Criminology and Criminal Justice Commons^™

To Report Or Not To Report: Student Reporting Behaviors Of Violent Crimes In Schools, Heather Monaghan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

School-based violence is a criminal justice topic that often captures the attention of the media and the public. As a result, measures - such as school security strategies, safety personnel, and teacher training - are put into place to help combat school-based violence. These measures are not only costly and time consuming, but also have inconclusive research findings to support them. However, violence in schools can still be prevented. Research has found support for the role that student reporting has in preventing violence. However, many students may choose not to report violent crimes. Using a modified version of Sykes & …

Review Of The Little Book Of Police Youth Dialogue: A Restorative Path Toward Justice, Robert Brenneman

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Racial Tension, Public Mistrust, And Policing: Insights From Police Leaders In The Rio Grande Valley (Rgv)- A Research Note, Marika Dawkins-Cavazos

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

This paper presents preliminary insights from police leaders in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV), a southwestern border region of the United States. Perceptions among minority police leaders with respect to minority-police interactions have received little attention. To better understand the perceptions of minority police leaders, this study focused on whether police leaders in a predominantly Hispanic region of the country perceive that racial tensions influence police-community interactions. Using a purposive sample of 29 police leaders, preliminary results suggest that recent high-profile incidents have had some impact on how officers do their jobs. Implications for public policy and suggestions for future …

Human Trafficking In Nevada And The Mountain West, 2016-2020, Corryn Richardson, Elia Del Carmen Solano-Patricio, Kristian Thymianos, Saha Salahi, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Criminal Justice

The National Human Trafficking Hotline (“NHTH”) maintains one of the largest human trafficking datasets in the nation. This fact sheet reports on the number of tips the hotline received related to Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah. Data collected includes the top venues for human, labor, and other types of trafficking cases from 2016-2020, as well as demographic information for victims and survivors.

Relationships Between Self-Efficacy, Participation In Prison Programs, And Perceived Ability To Live Crime Free Upon Release From Prison, Beret Ravenscroft

Nursing ETDs

This study examined the relationships between self-efficacy, participation in prison programs, and perceived ability to live crime free among male prisoners in state-operated New Mexico prisons. Among the 589 study participants, those who reported having received assistance in changing criminal attitudes agreed they would be able to live crime free at a rate 8% higher than those who did not (p = .029). Those who agreed that they are able to accomplish any task (p = .001) or who disagreed with feeling helpless to deal with problems (p = .001) also scored significantly higher in perceived ability …

A Day Late And A Dollar Short: Examining Perceptions Of Which Exonerees Deserve Compensation, Alexandra Pauline Olson

Dissertations and Theses

Many exonerees do not receive compensation from the state after they are found innocent and released because most states have exclusionary laws that bar exonerees from receiving compensation. This thesis examined public perceptions of exclusionary laws and addressed the broader question of who deserves compensation (according to community members). Online participants (n = 225) read an article about a fictional exoneree who either pleaded guilty or was convicted by a jury trial and who received a subsequent conviction or did not receive a subsequent conviction. An exoneree with a subsequent conviction was perceived as less deserving of financial compensation, …

Social Justice Autobiography, Jeffrey Mckee

Writing Beyond the Prison Living Archive

Essay

Mass Violence, Environmental Harm, And The Limits Of Transitional Justice, Rachel Killean, Lauren Dempster

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

The relationship between the environment and mass violence is complex and multi-faceted. The effects of environmental degradation can destabilize societies and cause conflict. Attacks on the environment can harm targeted groups, and both mass violence and subsequent transitions can have harmful environmental legacies. Given this backdrop, it is notable that the field of transitional justice has paid relatively little attention to the intersections between mass violence and environmental degradation. This article interrogates this inattention and explores the limitations and possibilities of transitional justice as a means of addressing the environmental harms associated with mass violence. The article makes four key …

Assessing The Overlap Between Cyberstalking Victimization And Face-To-Face, Sexual Victimization Among South Korean Middle And High School Students, Jaeyong Choi, Brandon Dulisse, Sungil Han

