Improving Indigent Defense: An Evaluation Of Program Effectiveness For The California Defense Investigators Association’S Defense Investigator Training Academy,
2020
San Jose State University
Improving Indigent Defense: An Evaluation Of Program Effectiveness For The California Defense Investigators Association’S Defense Investigator Training Academy, Sheree Martinek
Master's Projects
Training is a crucial component of investigation work; however, there is a significant discrepancy regarding the training mandated and received by prosecution-oriented and defense-oriented investigators. Prosecution investigators (such as law enforcement detectives or District Attorney investigators) have considerable resources and require extensive training aside from one’s education. In respect to training, investigators who work for the prosecution are required to complete the California Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST). Completion of POST is a minimum of 664 hours of training (POST, 2020). However, there is no mandatory training program, academy, or number of cumulative training hours required for an investigator …
The Violence Against Women's Act: From The Criminalization Of Domestic Violence Through Modern Political Challenges,
2020
University of Nebraska at Omaha
The Violence Against Women's Act: From The Criminalization Of Domestic Violence Through Modern Political Challenges, Carrie Anderson
Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects
The Violence Against Women’s Act, or VAWA, is a landmark piece of federal legislation to combat domestic violence in the United States. It passed in 1994 following various state efforts to stop intimate partner violence. Broad federal legislation was needed to end domestic violence because of the unique nature of the crime including the strong connection between victims and perpetrators, the vast scale of the problem, and the reoccurring nature of domestic violence (Fagan, p. 28-29, 1996). VAWA has been expanded through reauthorization efforts in 2000, 2005, and 2013. Reform efforts have focused on increasing protections for victims especially focusing …
Juvenile Diversion Programs: Comparing Minnesota County Characteristics To Determine Their Role In Pre-Trial Diversion Programs,
2020
Bemidji State University
Juvenile Diversion Programs: Comparing Minnesota County Characteristics To Determine Their Role In Pre-Trial Diversion Programs, Kaydin Schmitt
Political Science Theses and Capstones
The main goal of the juvenile justice system is to rehabilitate offenders and prevent youth from entering the adult justice system. One approach is through the use of diversion programs. The state of Minnesota requires all counties to offer at least one type of pre-trial diversion program. However, there is no ubiquitous program; the number and types of programs differ between counties, and the reason for these differences between jurisdictions is under-researched. I analyze the number and types of pre-trial diversion programs in Minnesota counties and compare them to various county characteristics to determine which characteristics play a role in …
Examining Crime Reporting Behaviors In The Presence Of Body-Worn Cameras,
2020
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Examining Crime Reporting Behaviors In The Presence Of Body-Worn Cameras, Tanya Dudinskaya
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
This research study was designed to gain a better understanding of the potential impacts a body-worn camera can have on a witness reporting a crime to an officer. This study uses an online survey distributed through Qualtrics and asks participants to respond with their likelihood of reporting the crime they are prompted (such as property damage, DUI, drug sale, assault, and robbery) in the presence or absence of a body-camera, and the recording of their statement. The main concept that is being examined is whether there are potential negative consequences of body-cameras such as preventing witnesses from coming forward because …
Hispanics And The War On Drugs: An Explanation For The Rise In Hispánica Imprisonment,
2020
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Hispanics And The War On Drugs: An Explanation For The Rise In Hispánica Imprisonment, Bryan James Haakma
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
The purpose of this study was to understand racial disparities that persist throughout the criminal justice system. Since the early 1970s, the U.S. female prison population has risen at a faster rate than the male prison population (Harmon & Boppre, 2016; Morín, 2008, 2016). Overall, a plethora of research has linked the rise in imprisonment to the War on Drugs and the criminalization of drug use. This thesis examined these questions: 1) are drug crime initiatives driving the rise in Hispanic female imprisonment in comparison to Black and White females and 2) using Blalock’s (1967) theory on group threat, do …
College Student Perceptions Of System-Culpability In The Frequency Of Wrongful Convictions: Gauging The Importance Of Respondent Characteristics,
2020
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
College Student Perceptions Of System-Culpability In The Frequency Of Wrongful Convictions: Gauging The Importance Of Respondent Characteristics, Merideth Smith
Honors Theses
Prior literature has highlighted several factors that contribute to wrongful convictions and described the frequency in which these factors influence wrongful convictions; they include mistaken eyewitness identification, mishandling of forensic evidence, and misconduct among criminal justice professionals. The literature concerning perceptions of the influence of these factors on wrongful convictions is limited, however, by its failure to consider the impact of respondent characteristics on their perceptions. In this study, I extend this line of research by examining the influence of respondent characteristics on perceptions of the culpability of criminal justice actors, contamination of forensic evidence, and mistaken eyewitness identification in …
Examining School Safety And Security: A Situational Crime Perspective,
2020
The University of Southern Mississippi
Examining School Safety And Security: A Situational Crime Perspective, Jessica A. Barnett
Honors Theses
