Criminology Commons^™

Optimization Of The Microprecipitation Procedure For Nuclear Forensics Applications, Lyndsey Renee Kelly

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Microprecipitation has become one of the most widely used sample preparation techniques for alpha spectroscopy. Many factors during the precipitation process can affect the yield and energy resolution by adding unwanted mass to the sample. Current applications in nuclear forensics call for an optimization of energy resolution and yield in order to improve identification and quantify specific radionuclides. The purpose of this research is to determine the optimal parameters used for microprecipitation. The optimal solution temperature, precipitation time, carrier amount, and hydrofluoric acid amount are used to investigate the influence of varying the type of carrier, as well as, the …

Evaluating The Sentencing Of Non-Violent Drug Offenders, Christopher Joseph Koch

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

A great deal of criminological literature asserts that many non-violent drug offenders are being unnecessarily incarcerated in our nation's prisons. This argument suggests that those offenders typically specialize solely in drug crimes and alternative sanctions would be the most logical and cost-effective way to handle this growing segment of offenders. The purpose of the current research is to examine sentences for non-violent drug convictions and to assess whether presumably non-violent drug offenders pose a significant risk or threat to public safety. An analysis of a sample of 530 convicted drug offenders shows the majority do indeed have significant criminal histories …

Ballistics Image Processing And Analysis For Firearm Identification, Dongguang Li

Research outputs pre 2011

Firearm identification is an intensive and time-consuming process that requires physical interpretation of forensic ballistics evidence. Especially as the level of violent crime involving firearms escalates, the number of firearms to be identified accumulates dramatically. The demand for an automatic firearm identification system arises. This chapter proposes a new, analytic system for automatic firearm identification based on the cartridge and projectile specimens. Not only do we present an approach for capturing and storing the surface image of the spent projectiles at high resolution using line-scan imaging technique for the projectiles database, but we also present a novel and effective FFT-based …

Coping Styles And Sex Differences In Depressive Symptoms And Delinquent Behavior, Lisa A. Kort-Butler

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Building on research that links gender to differences in well-being and differences in stress exposure and vulnerability, the current study examines how coping styles are gendered in ways that may contribute to sex differences in depressive symptoms and delinquent behavior. The study disaggregates stress measures to reflect gender differences in the experience of stress, examining whether avoidant, approach, and action coping condition the relationship between stress and well-being. Regression analyses were conducted using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Results revealed sex differences and similarities. The interaction of avoidant coping and stress helped explain why girls had …

Understanding Deviant Behaviors Through Coercion And Social Support Theory, Maria Nicte-Ha Uribe

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Mark Colvin, Francis T. Cullen and Thomas Vander Ven (2002) developed an integrated theory of crime called "coercion, social support, and crime" which hypothesizes that coercion and social support are inversely related and that these variables have direct effects on criminal and deviant behavior as well as a combined effect. Specifically if an imbalance between coercion and social support exists, crime is more likely to occur because coercion induces weak social bonds and low self control thereby increasing crime. On the other hand, social support prevents criminal involvement through organized networks of human relations that assist people in meeting their …

The Great Condom Adventure: Analyzing College Students’ Narratives Of Buying Condoms, Leslie H. Picca, Kristin E. Joos

Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work Faculty Publications

This project analyzes college students’ narratives buying condoms. Research suggests young persons do not consistently use condoms, and this study will provide an in-depth analysis to students affect toward condoms. We analyzed narratives written by 115 undergraduate students of their condom buying experiences. The vast majority of the students’ narratives about their condom buying experience fit a common framework, with elements including: preplanning, walking in the store, looking inconspicuous while wandering, finding the “hidden” condom location, making their selection, carrying and hiding the condoms, selecting a cashier and rushing through checkout, anticipating ridicule, and walking out of the store. Research …

An Analysis Of State-By-State Variations In African American Incarceration Rates, Kristen Laura Johnson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

A great deal of social scientific research has examined the overrepresentation of African Americans in the American criminal justice system. Many of these analyses have focused on racial disparities in sentencing, and the disproportionate confinement of African Americans in jails and prisons. While the overrepresentation of African Americans in the criminal justice system is indisputable, explanations for this condition are often complex and controversial.