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

While there is a growing empirical literature on victimization in the virtual world, limited scholarship has examined the potentially overlapping relationship between cyberstalking victimization and face-to-face sexual victimization. The current study uses data from a sample of 7,109 middle and high school students in South Korea to investigate the extent to which the overlap exists between cyberstalking victimization and face-to-face sexual victimization. Additionally, we examine whether the two forms of victimization are the outcome of the same underlying mechanisms. The results from bivariate probit models show a significant degree of overlap between cyberstalking victimization and face-to-face sexual victimization. Being a …

Criminal Justice Update - July 2022, Autumn R. Chassie

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 new updates this month)
• PA Supreme Court
• PA Superior Court

Defining The Police Mission, Devin Neal

Criminology Student Work

Directives and duties of law enforcement have changed drastically over time. Today there is little agreement within society regarding what is needed and wanted from police. Even within the police ranks, it is unclear whether there is a single view of what “good” police work is (and if so, what that looks like). An officer may learn what “good” policing is from numerous channels including departmental missions, informal cultures, personal characteristics, and community contexts. Officers’ opinions may also derive from personal beliefs about policing, personality traits, and/or attitudes toward police work. The purpose of this study is to determine what …

Juvenile Homicide Offenders: A Life-Course Perspective, Norair Khachatryan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Murder by offenders under the age of 18 is a cause for public concern, despite the overall decrease in the rate of juvenile-perpetrated homicide since 1994. Due to several rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court (i.e., Miller v. Alabama, 2012), the likelihood that convicted juvenile homicide offenders (JHOs) will be released from prison has increased. Accordingly, it is important to examine these offenders’ long-term readjustment to society after their release. Using a mixed-method approach, the present study was designed to explore the factors that influence whether JHOs reoffend and their reoffending patterns, over a period of approximately 35 years. Another …

Improving Coordination For Children Of Incarcerated Parents, Lea Quam, Adam K. Matz, Roni Mayzer, Danielle Korsmo, Maria Kerzmann, Marcy Hilzendeger

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

The Annie E. Casey Foundation estimates about 10,000 children in North Dakota have experienced some form of parental incarceration. Compared to non-Hispanic Caucasians, Native American children are 2 to 5 times more likely to have an incarcerated parent. Based on national data, over 50% of all imprisoned individuals in state and federal prisons have minor children, with 64% of mothers and 47% of fathers living with their child prior to arrest or incarceration.

Hope 4 Boys: The Impact Of A Youth Diversion Program, Justine C. Connolly

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) is developing programs targeting first-time nonviolent offenders who might benefit from community-based treatment and positive youth development to prevent these individuals from becoming adult criminals. Thus, the DJJ seeks new and innovative ways to prevent juvenile delinquency and reduce recidivism among first-time nonviolent offenders. The present study aimed to evaluate the Hope 4 Boys program, a juvenile diversion program that addresses the academic and social-emotional needs of juvenile delinquents. The study examined how participation in the program is associated with changes in participants’ levels of hope for the future, life satisfaction, and resiliency …

Sex Offender Legislation Ex Post Facto: The History And Constitutionality Of Michigan's Sex Offenders Registration Act, Alexander W. Furtaw

Journal of Legislation

Is Michigan’s Sex Offenders Registration Act (“MSORA”) constitutional? Until 2016, courts routinely said yes. In 2016, the Sixth Circuit in Does #1–5 v. Snyder held that the statute was an unconstitutional ex post facto law. In 2021, the Michigan Supreme Court echoed the Sixth Circuit’s holding in People v. Betts. In response, the Michigan legislature passed Public Law 295 of 2020 to amend MSORA, and courts treat the amended act as a “new” statute. Critical analysis of the amended statute’s legality is difficult because the state legislature has seemingly ignored constitutional issues with statutory proposals until after the fact, and …

Snitch. Snake. Mole. Books.: Examining Responses To “Insider/ Outsider” Researchers In Corrections, Talisa J. Carter, Chelsea Thomson

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

Qualitative researchers face unique challenges when conducting original data collection within facilities of confinement. These challenges are shaped by a range of factors including the study’s research design, researcher identity, and organizational climate of the facility. Although the barriers of data collection in corrections are known, literature providing context, nuance, and recommendations for overcoming these obstacles is sparse, especially for qualitative fieldwork. This work addresses this gap by examining responses of correctional employees to observational research. During data collection, correctional staff called the primary author “snitch,” “snake,” “mole,” and “Books.” This paper investigates these labels and offers suggestions on how …

