Criminology and Criminal Justice Commons^™

Volume 6, Issue 1 (2023) Criminal Justice Agents And Responsibility, Colleen Berryessa, Elizabeth Griffiths, Kaitlen Hubbard, Deena A. Isom, Kateryna Kaplun, Hiuxuan Li, Siyu Liu, Esther Nir, Heather L. Scheuerman, Rachel Schumann, Sandy Xie, Carolyn Yule

International Journal on Responsibility

This special issue of the International Journal on Responsibility (IJR) advances scholarship on the various ways responsibility infuses the roles of criminal justice agents. As the inaugural issue of my tenure as Editor-in-Chief, Volume 6 deepens our understanding of responsibility in the context of the criminal justice system, thereby fulfilling IJR’s aim and scope. Specifically, the articles highlight issues of responsibility within each component of the criminal justice system: police, courts, and corrections.

Do Judges Understand Technology? How Attorneys And Advocates View Judicial Responsibility In Cyberstalking And Cyberharassment Cases, Kateryna Kaplun

International Journal on Responsibility

As new technologies emerge and are increasingly used to commit interpersonal cybercrimes like cyberstalking and cyberharassment, the legal system lags in assisting victims in obtaining justice in these types of experiences. This qualitative research study explores how attorney and advocate interviewees from Illinois, New Jersey, and New York view judges’ responsibility to the law in cyberstalking and cyberharassment cases. This study finds three themes: judges’ lack of understanding of technology and its harms, discretion, and law on the books versus law in action as important factors and frameworks that contribute to why judges do not consider the importance of technology …

The Influence Of Prior Legal Background On Judicial Sentencing Considerations, Esther Nir, Siyu Liu

International Journal on Responsibility

State court judges are influenced by a myriad of factors during criminal case processing. To study the influence of prior legal background on judicial decision-making at sentencing, we performed in-depth qualitative interviews of 39 trial court judges presiding over criminal cases in a Northeastern U.S. state. We find that judges are influenced by their former legal experiences and most judges are cognizant of this influence. While certain sentencing considerations are prioritized for almost all judges (e.g., criminal history, seriousness of the offense), prioritization and processing of many other sentencing criteria are correlated with prior legal background. Former defense attorneys tend …

Region-Specific Structural Covariates Of Homicide Rates In Latin America: State Legitimacy And Remittances, Guillermo Escano, William Alex Pridemore

School of Criminal Justice Other Graduate Student Scholarship

The goal of this study was to examine region-specific structural covariates of homicide rates in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). LAC nations possess 8% of the global population but 33% of homicides, yet the region receives limited attention in studies of social structure and violence. Prior literature suggests two separate social forces particularly relevant to the region, state legitimacy and monetary remittances. Theory from multiple fields provides distinct pathways through which each may influence LAC violence rates, suggesting a negative legitimacy-homicide association but competing hypotheses about the remittances-homicide association. Our unit of analysis was the nation-year, and our sample …

Denied, Disrespected, Doubted, And Discarded: Women's Criminal Convictions And Experiences Of Discrimination, Brian Wyant, Holly Harner, Brian Lockwood

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

This study surveyed over 400 incarcerated women in a medium-maximum security prison in the United States to assess their experiences of discrimination due to their criminal conviction. Over 60% of the participants indicated they had been discriminated against due to their felon status. Binary logistic models revealed that discrimination based on prison status can occur both inside and outside of prison but varies by race and length of stay. Similarly, qualitative results showed that during and after their incarceration, these women reported being denied jobs, disrespected and viewed as incapable of changing. Some women even anticipated they would experience discrimination …

An Analysis Of The Impact And Effectiveness Of Human Trafficking State Laws And Policies In Missouri And Nebraska, Madeleine Mather

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Human trafficking is the use of force, fraud, or coercion to use another person for sex or labor. Human trafficking is a prevalent issue within the United States that is not talked about enough. This leads to a misrepresentation of facts about human trafficking that can lead to common myths related to human trafficking. It is each state’s responsibility to develop laws and policies that protect victims and prosecute offenders justly according to the crime. This research delves into an analysis of Missouri and Nebraska state statutes to determine their effectiveness and assess the level of awareness among residents of …

A Comparison Between A Terrorist Leader And A Lone-Wolf Operative In Bangladesh, Fatema Islam

