Criminology Commons^™

Perceptions, Lived-Experiences, And Environmental Factors Impacting The Crime-Reporting Practices Of Private College Students, Kelly Lynn Arney

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was assessing the perceptions of student's on how the campus climate impacts their likelihood of reporting crime. Victimization studies have been conducted at large universities and community colleges; however, there remains a lack of research regarding private colleges. This study was designed to examine the reasoning behind students' crime-reporting behaviors and the influencers that impact their decisions. Cohen and Felson's routine activity theory along with the collective-efficacy theory were used as frameworks to analyze the crimes that occur to college students as well as to explore the reasons for not reporting some crimes to law …

National Strategy Against Narcotics, Drug Control Policy, And Law Enforcement Experiences In Kosovo, Ferid Azemi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This research is focused on evaluation of National Strategy Against Narcotics (NSAN) enacted in 2012 in Kosovo. The purpose of this study was to understand the impact of NSAN through visualizing data and gaining deeper insight from experiences of antidrug experts. Convergent parallel mixed methods were used to answer the main research questions. The central research questions examined the impact of strategy implementation in juvenile drug arrest reduction, and its effectiveness on Kosovo criminal justice system. Markwood's comprehensive theory of substance abuse prevention (CTSAP) was used to assess and explore the NSAN. Deidentified juvenile arrest rates taken from Kosovo official …

Relationship Between Race, Gender, And Elder Abuse Awareness, James Earl Burrell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of elder abuse awareness and underreporting is an increasing problem in the United States in that only 1 in 14 cases of elder abuse is reported. The failure to report incidents of elder abuse and suspected elder abuse allows further abuse of elders and for elder abusers to go unpunished. The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental study was to understand the relationship between race, gender, and elder abuse awareness and fill the gap in elder abuse literature. Research questions tested mean differences between race and gender, respectively, and elder abuse awareness. The theoretical frameworks for this study were the …

Valuation Of Ex-Offender Motivation For Participation In A Restorative Justice Praxis, Kenneth Lang

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Restorative justice (RJ) is an emerging concept of justice in the American penal system that seeks equality for all stakeholders involved. While RJ is vastly under researched--especially concerning RJ and violent offenses--current studies have only focused on determining victims' motivations for participating in RJ. Determining and evaluating offender motivations for participating in RJ remains unexplored. The purpose of this study was to explore the possible motivations of criminal offenders and their willingness to participate in RJ. The social construction framework and the narrative policy framework were employed to understand the social context. A mixed-method approach was used that began with …

Psychological Characteristics Of Sex Offenders, Patrick Mcmunn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Current therapeutic treatment methods are ineffective in identifying at-risk sex offenders and reducing recidivism of known offenders, likely due to inadequate identification of specific traits of sex offenders. Previous research and prominent theories in the area of sex offender treatment, in terms of the biological foundation of substance abuse, behaviors of sex offenders, and the presence of aggression, helped to guide this research. Data about sex offenders were collected, as reported by mental health professionals who treat them and focused on three characteristics: maladaptive interpersonal behaviors, impulsivity, and antisocial behaviors, on which the research questions were formed to detect commonality. …

Assessing Perceptions Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among A Cohort Of Noncontracted Rotc Cadets, Stephen P. Gontz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Stigmatization has shown to negatively impact service members with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Published research has shown stigma to significantly affect service members through increased suicide, homicide, unemployment, homelessness, and criminal justice system interaction rates. Additionally, stigma also affects overall readiness and cohesion of the military organization. However, little research has focused on the perceptions of Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) cadets about service members with a combat-related stress disorder in which they will eventually be charged with leading. The purpose of this quantitative study was to measure a cohort of ROTC cadets and determine their perceptions about service members …

Psychosocial Differences In Far Right, Far Left, Islamic, And Single Issue Lone Extremists, Tamara Marie Lamontagne

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Acts of lone extremism are on the rise, yet little is known about who commits these acts. Research in this area has failed to delineate by extremist subtype. This has led to the misconception these acts and actors present with such variance psychosocially that they cannot be predicted. The purpose of this research was to assess whether statistically significant relationships exist between lone extremist subtypes on the psychosocial variables of mental illness, substance use, and having radicalized friends or family members. The conceptual framework for this study was De La Corte's psychosocial principles of terrorism, which addressed the social and …

