Criminology Commons^™

Equal Access To Justice: A Case Study Of Eviction Victims Without Legal Aid And Post Criminality In Houston, Texas., Okanlawon Jamiu Akinwonmi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The unending increase in eviction rates and existing housing problems in the United States of America is not an exaggeration. Heterogeneity of requirements or eviction laws is a pervasive phenomenon across the states nationwide. These fundamental issues require immediate attention and must be addressed. The purpose of this study is to explore the dynamic gap in our criminal justice system, the lack of legal aid, and potential criminality resulting from eviction and housing problems. Moreover, the psychological, physical, and emotional effects of these problems on the victims in relation to the roles of social workers, community advocates, and housing policy …

The Problem With Consumer Affordability Of Prescription Medications In The United States, Valerie E. Bell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Consumer affordability of prescription drugs is an ongoing problem in the United States. This study was undertaken to research the financial, physical, and economic effects of drug prices on consumers and the methods used by consumers to address such effects. Rational choice and power and politics theories were used to explain the decisions consumers make when they could not afford their medications and the role policies and politics play in drug pricing. The research questions concerned the relationship between consumers’ perceptions of drug pricing and their ability to purchase medications. The quantitative nonexperimental study involved the administration of a survey …

Mental Health In Prisons: Examining Variations In Disorders Across Custody Levels, Ariel Bysiek

Dissertations and Theses

The United States has a significantly large prison population with the number of people currently in a correctional facility being 1.9 million. Concern has been increasingly growing related to treatment of individuals in prison, particularly when it comes to solitary confinement. Many people believe that solitary confinement is unnecessarily cruel and debilitating to AIC's mental health. Studies have found contradicting information as to whether solitary impacts mental health. Part of the reason for this contradiction stems from the lack of measurement systems that are appropriate for AICs. The measures used in studies are meant for the general population, not individuals …

Parole/Probation Officers’ Perspective On Understanding Crime Among Liberian Immigrant Youths In Southwest Philadelphia, Jamil J. Morris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This research explored challenges of crime and delinquency among Liberian immigrant youth in Southwest Philadelphia, focusing on the social and structural factors that influence their lived experiences. Utilizing qualitative in-depth interviews with 17 juvenile parole/probation officers of Liberian immigrant youths, the purpose of this study was to uncover the underlying reasons that lead Liberian immigrant youth to engage in crime and delinquency, and how they cope with the obstacles they encounter. Employing social disorganization theory, differential association theory, and subcultural theory, the study underscored the impact of neighborhood instability, peer influences, and differing value systems on understanding the youths’ criminal …

Drug Recognition Experts’ Perspectives On The State Of Maryland’S Legalization Of Cannabis And Its Impact On Impaired Driving, Raymond D. Brooks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Motor vehicles have become both affordable and practical to own. As a result, law enforcement has been tasked with enforcing laws related to safe vehicular operation on the roadways nationwide. Further, much like alcohol, drug influence causes concern for motorists, and with the introduction of cannabis legalization, there is a clash between use, public interaction and vehicle operation. Cannabis consumption in public, the perception that use is allowed anywhere, and the impact that impairment has while driving can be a concern for those tasked with enforcing laws that some perceive to be allowed. This study introduces cannabis legalization within the …

Perceived Experiences Of Native American Men During Incarceration In Tribal Jail, Stacy Marie Becker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The subject of this dissertation is the Perceived Experiences of Native American Men during Incarceration in Tribal Jail. The reason for this research is to determine what practices are rehabilitative and what practices are detrimental to this population. This is important to learn so that criminal justice professionals will be able to consider possible changes that can be made to make recidivism less likely among this population while increasing practices that are conducive to rehabilitation. This work was researched using the Indigenous Standpoint Theory which is meant to reflect the experiences and views of the research participants without analysis through …

Introduction To Sociology: Deviance And Crime, Dr. Marcia Morrison Ph.D.

Open Educational Resources

Abstract

This paper explores the multifaceted concepts of deviance and crime by synthesizing major theoretical perspectives and contemporary research findings. Beginning with the fluid and culturally contingent nature of deviance, the discussion highlights how social norms, historical context, and power structures define what is considered deviant behavior. It examines the influence of economic elites on moral and legal standards, drawing on Marxist analyses, and considers the impact of societal labeling on personal identity through Lemert’s labeling theory.

