Criminology and Criminal Justice Commons^™

Fear Of Dna Exonerees, Callie Brown

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

The purpose of this research was to determine if the public has a fear of wrongly convicted individuals that have since been exonerated through the use of DNA evidence. Existing research on DNA exonerations and exonerees has not addressed this phenomenon. The researcher distributed surveys to undergraduate students taking criminology and criminal justice courses at the University of Texas at Arlington. The data was analyzed using a t-test to compare the means of Caucasian and non-Caucasian respondents. The findings suggest that Caucasians and minorities have different levels of perceived fear of DNA exonerees in a variety of circumstances. The two …

Defense Industry Fraud And Whistle-Blowing: A Study Of The Relationship Between Perceptions Of Fraud And Whistle-Blowing, Ryan A. Bradbury

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between perception of fraud occurring in the defense industry and likelihood of engaging in whistle-blowing behaviors. To accomplish this, college students attending the University of Texas at Arlington were selected (n=281) to respond to surveys on the topic of defense industry fraud and whistle-blowing. This study used statistical analyses such as T-tests (Independent Sample T-test and ANOVAs) to determine significant differences between variables. The variables of gender, race, major, political party and defense industry associations were found to have statistically significant differences. Scales were also created for perception of defense …

The Effect Of Video Games On Aggressive Behavior In Undergraduate Students, Marisa Prokarym

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

The study of the relationship between media and aggressive behavior gained popularity in the 1950's with television and has evolved to examine other media sources in the following decades. Video games have become the new media source of concern within the past decade (popularized in 2000), and as a result inspired the current study as an extension of the previous media studies. The current study examined the effect of video game play on aggressive behavior through survey research and consisted of 167 undergraduate participants at the University of Texas - Arlington. The analysis revealed that the personality and behavior of …

Child Abuse Among Tarrant County Probationers, Alyssa Wadas

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

Child abuse occurs throughout every city, in every state, in the United States. Child abuse occurs in many different forms, including but not limited to: physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, medical neglect, psychological abuse and neglect. For many children child abuse never gets reported and children have a lifetime to cope with the effects of the abuse without consequence to the abuser. The current study explores probationers who report to the Tarrant County Probation office in Tarrant County Texas who have been convicted of or received deferred adjudication for committing an offense against a child in the State of …

Perceptions Of Inmates, Inmates' Life In Prison, And Reentry Into Society: An Evaluation Of Educational Influence On Societal Perceptions Versus The Realities Of Inmates' Experiences, Krystal Salazar

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

The purpose of this study was to conduct an in class survey over the perceptions of inmates, inmates' life in prison and reentry into society. The study hoped to gain understanding of educational influence on societal current perceptions on the topic. Statistical analyses of t-tests were conducted to control for gender, victimization, and knowing someone who was ever incarcerated versus not knowing someone ever incarcerated. The results suggested many victims agreed that inmates face hardships in prison and in society. Furthermore, victims believed community cohesion is crucial to reintegration. The study hypothesized that perceptions of inmates, inmates' life in prison …

Student Perceptions Of Drug Neighborhoods: An Analysis Of Visual Cues That Contribute To Students' View Of What Is Or Is Not A Drug Neighborhood, Jeremy Thompson

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

Perceptions of crime has been an emerging criminological area of study for the past twenty years. Prior research has shown that visual cues of social disorganization are indicators of both general crime and narcotics crime. This research explores perceptions of narcotics crimes through the utilization of a cross-sectional quantitative research method. Data collected through this study was analyzed by a series of tests which confirm prior findings regarding the connection between visual cues of social disorganization and the perception of crime. This study further suggests that visual indicators of crime have the greatest impact on women, Asian or Pacific Islanders, …

Best Outcomes For Indian Children, Loa L. Porter, Patina Park Zink, Angela R. Gebhardt, Mark Ells, Michelle Graef

Center on Children, Families, and the Law: Faculty Publications

The Wisconsin Department of Children and Families and the Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center are collaborating with Wisconsin's tribes and county child welfare agencies to improve outcomes for Indian children by systemically implementing the Wisconsin Indian Child Welfare Act (WICWA).This groundbreaking coUaboration wiU increase practitioners' understanding ofthe requirements of WICWA and the need for those requirements, enhance communication and coordination between all stakeholders responsible for the welfare of Indian children in Wisconsin; it is designed to effect the systemic integration of the philosophical underpinnings of WICWA.