Journal of Terrorism Studies

The article compares the biography and terrorist portrait of two terrorists of Bangladesh: Mufti Abdul Hannan, a pioneer leader of the prominent terrorist organization Huji-B, and a lone wolf operative named Faizul Hasan. The study reveals the existence of the multifaceted dynamics of the leader (Mufti) and lone wolf (Faizul) encompassing organizational affiliation, operational independence, radicalization processes, motivations, objectives, and the scale of their operations. The study also finds that the pattern of operation of a terrorist leader (Mufti) and the lone wolf terrorist (Faizul) differed significantly in terms of planning, execution, and level of organizational support. While the terrorist …

Criminal Justice Update - December 2023, Delaney Rabenold

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 new updates this month)

• Updates from the PA Legislature

• Updates from the Courts

  • U.S. Supreme Court (no updates this month)

  • PA Supreme Court (no updates this month)

  • PA Superior Court

The Legislative Impacts Of The Trafficking Victims Protection Act And The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act Of 2017, Kathryn Thompson

ALL - Honors Theses

In the past two decades, the issue of human trafficking has grown more prominent around the world (Mollema, 2015). According to the Polaris Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting human trafficking as well as educating the world on the dangers of human trafficking analyzed data from the Human Trafficking Hotline found that in the year 2021, there were roughly 10,359 cases of human trafficking in the United States with about 16,554 victims (Polaris Project,2022). Out of these cases, approximately 72% (7,498) of them were related to sex trafficking, with the top type of trafficking out of all cases being …

Human Trafficking In The Americas: Comparison Of Original Source Compilation Versus Unodc Data, Ivette Avila Jimenez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

International human trafficking (IHT) is a type of criminal activity that involves groups and individuals who facilitate the global movement and exploitation of people, often by illegal means. Estimates show that, worldwide, there are over 25 million victims of human trafficking at any given time; however, estimates are prone to under and overcounting. Focusing on the Americas, this study compared the quality of two data sources that could be used to observe IHT. Country-to-country IHT networks generated from 9 years of researcher compiled governmental and non-governmental data (2008-2017) was compared with networks generated from data downloaded from the United Nations …

Crossover Youth: The Relationship Between Juvenile Dependency And Delinquency, Victoria Davenport

University Honors Theses

This literature review looks at the relationship between juvenile delinquency and juvenile dependency. Specifically, it evaluates the existence of "crossover youth", minors who have been involved with both systems in their lifetime. The review considers thirteen different studies, literature reviews, and databases to determine risk factors in maltreated youth that cause them to offend. The review also looks at the impact that second-generation parents have on likelihood of offending as juveniles, as well as the importance of welfare worker perception on parental involvement with dependency agencies. Finally, the review considers potential interventions to crossover youth, determining how to assist maltreated …

The Curious Tension Between Fish And Game Conservation Officers And The Fourth Amendment, Thomas White

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications and Presentations

Based on principles of federalism, states as well as the federal government address the powers and duties of fish and wildlife conservation officers (hereafter referred to generally as “conservation officers”) in a variety of ways, a significant number of which appear to have Fourth Amendment ramifications. Many states require their conservation officers to have probable cause, with or without a search warrant, to engage in search activity. Since this is the standard employed for reviewing the reasonableness of the actions of ordinary law enforcement officers, these states’ legal requirements for searching hunters and anglers do not implicate Fourth Amendment concerns. …

"I Call It Hunting": Centuries Of Violence Against Native American Women, Antonia Felix

Educational Leadership Department Publications

Native American and Pacific Islander women are missing and murdered at an alarming and relentless rate. The history of violence against this population starts with European contact in the fifteenth century and continues to this day with Native women suffering the highest rate of sexual assault per capita in the nation. This panel presentation held in observance of the International Day of Eliminating Violence Against Women concludes with a recognition of Native American resilience and actions all Americans can take to help reduce these crimes.