Institutional Racism And Public Policy : A Critical Discourse Analysis Of The War On Drugs, Kyle L. Mahannah

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Through reviewing the concept of institutional racism, I examine how this concept has been employed in the discourse on the war on drug. Moreover, I explore how this term has been employed by opponents and proponents on the war on drugs. First, I explore how the term 'institutional racism' is defined by various authors and scholars. I then reviewed how the United State Supreme Court has set precedents regarding intentional and unintentional discrimination. I also investigate how the concept of institutional racism is used in the discourse on American institutions of education, economics, law, and politics. l then review how …

Influences On Juvenile-Justice Court Dispositions: Sentencing Disparities, Race, Legal Representation, Degree Of Offending, And Conflict In The Juvenile Justice System, Sharon Walker

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

No abstract provided.

Financialism In Pretrial Release And Criminal Case Outcomes: A Relative Comparison Of Finances, Ethnicity And Sex, Daniel White

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of financial resources upon pretrial release and criminal case outcomes. Data related to the pretrial and criminal case outcomes was analyzed to determine the effect that financial ability has on being released prior to trial and the subsequent adjudication outcome rendered. Other relationships included were ethnicity and sex based on the literature in this area.

The data that were chosen for this study included individual and county-level data compiled by the State Court Processing Statistics (SCPS) program of the Bureau of Justice Statistics on the processing of a sample of …

Review Of Saving Children From A Life Of Crime: Early Risk Factors And Effective Interventions. David P. Farrington And Brandon C. Welsh. Reviewed By Stephanie Cosner Berzin., Stephanie Cosner Berzin

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

David P. Farrington and Brandon C. Welsh, Saving Children from a Life of Crime: Early Risk Factors and Effective Interventions. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007. $29.95 hardcover, $21.95 papercover.

An Assessment Of Scales Measuring Constructs In Tests Of Criminological Theory Based On National Youth Survey Data, Todd A. Armstrong, Daniel R. Lee, Gaylene Armstrong

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Researchers have utilized the National Youth Survey (NYS) data to test a variety of theoretical explanations of criminal behavior. Here, the authors offer an assessment of scales used in tests of criminological theory based on NYS data. The authors conducted this assessment to provide results informing future tests of theory. Their analyses focus on understanding the extent to which scales representative of different theories are actually based on the same item content. They test for two distinct processes that may explain this phenomenon. In the first process, scales measuring a given construct are attributed to different theories. In the second …

Moving Ahead: Five Essential Elements For Working Effectively With Girls, Betsy Mattews, Dana Jones Hubbard

Sociology & Criminology Faculty Publications

Quite a bit of literature these days addresses what is believed to be an increase in the frequency and severity of girls' problem behaviors and the need for gender-responsive treatment. The extent to which this literature has been translated into juvenile justice practices, however, appears limited by several factors. This article briefly discusses these impediments, and offers suggestions for five essential elements that reflect the current state of knowledge regarding effective intervention with girls involved in the juvenile justice system.

Evaluation Design For The District Of Columbia Department Of Corrections' Use Of Radio Frequency Identification (Rfid) Technology With Jail Inmates, Laura J. Hickman, Mel Eisman, Lois Davis

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications and Presentations

In consultation with the District of Columbia Department of Corrections (DC DOC), researchers developed an evaluation design oriented around five objectives. One objective is to provide timely feedback to the U.S. Justice Department’s National Institute of Justice (the funder of the evaluation), DC DOC, and other interested jurisdictions on RFID’s implementation. A second objective is to provide feedback on the process of implementing RFID. A third objective is to assess the impact of RFID’s implementation on identified outcome measures. A fourth objective is to compare costs to the facilities against the cost of implementing RFID technology, including direct and indirect …

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 84, No. 16, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news. Articles in this issue:

• Paul, Corey. Fights & Frenzy
• Day, Michelle. Gunfire Unconfirmed, Investigation Continues
• Hale, Marianne. Campus, Community Voice Concerns
• Timeline of Events
• Slitz, Alex. A Thousand Words – Charus Changchit
• Howerton, Christina. Enrollment Increases 2.6 Percent
• Howerton, Christina. Task Force Explores Ways to Make College Cost Less
• Gadbois, Chris. Rudeness Isn’t an Issue with Shuttle Drivers
• Bonneau-Kaya, Chrystal. Objectification of Women is Dehumanizing, Wrong
• Schwab, Edmond. Learn the Background of the Financial Troubles
• Bybee, Sarah. Please Slow Down and Watch Out for Pedestrians
• Cawthorn, Shawna. Poor Football …