Individuals Who Sell Drugs Placed In Treatment: The Perspective Of Their Counselors, Natasha Herbert

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Individuals who sell drugs are often mandated by legal forces to substance abuse treatment because of their criminal offenses and the belief they may have a drug problem. Previous researchers have noted this population may be disruptive in the treatment process, but it has not been explored in depth. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to learn the lived experiences of counselors who work with individuals who report a primary problem of selling drugs, not substance abuse, who are mandated to a substance abuse treatment program. Thirteen semi structured interviews were conducted with counselors who have worked with individuals …

Police Chiefs' Perceptions Of Supervisors' Membership In Subordinate Officers' Unions, Mark P. Derosia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Police supervisors who enjoy membership in their subordinates' police union may contribute to organizational discord by failing to enforce organizational policy among their subordinates. The purpose of this multiple case study was to examine the perceptions of 9 municipal chiefs from a west coast state in the United States regarding how supervisors' membership in their subordinates' police union affects policy enforcement and how supervisor enforcement of policy may impact police officer discipline. The conceptual framework was based on dual-commitment conflict theory. Data were collected using semi structured interviews and e-mail questionnaires. Data were member checked and cross-interpreted through coded analysis. …

The Use Of Compassionate Release Policies For Elderly Offenders, Lindsey Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This research examined the use of compassionate release policy in response to the fastest-increasing segment of the prison population- elderly offenders. Though this policy is an approach to this problem, there was little available research regarding which correctional organizations in the United States adopt compassionate release and how it is used. The purpose of this nonexperimental comparative quantitative study was to examine the use of the policy in neighboring and distant state correctional systems relative to those organizations that used the policy more frequently to determine if the leader-laggard theory of policy diffusion was an effective policy-implementation framework. The research …

Mental And Physical Health In Prison: How Co-Occurring Conditions Influence Inmate Misconduct, Daniel C. Semenza, Jessica M. Grosholz

Criminology Sarasota Manatee Campus Faculty Publications

Background: Research has shown that inmate misconduct is related to a range of demographic factors and experiences with the criminal justice system. Poor mental and physical health has also been associated with inmate misconduct, although no research has examined the relationship between co-occurring conditions and misconduct in prison populations.

Methods: We rely on data from the 2004 Survey of Inmates in State Correctional Facilities (N = 14,499) and use negative binomial regression models to examine the relationship between types of co-occurring mental and physical conditions and misconduct.

Results: The results demonstrate that people in prison dealing with concurrent mental and …

Traditional Regression Methods Versus The Utility Of Machine Learning Techniques In Forecasting Inmate Misconduct In The United States: An Exploration Of The Prospects Of The Techniques, Fawn T. Ngo, Ramakrishna Govindu, Anurag Agarwal

Criminology Sarasota Manatee Campus Faculty Publications

In the U.S., prison administrators often rely on risk assessment instruments to place and supervise inmates, as well as manage, plan and allocate resources. Hence, any improvement in the accuracy performance of risk assessment instruments is likely to result in significant benefits for offender classification and rehabilitation, management systems, and public safety. To date, researchers have explored the relative predictive performance between regression and non-regression methods and the overall evidence is inconclusive. In this study, we seek to advance the debate regarding the efficacy of traditional regression methods versus the utility of machine learning techniques in forecasting inmate misconduct by …

Investigating A Macro Level Trial Tax: An Analysis Of The Relationship Between A Circuit's Plea Proportion And Median Sentence Length In U.S. Federal Courts, Denise Lafontaine

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

This study investigates the relationship between the proportion of cases resolved by plea in the federal court circuits and the median sentence length of those circuits. Through OLS regression, this study models the relationship, controlling for variation in circuits, year, and violent crime proportion. With an understanding of two common theoretical frameworks surrounding the trial tax discussion, this study theorized under a focal concerns perspective that as the proportion of cases resolved by plea in a circuit increases, the median sentence length of that circuit would decrease. The results of this study are consistent with results of prior research showing …

Family Instability As A Turning Point In The Life-Course : An Examination Of Whether And How Family Instability And Specific Types Of Family Instability Directly And Indirectly Influence Delinquency, Walter Shelley

