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Improving Mandatory Firearms Training For Law Enforcement: An Autoethnographic Analysis Of Illinois Law Enforcement Training, Casey LaFrance 2021 Western Illinois University

Improving Mandatory Firearms Training For Law Enforcement: An Autoethnographic Analysis Of Illinois Law Enforcement Training, Casey Lafrance

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"This study employs autoethnographic analysis of the author’s experiences in a mandatory police firearms training course in the United States. I first review relevant literature on firearms training as well as autoethnographic methodology. Afterward, I present my experiences and analyze them in the context of literature on police use of force, representative bureaucracy, and accountability. Based on this account, I offer suggestions for improving the course by integrating concepts from the literature on officer decision-making, community-police relations, and group dynamics. I conclude by recommending more course time be devoted to the decision to use force, rather than simple firearm proficiency."


Hate Exhaustion, Emotional Support, And Desistance From White Supremacist Groups, April Celeste Gould 2021 University of California

Hate Exhaustion, Emotional Support, And Desistance From White Supremacist Groups, April Celeste Gould

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"This study examines how and why people join, participate in, and leave White supremacist terrorist (WST) groups. In-depth life history interviews and biographic timelines of former White supremacists in the United States and Canada were collected. Findings indicate that former members’ decisions to engage and desist from WST groups are greatly influenced by their experiences of emotional support—or lack thereof. Participants lacked emotional support prior to joining WST and the emotional support they received from group membership was toxic. Participants exited WST because they experienced hate exhaustion and were willing to sacrifice all or most of their emotional support to …


“She Is A Woman, She Is An Unbeliever—You Should Not Meet With Her”: An Ethnographic Account Of Accessing Sala, Kathrine Elmose Jørgensen, Henriette Frees Esholdt 2021 University of Copenhagen

“She Is A Woman, She Is An Unbeliever—You Should Not Meet With Her”: An Ethnographic Account Of Accessing Sala, Kathrine Elmose Jørgensen, Henriette Frees Esholdt

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"The Salafi-jihadist environment, which seeks to remain closed and clandestine, is extremely hard to access. Moreover, the milieu is gender segregated and hostile towards non-Muslims, even other Muslims who are not considered “real” Muslims. Depending on the researcher’s positionality this can either further complicate or facilitate accessing the milieu. Based on methodological experiences from ethnographic fieldwork (interviews and observations) in Denmark and Sweden, this article aims to unravel how researcher positionality influences different layers of access when investigating Salafi-jihadist environments. Acknowledging that gaining access is a continuous process throughout the entire research process, we specifically explore how our positions as …


Sovereign Authority And Rule Of Law: The Effect Of U.S. Use Of Torture On Political Legitimacy, Sydney Bradley 2021 East Tennessee State University

Sovereign Authority And Rule Of Law: The Effect Of U.S. Use Of Torture On Political Legitimacy, Sydney Bradley

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Governmental sovereignty is created and maintained by mutual respect for the rule of law by the government and citizens. To maintain legitimacy, a government must act within the bounds of the contract that created it. Otherwise, the relationship founded by said contract would be nullified, as would the duties and obligations that flow from that relationship. Torture exemplifies an ultra vires act used by the United States to show the consequences of over-extended authority on political legitimacy and the rule of law. Founded on the philosophies of Hugo Grotius, Thomas Hobbes, and Christine Korsgaard, this research investigates the nature of …


“Can You Make It Out Alive?” Investigating Penal Imaginaries At Forts, Sanitaria, Asylums, And Segregated Schools, Linda Mussell, Kevin Walby, Justin Piché 2021 Queen's University

“Can You Make It Out Alive?” Investigating Penal Imaginaries At Forts, Sanitaria, Asylums, And Segregated Schools, Linda Mussell, Kevin Walby, Justin Piché

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"We draw from literature on penal imaginaries to examine representations at fright nights and other staged cultural scenes from across Canada and the United States that reproduce justifications for imprisonment and punishment. Based on an analysis of online content and news coverage of fright nights organized at forts, sanitoria, psychiatric institutions/asylums, and segregated schools, we demonstrate that these displays mobilize stereotypes and shame to denigrate prisoners and naturalize imprisonment. Moreover, we show that these displays invoke health tropes concerning contagion to intensify fears regarding prisoners by portraying them as a threat to the social body, further rationalizing the existence of …


