Criminology and Criminal Justice Commons^™

Assessing The Relationship Between Hotspots Of Lead And Hotspots Of Crime, Kimberly L. Barrett

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Numerous medical and environmental toxicology studies have established a link between lead (Pb) exposure, crime, and delinquency. In human environments, lead pollution- like crime- is unequally distributed, creating lead hot spots. In spite of this, studies of crime hotspots have routinely focused on traditional sociological predictors of crime, leaving environmental predictors of crime like lead and other neurotoxins relatively unaddressed. This study attends to this gap in the literature by asking a very straightforward research question: Is there a relationship between hotspots of lead and hotspots of crime? Furthermore, what is the nature and extent of this relationship? Lastly, is …

Self-Control, Attitudinal Beliefs, And White-Collar Crime Intentions, Melissa Anne Lugo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Gottfredson and Hirschi's general theory of crime (1990) has received a great deal of empirical examination in the criminology, yet the application of this theory to white-collar crime offenders has not received a great deal of attention. Research that has been conducted in the realm of white-collar crime has yielded mixed support for low self-control in explaining such offenses (Simpson and Piquero, 2002; Reed and Yeager, 1996; Langton et al., 2006; Blickle, 2006). The current study seeks to supplement the literature by focusing not simply on the direct causal links between self-control and white-collar offending, but also exploring how attitudes …

Examining The Link Between Self-Control And Misconduct In A Multi-Agency Sample Of Police Supervisors: A Test Of Two Theories, Christopher Matthew Donner

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As police personnel carry out their mandates of enforcing the law, maintaining order, and serving the public, they are entrusted to "practice what they preach." They are expected to abide by the rules, laws, and ethical principles that apply to them as they hold private citizens to account for violations of laws. When the police do not live up to this standard by committing police misconduct, it can tarnish not just the individual officer, but the department and jurisdiction as well. Police misconduct is a concern for society as police misbehavior can result in negative outcomes, such as distrust by …

A Life-Course Approach To Sexual Offending: Examining The Continuity Of Juvenile Sexual Offending Into Adulthood And Subsequent Patterns Of Recidivism, Maude Beaudry-Cyr

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Current sex offending legislation and public opinion present an image of sexual offenders as specialized predators who are likely to exhibit continued sexually deviant behavior over the life-course. Although sex offending continuity and post-release recidivism has been independently assessed in prior research, the potential link between sex offending continuity and post-release recidivism has yet to be investigated. Using data collected on random samples of sex offenders from a Northeastern state, the present study examines the predictability of sex offender continuity and its potential linkages with general and sex recidivism, as well as identifying distinguishable risk factors related to these outcomes. …

Social Disorganization In University Residence Halls, William Patrick Fennell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Social disorganization theory researchers have paid little attention to college and university campuses. To build on this limited research the current study attempted to analyze the incident rates on The University of Mississippi's Oxford campus to ascertain if social disorganization theory explained any variance between the rates of the different types of residence halls. The presence of three different types of residence halls during the 2012-2013 school year, with three different approaches to socialization, created a unique opportunity to study if halls that promoted environments that encouraged social control according to social disorganization theory would have lower incident rates. The …

Predictors Of Accessing Substance Abuse Services Among Individuals With Mental Disorders Released From Correctional Custody, Stephanie Hartwell, Xiaogang Deng, William Fisher, Julianne Siegfriedt, Kristen Roy-Bujnowski, Craig Johnson, Carl Fulwiler

Sociology Faculty Publication Series

Objective

In the context of an increasing correctional population and corresponding rates of mental illness and substance abuse among this population, this study focuses on describing the predictors of substance abuse service utilization for ex-inmates with dual disorders. Our aim is to assess the likelihood and characteristics of ex-inmates with mental disorders who access substance abuse treatment services within two years of correctional release.