In recent years, an interest in focus of research addressing school safety and security has increased; however, this literature lacks a cohesive theoretical perspective for addressing solutions to school crime and violence. The purpose of this study was to perform a systematic review of the literature on school safety and security. Then, analyze this literature in light of the situational crime prevention perspective. A literature search using Web of Science yielded 45 eligible studies. Results indicated that each of the 45 articles could be organized into one of the five mechanisms of Situational Crime Prevention: increasing effort, increasing risk, removing …
Hot Spots Of Crime: Seasonal Patterning Of Campus Crime,
2020
Boise State University
Hot Spots Of Crime: Seasonal Patterning Of Campus Crime, Karen Zahid Armenta Rojas
Boise State University Theses and Dissertations
Provisions of the Clery Act require institutional reporting of crime on college campuses. Using the Clery Act data from Boise State University in Boise, Idaho, this study examines crime type fluctuation through seasonal patterns using a hot spot analysis. The data are mapped to identify geospatial patterns of crime through the seasons. This study investigates if certain crime types peak depending on the season and if the introduction of resident housing locations shift hot spots around campus using 2012-2018 Boise State Crime Logs. Results illustrate varying patterns of crime on campus through the seasons but general stability in the spatial …
Students’ Perceptions Of Campus Sexual Assault Resources: An Appalachian Perspective,
2020
East Tennessee State University
Students’ Perceptions Of Campus Sexual Assault Resources: An Appalachian Perspective, Rychelle Moses
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Research relating to campus sexual assault has traditionally focused on its prevalence and factors that serve to influence risk of victimization. Less attention has been directed toward the presence and effectiveness of campus sexual assault resources. In addition, few studies have explored the role that culture and other geographical factors may play in this process. The current study seeks to address this limitation in two unique ways: (1) determining whether an Appalachian upbringing influences knowledge of and willingness to utilize campus sexual assault resources and (2) exploring its impact on adherence to common rape myths. Survey data are gathered from …
Invisible Harm: Verbal Sexual Coercion Among College Students,
2020
San Jose State University
Invisible Harm: Verbal Sexual Coercion Among College Students, Char Chezanne
Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science
This paper provides a review of literature and research on verbal sexual coercion on college campuses by focusing on heterosexual dynamics. The studies involved explore the factors that influence sexually coercive behavior, including parenting styles, heteronormative beliefs, and risk-taking behaviors. Furthermore, this paper reviews current informal and formal responses to campus sexual coercion by focusing on the overlooked power dynamics that influence sexual consent. This paper concludes that restorative justice serves as an alternative to traditional justice for campus-based sexual coercion because of its flexibility and applicability to nuanced sexual assault cases.
With Liberty And Justice For Some: How Felony Disenfranchisement Undermines American Democracy,
2020
San Jose State University
With Liberty And Justice For Some: How Felony Disenfranchisement Undermines American Democracy, Kiley Staufenbeil
Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science
This paper examines the damaging effects of felony disenfranchisement on American democracy. The premise of American democracy is to include citizens in government processes, thus, felony disenfranchisement is inherently anti-democratic. The first section analyzes the historical timeline of the origins and prominence of felony disenfranchisement dating back to Ancient Greece. The paper considers the legal standing of felony disenfranchisement by examining relevant court cases, such as Richardson v. Ramirez (1974). Following this, a case study of the states that practice distinct levels of felony disenfranchisement, ranging from the most punitive states to the most permissive, is presented. The paper then …
The Black Woman's Burden: A Discussion Of Race, Rape Culture, And Feminism,
2020
San Jose State University
The Black Woman's Burden: A Discussion Of Race, Rape Culture, And Feminism, Rawabi Hamid
Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science
Current feminist and anti-rape movements in the United States seek to amplify the voices of women regarding sexual assault. Unfortunately, within this amplification, the voices of Black women are often excluded, which is a direct effect of historically ignoring the abuses of Black women and rarely ever bringing their abusers to justice. These injustices, often committed by white men and perpetuated by white women, create a destructive rhetoric in stereotyping Black women while also silencing them throughout modern movements, especially those of feminist and anti-rape causes. This essay will examine the consequences of three problematic aspects of US history and …
Extreme Ideologies, Situational Factors, And Terrorists’ Target Selection,
2020
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Extreme Ideologies, Situational Factors, And Terrorists’ Target Selection, Evan Mudgett
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of the current study is to examine how ideology and situational factors shape terrorist target selection in the United States. While a growing number of studies have examined target selection by terrorists, the current study is the first to consider how combinations of factors present situated opportunities for terrorists to select particular types of targets as opposed to others. Guided by the situational crime prevention approach, this study relies on data from the American Terrorism Study (ATS) to measure attributes of incidents perpetrated by far-right and Islamic extremists and target selection. The outcomes of interest include government versus …
Public Perceptions Of Police Militarization: A Nuanced Understanding Of Public Support For Police Practices,
2020
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Public Perceptions Of Police Militarization: A Nuanced Understanding Of Public Support For Police Practices, Leobardo Lopez-Cristobal
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
