health Community, Megan Thompson

Master of Arts in Criminal Justice Leadership

Mental health calls are an overwhelmingly consistent part of the law enforcement profession. With the lack of resources for the mental health community, law enforcement officers are becoming the contingency strategy. Relationships between the law enforcement and mental health communities are becoming imperative for every community. While developing these relationships, law enforcement officers can begin to develop response teams to handle mental health calls for service. Bringing on board clinical and non-clinical professionals from the mental health community can provide different intervention and therapy programs. Basic ethical principles, accepted in culture, include but are not limited to respect, honesty, and …

Paramilitary Model And Civilian Employee’S Impression Of Law Enforcement, Deanna Vue

Master of Arts in Criminal Justice Leadership

Law enforcement agencies have long been facing a leadership crisis. Much of law enforcement organizational structure and leadership have been focused solely on police officers. Law enforcement leaders forget these traditional models and rigid structure also affect civilian personnel. The chain of command serves to streamline communication, not to facilitate unchecked behavior. However, many law enforcement leaders continue to rely on the chain of command for everything from mentoring, to coaching, to evaluation. Civilians may feel they are treated unequally and suffer from an unbalanced psychological injury. Some may consider it blasphemous to change the traditional organizational structure of law …

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Early Retirements In Law Enforcement, Alecia Ainslie

Master of Arts in Criminal Justice Leadership

The American Psychiatric Association defines post-traumatic stress disorder as a psychiatric disorder that may occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, a serious accident, a terrorist act, war/combat, or rape or who have been threatened with death, sexual violence, or serious injury (Torres, 2020). Why are law enforcement officers retiring at an alarming rate due to post-traumatic stress disorder? “Law enforcement professionals anticipate and accept the unique dangers and pressures of their chosen profession. However, people under stress find it harder than people not experiencing stress to connect with others and …

Law Enforcement’S Use Of Social Media: It Is More Then Just A Post, Brad Litke

Master of Arts in Criminal Justice Leadership

Social media has become a preferred way to communicate for many and can be a look into the user’s personal life. However, law enforcement also knows this. Law enforcement’s use of social media for investigations has been proven to be effective in monitoring gatherings and helping to solve crimes. While legal, law enforcement also has an ethical responsibility to the community and have strong policies in place to prevent misuse of this tool. This is not the only use of social media by law enforcement. Social media is also used to interact with the community. Reviewing the good and bad …

Culture Of Wellness Toward Resiliency, Shelby Stemig

Master of Arts in Criminal Justice Leadership

Stress and burnout are increasingly prevalent amongst law enforcement officers and civilian staff due to job demands and job-related traumas. A culture of wellness planning is how administrations can build resiliency against stress and burnout. A wellness plan should emphasize organizational responsibility, officer responsibility, formal and informal leadership, and external collaborations. Agencies can also utilize the same cognitive behavioral therapies that supervised release agents find beneficial for clients. There are great similarities between the utilization of cognitive behavioral interventions, evidence-based models, and thought behavioral links between supervised release clients and law enforcement staff members. Often, cognitive behavioral therapies are used …

Exploring The Impacts Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On The Number Of Reported Missing Persons In Canada During 2020, Alexandria Connolly, Mauranne Ste-Marie, Kevin O'Shea

International Journal of Missing Persons

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in notable social and economic impacts in many countries, including Canada. This study examines the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the number of reported missing persons, adults and children, in Canada during 2020. Results indicate that there was a decrease in the number of reported missing persons cases during 2020 as compared to 2019 by 20.20%. All provinces and territories experienced a decrease, with the exception of New Brunswick. The pandemic had notable impacts specifically on the number of reported missing children, missing teenagers, and missing male individuals in general. This study provides a …

Formation Of A Mental Health Co-Responder Unit, Tom Smith

Master of Arts in Criminal Justice Leadership

The current models of treating mentally ill people with police contact are not working and have never worked. Mentally ill people, or those in crisis, often slip through gaps in the criminal justice and hospital systems. It is time for criminal justice and medical treatment systems to work together to help those with mental illnesses. Properly implemented programs and policies will allow officers to respond better to people experiencing a crisis. These programs, and ethically implemented policies, will enable officers to better serve people by getting them the necessary services while limiting the potential for using force, jail, and hospitalization. …

An Examination Of Racial Disparities In Arrest Across Florida Counties, 1998-2018: A Test Of The Racial Threat And Political Representation Hypotheses, Xavier D. Burch

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to examine variations in the racial distribution of reported arrests across counties, and whether those outcomes are related to racial demographics variables and measure of the political structure in the State of Florida. The study seeks to bring awareness to the importance of representation of minorities by conducting a test of Blalock’s minority threat theory and extending the theory through the examination of political variables across Florida counties. Arrest and population data from 67 Florida counties along with the racial composition of the Florida State House of Representatives from 1998 to 2018 are utilized …

Evidence-Based Inventory Of Criminal Justice Programs In Nebraska, Katelynn Towne, Christopher Campbell, Monica Miles-Steffens, Brian Gildea, John Ursino, Ryan E. Spohn, Zachary Hamilton, Michael Campagna, Addison Kobie, Taylor L. Claxton, Laura Dueland, Tara Grell

Reports

This report is the product of collaborative efforts from the Nebraska Center for Justice Research, the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Industrial and Organizational Psychology and the Criminology and Criminal Justice department at Portland State University. The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of the importance of using evidence-based practices and programs, examine the quantity and needs addressed by adult criminal justice programs, and provide a snapshot of operating evidence-based programs throughout Nebraska. This report provides findings related to the discovery of programs and a review of branded programs operating in Nebraska. Product 1 – Inventory …