Injustice In The Field? A Look At Field Booking Arrests In A Southeastern City, Deena A. Isom, Kaitlen E. Hubbard, Hiuxuan Li

International Journal on Responsibility

Issuing citations in lieu of arrests, or field booking arrests, is touted as beneficial by reducing the costs for the criminal legal system; reducing the burdens placed on individuals by avoiding arrest records, possible pretrial detention, and financial obligations; bettering community relationships with officers; increasing officer safety and efficiency; and reducing jail overcrowding. Yet, there are still substantial concerns that the practice may be disproportionately utilized and lead to net-widening. Using data obtained from a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, we assess a snapshot of field booking arrests in a Southeastern city. Specifically, we assess if there are racial …

Prisons And Universities: Co-Creating Curricula For Prison-University Partnerships., Michela Scalpello

Journal of Prison Education Research

This paper illustrates the approach of co-creating education where co-creation was an important aspect of the curriculum design. It makes a case for prison-university partnerships through two pedagogical case studies – one within a prison setting with a focus on soft skills acquisition and another in a Higher Education setting focusing on international criminal justice. Originating from the observations and reflections of an educator which led to a participatory action research opportunity, it asserts that actively teaching and learning together increases effective learning through better understanding and motivation, as well as giving access to the right to education regardless of …

The Contributions Of Mental Health Issues, Traumatic Brain Injury, And Adverse Childhood Experiences To Recidivism Among Rural Jail Incarcerees, Lauren N. Miley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recidivism should be a major concern, particularly for American jails. The Unites States incarcerates 2.3 million people, a number exceeding rates in any other country. Approximately 90% of those individuals will reenter society at some point, and roughly half of those people will ultimately return to jail. This revolving door costs U.S. taxpayers upwards of $39 billion per year, and undermines public safety. Therefore, breaking this cycle of incarceration and recidivism is of utmost concern, and the focus of this dissertation. Mental health problems, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are three potential risk factors for recidivism …

Recent Updates From The Bgsu Police Integrity Research Group, Philip M. Stinson

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Presentation at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Criminology in Philadelphia, PA on November 17, 2023.

Understanding Incarcerated Education: A Review Of The Digital And Gender Inequality Impacts Of Accessibility And Inclusivity Of Higher Education For Incarcerated Students, Bianca R. Parry Phd

Journal of Prison Education Research

Education in the correctional environment is endorsed as an effective rehabilitative tool linked to reducing recidivism and improving reintegration. Unfortunately, while researchers from the Global North are particularly active on the subject of the accessibility of digital education in corrections, the same cannot be said for the Global South. Of further concern is that few of the studies conducted have focused specifically on incarcerated women’s access to education. As discussed in the literature review to follow, research regarding higher education in corrections has the potential for expanding academics, stakeholders, and policy makers understanding of incarcerated students’ pathways towards education attainment. …

Assessing The Relationship Between True Crime Documentary And Podcast Consumption, Fear Of Crime, And Protective Behaviors, Lauren A. Tremblay

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines how the consumption of true crime documentaries and podcasts is linked to the fear of crime and the adoption of protective behaviors. Building upon prior research that explores these relationships, this study aims to evaluate the impact of true crime content consumption and fear of crime on individuals’ engagement in protective behaviors. Using a cultivation theory framework with an analytic sample of 665 American adults, three Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regressions and one structural equation model are used to evaluate the relationship between true crime documentary and podcast consumption, fear of crime, and protective behaviors. Results suggest …

Book Review: Kings, Conquerors, Psychopaths: From Alexander To Hitler To The Corporation, Tim Bakken

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

The book Kings, Conquerors, Psychopaths is a survey of a vast amount of human wrongdoing. It lays bare the motivations of aggressors who wish to subjugate nations or groups of people and corporate executives and government bureaucrats who make discretionary decisions that harm people. Along with cataloging mass killings by despots and soldiers, the book includes stories about Ponzi-schemers and the deaths of automobile drivers and passengers who were killed by vehicle defects known to the manufacturer. The book posits that “[p]owerful, elite forces are trying to force us backward toward a non-democratic state, one where power, wealth, and prerogative …

Walking The Walk: Ex-Prisoners, Lived Experience, And The Delivery Of Restorative Justice, Allely Albert

Articles

Although the role of prisoners and ex-prisoners has recently received significant attention in restorative justice research, the literature typically treats them as the ‘offending’ party within restorative justice processes. This article instead focuses on ex-prisoners as facilitators of restorative justice, highlighting their ability to lead such programmes. Using a case study from Northern Ireland, the article examines the way that experiences of incarceration have directly influenced practitioners’ skills and their ability to uphold restorative justice principles. It is contended that qualities developed and honed in the prison environment ultimately translate to unique characteristics that can improve the restorative process. As …

