Rooted in the cultural, social, and material circumstances of the last forty years, there appears to have been an increase in the insecurities and anxieties that are being experienced by many in the working and middle class. The source of these insecurities seems to be two pronged. First, an increase in crime rates that began in the 1960s and lasted into the early 1990s elevated concerns about one's personal safety, as well as the safety and security of one's family. Though these increases have reversed themselves in recent years, media and political discourse have kept crime a salient issue for the American people. Second, the economic changes that have occurred over the past several decades have created an increasingly insecure workforce, a workforce that has experienced layoffs, downsizings, and reduced and stagnating wages and benefits. That these changes occurred on the heels of a period of increasing prosperity, diminishing inequality, and feelings of relative safety, has only served to cast the more recent circumstances in more dramatic terms. Economically, the United States has experienced significant changes over the past several decades that have created "insecurities" that are well documented and that are the result of corporate strategies to restore profit margins in the face of expanded world competition. Strategies of disinvestment, deskilling, downsizing, and immersion in the "global economy" has meant the loss of employment or reduced wages for millions of American blue-collar workers and, more recently, white collar employees. In the classic sense described by Emil Durkheim (1895), these rapid changes have forced many people into new economic circumstances, the appropriate boundaries for which are either not yet established or not well understood. In such a condition of anomic uncertainty, it is not uncommon for scapegoats to be created and a willingness to punish "others" engendered. We have seen, for example, these economic changes accompanied by an increase in punitiveness on the part of the criminal justice system. During this time, we have seen the reinstitution and use of the death penalty, we have experienced tremendous increases in incarceration rates, the increased use of juvenile waivers to adult court and we have witnessed an influx of mandatory sentencing polices such as 10-20-life and "three strike" laws. At the same time, popular and political culture appears to have taken a more broadly punitive turn. Resentment against criminals, seems only to be matched by the antipathy directed toward welfare recipients, and immigrants. What criminals, welfare recipients and immigrants may have in common is that in the eyes of some, they are perceived as "getting something for nothing" at a time when so many are either insecure in their positions or working harder for less. Moreover, many may associate these groups with similar populations, namely inner-city minorities. The perception that welfare recipients and immigrants are disproportionately involved in criminal behavior may result in an increase in support for punitive criminal and social policies directed at these groups. This research, then, explores the possibility that both crime salience and the resentments of those made insecure by labor market changes are mobilizing resources for this increase in punitiveness. Specifically, this study examines whether individual punitive attitudes toward crime, welfare, and immigration are more strongly expressed by those who report greater economic insecurity as well as those for whom crime is a salient issue. The current project also attempts to contextualize these effects by examining to what extent they are more prevalent among members of certain subgroups. For example, is the effect of economic insecurity on punitive attitudes greater for those who may be characterized as objectively vulnerable in terms of their education and income levels? Or, as some have suggested, are these sentiments most commonly held among "angry white males?" It is argued that it is they who are most likely to have perceived a deterioration in what they believed was once a guarantee of economic security and to be in search of scapegoats who can be easily blamed. The data for this study come from a survey of 2,250 randomly selected adult Florida residents that was conducted between October and December of 1997. Ordinary least squares and logistic regression are used to estimate these effects while controlling for the influence of a number of other theoretically relevant variables. The results show that both crime salience and economic insecurity are clearly not irrelevant predictors of punitive attitudes toward these three social issues. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2004. / May 21, 2004. / Social Control, Public Opinion, Economy and Punishment, Welfare and Immigration Attitudes, Crime, Punitiveness / Includes bibliographical references. / Ted Chiricos, Professor Directing Dissertation; David Rasmussen, Outside Committee Member; Gary Kleck, Committee Member; Marc Gertz, Committee Member.