Methods

Using merged administrative data on all ex-inmates with open mental health cases released from Massachusetts Department of Corrections and two County Houses of Corrections from 2007 to 2009 (N=2,280) and substance abuse treatment outcome data …

Policing Alcohol And Related Crimes On Campus, Andrea Nicole Allen

Theses and Dissertations

Research shows that college students drink alcohol frequently and heavily. This can compromise their health and well-being. Student drinking is also tied to crime. While prior work explores the nature and extent of crimes involving alcohol on campus, to date no study has examined how police handle these incidents or crime generally. This study fills that gap in the literature. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected by observing and interviewing campus officers at a large Southeastern university as they navigated through encounters with citizens. Findings include the following. Officers handle a variety of crimes, and do not have a single-faceted …

Assessing The Impact Of The Court Response To Domestic Violence In Two Neighboring Counties, Gillian Mira Pinchevsky

Theses and Dissertations

Since the 1970s, there has been a proliferation of research on domestic violence (DV). The majority of research, however, has focused on the correlates of DV and far fewer studies have examined the criminal justice system's approach to addressing DV. This is particularly concerning given that historically, the criminal justice system was rooted in English Common Law and tolerant of marital discipline to maintain household stability. Through the efforts of women's rights advocates, policy makers began devising innovative strategies for responding to DV, including provisions for mandatory arrests, no-drop policies, and the establishment of specialized DV courts. Although there has …

The Regulation And Control Of Bail Recovery Agents: An Exploratory Study, Brian R. Johnson, Ruth S. Stevens

Peer Reviewed Publications

This article explores the current status of the licensing and regulation of bail recovery agents in the United States. By reviewing state legislative and administrative codes in all the 50 states, this study found that 24 states control bail recovery agents through licensure or the imposition of other occupational regulations. These state controls include age, criminal history, and pretraining and educational requirements; some states also require continuing education and training for licensure and/or regulation. In contrast, 18 states have no licensing or other occupational requirements for bail recovery agents. These findings raise questions about the actual utility and function of …

An Examination Of The Interactions Of Race And Gender On Sentencing Decisions Using A Trichotomous Dependent Variable, Tina L. Freiburger, Carly M. Hilinski-Rosick

Peer Reviewed Publications

This study examined how race, gender, and age interact to affect defendants’ sentences using a trichotomized dependent variable. The findings indicate that the racial and gender disparity found in sentencing decisions was largely due to Black men’s increased likelihood of receiving jail as opposed to probation. The results also show that being young resulted in increased odds of receiving probation over jail for White men and for women but resulted in decreased odds for Black men. Separate analysis of incarceration terms to jail and prison further reveal that legal factors had a greater impact on prison than on jail sentence …

State-Corporate Crime In The Democratic Republic Of Congo, Veronica Jane Winters

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study addresses the need for a parsimonious theoretical model to explain state-corporate crime. The Integrated Theoretical Model of State-Corporate Crime will be compared to the Integrated Theory of International Criminal Law Violation to determine which model provides the most accurate theoretical depiction of state- corporate crime, while retaining parsimony. For this comparison, the models will be applied to Democratic Republic of Congo case study. Using a secondary analysis of qualitative data and preexisting literature, it was found that the Integrated Theoretical Model of State-Corporate Crime displays a representative depiction of all state-corporate crime actors and their catalysts for action …

A Mixed-Methods Approach To Examining The Memphis Crisis Intervention Team (Cit) Model: An Exploratory Study Of Program Effectiveness And Institutionalization Processes, Megan Magers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study utilized a mixed-methods strategy to examine the effectiveness, diffusion, and institutionalization of the Memphis Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model. To evaluate the effectiveness of the training component of the CIT model, a panel research design was employed in which a sample of 179 law enforcement officers and 100 correctional officers in nine Florida counties were surveyed on the first day of training (pretest), the last day of training (posttest), and one month following their completion of CIT training (follow-up). These surveys measured the extent to which CIT training achieved several officer-level objectives, including increased knowledge of mental …

Neorehabilitation And Indiana's Sentencing Reform Dilemma, Jessica M. Eaglin

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

Sex Trafficking: The Influence Of Cultures, Socio-Economic Structures And Law & Order On Sex Trade In Asia, Saanya Dua

