The purpose of this work was to compare serial homicides committed by interstate and intrastate offenders and to determine differences in behavior between them. Knowledge of such differences would enable the trained homicide detective to structure his investigation according to the killer's inferred range of action. This study used homicide data collected by the Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (VICAP), of the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC). VICAP's data was voluntarily submitted by investigators working at the state, local, and federal levels. The VICAP database had information on more than 804 cases of homicides committed by 241 different, serial offenders. The VICAP data was examined in order to learn whether offender behaviors could reveal a distinction between the interstate serial offender and the intrastate serial offender. Five variables of conscious or unconscious offender behavior were selected: (1) the victim's occupation, (2) the victim's last known location, (3) the type and kind of restraints used on the victim (if any), (4) the victim's cause of death, and (5) the level of concealment of the victim at the body disposal site. Information from the attributes in these variables could be helpful to the homicide detective in an early determination of the types and kinds of investigative resources that should be applied to the case for a successful resolution. A hypothesis was formed: there is a detectable difference on the five variables in the behaviors of interstate and intrastate serial killers. The findings supported the hypothesis that there was a detectable difference between the two types of serial killers. An unexpected finding revealed that one type of offender was more deadly than the other, and thus less likely to leave behind surviving victims. viii interstate serial offender and the intrastate serial offender. Five variables of conscious or unconscious offender behavior were selected: (1) the victim's occupation, (2) the victim's last known location, (3) the type and kind of restraints used on the victim (if any), (4) the victim's cause of death, and (5) the level of concealment of the victim at the body disposal site. Information from the attributes in these variables could be helpful to the homicide detective in an early determination of the types and kinds of investigative resources that should be applied to the case for a successful resolution. A hypothesis was formed: there is a detectable difference on the five variables in the behaviors of interstate and intrastate serial killers. The findings supported the hypothesis that there was a detectable difference between the two types of serial killers. An unexpected finding revealed that one type of offender was more deadly than the other, and thus less likely to leave behind surviving victims.

Within the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice system, juvenile delinquency referrals have decreased, yet at the same time, juvenile recidivism rates continue to challenge policy makers. Using Hirschi's social learning theory as the foundation, the purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to examine the perceptions of juvenile justice professionals about their experiences with youthful offenders in order to determine the causes of juvenile recidivism. Data came from in-depth interviews with 9 participants including state attorneys, judges, and mental health counselors from within the central region of the state of Florida. Data were analyzed and coded using Colaizzi's method. Two primary themes emerged from the analysis of data: First, participants perceived that the influence of peers and factors such as environment, family criminal and mental health history, substance and abuse, truancy have a significant effect on juvenile recidivism. Second, participants perceived that parent bonding is the most important factor in reducing recidivism among juveniles aged 17 and 18 years old. The positive social change implications of this study include recommendations to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice to implement, modify, and improve services and policy to reduce recidivism for juveniles aged 17 and 18 years old. This implementation, modification, and improvement may reduce recidivism among this subgroup of juvenile delinquents and may reduce the number of young adults entering the criminal justice system.

In 2017, Louisiana had the highest incarceration rate in the nation with 1,420 of every 100,000 adult males being placed in a state or local penitentiary. To address this issue, a series of criminal justice reforms were passed within the Louisiana legislature that released thousands of former offenders back into the community. The purpose of this qualitative study is to understand the attitudes, thoughts, and opinions of citizens in a single Louisiana city regarding ex-offender re-integration and disparities within the criminal justice system. March and Olsen's Rational Choice Institutionalism was used to explain how environment impacts individual perception and choices at the community and political level with policy implications. Data were obtained through interviews with 22 citizens from the selected city. Data were coded using a deductive iterative coding process, then subjected to thematic analysis. The findings indicated that the construction of perceptions on disparities within the criminal justice system and ex-offender reintegration was primarily formed through volunteerism, personal experiences, observations, conversations with others, exposure to different cultures, mass media, and family upbringing. Several factors were involved in residents formulating perceptions on the criminal justice system and ex-offender reintegration. These factors are embedded in the structures of mass media, community, political, educational, social, and economic systems. The results of this study may impact social change by informing policymakers about the necessity to construct policies focused on acknowledging and addressing current structural and systemic criminal justice policies that are respectful of the experiences and needs of restored citizens as well as citizens from all communities.