The paper then delves into biological foundations of criminality, reviewing Lombroso’s atavism theory and modern research on genetic predispositions, including twin, adoption, and …

The Root Causes Of Incarceration In The United States, Amaya Fiske

Sociology Between the Gaps: Forgotten and Neglected Topics

No abstract provided.

Law Enforcement Officers’ Perceptions About Antipolice Sentiment And Social Media As A Force Multiplier, Edward Peter Pope

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As a newly emergent form of mass communication, social media platforms can act as a force multiplier in fomenting negative and critical attitudes or viewpoints toward law enforcement officers and agencies. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the perceptions and lived experiences of law enforcement officers about antipolice sentiment and social media as a force multiplier. Amid growing concerns regarding public opinion and the impact of social media on law enforcement practices, more research was needed on how officers navigate and interpret these challenges. Data from in-depth interviews with 10 law enforcement officers were thematically analyzed to …

Probation Officers’ Perspectives Of Outside Services In Reducing Recidivism, Karla Murguia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has underscored the critical role of probation officers in improving rates of recidivism. However, the literature on the comprehensive impact of outside services on recidivism was sparse and underdeveloped. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how probation officers in court services and a community corrections agency in Garden City, Kansas perceived the utility of outside services in reducing adult recidivism for probationers. Ecological systems theory was used to guide the study. Eight probation officers recruited via purposive sampling participated in semistructured interviews. Transcribed data were analyzed using a six-step thematic analysis protocol. Findings revealed that probationers …

Elder Fraud In The Mountain West, 2023, Taylor Volk, Madison Dwyer, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Criminal Justice

This fact sheet presents data on complaints of fraud affecting individuals over the age of 60 and associated financial losses reported by elderly individuals in the Mountain West. The 2023 Elder Fraud Report serves to illuminate trends in elder fraud reports throughout the 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands, American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Northern Mariana Islands. This fact sheet focuses on elder fraud data for the Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah.

College Health Services Should Implement Trauma-Informed Design To Reduce The Negative Health Effects Of Sexual Misconduct, Emilie Whitehouse, Meena Wilwerding, Tara Richards, Lane Kirkland Gillespie

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Sexual misconduct victimization including sexual assault, sexual harassment, dating/domestic violence, and stalking is widespread among U.S. college students. While survivors often experience negative mental health impacts such as depression and anxiety, positive disclosure experiences and supportive services can reduce these effects. One way to help increase service utilization is to use trauma-informed design (TID), which creates supportive physical and emotional environments for survivors and service providers. Here we provide case examples of how TID has been adopted in campus health centers and argue that TID is an underutilized strategy for ensuring that college student survivors are supported rather than revictimized. …

Self-Initiated Police Activity, Crime, And Complaints Against Police, Vincent Joseph Schaan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This quantitative study aimed to examine the statistical relationship between self-initiated police activity, citizen complaints against police officers, sustained findings of misconduct, and crime within three police agencies located in the southwest United States. Prevailing law enforcement perception fueled by protests and riots infers that reducing proactive policing will decrease complaints. Using chi-square and binary logistic regression, this study analyzed 53,585 police and public contacts to answer three core questions. The statistical tests found a statistically significant inverse relationship between self-initiated police activity and complaints against police, with an odds ratio of 2.386 (95% CI: 1.62,3.50; p<.001). The findings indicate that officers who engage in self-initiated police activity have a 35.95% lower statistical probability of facing a citizen complaint. This study also found no statistically significant relationship between actual police misconduct and self-initiated police activity. The findings advocate for evidence-based decision-making based on statistical data, which found a reduced probability of complaints when law enforcement officers initiate public and police interactions. These findings contribute to positive social change by providing critical knowledge and information, and creating the potential for law enforcement officers and agencies to improve their relationships with the public by reducing complaints. Increasing self-initiated police activity provides a gateway to a reduction in crime and fewer complaints against police; therefore, data and information may motivate agencies and officers to increase self-initiated police activity to help reduce complaints and reduce crime.