Political Science Theses and Capstones

Sex trafficking and prostitution are both matters of concern in today’s world. Trafficking of human beings is a global phenomenon and has been a topic of increased discussion and attention. It is believed that the sex trade industry is considered to be the fastest growing criminal industry in the world, currently it is second to drug trafficking in terms of profits through an illegal industry. Several initiatives have been made to prevent trafficking, through significant legislative and other actions provided to aid victims and those vulnerable in the world. However, the lack of systematic research is a big issue. Asia …

The Only Thing That Stops A Guy With A Bad Policy Is A Guy With A Good Policy: An Examination Of The Nra’S “National School Shield” Proposal, Gordon A. Crews, Angela D. Crews, Catherine E. Burton

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

With the recent tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, CT, the public and the government are looking for solutions to school violence. The National Rifle Association (NRA), a Second Amendment, pro-gun advocacy group, has proposed an “education and training emergency response program” called The National School Shield, which advocates the placement of armed security in schools. Although the program sounds provocative, serious questions complicate its plausibility, necessity, motive, and effectiveness. Furthermore, the potential policy and practical ramifications of encouraging armed security forces in U.S. schools are complex. The authors examined the proposal’s key elements from a public policy …

A Propensity Score Matching Analysis Of Race On The Decision To Petition A Case In The Juvenile Court, George Higgins, Melissa L. Ricketts, James D. Griffith, Stephanie A. Jirard

Contemporary Issues in Juvenile Justice

No abstract provided.

Policy Considerations When Applying Sight And Sound Seperations, Jennifer Bradford, Jennifer Capps

Contemporary Issues in Juvenile Justice

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Prior Relationship On Perceptions Of Stalking: A Comparison Of Laypersons, Nonspecialist Police Officers And Specialist Police Officers, Adrian J. Scott, Keri Nixon, Lorraine Sheridan

Research outputs 2013

The current research examined the influence of prior relationship on perceptions of stalking, and compared the perceptions of laypersons, nonspecialist police officers, and specialist police officers. Two studies employed experimental designs where participants were presented with one of three vignettes in which the nature of the prior relationship was manipulated so that the perpetrator and victim were portrayed as strangers, acquaintances, or ex-partners. Participants comprised 101 nonspecialist police officers and 108 laypersons in Study 1, and 49 specialist police officers and 49 nonspecialist police officers in Study 2. Findings indicate that nonspecialist police officers and laypersons shared the common misperception …

Understanding Perceptions Of Stalking: The Impact Of Additional Contextual Information Regarding The Breakdown Of Relationships, Simon C. Duff, Adrian J. Scott

Research outputs 2013

Purpose: Perception research has demonstrated that people view stranger stalkers to be more persistentand dangerous than ex-partner stalkers. Although these findings are consistent with the outcome of legal processes where stranger stalkers are more likely to be convicted, they contrast with the findings of national surveys and applied research where ex-partner stalkers represent the most persistent and dangerous relational subtype. The aim of the current study is to further examine the influence of prior relationship on perceptions of stalking by considering the impact of additional contextual information regarding the breakdown of ex-partners’ relationships for the first time.

Design/methodology/approach: In this …

Framing And Perceptions Of Stalking: The Influence Of Conduct Severity And The Perpetrator-Target Relationship, Adrian J. Scott, Nikki Rajakaruna, Lorraine P. Sheridan

Research outputs 2013

Research has demonstrated that the way in which questions are presented (i.e. framed) has the capacity to influence responses to subsequent questions. In the context of stalking, perception research has often been framed in terms of whether or not particular behaviours constitute stalking. The current research investigates whether the framing of the opening question (question frame), conduct severity and the perpetrator target relationship influence perceptions of stalking. Two studies employed experimental 3 3 independent factorial designs: one to examine question frame and conduct severity, the other to examine question frame and the perpetrator target relationship. Participants in both studies (total …