Criminology and Criminal Justice Commons^™

Nowhere To Go: The Trend To Criminalize The Nation's Homeless, Jessica Anderson

Online Theses and Dissertations

The criminal justice system often uses much force in its response to the homeless population. The homeless are often targeted and have their basic human dignities trampled as law enforcement destroys their property and jails them for activity essential for human existence as those activities are criminalized. With the negative perception held by much of the criminal justice system, no homeless person can receive impartial treatment at the hands of the criminal justice system. This ethnographic study researches the trends in the criminalization of the homeless by interviewing seven respondents for their experiences and observations.

Examining The Role Of Race, Gender, And Class In African-American Police Perceptions In Rural Kentucky, Paul Maxwell Blackhurst

Online Theses and Dissertations

Prior research has consistently demonstrated the role of race in understanding racial and ethnic differences in perceptions of the police. This research has overwhelmingly shown that Blacks and Latinos hold lower levels of trust and confidence in the police than do Whites and other racial minorities. The increased skepticism of the police expressed by minority citizens is commonly associated with racial profiling and documented racial disparities in police behavior. Although policing research has empirically demonstrated the influence of race on perceptions of the police, few studies have explored police perceptions from a rural context. By employing the Citizen's Attitudes Towards …

Factors That Contribute To Success In Policing Based On Prior Military Experience, Thomas Salem Fagan

Online Theses and Dissertations

This research attempted to determine whether current law enforcement officers with military experience felt that they were more prepared for their jobs in the agency than officers without military experience. Law enforcement officers from two police departments were selected to take a survey based on their military backgrounds. This survey was completed and the results were reviewed.

It was concluded that law enforcement officers with military experience felt that they were more prepared for the job and had an edge over other officers with no background in the military. In addition, officers with combat experience also felt that they had …

Sexual Victimization Among Sorority Women, Amanda Hinkel

Online Theses and Dissertations

Numerous studies have shown that sorority women have been found to be at greater risk for sexual victimization (including rape and sexual assault) than non-sorority women (29% to 7% respectively; Minow & Einolf, 2009) for several reasons, including: frequent contact and association with fraternity men, the prevalence of alcohol in Greek life, and the effects alcohol has on the body once it is consumed. This paper summarizes research on the circumstances that increase the likelihood that sorority women will become victims of sexual assault, sexual coercion, or rape.

Since the research has suggested that one in four college women are …

Predicting Inmate Economic Conflict In Female Housing Units: Individual Factors Versus Social Climate Factors, Polina Andreyevna Karpova

Online Theses and Dissertations

Despite the fact that a number of studies have focused on different types of prison victimization, very little research has investigated inmate economic conflict. This study describes the context of inmate economic conflict and examines the factors that may account for the development of this conflict in female housing facilities. The secondary data analysis study is based on validated survey data from 3499 female inmates housed in fifteen correctional facilities located in seven different states. In addition to conducting descriptive statistical analyses, inmate economic conflict scores were regressed on a range of individual-related (background) and social climate-related (environmental) variables. This …

A Deconstruction Of Dexter: An Analysis Of Noble Cause Corruption Within A Crime Drama, Alyssa Lawrence

Online Theses and Dissertations

The literature on corruption within law enforcement typically addresses factors such as brutality, dishonesty, accepting bribes, and using falsified evidence. This research project examines noble cause corruption (NCC), an area that scholarship has ignored until the last ten years. NCC is defined by Crank and Caldero (2007) as using illegal means to achieve good ends. Although NCC is not a new phenomenon it has become of greater focus in television and movies. Many recent television shows have represented NCC in a positive light, almost disguising it as if it were not present. Therefore the topic of this paper is not …

Risk To Public Safety Posed By Adjudicated Delinquent Juvenile Sex Offenders: Do They Really Need To Register, Donna Susan Mynatt

Online Theses and Dissertations

This study examined sexual and non-sexual recidivism among a sample of delinquent juvenile sexual offenders (JSOs) following commitment to a state juvenile correctional agency. Both juvenile and adult recidivism rates were studied. The results showed a low rate of sexual recidivism and a high rate of non-sexual recidivism across a 4-year follow-up period past age18. Logistic and linear regression identified 4 significant predictor variables of non-sexual recidivism. JSOs that were non-white, un-related to the victim in the initial offense, or used another location for the initial offense other than their own home, were significantly more likely to commit non-sexual recidivism. …