Gun violence is a problem in many communities across the United States that are characterized by poverty, and lack of quality education, yet little is known about the experiences of victims of gun violence in these places. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to better understand how people who have been victims of gun violence perceive problems and solutions associated with the production, distribution, and ownership of guns. Based on the theoretical framework of Rousseau's social contract theory, this study explored gun violence from the perspectives of 10 victims whose lives were directly or indirectly affected by gun violence to understand how victims perceive the obligations of government to the governed in terms of response to gun violence. Data from individual interviews were subjected to selective and open coding followed by a thematic analysis procedure. The key findings from this study revealed that gun violence victims were able to differentiate between the intended use of firearms and its abuse. The victims associated the abuse of firearms to deteriorating social factors. In accordance with the classic premise of the social contract theory, the victims thought that the fight against gun violence needed to be led by the affected communities. The results of this study demonstrated what appeared to be a new rendition of theory, that instead of challenging local authorities, the victims opted for a leadership-based collaborative approach to eradicate the underlying social weaknesses that lead to gun violence. The conclusions drawn from this study may provide insight into appropriate measures that can aid in social uplift among affected communities, such as modifications to existing gun control laws to promote safety and efficiency and citizen collaboration toward improved regulation.

Cette thèse développe une théorie de nos devoirs globaux de justice en accord avec notre expérience commune du devoir en général comme ayant une origine purement a priori. La base de cette théorie consiste en un nouveau type de constructivisme, que j’appelle « constructivisme téléologique » dans la mesure où il réhabilite la notion kantienne de téléologie pure pratique. Dans l’introduction, je jette les bases du constructivisme téléologique en montrant que toutes les théories déontologiques d’inspiration kantienne sont intérieurement téléologiques, dans la mesure où les principes de justice, bien que premiers par rapport au bien, sont eux-mêmes définis en lien avec les fins prescrites a priori par la raison. Dans le chapitre 1, je m’appuie sur la doctrine Rawlsienne du Droit des Peuples pour développer une théorie de la justice internationale qui reconnaît le rôle normatif joué dans la déduction de nos devoirs de justice par une certaine idée de la société internationale. Dans le chapitre 2, je détermine les conditions auxquelles cette théorie est compatible avec le constructivisme téléologique. Dans les chapitres 3 et 4, je définis le constructivisme téléologique comme une approche qui fait dépendre le choix des premiers principes non seulement du respect pour une procédure de réflexion idéale, mais aussi de la reconnaissance de la fin morale finale prescrite purement a priori par la raison. Finalement, dans le chapitre 5, j’explique comment le constructivisme téléologique différencie entre les devoirs éthiques et les devoirs de justice. En conclusion, je reviens sur la spécificité du constructivisme téléologique en tant qu’approche distincte en théorie politique. / This dissertation provides an account of our global duties of right and justice in line with our common experience of duty in general as having a purely a priori origin. The basis of this account is formed by a new type of constructivism, which I call “teleological constructivism” insofar as it rehabilitates the Kantian notion of pure practical teleology. In the introduction, I prepare the ground for teleological constructivism by showing that all Kantian-inspired deontological theories are internally teleological insofar as the principles of right and justice, though prior to the good, are themselves defined in relation to a final end prescribed purely a priori by reason. In chapter 1, I draw on Rawls’ doctrine of the Law of Peoples to develop an institutionalist account of international justice which recognizes the normative role played by a certain idea of international society in the deduction of our distributive obligations. In chapter 2, I further specify the terms of this account to make it compatible with teleological constructivism. In chapters 3 and 4, I go deeper into the definition of teleological constructivism as an approach that makes the choice of the first principles depend not only on respect for a procedure of ideal reflection, but also on the recognition of a final moral end prescribed purely a priori by reason. Finally, in chapter 5, I explain how teleological constructivism differentiates between ethical and juridical duties and argue for the superiority of the contractualist view over the property-based account of our duties of justice. In conclusion, I discuss the specificity of teleological constructivism as a distinct approach in political theory.