The core American values of liberty, egalitarianism, and individualism have been shown to be in constant tension with one another. This project sought to address the current state of public opinion on liberty as a core American value. Several propositions related to liberty were addressed including opinion on liberty in the abstract versus concrete instances, policy areas in which liberty is most willing to be compromised, Americans' crime control orientations, and the idea that citizens are ambivalent when it comes to crime control versus due process. Data were collected via telephone interviews with citizens of Leon County, Florida. The findings of the study indicate that although citizens voice a preference for liberty in the abstract, they contradict themselves in concrete instances of liberty, namely in the area of social control. A public conscience and belief in the public good is projected until it interferes with individuals' own private property or private lives; then policy preferences err on the side of the individual. It is in these situations that ideology is compromised. Citizens are likely to experience underlying value conflict, which confounds their abilities to make decisive policy choices. / A Dissertation submitted to the College of Criminology and Criminal Justice in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2006. / July 3, 2006. / Public Opinion, Liberty, Core Values, Social Control / Includes bibliographical references. / Marc Gertz, Professor Directing Dissertation; Colleen Kelley, Outside Committee Member; Ted Chiricos, Committee Member.

Although labeling theory has been subjected to many empirical examinations, more often than not, studies present conflicting evidence or suffer from a variety of methodological limitations. In turn, the current analyses aim to contribute knowledge and clarity by evaluating the theory in a manner that addresses some of the limitations found in prior studies. Three key research questions will guide the current analyses. First, does the formal labeling process increase subsequent criminal behavior? Second, are there extra-legal factors that mediate or explain this effect? Finally, is the effect of formal labeling on future behavior moderated, or conditioned, by extra-legal factors? Taken together, an assessment of these research questions should allow for a more nuanced understanding of the harmful consequences associated with the formal labeling process. / A Dissertation submitted to the College of Criminology and Criminal Justice in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2011. / March 15, 2011. / Labeling theory, adolescent, delinquent behavior / Includes bibliographical references. / Carter Hay, Professor Directing Dissertation; Kay Pasley, University Representative; Sonja Siennick, Committee Member; Brian Stults, Committee Member.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 468-504).

Gangs in Cape Town have long been associated with high levels of violence and police efforts on the Cape Flats, while state agencies have not yet been able to bring any significant relief to the affected communities or growing gang structures. It seems the conventional approaches need reconceptualization. This thesis explores a nodal governance approach to the forms and consequences associated with the policing of gangs by police. Developments in governance theory has brought new insights for our understanding of how state and non-state actors relate in and across different networks, and especially within the security governance networks. However, such research has failed to consider how gangs and police interact and regulate each other through their own governance and conflict with one another. In attempts by the police to govern gangs (and by extension the community), a state of contested governance arises between gangs and police nodes of power. This thesis argues that contrary to previous understandings, the organised gangs of Cape Town regulate and impact the way the police police gangs, which in turn affects the way gangs police themselves, and goes on to explore these interactions.

Dog Training Programs have recently become a popular rehabilitative program within correctional facilities. They are present in all 50 states as well as many other countries. However, the empirical literature on the effectiveness of these popular programs is sparse. Using a cohort of inmates released from Florida prisons between the years of 2004-2011 (n=181,547) this study examines the effectiveness of dog training programs on prison misconduct, post-release employment and recidivism. Findings indicate that participation in a dog training program can lead to reductions prison misconduct and reductions in the likelihood and timing of re-arrest. Among those who participated in dog training programs, longer duration, recency of participation, continuity of treatment and being in the program at release emerge as predictors of reductions in prison misconduct and re-arrest and increasing obtaining employment upon release. Due to promising findings, policy implications are discussed as well as potential avenues for future research. / A Dissertation submitted to the College of Criminology and Criminal Justice in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester 2016. / April 12, 2016. / Dog-Training Programs, Prisoner Re-entry, Prison Programs / Includes bibliographical references. / William Bales, Professor Directing Dissertation; Stephen Tripodi, University Representative; Daniel Maier-Katkin, Committee Member; Sonja Siennick, Committee Member.

