Legal Studies Commons^™

Pill Mills To Fentanyl: Tackling The Opioid Epidemic, Unf Office Of Public Policy Events, Rico Bodin, Lindsey Vuolo, Susan Pitman, Katherine Hooper, J. Mitchell Miller

University Events and History Multimedia

The public was invited to attend the University of North Florida’s latest Diverse Perspectives Series event, “Pill Mills to Fentanyl: Tackling the Opioid Epidemic.”

Hosted by UNF’s Office of Public Policy Events, the free discussion was held from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 22, 2024, in the Robinson Theatre.

Drug overdoses killed a record 112,000 Americans last year, with most of the deaths coming from synthetics opioids like fentanyl.

The following experts will weigh in on what the healthcare industry, nonprofit sector and criminal justice system can do to tackle the opioid epidemic:

• Rico Bodin (moderator), director of recovery …

Quantitatively Comparing Elite Formation Over A Century: Ministers And Judges, John Hogan

Datasets

The abstract of the draft article that the datasets come from states:

In democratic societies the role of the education system is seen as crucially important to their development. It is critical in structuring society and in the value of its human and social capital. In particular, the role played by the education system in the creation and reproduction of the governing elites, and its countervailing potential to create a more meritocratic and egalitarian society has been an enduring topic of concern, research and debate. However, many of these debates have been rendered opaque by an inability to quantitatively examine, …

Campus Climate And Victimization Survey Data - Fall 2020, Morgan Steele, April Terry, Ziwei Qi, Troy Terry, Tamara Lynn

Criminal Justice Research Data

This data was collected during a campus climate and victimization survey of the Fort Hays State University population of students, staff, and faculty. It includes data from on-campus and online students, excluding partner institutions.

Thick As Thieves: Bringing Armenia’S Robber Barons To Justice, Nerses Kopalyan

Political Science Faculty Research

There is a certain inhumanity to stealing from the poor, from the disenfranchised, from children, and quite simply, from one’s own society. But the magnitude of such cruelty is further elevated when the theft is undertaken and brazenly justified by those in positions of political power.

Leveraging Data To Reduce Gun Violence: The Cincinnati Experience, Matthew G. Hammer, Tamara D. Herold

Criminal Justice Faculty Research

The year 2020 has amplified demands for more equitable policing, more efficient government, and greater transparency. As police leaders around the world attempt to maintain order and safety during a period of large-scale civil unrest, they must also address criticisms that existing law enforcement practices include biased interventions and reinforce systemic racism. Many law enforcement agencies are also responding to increasing numbers of serious crimes that disproportionately affect society’s most vulnerable communities, while simultaneously facing calls to “defund the police” fueled by accusations that challenge the legitimacy of their policing tactics. The strategies used by agencies to manage protests and …

Sentencing Length Disparities: Assessing Why Race And Gender Influence Judges’ Decisions, Janna Akers

Scripps Senior Theses

The purpose of this study is to assess why the race and gender of defendants influence judges’ decisions using the focal concern theory. This study will require around 84 participants. Participants will be federal judges who will be recruited via email. In an online survey, participants will be randomly assigned to one of four conditions . Participants will all read a vignette which an individual was convicted for in trafficking of Xanax. The vignette will be manipulated by the name and accompanying a mugshot based on the race (Black/White) and gender (male/female) of the defendant. The expected result is that …

Using Open Textbooks To Incorporate Library Resources Into Classroom Instruction.Pptx, Anne Hudson, R. Alan Thompson

College of Law Faculty

American Library Association's Annual Conference program presentation, June, 2018. Liaison librarian's role in assisting faculty members who are interested in switching from a traditional textbook to an "open" with library resources textbook.

Elite Deviance, Organized Crime, And Homicide: A Cross-National Quantitative Analysis, Carol L.S. Trent

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Both elite deviance, committed by the upper echelons of society, and organized crime threaten development and the rights and security of people across and within nations; however empirical research on these topics is limited, especially in the field of criminology. This study addresses this gap in the literature by testing hypotheses derived from Simon’s symbiotic theory of elite deviance, which posits that direct and indirect relationships exist between elite deviance, organized crime, and conventional crimes exist (2008). The intervening effects of national culture and political economic ideology are also considered.