Police Deception: A Survey Of Eku Students, Jason Anthony Nicholson

Online Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Police deception has been both good and bad for society. Deceptive interrogation is an effective method of gaining confessions and convictions. It is also dangerous in that it raises the potential for false confessions, damages police-citizen relationships, damages case strength, and encourages lying in other aspects of policing. The purpose of the study was to gauge the opinions of students regarding deceptive interrogation by police. A survey was administered to a purposive sample of undergraduates at Eastern Kentucky University. The survey asked questions regarding the students' level of approval toward different scenarios of police deception. It also asked some …

Music Piracy And Its Criminalization: Understanding The Napster Era (1999) To Present Through Donald Black's Theory Of Moral Time, Craig Robert Jankowski

Online Theses and Dissertations

In the year 1999 Napster, a provider of music downloading software, broke news headlines around the world when copyright infringement lawsuits were filed against the company. Ever since then internet music piracy has been a very controversial topic and a target for criminalization efforts. In the field of criminology there have been few attempts to apply theory to the topic of internet music piracy. Theorization of internet music piracy has mainly focused on the illegal behavior of music piracy, explaining the motivations and knowledge behind it. Something that has been neglected in theoretical work of online music piracy is its …

Critical Pedagogy In Criminal Justice Higher Education: A Liberative Paradigm, Alyson Kershaw

Online Theses and Dissertations

The traditional model of education focuses on the preservation of the status quo that prevents students from the ability to think critically about their world. This has the potential to produce constraints as students not only become criminal justice practitioners, but also engaged members of society. The traditional model is particularly problematic in the criminal justice field due to the potential harms that can result. In an effort to contest the traditional model of education, a number of scholars including Paulo Freire and Henry Giroux advocate for a critical pedagogical model that liberates individuals from oppressive constraints in the education …

Exploring Military Service As An Alternative Sanction: Evidence From Inmates' Perspectives, Travis Wade Milburn

Online Theses and Dissertations

A large body of research exists that examines the punitiveness of prison compared to a wide variety of alternative sanctions. Generally, this research finds that there are numerous demographic and contextual differences in the way that people experience the punitiveness of prison. In this paper, I expand that research by using data from over 900 inmates to examine whether they view military service as more punitive than incarceration.

The research suggests females, Blacks, and those who have not had prior military service are more likely to desire imprisonment as opposed to military service. However, Whites and veterans appear to embrace …

Constructing Evil: U.S. Media Discourse And The Iranian State Murder Of Neda Agha-Soltan, Justin Turner

Online Theses and Dissertations

On June 20, 2009, one image became not only a symbol of unbridled state violence, but a rallying cry for a movement contesting the disputed election of hardline Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The particular image in question was of Neda Agha-Soltan, a 26 year old woman whose murder was recorded by cellphone camera during a political protest and subsequently posted to social media networks showing a graphic fist-hand account of the savagery of a state crime. Media discourse presented the idea that Neda's murder was committed by the Iranian government unafraid to implore repressive measures to control its population. The …

Forgotten Victims: A Qualitative Study Of Familial And Intimate Partner Abuse Of Male-To-Female Transgender Individuals In Central Kentucky, Allison Brooke Willingham

Online Theses and Dissertations

Previous research on intimate partner and familial abuse has focused on easily identifiable social institutions, such as "homosexual couple" or "mother/daughter." However, transgender individuals do not always fit into the binary social definitions ascribed to family relationships. Little research has provided insight into cycles of familial and intimate partner verbal or physical abuse in the lives of transgender individuals. The efforts that have been made have shocking results and demonstrate a need for further and more in-depth research. The primary purpose of this research is to gain a rich understanding of the social dynamics affecting the lives of transgender individuals …

Little Brother Is Watching And Recording You: Social Control In A Deviant Group, Joshua Wayne Roberts

Online Theses and Dissertations

Since the 1950s social control has mostly been explained from the counteraction of deviance perspective. In this research I examine social control in a broader context, what I call social control as the furtherance of action perspective. In order to accomplish this, I conducted a digital ethnography with a group engaged in deviant behavior. The group has no formal name, but individuals are known by the deviant act they engage in. The act is referred to as "capping", but is best explained as individuals or a group of individuals making screen recordings of live web cam feeds from websites designed …

Supermax Confinement: A Descriptive And Theoretical Inquiry, Marisa M. Baumgardner

Online Theses and Dissertations

In the past few decades, there has been a proliferation of supermax prisons and units across the nation, reflecting the increased use of administrative, isolated segregation. This proliferation is embedded within a broader shift in society towards more punitive measures of disciplining those people convicted of criminal offenses. The primary purpose of this thesis is to examine the proliferation of supermax confinement as a major component of the punitive shift. This is done primarily through the application of contemporary literature that focuses on the sociology of punishment theory. Another purpose of this thesis was to examine and describe the history …