Prosecutorial Perceptions Of Discovery Reform On A Local Level, Gabrielle A. Roubanian, Janne E. Gaub, Marthinus C. Koen, James J. Willis

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"In recent years, several states in the United States have considered and implemented discovery reforms to regulate how evidence is included and shared as criminal cases play out in the court system. Currently, little research explores how prosecutors have made sense of these reforms and how discovery changes have impacted their day-to-day routines. Consequently, this case study considers how prosecutors at a large prosecutorial agency in the United States made sense of discovery reforms implemented in its state two years before data collection. Findings are based on 35 semi-structured qualitative interviews and highlight how prosecutors experienced the implementation of the …

“They Don’T Want Us Anywhere”: The Impact Of Anti-Homelessness Laws On Unsheltered Residents Of Fort Worth, Texas, Brie Diamond

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"Access to public space is not afforded equally amongst the population. Often, the people who must spend most of their time in these spaces, people experiencing homelessness, are barred by local or state law from being there. Fort Worth, Texas, implemented a camping ban in 2019 that prohibits camping on public or private property. This article explores the impact of this ban on unsheltered people experiencing homelessness using semi-structured interviews with 18 people residing in encampments across the city. The findings document the tangible and existential losses endured by this group and the impact on the perception of their place …

Campaigning For Change: How State-Level Groups Advocate For Legislative Sexual Offense Reform, Jennifer L. Wooldridge, Danielle J. S. Bailey, Stephanie Taulli

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"In the criminal justice field, advocacy groups work to better the circumstances for specific groups of people facing perceived injustice. While some advocacy groups have been studied extensively, one type of group – sexual offense reform advocates – has been understudied. This is particularly problematic due to stigmatization and legislative differences in how individuals convicted of sex crimes are supervised compared those convicted of non-sexual offenses. These post-conviction differences make it necessary to better understand these advocacy groups and their processes when fighting for public policy change. The current study examines qualitative interviews conducted with affiliates of a national organization …

Complexities Of Appellate Law: Experiences And Perspectives Of Utah Indigent Appellate Attorneys, Whitney Howey, Stephanie Kathan, Jeremiah W. Jaggers, Chris Cambron

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"Indigent appellate attorneys experience high stress due to their unique roles and responsibilities. Very little scientific research examines the lives and experiences of attorneys in the workplace. Characterizing and describing the variety of complexities and challenges Utah appellate attorneys face within their work provides information towards filling the profession’s gaps, stressors, and occupational needs. A sample of five Utah appellate attorneys were interviewed to better understand their perspectives and experiences in the workplace. We used thematic analysis to identify themes related to Utah appellate attorney experiences and perspectives. We identified four major themes from the data, including Personal approach, Working …

Puppycide By Gavel: How The Judiciary Uses The Police Killing Of Dogs To Reinforce Justifications For Police Violence, Jeremy J. Smith

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"Police discharge their firearms more often at dogs than humans, and as a profession, kill thousands of dogs every year. The number of dogs killed by police during these encounters has government officials declaring that an “epidemic” is occurring within policing itself, with some commentators referring to this trend as “puppycide” or “canicide.” The purpose of this article is to examine how the judiciary rationalizes canicide, or the police killing of dogs, and the role canicide plays in the justification of police violence. To do this, the article provides a sociolegal and ethnographic content analysis of federal court cases and …

Examining The Impact Of Legalized Sports Gambling On Ncaa Athletes' Welfare And Game Integrity, Reem Al Jaradi

University Honors Theses

This thesis examines the effects of legalized sports gambling on NCAA player welfare and the integrity of competition through a mixed-method analysis of NCAA reports, academic literature, and media sources. Data disclose that although the overall prevalence of gambling among student-athletes has decreased, these individuals are demonstrating more detrimental behaviors, including solitary gaming and incurring substantial losses in a single day. The emphasis on internet abuse associated with betting results has escalated, especially during prominent tournaments. The NCAA's instructional programs and data-monitoring agreements are compromised by ethical issues surrounding data monetization and varying state gambling rules. The research contends that …

A Mixed-Methods Study On Extended Parental Separation Among Mexican And Central American Immigrants: Insights From Legal Violence And The Stress Process, Natalie J. Cholula

Dissertations and Theses

My mixed-methods dissertation examines the mental health effects of legal violence on Mexican and Central American immigrants experiencing prolonged parental separation amid heightened immigration enforcement. The study encompasses three papers utilizing Menjívar and Abrego's (2012) framework of legal violence and Pearlin's (1989) stress process model. The first paper employs quantitative analysis of the Mesoamerican Migration Project data, revealing that heightened immigration enforcement is associated with increased distress among Mexican immigrants in the context of parental separation, the use of coyotes, and the Trump era. The second paper offers qualitative insights from 29 Mexican and Central American immigrants, highlighting the emotional …