To test the research hypotheses, this study uses homicide rates, …

The Initiation Process And Factors Associated With Adolescent Female Gang Membership, Clara Saavedra

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

This study sought to address the numerous internal and external factors associated with gang membership among adolescent females as well as the various ways females are initiated into the gang subculture. Motivations and initiation rites were determined based on a series of audio-recorded focus group interviews conducted on 16 female gang members from the North Texas region. The purpose was to identify internal/external factors as well as initiation methods in order to develop programs to reduce or prevent female gang membership.

Fear In The World Of Social Media, Jamie E. Hildreth

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

Many researchers believe that perception of crime is formed by how crime is presented or framed by news media. News media has previously been society's only gateway to the rest of the world. "Violent crimes are prominent and presented as the norm in news media and commercial television programs, thus providing millions of people with a daily diet of rape, murder and drug abuse" (Greer, 2005). Emergence of social media may be removing many of the controls news media had in place with instantaneous, supposedly unbiased, unfiltered information. Social media may also be exacerbating the effects of news media by …

School Interventions And Criminality: An Analysis Into The Types Of School Interventions And Criminality, Holton Silas Hemby

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

The study focuses on the types of school interventions used in the educational system in order to understand a correlation with criminality. The participants consist of 105 individuals that were sentenced to probation in Parker County, Texas, from January 1, 2015 to February 28, 2015. The research displays gender, race, education, school interventions, juvenile criminality, and adult criminality from the participants of Parker County Community Supervision and Corrections Department. The variables of the participants were then analyzed through a cross tabulation and logistical regression. According to the results, there is no significant association with school interventions and adult criminality. In …

Electronic Control Devices & Injury Impact: An Analysis Of Secondary Data From The Arlington Police Department, Brook Rollins

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

For law enforcement officers, the necessity to utilize force against a citizen is a powerful aspect of the job. Recent technological advances in force options contribute to the delicate balance of a police officer and using force against a citizen. The Electronic Control Device (ECD) is one such tool of technological advancement. With the introduction of the ECD a fierce argument has emerged challenging the efficacy and safety of the devices. The Arlington Police Department deploys ECD's to its officers as a part of the daily issued equipment. The purpose of this research project is to analyze the usage of …

An Analysis Of Military Sexual Assault And Subsequent Punishment, Christina Durham

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

In recent years, national attention has been drawn to the issue of sexual assault in the military. This is largely in part due to the number of reported offenses increasing each year, jumping 50% between 2012 and 2013 alone (DoD, 2013). Research has shown sexual assault offenses are greatly underreported and that the victimization rates among service members are higher than those of civilians (Turchik & Wilson, 2010). Past research efforts to understand why sexual assaults are so prevalent in the military have focused heavily on the victim and the effectiveness of preventative programs (Turchick & Wilson, 2010). Additionally, theories …

A Professional Perspective Into The World Of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking, Lira M. Polanco

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

The purpose of this study is to analyze the knowledge and perceptions of professionals involved in the world of domestic minor sex trafficking. Specifically, the perceptions of advocates, social workers, law enforcement and medical professionals in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area are examined via survey responses. An exploratory approach is used to measure the views of professionals working in the area of domestic minor sex trafficking, through the use of a non-experimental, cross-sectional questionnaire composition, which consists of a single observation of professionals in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area involved in the aid of victims of domestic minor sex trafficking. A non-probability …

The Prosecutor's Role In Helping Domestic Violence Victims, Latasha Jackson-Mcdougle

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

This study examines the Prosecutors role when handling Domestic Violence cases and how they can better help serve battered women and their children without re-victimizing them through the Criminal Justice Juridical system by reviewing secondary survey data. Two statistical analyses were performed to determine if the current way Prosecutors are handling domestic violence cases are in favor to help the battered woman and their children or is it re-victimizing them and not helping them be safe. The hypothesis predicts there is a positive relationship between battered women and their children being re-victimized by the legal system and process.