The Phenomenon Of Identity Theft, Hollie Reni Freeman

Online Theses and Dissertations

This research is a descriptive study of the prevalence of Identity Theft in the Commonwealth of Kentucky from 2004 to 2009 and the procedures used by the Kentucky State Police to deal with this crime. The data for this study is a combination of violation code use retrieved from Kentucky's Open Portal Solution (KYOPS) and complaint and case data retrieved from Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD). By gathering data from each of the 16 posts across the state of Kentucky, an evaluation of the prevalence of the crime of Identity Theft yields conclusive results. KYOPS Violation Code data showed a progressive …

Sexting As Moral Panic: An Exploratory Study Into The Media's Construction Of Sexting, Brandon Scott Marker

Online Theses and Dissertations

This paper presents a study of sexting as a socially constructed moral panic. Central to a social construction of moral panic perspective is the role the media plays in creating the panic. The purpose of this exploratory study was to make sense of the phenomenon of sexting by analyzing media reports for indication that sexting was constructed by the media as a moral panic. A content analysis was conducted on media reports for three concepts: Theme Setting, Sensational Stories, and Policy Changes. I conclude that sexting is constructed as a moral panic by the media.

Zapped: A Typology Of Use And Misuse Of The Taser, Lindsey L. Upton

Online Theses and Dissertations

Police use of TASER force is currently a hot topic of controversy in the intersections of society and the criminal justice system. Proponents, including manufacturers and law enforcement, value the TASER as a less than lethal alternative to deadly force; providing increased safety for officers as an aid to maintain distance between potentially threatening suspect(s) and officer(s) while preserving the life and well being of suspects in such encounters. Civil and human rights advocacies argue the TASER to be associated with many deaths, serious injury and abuse of power by law enforcement. Those who lean more toward the opposition of …

A Call To Arms: The Militarization Of Natural Disasters In The United States, Ashley Katherine Farmer

Online Theses and Dissertations

Natural disasters are an expected and uncontrolled part of history, and will continue and possibly worsen in the future. The humanitarian focus that has characterized disaster response throughout the years is changing, as is the way the federal government responds to large-scale natural disasters. In recent years, the primary concern in responding to these catastrophes has shifted from the well-being of citizens to the security and safety of the area impacted. Security and crime have become a main focus, with the military increasingly gaining a more prominent role in relief efforts. This thesis will provide evidence that the militarization of …

An Exploration Of The Calls Received By The Kentucky Council On Problem Gambling Help Hotline, Carleigh Jones

Online Theses and Dissertations

Studies that focus on crisis hotlines are abundant, however very few deal with the subject of gambling. The literature reviewed examines gambling as an addiction and the general existence of hotlines. This study examines the use of the hotline provided by the Kentucky Council on Problem Gambling (KYCPG) in a dichotomous breakdown of gender. There are some significant differences between males and females, particularly regarding criminal behavior in the effort to recoup gambling losses or to continue gambling. An additional breakdown of seasonal and regional call logs further analyzes the use of the KYCPG hotline.

Factors In Juvenile Court Dispositions: Case Study Of A Rural Juvenile Court, Kevin Lee Kirk

Online Theses and Dissertations

The primary question of importance in this current study is what factors affect judges' dispositional rulings in a small rural Central Kentucky county. In order to evaluate these factors, this study involved a two stage process. The quantitative data were gathered from 120 Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) files dating back to 1999 that were processed through the study site small county court. The qualitative data were gathered through a series of structured interviews with court personnel. This current study provides descriptive statistics of the study cases that have been adjudicated delinquent with respect to their legal and extralegal characteristics, …

Transnational Crime In A Global Community: The Case Of West Africa, Holly Joanna Sims

Online Theses and Dissertations

This research project is an examination of the organization and behavior of criminal group activity in the region of West Africa. An assessment of the size, structure, and type of criminal enterprises crime groups are involved in are investigated. It is also uncovered if and how groups make use of corruption, the legit economy, and influence politicians. The environment in which transnational crime is able to thrive is also of great interest as the social, political, economic, and technological changes that occurred alongside the sudden trend in transnational crime activity are considered. The information is used to generate a discussion …

Prison Blockbusters: Relationships Between Prison Cinema And Student Perceptions, Jeremy Scott Mcqueen

Online Theses and Dissertations

This study examined college students' perceptions, as they relate to prison cinema. It also discussed and analyzed reoccurring themes in prison cinema that perpetuates the prison culture in the United States. Specifically, this research addressed the following research question: How is exposure to prison cinema related to student perceptions of prisons, prisoners, and prison staff? By asking this question and analyzing the responses given by students, this study hopes to contribute to improved understanding of how popular cinema shapes the perceptions of prison culture in the United States.