“Leave Your Pain Here”: An Illustration Of Therapeutic Jurisprudence Through The Remarks Of Judge Rosemarie Aquilla From The State Of Michigan V. Larry Nassar, Leah Kaylor, Terri L. Weaver, Katherine Kelton

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

Dr. Lawrence Nassar was the national medical coordinator of the United States of America Gymnastics (USAG), gymnastics team physician/assistant professor at Michigan State University, and the USAG artistic team physician who sexually abused many young women and children under the guise of medical treatments. In an unprecedented legal event, Judge Aquilina allowed anyone who had been impacted by Nassar’s abuse to participate in the pre-sentencing phase by reading a victim impact statement. Judge Aqualina listened to 156 impacted speakers and responded with personalized messages. This paper will examine Judge Aquilina’s responses to the victim impact statements through the lens of …

Using A Trauma-Informed Practice Framework To Examine How South Australian Judges Respond To Trauma In The Lives Of Aboriginal Defendants, Katherine J. Mclachlan

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

This article uses a trauma-informed practice framework to examine how South Australian superior court judges acknowledge defendant trauma when sentencing Aboriginal defendants. Trauma-informed sentencing requires that judges realise the presence of trauma, recognise its relevance, respond in a way that is informed by trauma and act to avoid re-traumatisation. By analysing sentencing remarks of 42 defendants identified as Aboriginal, the presence of trauma-informed practice was explored, in terms of judicial decision-making, the sentencing process and the sanction imposed. While not holistic summaries of judges’ reasoning, sentencing remarks are intended to enable the parties and the community to understand sentencing logic. …

White Supremacy And The Future Of Liberal Democracy: The Case Of The Nordic Resistance Movement, Ida Oesteraas

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

In 2015, the largest neo-Nazi organization in Scandinavia, The Nordic Resistance Movement (NRM) registered as a political party and entered electoral politics in Sweden. Utilizing qualitative content analysis, the current work explores changes in NRM’s rhetoric from before the party entered politics in 2010 and five years later in 2018. Focus centers on NRM’s ideology, what or whom they frame as their threat, and their suggested solutions for constructed problems. Results show fascist rhetoric in both time periods. An argument is made that there is no actual moderation in NRM’s politics by liberal democracy. Rather, far-right extremism is a threat …

Defense, Disrespect, And #Deadly: A Qualitative Exploration Of Precursors To Youth Violence Informed Through Hospital-Based Violence Prevention Program Follow Up, Katherine B. Snyder, Ashley Raposo-Hadley, Charity Evans, Ashley Farrens, Jennifer Burt, Gaylene Armstrong, Julie Garman, Lindsey Wylie, Mark Foxall

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

Success of youth violence intervention and prevention effects, particularly for gun violence, will be enhanced when efforts are appropriately informed by the antecedents and context of violence. Youth violence is guided by social and cultural norms that are shifting with the rise of technology. Bullying, gang violence, and self-directed violence is increasingly found to occur in the online space influencing peer groups across contexts. Through focus groups with youth at risk for violence and victimization, this study finds three themes emerge as common precursors to violence: defense of self or others, disrespect of self or family occurring in traditional community-based …

Facebook For Law Enforcement, Stephen Carlisle

Certified Public Manager® Applied Research

This article introduces what some law enforcement agencies have done to mitigate trust issues by utilizing social media as a form of community policing. There is a silent majority out there that support law enforcement. As a pioneer of using Facebook as a platform for community policing, taking criticism from my law enforcement peers was unavoidable. However, these same peers would turn to Facebook shortly after for personal and professional use. The key is to reach out and to educate the public to help gain trust in law enforcement, and using modern social media platforms to reach the masses only …

Criminal Justice And Criminal Justice News, Georgia Southern University

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

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Examining Probation Lengths In Philadelphia, Pa, Madeline Grace Davis

Dissertations and Theses

One out of every 22 adults in Philadelphia, PA is under community supervision which is more than double the national average (Schiraldi, 2018). Even though probation has been seen as a more lenient alternative to prison it actually serves as a net-widener (Phelps, 2020). Probation can result in increased punishments for low-level offenses when failure to meet probation conditions results in jail or prison time when there was never a possibility of long-term incarceration at the time of sentencing (Phelps, 2020). This study uses public court information data from Philadelphia to analyze the effects different dosages of probation have on …

"I'M Very Enlightened:" Assisting Black Males Involved In The Criminal Justice System To Deal With And Heal From Racism, Darnell Jackie Strong

Dissertations and Theses

Black Males who have offended face major challenges stemming from their involvement in the Criminal Justice System. Once involved it is hard to get out, as exhibited by high recidivism rates and mass incarceration, issues that have plagued Black Males since slavery. There is little research on interventions to ameliorate the effects of racism on this population.