An Enduring Scourge: The Evolution Of Trafficking In Women For Forced Prostitution In Bosnia-Herzegovina, Elizabeth Longino

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In the late nineties, in the post-conflict period of rebuilding and peacekeeping, trafficking in women for sexual exploitation emerged as a major problem in Bosnia-Herzegovina. For years, the country was considered one of the principle destination and transit countries in the region, until a combination of internal and external factors caused the situation to change. Internally, the government passed legislation, created action plans, and designated special police forces to combat trafficking across borders. Apart from these actions, regional political changes and the withdrawal of international troops also contributed to the closure of bars and brothels in which trafficked women were …

Extra-Legal Characteristics And Sentencing Disparity Among Federal Drug Offenders, Justin D. Galasso

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

The development of the federal sentencing guidelines was made as an attempt to provide a uniform standard of sentencing procedure for defendants convicted within the federal legal system. Unfortunately, such unvarying policy has over the years birthed a system of sentencing that lacks equality among like defendants. The Supreme Court, in 2005, ruled that the sentencing guidelines were no longer to be compulsory during sentencing procedures, but rather act as an ancillary tool. The present study examines multiple legal and extra-legal variables and their influence on two aspects of imprisonment probability for federal drug offenders for the years of 1999-2006: …

Bookreview: Price, B. E. (2006). Merchandizing Prisoners: Who Really Pays For Prison Privatization? Westport, Ct: Praeger. 187 Pp, Gaylene Armstrong

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Review of Price’s Merchandizing Prisoners: Who Really Pays for Prison Privatization?

Commonwealth Of Kentucky V. William P. King, Et Al. (Sc 1744), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and scans (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 1744. Record of trial held in Simpson County, Kentucky of William P. King, Charles Smith, Abraham Owen and seven others for the murder of Harvey King. Defendants and victim had all participated in a previous train robbery. Also includes a photocopy of The Life of King and Owen, Written by Themselves, Revised and Prepared by Rev. L. M. Horn, Explaining the Railroad Robbery and Murder of Harvey King (Louisville, Ky., 1867); and “‘A High Handed Outrage:’ The King & Owens Railroad Robbery of 1866,” a paper written …

The Organizational, Community And Programmatic Characteristics That Predict The Effective Implementation Of After-School Programs, Todd A. Armstrong, Gaylene Armstrong

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

To identify characteristics predicting the effective implementation of after-school programs, in-depth interviews were conducted at five sites randomly selected from a subset of 16 ACE after-school sites serving high risk youth in a southwestern city. Qualitative data from structured in-depth interviews, follow-up telephone conversations with personnel as well as researcher observations during site visits were synthesized. Data identified three constellations of characteristics associated with effective implementation: staffing, community and programmatic. Staffing characteristics included limited staff turnover and sufficient training. Community characteristics included cultural sensitivity and community integration. Programmatic characteristics included clearly defined program goals and specific program content. Researcher observations …

Caretaker Satisfaction With Law Enforcement Response To Missing Children., Heather Hammer, David Finkelhor, Richard Ormrod, Andrea J. Sedlack, Carol Bruce

Crimes Against Children Research Center

Examines satisfaction with law enforcement from the perspective of all primary caretakers who contacted police when one or more of their children experienced a qualifying episode in the Second National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway Children (NISMART–2) National Household Survey of Adult Caretakers. This Bulletin is the eighth in the NISMART–2 series.

Sexually Assaulted Children: National Estimates And Characteristics., David Finkelhor, Heather Hammer, Andrea J. Sedlack

Crimes Against Children Research Center

Provides information on the estimated number and characteristics of children who were sexually assaulted in the United States in 1999. This Bulletin is the seventh in the Second National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway Children (NISMART–2) series. Information on sexual assault was gathered from NISMART–2 interviews with victims and their families.