The researcher utilized both quantitative and qualitative methods in gathering research data …

An Integrated Approach To The Role Of Control In Child Maltreatment And Delinquency, Heather Page Kinnett

Online Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to integrate the labeling perspective and social support perspective into the central causal process of Charles Tittle's control balance theory. This will explain the linkages between child maltreatment and delinquency. The child maltreatment experience and the consequent label of victim affect a youth's self concept which in turn affects how a provoking event will be interpreted. The child maltreatment experience lessens the amount of control imbalance necessary for a provoking event to be interpreted as humiliating. The victim label also affects motivation for deviance indirectly through its effects on the control ratio and opportunity …

Treatment Policies & Programs For Mentally Ill Offenders: A Comparison Of Kentucky And The Nation, Irina Soderstrom, Shenna Smith

Kentucky Justice and Safety Research Bulletin

Approximately 10-15% of the nearly 6 million offenders in U.S. jails, prisons or on probation or parole, suffer from mental illness. Correctional systems are legally mandated to provide treatment, yet they are overwhelmed with the high costs associated with specialized staff training, the hiring of professional mental health providers, psychotropic medications and specialized housing.
This article discusses the prevalence of the problem of the continually increasing numbers of offenders in need of mental health services. The article also presents the results of a national survey of the chief mental health administrators for the state correctional systems across the United States. …

Town And Gown Collaboration: An Example Of University Support For The Development Of A Local Delinquency Prevention Plan, Preston Elrod

Kentucky Justice and Safety Research Bulletin

This bulletin describes the role that the College of Justice and Safety at Eastern Kentucky University has played in supporting local efforts to develop a community delinquency prevention plan. Specifically, it describes the role that the college has played in the development of a local prevention plan and presents the preliminary results of this effort. The bulletin concludes by describing the potential benefits to the community that are associated with college support for local prevention planning.

Oxycontin And Crime In Eastern Kentucky, Kenneth D. Tunnell

Kentucky Justice and Safety Research Bulletin

During the past ten years, rural Kentucky (and rural pockets of nearby states) witnessed the emergence of a new pharmaceutical drug of abuse. The powerful oxycodone, OxyContin, first manufactured in 1996 and designed for timerelease pain relief, found aready population in rural hamlets and mountain communities. Intended for patients in pain associated with terminal disease, it became a drug of abuse as it was over-prescribed and
trafficked. This Justice and Safety Research Bulletin describes the sudden growth in the use of this new drug and its antecedents. Describing the trends in use and abuse,this Bulletin presents evidence of an epidemic …

A New Perspective On Aggression In The Schools: Exploring Parental Aggression Towards Teachers, Lisa Hutchinson Wallace, David May

Kentucky Justice and Safety Research Bulletin

While a substantial amount of research has been devoted to identifying the causal influences and perpetrators of delinquency and victimization among students in the public school setting, similar literature focusing on aggression against teachers is typically concerned only with those instances where the students are the perpetrators. In an exploratory effort to add to that literature, we use data collected from a sample of 544 public school teachers in Kentucky to examine teacher perceptions of the prevalence, predictors, and consequences of problematic parental behavior in schools. Our results suggest, within the limitations of the sample under study, a substantial minority …

Prostitution And The Sex Industry In Kentucky, Gary W. Potter

Kentucky Justice and Safety Research Bulletin

The provision of sexual services for profit has become a major illicit industry in the hidden economy of Kentucky. Prostitution on the streets, in massage parlors, through escort services, and in bars and strip clubs is common throughout much of the Commonwealth. The evidence shows that criminal organizations ranging from individual entrepreneurships, to small crime networks, to international sex trafficking organizations are active in the provision of illicit sexual services in Kentucky. Thousands of women are employed as sex workers, over one million illicit sexual transactions occur annually, and criminal organizations rake in a minimum of $100,000,000 a year in …

Lessons From An Evaluation Of Five State Supported Delinquency Prevention Projects, Preston Elrod

Kentucky Justice and Safety Research Bulletin

Presents an overview of findings from an evaluation of five state supported delinquency prevention projects that was conducted between July 1, 2001 and June 30, 2002. Each of the projects evaluated was funded as part of the Kentucky Community Partnerships to Prevent Delinquency Initiative. This initiative represented a major effort by the Commonwealth through its state Department of Juvenile Justice to assist communities in their efforts to develop local delinquency prevention plans and to fund programs that address local needs in eight geographic areas within the state that were identified by DJJ as having high levels of juvenile crime.