Attitudes And Beliefs Regarding Sexual Assaults, Amber Mosier

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

Perceptions of sexual assaults were compared among college students in this thesis. The findings indicate that men and women have significantly different perceptions of sexual assault and the fairness of the criminal justice system. The findings also showed that those who are criminal justice majors as opposed to those who are not do not generally have significantly different perceptions of sexual assault. The one exception to this was that CRCJ majors are more likely to believe a victim has given a false report of sexual assault victimization to law enforcement. Self-reported likelihood of reporting sexual assault victimization to law enforcement …

The Mass Incarceration Of Minorities And Women, Tanisha Ann Bowens

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

The purpose of this study is to examine the knowledge and perceptions of graduate and undergraduate students attending the University of Texas of Arlington Spring 2013. The data for this study was obtained from a sample students primarily majoring in criminology and criminal justice, social work, and business enrolled at the University of Texas at Arlington. Students appeared to appeared to be more knowledgeable about the mass incarceration of minorities, however there was little no significant difference in knowledge and perception among criminology and justice and other departments.

Media Attention Towards Serial Killers And Mass Murderers And Its Impact Towards Attitudes On Capital Punishment, Febee M. Qubtan

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

Attitudes towards the criminal justice system and capital punishment were researched among 164 undergraduate students at the University of Texas at Arlington. The findings revealed that participants who watched crime related media, or that involving murderers and/or criminal activity, on a regular basis were less punitive in nature. Participants who do not regularly engage in watching crime related media were more supportive of capital punishment.

Human Trafficking: Law Enforcement's Perceptions And Knowledge, Stormy Michelle Slider

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

The perceptions and knowledge of law enforcement personnel regarding the issue of human trafficking was analyzed by utilizing a self-administered survey with questions measuring those items. Unfortunately there is a limited amount of literature available that addresses the role and responses to human trafficking amongst law enforcement personnel and was therefore taken into consideration during the analysis of this research study. The findings of this study found that there does not seem to be a significant statistical difference among law enforcement personnel's confidence in victim identification when related directly to the number of training hours they have received pertaining to …

A Closer Look At Race, Capital, And Sentencing: An Examination Of Race And Death Penalty Post-Furman And Gregg Decisions From 1977-2011, Michael R. Khodayari

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

The aim of this thesis is to study racial disparity in capital sentencing since Gregg and Furman decisions from 1977-2011. The data used in this study came from execution in the United States, 1608-2002 (the ESPY file) and death penalty information center, 2003-2011. The findings of the data suggest that there is a relationship between the race of the victim and the race of the offender in the capital sentencing. Most of the empirical literature to date examined in the study also conclude that race is a determining factor in capital punishment cases.

Racial Disparity And The Crack Cocaine Federal Sentencing Guidelines, Sandy L. Binnicker

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

Racial disparities throughout the Federal Prison System are perhaps more apparent today than ever largely due to the fact that people are becoming increasingly cognizant of disproportionate sentencing for various types of crimes, most notably for crack cocaine versus powder cocaine offenses established under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Regardless of their legal origins, or who or what is most responsible for their continued utilization, the uses of disproportionate sentences for similar offenses are part of an alarming trend occurring in our criminal justice system. It is crucial, therefore, to have a better understanding of the magnitude of this problem, both …

Human Trafficking: The Perceptions Of Students Towards The Underground Sex Trafficking Network, Jennifer Jones

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

The purpose of this study is to measure the perception, while controlling for race and ethnicity, towards human trafficking in 2012. Specifically, the perceptions of both undergraduate and graduate criminology and criminal justice college students at the University of Texas at Arlington are examined by a survey. A Quantitative empirical approach is used to measure the views of students on this topic. This study uses a non-experimental, cross-sectional survey design which consists of a single observation of undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Texas at Arlington. A non-probability convenience sample (n=108) is used for this group. The ultimate …

Fear Of Dna Exonerees, Callie Brown

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

The purpose of this research was to determine if the public has a fear of wrongly convicted individuals that have since been exonerated through the use of DNA evidence. Existing research on DNA exonerations and exonerees has not addressed this phenomenon. The researcher distributed surveys to undergraduate students taking criminology and criminal justice courses at the University of Texas at Arlington. The data was analyzed using a t-test to compare the means of Caucasian and non-Caucasian respondents. The findings suggest that Caucasians and minorities have different levels of perceived fear of DNA exonerees in a variety of circumstances. The two …