In December 2009, Governor James Doyle signed the Wisconsin Indian Child Welfare Act, signaling …

The Influence Of Phenotypic Variation On Criminal Judgement, Jacque-Corey Cormier

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of phenotypic variation on criminal judgment. This study had two phases. In the first phase, participants rated multiple headshot photographs on the degree to which African American men possess pronounced Afrocentric features (fuller lips, broader nose, curlier hair, darker skin, etc.). The race of the participants predicted 34.2% of the variance in average skin color ratings above all other variables. White participants rated the Black faces as darker than any other participants rated the same faces. Researchers used the faces rated least, average, and most prototypical of Blacks as the …

Mid West–Gascoyne District Police Officers’ Experience With The Cannabis Infringement Notice Scheme, Kara Wright

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Cannabis is currently the most frequently used illicit drug in Australia. Research has revealed a range of health, economic, criminal and social consequences associated with the drug. The widespread use of cannabis and the consequences associated with its use has ignited strong political and social debate as to what response should be taken to minimise the harmful effects of the drug. In order to reduce the harms associated with cannabis, and in line with the national harm minimisation framework, the Western Australia (WA) Cannabis Infringement Notice (CIN) scheme commenced in 2004. The introduction of the CIN scheme as part of …

Al-Shabaab's American Recruits: A Comparative Analysis Of Two Radicalization Pathways, Matthew Wade Richardson

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

From 2005 to 2011, at least 41 Americans joined, or attempted to join, al-Shabaab, Somalia's preeminent terrorist organization. This thesis examines the radicalization process for al-Shabaab's American recruits by dividing the sample into two groups: non-Somali and Somali. The author employs causal flow diagramming as a means of visualizing each group's unique radicalization pathway. While most of the non-Somali recruits were motivated by political grievances and Salafism, most of the Somali recruits were motivated by identity conflict and nationalism. Considering al-Shabaab is both a religious and an ethno-nationalist terrorist organization, these results make sense. Radicalization within diaspora communities is a …

How (Not) To Implement Cost As A Sentencing Factor, Ryan W. Scott

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

Mothers In Prison: Maintaining Connections With Children, Sylvia Mignon, Paige Ransford

Publications from the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy

The significant increase in the number of incarcerated women ensures that many children must live without their mothers for some period of time. Women in prison were interviewed about their efforts to maintain relationships with their children. Mail and telephone contacts were more frequent than actual visits. Almost one half of mothers had never received a visit from their children. This article identifies challenges to the development and maintenance of contact between incarcerated mothers and their children. Recommendations are made for correctional agencies to enhance opportunities for incarcerated mothers to foster positive connections with their children.

Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Grant, Nebraska Strategic Plan, 2012-2015, Ryan E. Spohn, Melissa Gray, Mike Behm, Lisa Stamm

Reports

The Consortium for Crime and Justice Research (CCJR) at the University of Nebraska at Omaha was tasked by the Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice to facilitate the development of a three-year strategic plan for the use of Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistant Grant (JAG) funds. The Crime Commission serves as the State Administering Agency that is responsible for funding projects that fit into one or more of the seven JAG purpose areas: law enforcement programs; planning, evaluation, and technology improvement programs; prevention and education programs; drug treatment and enforcement programs; corrections and community corrections programs; prosecution and …

Off-Duty & Under Arrest: A Study Of Crimes Perpetuated By Off-Duty Police, Philip M. Stinson, John Liederbach, Tina L. Freiburger