The aim of this research was to: a) create a training to help Black Males who have been involved in the Criminal Justice System deal with racism and b) evaluate the intervention. This mixed methods research utilized Constructivist Grounded Theory and Afrocentric theory …

A Walk In The Park: A Spatial Analysis Of Crime And Portland Parks, Cheyenne Pamela Hodgen

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis presents two individual research papers that examine the relationship between greenspaces and crime in Portland, Oregon. The two papers use an adapted street network buffer to better measure crime concentration around discrete locations. This methodological development allows for an improved measure of crime concentration around discrete locations.

The first contribution, explores the relationship between different greenspace types and crime, breaking down different crime types into discrete categories. The results of this study suggest that overall, Portland greenspaces do not experience a concentration of crime, however, different patterns emerge as greenspace and crime types are disaggregated. Only one greenspace …

Utilizing Organizational Theory To Improve Education Opportunities In Correctional Facilities, Kelly Sullenberger

The Scholarship Without Borders Journal

With 2.3 million people incarcerated, the United States is one of the most highly concentrated prison systems in the world (Sawyer & Wagner, 2020). In order to be in a position to improve that, the system of incarceration needs to genuinely care and invest in the lives of the inmates living in these facilities. The opportunity to receive an education is one way that allows for true rehabilitation and often can give an inmate a greater sense of purpose. This paper examines current programs in California that allow inmates to work towards and/or receive a bachelor’s degree while serving their …

Criminal Justice Update - June 2022, Autumn R. Chassie

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
• Updates from the PA Legislature
• Updates from the Courts
• U.S. Supreme Court
• PA Supreme Court
• PA Superior Court

Examining The Effects Of Legalizing Marijuana In Colorado And Washington On Clearance Rates: A Quasi-Experimental Design, Cody Jorgensen, Alexis J. Harper

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objective This study follows the lead of Makin et al. (Police Quarterly 22(1): 31–55, 2019) who found that marijuana legalization is associated with a marginal increase in clearance rates for some crimes but not for others.

Methods We build on their work attempting to replicate their findings by using the synthetic control method and fixed-effects models. A 50-state panel data set was constructed and analyzed. The dependent variables were aggregated violence and property crime rates. The independent variable was dichotomously measured recreational marijuana legislation.

Results Marijuana legalization is not a meaningful avenue of increasing clearance rates.

Conclusion The synthetic …

Elements Of Social Disorganization And Environmental Criminology: A Spatial Analysis Of Homicides In Villa Nueva, Guatemala, David J. Topel

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study seeks to integrate the main spatial theories of crime, social disorganization, and routine activities theories while investigating the spatial dimension of homicides in Villa Nueva, Guatemala. Empirical relationships at a small unit of analysis, the natural cadaster blocks as defined by the municipality offer a more appropriate unit of analysis for the context of the city. While there is a robust body of work in developed nations synthetizing social disorganization and routine activities theories, the exploration of criminological theory integration and the use of the smallest unit of analysis still needs the addition of empirical research in Latin …

The Interrelatedness Of Adversity, Gender, And Race/Ethnicity On Violent Juvenile Offending, Oona Newman

Student Theses

Previous research has found that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can affect delinquent behavior in various ways. This study aims to explore the associations between gender, race/ethnicity, violent offending, and adverse childhood experiences among a sample of justice-involved youth. 9,655 youth referred to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice were given the Community Assessment Tool (CAT), a risk assessment that also reports adverse childhood experiences. Secondary data analysis was conducted using the information provided to test the expectations of the Childhood Trauma Model (CTM). The study finds associations between gender, race/ethnicity, violent offending, and adverse childhood experiences. Notably, ACEs had a …