Do I Report This? Understanding Variation In The Content Of State Mandatory Reporting Laws, Robert D. Lytle, Dana L. Radatz, Lisa L. Sample, Randi M. Latiolais 2021 University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Do I Report This? Understanding Variation In The Content Of State Mandatory Reporting Laws, Robert D. Lytle, Dana L. Radatz, Lisa L. Sample, Randi M. Latiolais

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"Since accusations went public that administrators at Pennsylvania State University ignored reports of child abuse during the Jerry Sandusky trial almost a decade ago, several educational and state agencies have reinterpreted aspects of their respective laws requiring certain persons to report suspected child maltreatment (mandatory reporting laws). These reinterpretations were possible due to the ambiguity of statutory language used in the law and, subsequently, may have exposed individuals to a legal responsibility to report to which they were previously unaware. In this study, we use a thematic content analysis to examine variation across state mandatory reporting statutes from all fifty …


Policing Perspectives Concerning Confusion And Uncertainty In Policing Practices With “Honour”- Based Crimes And Forced Marriages, Wendy Aujla 2021 University of Alberta

Policing Perspectives Concerning Confusion And Uncertainty In Policing Practices With “Honour”- Based Crimes And Forced Marriages, Wendy Aujla

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"Police regularly deal with various forms of violence against women and girls, such as domestic violence, family violence, and intimate partner violence in police work. However, since certain kinds of violence require a more nuanced approach to investigations, this paper reports on the experiences and challenges in policing different types of violence, such as “honour”-based crimes (HBCs), including forced marriages (FMs), within the broader Canadian discourse and political stances informing law and policy decisions. As well as what is still needed to improve responses to HBCs and FMs, it is important to consider the impact of laws and policy changes …


“It’S Not A Conversation Starter.” Or Is It?: Stigma Management Strategies Of The Formerly Incarcerated In Personal And Occupational Settings, Nicholas Park, Grant Tietjen 2021 Gavilan College

“It’S Not A Conversation Starter.” Or Is It?: Stigma Management Strategies Of The Formerly Incarcerated In Personal And Occupational Settings, Nicholas Park, Grant Tietjen

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"Mass incarceration and its ill effects remains a major social problem in the United States. Those exiting the criminal justice system reenter society with the label of exconvict, a label that is permanent, highly stigmatized in American society, and has serious potential ramifications for successful reintegration, including: access to employment, higher education, and housing; acceptance in their communities; and successful personal relationships. The purpose of this study was to explore (1) anticipated stigma, (2) actual experienced stigma, and (3) the stigma management strategies that formerly incarcerated individuals employed in their personal and occupational lives. Drawing from a modified labeling theory …


Quarantine Ethics: From Past To Covid-19, Chrystal Barnes 2021 Portland State University

Quarantine Ethics: From Past To Covid-19, Chrystal Barnes

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Annual Conference

Quarantines have been a preventative measure for reducing communicable disease spread for centuries. The method of implementation can vary widely and to some extent requires some level of judgement from enforcing powers, often state police power. As such, historically, some quarantines have been unfairly enforced based on discriminatory practices. COVID-19 has brought about the most widespread and extended quarantine in U.S. history, which makes evaluating the ethics all the more critical. In addition, it is well established that COVID-19 impacts have disproportionately caused harm to populations, such as those who are of a low socioeconomic status and people of color. …


Noble Intent Is Not Enough To Run Veterans Court Mentoring Programs: A Qualitative Study Of Mentors’ Role Orientation And Responsibilities, Anne S. Douds, Eileen M. Ahlin, Cassandra Atkins-Plunk 2021 Gettysburg College

Noble Intent Is Not Enough To Run Veterans Court Mentoring Programs: A Qualitative Study Of Mentors’ Role Orientation And Responsibilities, Anne S. Douds, Eileen M. Ahlin, Cassandra Atkins-Plunk

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"Mentoring is a key component of veterans treatment courts, a diversionary problem-solving court for justice-involved military veterans. Mentoring programs are unique to veterans’ courts; no other problem-solving courts systematically include them as critical components of their court programming. Despite their prominence in veterans courts, little is known about mentor program operations and court expectations for mentors’ roles and responsibilities. This study examines mentors’ roles and responsibilities as perceived by mentees, mentors, and veterans treatment court staff. Using in-depth interview data from respondents from each of these groups, supplemented by observational data from court hearings and pre-court meetings, we identify three …