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

“A family’s resources and the doors they open cast a long shadow over children’s life trajectories…This view is at odds with the popular ethos that we are makers of our own fortune.” (Alexander, Entwisle, & Olson, 2010, pg. 1). Perhaps no aspect about an individual’s life is not shaped in some way by their family. In fact, it could be surmised that families set the stage for all later outcomes in the life-course. An event in a family such as family instability could play an important role in shaping an individual’s behavior and outcomes in their life course. However, heterogeneity …

Human Error In Police Involved Shootings, Paul L. Taylor

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Police use of deadly force has become one of the most contentious and controversial aspects of the U.S. criminal justice system. Yet, the vast majority of police shootings never rise to the level of public consciousness (Zimring, 2017). Instead, the public discourse and controversy tends to center on a handful of cases that appear excessive and/or are difficult to understand (Pickering & Klinger, 2016). As a result, these cases have a disproportionate impact on the public’s perception of police legitimacy and competence, particularly when it comes to their use of deadly force (Gua, 2014). The outcomes of many of these …

"What's Past Is Prologue" : Exploring Confinement As A Setting For Change In Social Support And Criminal Activity, Audrey Opal Hickert

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Confinement is a major part of the criminal justice apparatus worldwide. Despite its widespread use, research is just beginning to address the mechanisms by which confinement could change individuals and impact post-release outcomes. In prior research, examinations of average effects of confinement may mask considerable and important heterogeneity. Therefore, variation within confinement samples should be explored on numerous life dimensions, including collateral consequences and metrics of criminal activity beyond simple “yes” or “no” recidivism. Confinement is a life-course event, meaning it can broadly shape future trajectories for those who experience it (Pettit & Western, 2004; Sampson & Laub, 2016). Building …

Individuals With Developmental Disabilities And Criminal Incompetence : An Analysis Of Predictors To Restoration, Ashley Cahill

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Competency to stand trial is a concept of jurisprudence preventing the adjudication of individuals who lack the capacity to understand the proceedings against them and which prevents them from assisting in their own defense because of mental disease or “defects”. In the criminal justice system, defendants found incompetent to stand trial are remanded to the care of the mental health system for a period of time to restore their competence. The determination of competency to stand trial is by far the most common psychiatric evaluation requested by criminal courts, and is especially critical for defendants with developmental and intellectual disabilities.

Stereotypes And Phenotypes : Using Machine Learning To Examine Racial Implicit Bias In Sex Offender Criminal Case Processing, Christine M. Walsh

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The role of offender race/ethnicity and potential bias in criminal case outcomes is a popular topic both culturally and academically. Although a common research subject, the existing literature remains inconsistent and limited when focusing on sex offender sentencing outcomes. This dissertation uses data collected from the New York State public sex offender registry on white, black, and Hispanic males to examine the effect of offender racial/ethnic phenotype on two sentencing outcomes: sentence type and sentence length. Offender phenotype is measured through three facial features: nose width, lip fullness, and eye shape. These facial features were chosen from existing literature, however, …

Jail Administrators' Compliance With The Prison Rape Elimination Act, Leone M. Lee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Correctional institutions across the United States continue to experience prisoner sexual assault despite the enactment of the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (PREA). The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the association between jail administrators' difficulty complying with the PREA and their transformational leadership styles. The theories of punctuated equilibrium theory and general strain theory formed the theoretical framework of the study. The data were collected through an Internet-based survey from 22 local and regional jail administrators from the East Coast. Data analysis using Pearson's correlation coefficient was performed on leadership scores to test the hypotheses. There …

"I Heard It Through The Grapevine": A Randomized Controlled Trial On The Direct And Vicarious Effects Of Preventative Specific Deterrence Initiatives In Criminal Networks, Barak Ariel, Ashley Englefield, John Denley

Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

A rich body of literature exists on deterrence, yet little is known about how deterrence messages are communicated through social networks. This is an important gap in our understanding, because such communication gives rise to the possibility that social institutions can utilize the vicarious effect of the threat of punishment against one individual to reduce the rate of reoffending amongst their criminal associates. To test this, we identified criminals with an extensive offending history (prolific offenders) and their co-offenders using social network analysis and then conducted a randomized controlled trial to measure the effect on both prolific offenders and their …