Legal Studies Commons^™

Perceptions Of Safety Within The Bridgewater State University Community, Stephen M. Sinko

Master’s Theses and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative research study was to examine administration, faculty, staff, and student’s perceptions of safety within a large university community in the American Northeast. Previous research has been done at other educational institutions primarily in the American South and West, but research such as this has been limited in the Northeastern area of the United States. An online survey was sent using a combination of convenient and snowball sampling. Participants in this survey include administration, faculty, staff, and students from the campus community. Results suggest that individuals who took this survey felt moderately safe while on campus. …

Measuring The Impact Of Gun Theft On City-Level Gun Crime Rates, Thomas Senst

Master’s Theses and Projects

The history of gun culture in the United States is complicated. Guns are an integral part of American history and attempts to control them through policy are often contentious. However, research suggests that gun crime occurs in areas where there are more guns (Braga, 2017; Braga & Pierce, 2005; Cook, Harris, Ludwig, & Pollack, 2015; Kennedy, 2011; Koper, 2013; Pierce, Braga, Hyatt, & Koper, 2004). Consequently, as gun accessibility increases within cities, the likelihood of gun crime also increases. When researching gun accessibility, it is important to note how guns are accessed. Often, guns are accessible in three ways: (1) …

Implementing Educational Courses On Social Media Within Prisons To Decrease Unemployment Rates Among Ex-Prisoners And Reduce Recidivism In The United States, Shannon Hernandez

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

This paper focuses on whether or not it would be beneficial to implement educational courses on social media within prisons in order to prepare prisoners for release, improve post-release unemployment rates, and improve recidivism rates in the United States. Since the early 1990s, technology has grown to a point where it has become a part of everyone’s daily life, which includes social media platforms (Greenstein, 2012). While society has adapted to these advancements, prisoners who have been removed from society for many years are unable to achieve the same levels of social media comprehension, which can cause disparity between their …

Exploring The Effect Of Gender Roles On Female Drug Users In Appalachia, Lauren Fowler

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

Drug abuse is an ever-growing problem in the United States and in other parts of the world. The Appalachian region is one of the areas hit hardest by this epidemic. Since 2000, the number of overdose deaths in Appalachia has steadily risen while state and city governments analyze the potential causes for such a widespread issue. Many economic and medical explanations have been suggested, but it is also imperative to examine the cultural belief systems that might play a role in the persistent drug use. This study looks at the influence traditional Appalachian gender roles have on female drug users. …

Completing A Census Of Individuals Who Lawfully “Owe" Dna In Cuyahoga County, Rachel Lovell, Joanna Klingenstein, Margaret Mcguire, Misty Luminais

Begun Center for Violence Prevention Research and Education Reports and Briefs

This brief explains how the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office and the research team collaborated to identify individuals who owe DNA, swab eligible offenders who owe, and followed up after their DNA is entered into CODIS. This reporting addresses the issues that arise when lawfully owed DNA is not collected from offenders, explains the process by which we conducted a census of individuals who lawfully owe their DNA, articulates the outcomes of conducting the census (e.g., statistics on the number of individuals who owe their DNA in Cuyahoga County), and recommends approaches that other jurisdictions (within and beyond Ohio) could take …

Analyzing Somali Piracy Prosecutions, Molly Parent

SURE (Stonehill Undergraduate Research Experience)

•From 2001-2010 the number of piracy incidents spiked. Somali piracy differs from other forms of piracy because it has a distinct modus operandi. Whereas most piracy is theft, Somali attacks focus primarily on capturing vessels and holding them for ransom. •The vessel attacks occur primarily in the high seas, outside the territorial jurisdiction of any one nation. Therefore, Somali piracy cases have been heard in various courts around the world. Many cases have been prosecuted in Kenya, Seychelles, the Netherlands, as well as many other countries around the world. •This analysis examines the nature of these prosecutions, and whether there …

Изменения В Правоохранительных Действиях При Незначительных И Тяжких Преступлениях После Событий В Фергюсоне: Анализ Задержаний В Г. Сент-Луис Штата Миссур, Lee Slocum, Claire Greene, Beth Huebner, Richard Rosenfeld