Abstract Informal processing has been a central feature of the juvenile court since its inception at the turn of the twentieth century. Taking many forms over the last century, one of the more common examples of informal processing efforts is juvenile diversion. Juvenile diversion is often plagued by issues of inconsistent implementation and definitional ambiguity. While proponents maintain that juvenile diversion programs operate in the best interests of the youth they serve, scholars have noted the potential for harms resulting from diversion. Civil citation in Florida is a prominent example of a contemporary, “smart justice” diversion program that attempts to balance the “best interests” of youth, with accountability for delinquent behavior. Despite their popularity and widespread promulgation, remarkably little is known about the ways in which civil citations are currently being used in Florida. The current research examines the effects of several characteristics of the offense and the offender on the use of civil citation. Multivariate analyses of use statewide, at the county-level, and between large counties, are presented. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with juvenile justice professionals aimed at understanding the ways in which civil citations are used. Results are consistent with prior scholarship on inconsistent implementation, and indicate significant variation in the ways civil citations are used throughout the state. Implications for research and policy are discussed. / A Dissertation submitted to the College of Criminology and Criminal Justice in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester 2016. / June 22, 2016. / diversion, juvenile delinquency, juvenile justice / Includes bibliographical references. / Daniel P. Mears, Professor Directing Dissertation; Lenore McWey, University Representative; William D. Bales, Committee Member; Carter Hay, Committee Member.

The general purpose of this research is to contribute to the efforts in understanding the effect of maternal incarceration on young adult well-being outcomes, and the factors that may buffer or exacerbate any negative effect. There is a need to identify and understand the important differences between those children who overcome the adversity of maternal incarceration compared to those who do not. In particular, this study builds on the recent literature on heterogeneity in maternal incarceration effects by examining how social support, specifically sibling relationships, moderate the effect of maternal incarceration on young adult arrest. It is hypothesized that children who have a sibling residing with them during adolescence will experience less of an adverse effect when subjected to maternal incarceration. Additionally, it is expected that children who have siblings residing with them during adolescence will have differential outcomes that are associated with the quality of sibling relationships. Specifically, those children reporting positive sibling relationships will experience better outcomes while those with negative sibling relationships will experience more harmful outcomes. Evidence exits that the consequences of parental incarceration vary by both parent and offspring sex. Considering possible gender differences, it is predicted that the effect of maternal incarceration on young adult arrest will be differentially conditioned by the gender composition of the sibling relationship. Because there has been found to be greater similarity in behavior in same-gender sibling pairs, it is expected that mixed-sibling pairs will experience higher levels of criminal justice involvement while same-gender sibling pairs will experience lower levels. Furthermore, attention is given to whether any differential effects exist for sons versus daughters who experience maternal incarceration. Data from National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) are used to examine these research questions. This study not only draws attention to sibling relationships as an important consideration for youth experiencing maternal incarceration, but also further highlights how sons and daughters may cope differently with this particular form of adversity. A fundamental finding from this study is that sibling relationships are highly relevant for understanding the impact of parental incarceration on adult offending and arrest. Given the fact that a substantial number of incarcerated parents have children younger than 18, appropriate services need to be made available to children and their families immediately after a parent is incarcerated. Interventions aimed at improving well-being outcomes of children of incarcerated parents should involve other members of the family, including the other parent, siblings, grandparents, and others living in the home. / A Dissertation submitted to the College of Criminology and Criminal Justice in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester 2017. / March 29, 2017. / Adult Arrest, Maternal Incarceration, Siblings / Includes bibliographical references. / Brian Stults, Professor Directing Dissertation; Kathryn Tillman, University Representative; William Bales, Committee Member; Daniel Mears, Committee Member.

The objective of this paper is to locate the debate surrounding organised crime in South Africa within the larger context of international responses to organised crime. It will show that crime policy (in the form of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act) has been developed by the South African State in a global and globalising (these terms will be explained further below) environment and that the legislation produced has much in common with international policy regarding organised crime.

The unmasking of apartheid and the unmasking of the state run together in an analysis of the legacy of social engineering. The integration of macro and micro levels of analysis offer a complex challenge to social theorists, and this in conjunction with the demands of analysing a racially divided society undergoing extreme forms of crisis and change, require a sophisticated· level of theorizing which is informed by the practical experiences which constitute the social relations of the society. The perspectives that can be offered in the fields of crime, crime control and the social consequences of economic and social interaction cannot be complete without considering the political framework within which the competing demands for power, influence and wealth are taking place. These structures have undergone radical ideological transformations in the recent past, which have been linked to the radical consequences of the end of the ·cold War' and the apparent era of demilitarising international relations between powerful states. The issues which will cloud the judgements made in the field of Criminology are linked to these broader matters of international relations, and gee-political issues, because the political struggle in South Africa has been utilized in terms of this debate, and the achievement of the democratic demands has become foreseeable and realistic because of changes taking place at international level.