Since its first use in criminal investigations in 1987, DNA profiling has become the new gold standard for investigations and prosecutions. Academics, politicians and law enforcement officials have presented DNA evidence as a ??scientific hero?? that is capable of solving crimes and preventing miscarriages of justice. However, in spite of this reputation, few studies have explored the impact of this technology on criminal justice practitioners, or on the process of investigating and processing criminal offences. This dissertation provides a comparative study of the use of DNA profiling in two jurisdictions: New South Wales (NSW) in Australia and the Thames Valley in the United Kingdom (UK). Interviews canvassed the perspectives and experiences of police officers, scene of crime officers (SOCOs), forensic scientists, criminal lawyers, and judicial officers from these areas. These interviews were analysed in conjunction with appeal judgments and police statistics to reveal how DNA evidence has been used in the NSW and Thames Valley. The research presented in this dissertation indicates that DNA profiling is having a number of far-reaching effects on both criminal justice systems and is seen as a reliable forensic tool by criminal justice practitioners. Practitioners routinely use DNA evidence throughout the various stages of the criminal justice process and are actively changing their practices to utilise the technology more effectively. One of the main impacts of the introduction of DNA evidence into criminal investigations has been the need to provide substantial resources and infrastructure for the collection, analysis, and storage of samples. Both jurisdictions encountered a number of problems because they provided insufficient resources to effectively use DNA profiling. This study also offers insight into how criminal justice practitioners perceive the dangers of using DNA evidence and how miscarriages of justice can occur. Finally, through an analysis of the combined experiences of criminal justice practitioners, this dissertation challenges the widespread acceptance and routine use of forensic DNA profiling. It further suggests that it is now time to re-consider current practices in relation to how resources are devoted to the technology, and how criminal justice practitioners are using the technology.

Thesis (Ph. D.--Biblical Studies)--Catholic University of America, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 203-228). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2006. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

There have been good arguments made for the development of aggressive affirmative action policies with the end goal of quickly moving black South Africans into corporate and high ranks within management of organisations. One of the central arguments in favour of aggressive AA policies is the risk of racial polarization post-apartheid should a quick fix not be initiated. It makes good business and economic sense for AA policies to be implemented as black consumers coupled with black managers will have the eventual end point of lower unemployment and crime, through job creation and security of the representative majority.

The current research focuses on parents' level of understanding of Miranda rights and parents' likelihood of encouraging their teenagers to waive their Miranda rights. The previous research suggests that parents alone may not adequately protect juveniles' rights during interrogation and waiver. Prior research also suggests that parents' and juveniles' past experience with the justice system may not help them during their current interrogation and waiver. A 17-item questionnaire was used to assess the two dependent variables and the two independent variables. The two dependent variables were parents' understanding of Miranda rights and parents' likelihood of encouraging arrested teens to waive their rights. The two independent variables were whether or not a parent has been arrested and whether or not the teenager has been arrested. There were four conditions: parents who had been arrested with teenagers who had been arrested, parents who had been arrested with teenagers who had not been arrested, parents who had not been arrested with teenagers who had been arrested, and parents who had not been arrested with teenagers who had not been arrested. Several ANOVAs (Analyses of Variance) and one ANCOVA (Analysis of Covariance) revealed patterns in the data supporting the hypothesis that parents may not provide adequate support for teenagers during the waiver process. Overall, past experience was shown not to have an effect on the likelihood for parents to encourage waiver or on their score on the Comprehension o/Miranda Rights - Recognition (CMRR) (used to measure level of understanding of the Miranda warnings) (Grisso, 1998). Furthermore, the implications for this study supported the notion that having legal counsel present during the waiver process is beneficial to the arrested teenager.