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Works

Цель: изучение изменений вправоохранительных действиях при незначительных итяжких преступлениях вг. Сент-Луис штата Миссури после событий вг. Фергюсоне, получивших широкий общественный резонанс.Методы: диалектический подход кпознанию социальных явлений сиспользованием основанных на нем общенаучных (анализ, синтез, индукция) ичастнонаучных (формально-юридический, системный, сравнительно-правовой, социологический) методов познания.Результаты: распространено мнение, что американская полиция оказалась вкризисном положении врезультате ряда случаев убийства полицейскими безоружных чернокожих подозреваемых, получивших широкий общественный резонанс. Полиция оказалась вцентре внимания общества, что, по мнению ряда лиц, затруднило правоохранительную деятельность ипривело кросту насильственных преступлений. Это явление стало широко известно как «эффект

English Version can be found at: https://irl.umsl.edu/ccj-faculty/5/

Who Experiences Violent Victimization And Who Accesses Services? Findings From The National Crime Victimization Survey For Expanding Our Reach, Heather Warnken, Janet Lauritsen

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Research Brief One-Sheet – No. 9: On-Duty Shootings: Police Officers Charged With Murder Or Manslaughter, 2005-2019, Philip M. Stinson, Chloe Wentzlof

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

This research is part of a larger study of police crime—that is, crime committed by nonfederal sworn law enforcement officers with general powers of arrest—across the United States. In 2014, after several fatal on-duty police shootings garnered national media attention, our principal investigator, Philip Stinson, conducted a joint research project with The Washington Post to count the number of police officers charged with murder or manslaughter resulting from an on-duty shooting where the officer shot and killed someone. The results of the joint research project were published in The Washington Post on April 12, 2015, and The Washington Post was …

Evaluating Project Safe Neighborhoods In Connecticut: A Youth Opportunity Initiative, Sara A. Jeffries, David Myers, Jonathan A. Kringen, Ron Schack

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Despite containing numerous wealthy geographic areas, the state of Connecticut continues to struggle with social and economic distress, along with gun-related crime. Problem analysis in urban areas revealed a critical need for services aimed at deterring violent and gun-related crime in two target populations: serious juvenile offenders, aged 14–17 years, and at-risk youth, aged 11–13 years. Using a quasi-experimental design, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) on youth in two cities in Connecticut. Implementation resulted in 133 young people receiving a variety of services in New Haven and Bridgeport. Evaluation research assessed intervention efforts …

2019 Annual Campus Security And Fire Safety Report, University Of Nebraska-Lincoln, University Police, University Of Nebraska-Lincoln

University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University Police

2019 Annual Campus Security and Fire Safety Report, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Safety and security information for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, including crime and fire statistics for the 2018 calendar year, and the information required by the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of 1989. All data are submitted to the United States Department of Education according to law.

The Justice System Is Criminal, Raven Delfina Otero-Symphony

2020 Award Winners

No abstract provided.

Power, Punk, And Performance: A Critical Analysis Of Hooligan Laws In Russia, Noelle Wurst

Honors Program Theses

This paper presents the argument that the criminal charge of hooliganism in Russia is a political tool used to suppress dissent and uphold the authoritarian ideals of Putin’s regime. The background of this analysis includes a broad overview of the development of the hooligan laws over time and how they have been used to advance elite interests. In addition, the key policies, institutions, and rhetoric that surround hooliganism in present-day Russia are identified. The legitimacy of the hooligan laws is then tested against both domestic and international law, especially in regards to norms on freedoms of speech.