Understanding Disrespectful Behavior Through A Gendered Lens: Race And Power In A Women’S Prison, Timbre Wulf, Rebecca Trammell 2021 University of Nebraska at Kearney

Understanding Disrespectful Behavior Through A Gendered Lens: Race And Power In A Women’S Prison, Timbre Wulf, Rebecca Trammell

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"Seventy-four incarcerated women in a Midwestern prison were interviewed to explore their experience with disrespect between inmates and staff in a prison setting. Nonwhite women experienced disrespect and conflict differently than their white peers. While the women generally described disrespect as staff members expressing their power inappropriately, non-white women were quick to describe disrespect as tied to racist behaviors. Further, African-American women in our study were more likely to believe that few people, inmates or employees, show respect to others on a regular basis in prison. White women tend to be more positive in their evaluations of interactions with staff …


The Politics Of Being An "Expert": A Critical Realist Auto-Ethnography Of Drug Policy Advisory Panels In The Uk, Alex Stevens 2021 University of Kent

The Politics Of Being An "Expert": A Critical Realist Auto-Ethnography Of Drug Policy Advisory Panels In The Uk, Alex Stevens

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"The work of ‘experts’ with policy advisory panels plays an important part in the making of illicit drug and other policies. This article explores what is involved in this work. It uses critical realist auto-ethnography of the author’s experience over five years of working with the UK’s Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs and the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee. It analyses: how some people become recognised as a ‘suitable’ expert through relational networks of esteem, while others are excluded; how bureaucratic processes and scientific modes of discourse select some types of information rather than others …


Straight From The Source: Examining Gender Differences In Inmate Advice For Avoiding Prison Sexual Victimization, Beatriz Amalfi Marques, Ashley G. Blackburn, Shannon K. Fowler, Janet L. Mullings, Maria L. Lecuna 2021 Sam Houston State University

Straight From The Source: Examining Gender Differences In Inmate Advice For Avoiding Prison Sexual Victimization, Beatriz Amalfi Marques, Ashley G. Blackburn, Shannon K. Fowler, Janet L. Mullings, Maria L. Lecuna

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"Once incarcerated, inmates face a myriad of potential threats to their physical and emotional wellbeing. The threat of being sexually or otherwise victimized while in prison breeds anxiety and fear among inmates, especially those who are new to the prison environment. In response, inmates have developed strategies to avoid victimization. The present study, utilizing self-report questionnaires, asked a sample of male and female inmates in a large Southern prison system about the advice they would give to another newly incarcerated inmate to avoid being sexually assaulted. A thematic analysis of inmates’ open-ended responses revealed male and female inmates have different …


Caught In-Between: A Video Essay Of Masculine Identity And Methamphetamine Use In The Rural South, Heith Copes, Jared Ragland, Adam Forrester 2021 University of Alabama at Birmingham

Caught In-Between: A Video Essay Of Masculine Identity And Methamphetamine Use In The Rural South, Heith Copes, Jared Ragland, Adam Forrester

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

Since the Great Recession in 2007, rural employment rates have been steadily increasing. According to a 2020 United States Department of Agriculture report, rural unemployment has been at its lowest in over a decade. However, such aggregate trends overlook an important aspect of work—its meaningfulness. In many small towns throughout the Southern United States, much of the available work pays little and demands much on the body. As a result, meaningful employment is often out of reach for some men living in the rural South.