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

The findings of independent commissions and research derived from a data-set of career-ending misconduct among New York Police Department (NYPD) officers suggests that police engage in a wide variety of crimes while they are off-duty including domestic violence, bar fights, drunk driving, burglary, and sex offenses (The Mollen Commission, 1994; Fyfe & Kane, 2006; Kane & White, 2009). The off-duty misbehavior of police is an important concern for police agencies exposed to potential liability costs, and scholars engaged in debates about whether studies on police deviance should include acts committed while an officer is technically off-duty. The problem for scholars …

The Risk Of Violence And Intimate Partner Choice Within A Risk Society, Adam J. Pritchard

Theses and Dissertations--Sociology

This dissertation examines the influence of competing risks in shaping individuals' choices about potential intimate relationships. According to Ulrich Beck's "risk society" theory, the individualization of social risks has direct and measurable consequences for the ways people organize and evaluate potential intimate relationships (Beck & Beck-Gernsheim, 1995, 2002, 2004; Giddens, 1994; Lupton, 2006). This study investigates the ways in which subjective or identity-related risks hypothesized by scholars of late modernity shape the perception and the actual risk of dating violence. Empirical research on dating violence identifies many objective “risk factors” related to a person’s chances of experiencing intimate partner violence; …

Criminal Justice Policy Research Institute Newsletter, Portland State University. Criminal Justice Policy Research Institute

Criminal Justice Policy Research Institute Newsletters

Newsletter provides information on:

• Latest research results
• Project and studies underway
• Research awards and distinctions
• Recent research publications

Delinquents After Exile: A Review Of Aftercare Programs, Jeremy Olson, Daniel R. Lee

Contemporary Issues in Juvenile Justice

No abstract provided.

Recidivism Rates Of Youth Discharged From Supervision 2006 - 2009, Becky Noréus, Jillian Foley Mppm

Justice Policy

The Maine Department of Corrections (MDOC) Division of Juvenile Services (DJS) collaborates with the Muskie School of Public Service in a state‐university partnership to analyze juvenile recidivism rates. DJS measures juvenile justice outcomes to guide policy and program development geared toward recidivism reduction. Reduction of youth recidivism in Maine increases public safety.

Recidivism in this report is defined as a re‐adjudication (juvenile system) or conviction (adult system) for a new offense committed by a youth in Maine within three years after release from DJS supervision. This report measures DJS impact on youth who have been released from DJS supervision by …

Research Brief One-Sheet No.1: Late-Stage Police Crime: Is It An Exit Strategy?, Philip M. Stinson, John Liederbach, Tina L. Freiburger

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

The study focuses on crimes committed by experienced police officers who are approaching retirement. Police scholars have traditionally been interested in the formative experiences that occur near the beginning of an officer's career, wherein the expectations of "rookie" cops clash with on-the-job realities to promote cynicism, personal anomia, and potential attachment to delinquent police subcultures. The literature suggests that officers will tend to "get into trouble" earlier in their career rather than later; but, the occurrence of "late-stage" misconduct committed by experienced police officers presents a challenge to existing assumptions regarding the relationship between experience and various forms of police …

When The Abyss Looks Back: Treatments Of Human Trafficking In Superhero Comic Books, Bond Benton, Daniela Peterka-Benton

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Superhero comic book characters have historically engaged issues of social concern. From Superman’s opposition to the Ku Klux Klan in 1947 (Bowers, 2011) to Captain America’s acceptance of a gay soldier in 1982 (Witt, Sherry, & Marcus, 1995) to Batman’s stance against landmines in 1996 (O’Neil, 1996), stories involving superheroes have frequently demonstrated a developed social awareness on national and international problems. Given that the audience for superhero characters is often composed of young people, this engagement has served as a vehicle for raising understanding of issues and as tool for encouraging activism on the part of readers (McAllister, 1992; …