In recent years, there has been heavily publicized incidents of police use of military weapons and tactics, which has raised concerns regarding the militarization of police. More famously, in 2014, Ferguson police utilized military weapons and tactics to quell the masses after the police shooting of Michael Brown incited protests and riots. Despite an overall decrease in incidents of police use of force and deadly shootings, individual dramatic events of police militarization paint a picture of a militarized police force. This coincides with an overall increase in military equipment transfers (e.g., weapons, vehicles) to police agencies in the United States. …
Gender-Differential Effects Of Perceived Discrimination On Lawyers' Job Satisfaction: A General Strain Theory Approach.,
2020
University of Louisville
Gender-Differential Effects Of Perceived Discrimination On Lawyers' Job Satisfaction: A General Strain Theory Approach., Caroline Isabelle Jalain
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to investigate the direct and indirect relationships between workplace discrimination and job satisfaction for lawyers. Using the After the JD – Wave 1 data, a national longitudinal survey of law school graduates with a sample size of 4,538, and following a general strain theory approach, structural equation models were conducted to analyze gender-differential effects of perceived discrimination on lawyer’s job satisfaction. The results indicated that men and women lawyers differ in their experience with workplace discrimination and their job satisfaction. Notably, women lawyers were found to experience more instances of workplace discrimination compared to …
Predictors Of Binge Drinking Among Military Veterans: A General Strain Theory Approach.,
2020
University of Louisville
Predictors Of Binge Drinking Among Military Veterans: A General Strain Theory Approach., Emily Ann Hayden
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This dissertation is theoretically informed by General Strain Theory (GST) (Agnew 1992, 2002), and examines binge drinking within a military veteran population. It begins with an assessment on reform and focuses on shaping knowledge around the issue of binge drinking by military veterans. The current study uses Agnew’s GST to argue for an understanding of how strain and stress can affect individuals who have served in the military and acknowledges how this strain can lead to negative coping mechanisms such as binge drinking. The latter part of the dissertation argues that understanding Agnew’s GST (1992, 2002) with a military population …
Making Freedom Free: A Call For Bail Reform In America’S Broken Criminal Justice System,
2020
Suffolk University
Making Freedom Free: A Call For Bail Reform In America’S Broken Criminal Justice System, Jordan L. Sharpe
Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects
Studies have shown that in the past fifteen years, the number of people jailed in the United States has sharply increased, thereby continuing the upward trend of incarceration that erupted in the 1980s. Jail populations are steadily increasing; yet, in the past fifteen years, the number of people convicted of crimes has stayed the same. The reason for this phenomenon: individuals are forced to remain in jail not because they are deemed a threat to public safety, but because they cannot afford the cost of bail. This system has drastically deviated from its original purposes and now destroys lives by …
An Investigation Of White-Collar Criminal Sentencing Disparities In Six Federal District Courts,
2020
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
An Investigation Of White-Collar Criminal Sentencing Disparities In Six Federal District Courts, Lauren Frances Elizabeth Galloway
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
Since the turn of the century, sentencing research has consistently shown that certain aspects of the social context generally condition individual-level sentencing variations. I further explore this postulation in assessing how legal changes affect courtroom decisions; and in analyzing how extra-legal offender characteristics and judicial attributes influence the likelihood and length of white-collar incarceration sentences. The study hypothesized an emergent sociotemporal trend, largely driven by implementation of white-collar sentencing legislation and a return to judicial discretion, whereby white-collar offenders sentenced in the years post-Booker would receive more lenient punishments (i.e., less likely to be incarcerated and shorter incarceration sentences) than …
The Effect Upon State Crime Rates Of The Legalization Of Recreational Marijuana In California,
2020
University of Missouri-St. Louis
The Effect Upon State Crime Rates Of The Legalization Of Recreational Marijuana In California, Robert Boxerman
Theses
This work examines criminal effects of the legalization of recreational marijuana in the state of California in 2016. While multiple states have legalized marijuana for recreational purposes, there is little empirical evidence to determine the criminal effect, if any, of introducing marijuana products into the legal market. The research analyzes crime rates pre and post legalization. Crime rates from the years 1990-2018 are taken from the California Attorney General Office “Crime in California” annual report, and consist of FBI Part I offenses: murder and non-negligent homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, motor vehicle theft, larceny-theft, and arson. Misdemeanor drug arrests, …
Analyses Of Prosecutorial Power And Discretion In Mississippi: Evaluating Proposals To Address Misconduct And Abuse,
2020
University of Mississippi
Analyses Of Prosecutorial Power And Discretion In Mississippi: Evaluating Proposals To Address Misconduct And Abuse, Lucy Pruitt
Honors Theses
This thesis seeks to create a policy proposal in order to address incidences of prosecutorial misconduct and abuse of discretion in the Mississippi criminal justice system. To do so, the author has summarized and analyzed seven criminal cases in which defendants have become victims of prosecutorial misconduct in order to shed light on the lack of prosecutorial accountability in the state’s criminal justice system. In an attempt to solve the problem, the author has developed a novel grading rubric in order to objectively and systematically analyze and evaluate previously proposed policy recommendations by legal experts and justice organizations. The successes …