Public Perceptions And Legal Dimensions Of Juvenile Sexting, Corey Call

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

The sending of sexually explicit messages, or “sexting” has been recognized as a common practice among youths. As sexting may involve the creation and distribution of sexually explicit images and videos, juvenile sexters can be charged with offenses related to child pornography. This study examined public attitudes toward juvenile sexting and demographic influences on these views. Based on a quantitative survey of 1,023 U.S. adults, the majority of respondents (51.8%) disapproved of criminalization in cases of consensual sexting, but 80% supported legal repercussions for nonconsensual sharing. Respondents primarily favored educational interventions (67.4%) and restrictions on technology use (53.4%) over harsh …

Criminal Justice Update - November 2023, Delaney Rabenold

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
• Updates from the Courts
• U.S. Supreme Court (no updates this month)
• PA Supreme Court
• PA Superior Court

Sound Of Freedom: A Summer Blockbuster Movie With An Edge, Daniela Peterka-Benton

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Recruitment And Retention Of Millennials And Generation Z In The Criminal Justice Field: How Do We Replenish The Ranks?, Chris Vierling

Master of Arts in Criminal Justice Leadership

The Criminal Justice field is, and has been, experiencing a drastic decrease in the number of individuals willing to take on this unique calling. This decline can be attributed to several factors, primarily concerns about safety, the current political and social environment, work schedules, and personal life influences. The purpose of this paper and research is to examine the causes of the ongoing hiring crisis in the field of Criminal Justice and propose potential solutions. Through research, several contributing factors have been identified that can help agencies at various levels recruit and retain Criminal Justice candidates. This is an ongoing …

Gender-Responsive Supervision Six Guiding Principles, Barriers, And Benefits Of Implementation, Tessa Matousek

Master of Arts in Criminal Justice Leadership

Over the years, the goals of probation have remained the same: to increase community safety and reduce recidivism; however, as the world changes, the needs of offenders have changed. Evidence-based practices are used in probation to determine risk levels and create targeted case plans. The criminal justice system has seen an increase in female offenders, which has brought up valid questions of evaluation tools and supervision practices. The quest to provide the most effective services to all offenders brings innovation, research, and change. Gender-responsive supervision is the answer to how to best serve female offenders. Change is a natural evolution, …

Damned & Damned: Examining Vexatious Litigation And The Vexatious Litigant Statute In Florida Courts, Sarah L. Harper

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines self-represented litigants subjected to limitations under the Vexatious Litigant statute (F.S. 68.093) and related case law. It draws data from official records, surveys, interviews with judges, and a thematic analysis of court orders. The present research consists of two studies: Study I focuses on the application of Florida's Vexatious Litigant statute and similar sanctions, and Study II explores judges' decision-making in cases involving challenging self-represented litigants. Restrictions on litigants' court access raise concerns about due process rights, and an assessment of the use of these sanctions and litigants' practices is vital for understanding their application. The findings …

Understanding And Minimizing School Shootings, Taylor Hammond

Master of Arts in Criminal Justice Leadership

The unfortunate trend of school shootings is on the rise within the United States. The purpose of this paper is to describe a leadership communication plan for a school shooting situation, along with identifying the three phases of a crisis: pre-crisis, crisis response, and post-crisis. It also describes the role a probation officer plays within this topic and the importance of this person in a juvenile’s life. An unforeseen issue with school shootings is how it relates to social media. Social media can be used to bully, harass, and contact others unsolicited. It can also be used for a student …

Dna Analysis: The Answer For Unsolved Cases?, Sarah Hetchler

Master of Arts in Criminal Justice Leadership

DNA analysis has become a crucial part of solving cases. It has developed significantly since its creation in the mid-1980s. The longing for answers within unsolved cases is historically lengthy, leaving traces of distrust and injustice. Criminologists offer a potential solution to the mess created by connecting DNA analysis to protect victims and communities. DNA evidence and analysis can assist in solving cases and provide answers for exonerees. Like public genealogy websites, law enforcement agencies must acknowledge new methods to solve issues. Not only could law enforcement agencies solve and arrest suspects through DNA analysis, but DNA could also provide …

Restrictive Pursuit Policies And Rising Violent Crime, Ryan Kelly

Master of Arts in Criminal Justice Leadership

Consequences can be a driving factor for why citizens follow laws in the United States. Financial and physical freedom is valued. Citizen’s behavior may change if police officers threaten to take these things away for breaking laws. Policymakers today are working to restrict when law enforcement officers can chase criminals for breaking the law. Suppose the ability of law enforcement to hold criminals accountable is restricted. Would this not lead a reasonable person to believe that criminals may think they are free to commit crimes? This paper will cover current trends in violent crime in both the United States and …