Defense Industry Fraud And Whistle-Blowing: A Study Of The Relationship Between Perceptions Of Fraud And Whistle-Blowing, Ryan A. Bradbury

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between perception of fraud occurring in the defense industry and likelihood of engaging in whistle-blowing behaviors. To accomplish this, college students attending the University of Texas at Arlington were selected (n=281) to respond to surveys on the topic of defense industry fraud and whistle-blowing. This study used statistical analyses such as T-tests (Independent Sample T-test and ANOVAs) to determine significant differences between variables. The variables of gender, race, major, political party and defense industry associations were found to have statistically significant differences. Scales were also created for perception of defense …

The Effect Of Video Games On Aggressive Behavior In Undergraduate Students, Marisa Prokarym

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

The study of the relationship between media and aggressive behavior gained popularity in the 1950's with television and has evolved to examine other media sources in the following decades. Video games have become the new media source of concern within the past decade (popularized in 2000), and as a result inspired the current study as an extension of the previous media studies. The current study examined the effect of video game play on aggressive behavior through survey research and consisted of 167 undergraduate participants at the University of Texas - Arlington. The analysis revealed that the personality and behavior of …

Child Abuse Among Tarrant County Probationers, Alyssa Wadas

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

Child abuse occurs throughout every city, in every state, in the United States. Child abuse occurs in many different forms, including but not limited to: physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, medical neglect, psychological abuse and neglect. For many children child abuse never gets reported and children have a lifetime to cope with the effects of the abuse without consequence to the abuser. The current study explores probationers who report to the Tarrant County Probation office in Tarrant County Texas who have been convicted of or received deferred adjudication for committing an offense against a child in the State of …

Perceptions Of Inmates, Inmates' Life In Prison, And Reentry Into Society: An Evaluation Of Educational Influence On Societal Perceptions Versus The Realities Of Inmates' Experiences, Krystal Salazar

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

The purpose of this study was to conduct an in class survey over the perceptions of inmates, inmates' life in prison and reentry into society. The study hoped to gain understanding of educational influence on societal current perceptions on the topic. Statistical analyses of t-tests were conducted to control for gender, victimization, and knowing someone who was ever incarcerated versus not knowing someone ever incarcerated. The results suggested many victims agreed that inmates face hardships in prison and in society. Furthermore, victims believed community cohesion is crucial to reintegration. The study hypothesized that perceptions of inmates, inmates' life in prison …

Student Perceptions Of Drug Neighborhoods: An Analysis Of Visual Cues That Contribute To Students' View Of What Is Or Is Not A Drug Neighborhood, Jeremy Thompson

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

Perceptions of crime has been an emerging criminological area of study for the past twenty years. Prior research has shown that visual cues of social disorganization are indicators of both general crime and narcotics crime. This research explores perceptions of narcotics crimes through the utilization of a cross-sectional quantitative research method. Data collected through this study was analyzed by a series of tests which confirm prior findings regarding the connection between visual cues of social disorganization and the perception of crime. This study further suggests that visual indicators of crime have the greatest impact on women, Asian or Pacific Islanders, …

Contested Legality And The Insecurity Of Status: Some Snapshots From A Decade Of Refugee Law, Donald Galloway

Western Migration Conference Series

Bio:

Donald Galloway is a Professor of Law at the University of Victoria, British Columbia. He specializes in Refugee Law, Citizenship Law and Immigration Law. He was the founding President of the Canadian Association of Refugee and Forced Migration Studies (CARFMS) and is a former member of the Immigration and Refugee Board.

Critical Analysis Of Fear Of Crime On College Campuses, Hannah Deason

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

The purpose of this research study is to examine the perception of fear of crime among undergraduate college students who are enrolled in courses in the Criminology and Criminal Justice Department at the University of Texas at Arlington. Surveys were administered to 160 undergraduate students enrolled in courses in the Criminology and Criminal Justice department at the University of Texas at Arlington. Survey responses of female undergraduate students were then compared male undergraduate students to determine knowledge and perception differences relating to sexual assault. In regards to the survey questionnaire administered to the undergraduate students, there were statistically significant differences …