Plea Bargaining: The Influence Of Counsel, Kelsey S. Henderson, Lora M. Levett

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications and Presentations

For the criminal defendant, his attorney acts as his loyal and zealous advocate before the court (American Bar Association, 2015), and due process protections of the U.S. adversarial system have afforded this relationship special privilege. In this chapter, we explore the influence and role of the attorney in plea decision making. We first explore the legal context of the attorney’s role in plea bargaining, reviewing several cases that address a defendant’s right to effective assistance of counsel. We then review the shadow of trial theory and other theoretical perspectives as they relate to the attorney’s role in the plea-bargaining process, …

An Investigation Of Textile Fibers By Means Of Rgb Analysis Of Birefringence, Olivia F. Feild

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Fiber analysis using birefringence has been around for years but has only recently been looked at more closely under a microscope. Recent scientists have proposed methods to correct issues found with fiber analysis using birefringence, yet there has not be a defined perfect method. This research will focus on correcting previously found issues with works by Michel-Lévy and Sorensen's, as well as other scientists involved and perfecting the analysis of fiber through birefringence. The goal will be to take this research one step further into the analysis of textile fibers by RGB value analysis and birefringence. The RGB values will …

Changes In Student Definition Of De-Escalation In Professional Peace Officer Education, Pat Nelson

Criminal Justice Department Publications

Since the release of the 21st century policing report in the United States, the techniques of de-escalation have received a lot of attention and focus in political systems, policy changes, and the media. The challenge in professional peace officer education is that there is a vast range of defining de-escalation and understanding the various techniques involved, many of which are based on popular media. This research surveyed professional peace officer education university students on their definition of de-escalation and the techniques associated with de-escalation before specific communications coursework was completed. The students were then surveyed after the communication coursework was …

The Impact Of The Cook County State’S Attorney’S Office Deferred Prosecution Program, Christine George, John Orwat, Don Stemen, Jennifer Cossyleon, Whitney Key

Criminal Justice & Criminology: Faculty Publications & Other Works

This paper analyzes the impact of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office Deferred Prosecution Program (DPP) on participation outcome patterns and compares recidivism rates between a sample of DPP participants (695) and a comparison group (991) of defendants found guilty through traditional adjudication from February 28, 2011 and December 5, 2012 with recidivism rates through June 6, 2014. Binary logistic and cox proportional regressions were utilized to evaluate the program. No statistically significant difference in re-arrest rates was found for a sample of DPP participants and a comparison group of defendants found guilty through traditional adjudication. However, DPP did have …

Recent Parolees Participating In An Adult Basic Education And Work Skills Program, Charles Jenkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

The issue addressed in this study was the increasing number of prisoners in U.S. prisons and the related issue of recidivism after release. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the experiences of 8 formerly incarcerated adults. The conceptual foundation of this study was based on Bandura's self-efficacy theory and Vygotsky's concept of the zone of proximal development and transformational learning. The research question for this study inquired about how released prisoners perceive their educational experiences in the MTM program. Participants were selected among adults who were incarcerated for at least 12 months and living in the …

The Rise Of American Extremism: An Exploratory Analysis Of American Religious And Political Extremism From Presidents Jimmy Carter To Barack Obama: 1977-2016, Alwyn J. Melton

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative case study was to address the problem of domestic terrorism facing the United States. This concern led to a comprehensive examination of historical documents that focused on the temporal evolution of the problem beginning with the Carter administration and continuing through the Obama administration. The conceptual foundation centered on resolving the research question and validating three hypotheses directed at qualifying the escalation of domestic incidents of terrorism. This led to developing a behavioral model to assist law enforcement agencies in combating the issue of domestic terrorism. Bivariate and clustering statistical analysis validated the data while …

The Structural Dimensions Of Race: Lock Ups, Systemic Chokeholds, And Binary Disruptions, Cedric Merlin Powell

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Disrupting traditional conceptions of structural inequality, state decision making power, and the presumption of Black criminality, this Essay explores the doctrinal and policy implications of James Forman, Jr.’s Pulitzer Prize winning book, Locking Up Our Own, and Paul Butler’s evocative and transformative book, Chokehold. While both books grapple with how to dismantle the structural components of mass incarceration, state legitimized police violence against Black bodies, and how policy functions to reify oppressive state power, the approaches espoused by Forman and Butler are analytically distinct. Forman locates his analysis in the dynamics of decision-making power when African American officials wield power …