Opening The “Black Box” Of Federal Illegal Reentry Sentencing: A Non-Participant Observational Analysis Of Sentencing Constraints And Judicial Discretion, Kevin Buckler 2021 University of Houston Downtown

Opening The “Black Box” Of Federal Illegal Reentry Sentencing: A Non-Participant Observational Analysis Of Sentencing Constraints And Judicial Discretion, Kevin Buckler

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"Judicial discretion in sentencing has historically produced disparities in criminal sentencing outcomes. In an effort to address disparity at the federal level, in 1984, the U.S. Congress passed legislation that led to the creation of the U.S. Sentencing Commission and subsequently the adoption of federal sentencing guidelines. Studies show that even among similarly situated defendants (in terms of offense score and criminal history category) disparities have persisted regardless of the sentencing guidelines. An understudied source of disparity is the combined and interactive role of judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys in the application of the guidelines and the statutory framework that …


Miriam Boeri, Hurt: Chronicles Of The Drug War Generation, Kathleen E. Padilla 2021 Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Miriam Boeri, Hurt: Chronicles Of The Drug War Generation, Kathleen E. Padilla

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

In 1971, President Nixon officially declared the War on Drugs. Flash forward to 2020 and the prison population is approximately 2.3 million people, with 1 in 5 of those individuals having been incarcerated for a non-violent drug offense (Wagner & Wagner, 2020). Among those caught up in drug offenses stemming from the policies enacted during the War on Drugs, the majority are baby boomers. Baby boomers are those that are born between the years 1946 and 1964, and whose current population is approximately 73 million, the second largest generation aside from Millennials (Census, 2019). By the start of the 21st …


Forced Interactions With Sheriff Deputies Over Time And Their Influence On Stigma And Self Identities Among Individuals Convicted Of Sex Crimes, Lisa L. Sample, Brooke Cooley, Tusty ten Bensel, Carin Hyter, Brett Hurley 2021 University of Nebraska at Omaha

Forced Interactions With Sheriff Deputies Over Time And Their Influence On Stigma And Self Identities Among Individuals Convicted Of Sex Crimes, Lisa L. Sample, Brooke Cooley, Tusty Ten Bensel, Carin Hyter, Brett Hurley

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"This paper examined the perceptions of convicted sex offenders and their interactions with law enforcement over time. Specifically, we focused on how formal interactions influenced stigma management and self-identity transformation. For decades, scholars have proposed that identities and behaviors often result from interactions with others. Sex offender registration and notification laws force interactions between registrants and police agents for years, if not a lifetime. Given that desistance from sex offending is dependent on prosocial identity transformation, we analyzed interviews with 63 registrants to uncover how interactions with police promote or inhibit identity transformation over time. Our findings suggested interactions with …


Interpersonal Interaction Between Prisoners And Officers In Prisons: A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis Exploring Prison Officer Wellbeing, Davinia Rizzo, Belinda Davey, Melanie Irons 2021 Monash University and Eastern Health

Interpersonal Interaction Between Prisoners And Officers In Prisons: A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis Exploring Prison Officer Wellbeing, Davinia Rizzo, Belinda Davey, Melanie Irons

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"The wellbeing of prison officers has primarily been understood as a function of contextual variables such as their workplace and the nature of their role. Yet the research suggests the officers’ gender and tenure are the only statistically significant predictors of wellbeing for this population (Butler, Tasca, Zhang, & Carpenter, 2019). These findings suggest that variables at the person level may be more important than contextual variables. As such, we conducted a qualitative, meta-synthesis to explore how interpersonal interactions between prisoners and prison officers may affect the health and wellbeing of prison officers. Following a systematic review of the literature, …


Review Of Philosophical Foundations Of Labour Law, Edited By Hugh Collins, Gillian Lester, And Virginia Mantouvalou, Matthew Dimick 2021 University at Buffalo School of Law

Review Of Philosophical Foundations Of Labour Law, Edited By Hugh Collins, Gillian Lester, And Virginia Mantouvalou, Matthew Dimick

Book Reviews

No abstract provided.


Rights For The “Non-Conforming” Woman: The Intersectionality Of The Fight For Women’S Rights And Lgbtq+ Rights In Argentina, Talia C. Housman 2021 Bucknell University

Rights For The “Non-Conforming” Woman: The Intersectionality Of The Fight For Women’S Rights And Lgbtq+ Rights In Argentina, Talia C. Housman

Honors Theses

Argentina has faced many challenges throughout its history of activism as the people have pushed for an equal society. Different movements have sprung up over the years, but they have begun to twist together in recent times due to the need for support during repressive regimes. This brings into question the concept of intersectionality, which spans feminist, queer, and legal theory in its attempt to explain the need for overlap, modeling the natural development of personal identities and groups like family. The feminist movement and the LGBTQ+ movements have woven together in many rallies, especially during El Encuentro Nacional de …


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