Stigma Sentiments And Self-Meanings: Applying The Modified Labeling Theory To Juvenile Delinquents, James Lee, Amy Kroska, Nicole Carr

Faculty Publications

We use “stigma sentiments” as a way to operationalize the stigma associated with a juvenile delinquency label. Stigma sentiments are the evaluation, potency, and activity (EPA) associated with the cultural category “a juvenile delinquent.” We find consistent support for the validity of the evaluation component as measures of these conceptions. Then we assess hypotheses derived from the modified labeling theory: we expect each stigma sentiment to be related positively to the corresponding dimension of self-identities among juvenile delinquents but unrelated to the corresponding dimension among non-delinquents. We find support for this hypothesis on the evaluation dimension. We also find two …

The Effects Of Defendant Race, Psychological Expert Witness Race, And Racially Salient Psychological Expert Testimony On Juror Decision Making, Lily Cheyanne (Manick) Munavu

Dissertations

The present study examined the effects of defendant race, psychological expert witness race, the racial salience of a psychological expert witness's testimony, and modern racism on juror decisions. Participants were randomly assigned to one of eight conditions that varied the race of the defendant (Black or White), the race of the psychological expert witness (Black or White), and the racial salience of the expert witness testimony (racially relevant or not racially relevant). Participants were asked to review the case documents of a criminal case in which the defendant was charged with battery and robbery. Participants rendered verdicts for both charges, …

The Theory And Practice Of Drug Courts: Wolves In Sheep Clothing?, Kristen E. Devall

Dissertations

This dissertation is a case study of an adult drug court in a medium-size Midwestern city. The primary impetus behind the creation of the drug court model was the partial recognition that the "get tough" approach to crime and the "war on drugs" was ineffective in "solving the United States' drug problem. Drug courts represent an integration of a public-health approach and a public-safety strategy of fighting crime and administering "justice." The bulk of the extant research regarding drug courts addresses one central question: "Do drug courts work?" Researchers and evaluators alike have attempted to answer this question over the …

The Conjunctive Analysis Of Case Configurations: An Exploratory Method For Discrete Multivariate Analyses Of Crime Data, Terance D. Miethe, Timothy C. Hart, Wendy C. Regoeczi

Sociology & Criminology Faculty Publications

Derived from comparative approaches in both qualitative and quantitative research, the current study describes a simple exploratory technique for the multivariate analysis of categorical data. This technique is referred to as the conjunctive analysis of case configurations. After describing the logic and underlying assumptions of this conjunctive method, it is applied and illustrated in the study of the federal sentencing of drug offenders. The relative value of this conjunctive approach for purposes of exploratory data analysis and its overall utility as a method for confirmatory research are also discussed.

Risk And Protective Factors Of Micronesian Youth In Hawai'i: An Exploratory Study, Scott K. Okamoto, David T. Mayeda, Mari Ushiroda, Davis Rehuher, Tui Lauilefue, Ophelia Ongalibang

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This exploratory, qualitative study examined the risk and protective factors of Micronesian middle and high school students in Hawai'i. Forty one Micronesian youth participated in 9 focus groups that explored their experiences within their schools, families, and communities. The findings describe youths' experiences of ecological stress beginning with their migration to Hawai'i, and the potential outcomes of this stress (e.g., fighting, gangs, and drug use). Cultural buffers, such as traditional practices and culturally specific prevention programs, were described as aspects that prevented adverse outcomes. Implications for prevention practice are discussed.

The Measurement Of Psychopathy: Dimensional And Taxometric Approaches, Emily M. Wright

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

This article extends the debate over personality disorders as dimensional or taxonic phenomena to the study of psychopathy and relates this issue to questions surrounding whether behaviors or personality traits best represent psychopathy. Proponents of dimensional measurements of psychopathy consider personality traits to be important constructs of psychopathy, whereas proponents of taxometric measurements consider behaviors to be important characteristics of psychopathy. After a brief introduction to the measurement of psychopathy, taxometric and dimensional measurement techniques are explained, their assumptions addressed, and their strengths and weaknesses discussed. Empirical evidence for each technique is then critiqued, and methodological problems are described. It …

Whites, Pierce Butler (Fa 260), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid and full-text scan of paper (Click on “Additional Files” below) for Folklife Archives Project 260. Paper: "Reflections on Attitudes Towards Drugs in East Kentucky" written by Pierce Butler Whites for a Western Kentucky University folk studies class.

Cj Times Volume 2, Issue 1, Department Of Criminal Justice

CJ Times (Newsletter)

No abstract provided.