This thesis has explored the relationships that exist between the police and the courts. It hypothesized that a relationship existed between the amount of training police officers received and their attitudes toward the courts. The study traced the history and training programs of the police. It explained the judicial process in criminal cases and examined recent United States Supreme Court rulings of concern to police officers.The basic analytical device was a two part questionnaire. The first section of 23 items attempted to measure officers' attitudes toward the judicial system, court officials, and United States Supreme Court rulings. The second section of 14 items gathered background information about the officers stressing the amount of training they had received. The responses of the 420 officers surveyed and their importance were discussed. No strong statistical significances were obtained to substantiate the hypothesis.

No description available.

Throughout the nineties a range of factors, not least the series of suicides at Cornton Vale women's prison, highlighted concerns about how the criminal justice system deals with female offenders in Scotland. There has been a review of community-based disposals and the use of custody for women (Scottish Office, 1998a), an Inspection of Cornton Vale was conducted (HMI, 2001), and a Ministerial Group on Women's Offending was set up (Scottish Executive, 2002a). Despite this concern the numbers of female offenders being sentenced to custody has continued to rise. This study sought to examine the nature of criminal justice social work services delivered to female offenders and the way in which ideological and policy shifts have impacted on it. Differences relating to gender, with regard to both practitioners and clients, within the context of criminal justice social work in Scotland,w ere considered.T his included a consideration of the impact of the policy shift from the "welfare" to the "justice" model. Thirty-five interviews were conducted with criminal justice social work staff and material was drawn from 420 Social Enquiry Reports. The study examined practices and policies which relate to how women are supervised, how these relate to the presentation of information in social enquiry reports, and in turn how this may relate to the final court disposal imposed. A discrepancy between policy and practice was identified in that the latter draws on the "welfare" model more than is endorsed by formal policy. This greater emphasis on the "welfare" model applies to work with female offenders in particular. There were concerns amongst criminal justice social work staff that such a difference in approach might be discriminatory. A new "welfare" model of supervision appears to have been adopted in the supervision of female offenders. This model emphasised the importance of the working relationship, between supervisor and client, within which women offenders should be allowed scope for negotiation. Information on female offenders derived from both interviews with criminal justice staff and the data obtained from SERs is used to review social control theory (Hirschi, 1969), as it exists, as an explanation of female offending. Carlen's study (1988) of female offenders suggested that integral to their involvement in offending was a rejection of the controls to which they are subjected and of their gender roles. By contrast the profile of women offenders as identified in this study suggests that women are offending partly in an endeavour to conform to, or at least cope with, their gender roles. Female offenders were reported as having experienced greater adversity and this appears to havee licited a protective response from social workers. This protection began in women's childhoods and is evident in their treatment as adults. The organisation of community service is considered by female social workers to have an inherent gender bias which renders it less suitable for female offenders. These concerns appear to have foundation in terms of an apparent gender bias in the operation of community service schemes. Female offenders sentenced to community service were more likely to have had their SERs compiled by male SER writers, while female offenders sentenced to probation were more likely to have their SERs compiled by female SER writers. Female social workers specifically appear to adopt a stronger welfare orientation when compiling reports on female offenders apparently motivated by an inclination to protect. This has implications for gender specific allocation of work. The effect is not protection if reports arc undermining community service as a possible alternative to custody for women, as appears to be the case when the SER writer is female.

Abstract The implementation and delivery of prison rehabilitation programs is crucial to the successful restoration and reintegration of incarcerated people. However, the high recidivism rate nationwide is a clear indication that the current prison programs are not working. Furthermore, it is common knowledge that the core content of most prison-based programs are designed through Western lenses and facilitated predominantly by non-Indigenous program providers. This has greatly impacted on the progression of those Indigenous peoples who come from diverse cultural backgrounds, speak other languages and who have very limited numeracy and literacy levels, hence hindering their rehabilitation and restoration processes. Another factor of concern is the current retributive model of ‘correcting’ or prison-for-punishment approach as opposed to a more therapeutic model of ‘restoring’ or healing-in-justice approach. The aim of this study is to explore viable ways of achieving rehabilitation and restoration in an effort to address the disproportionate representation of Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Māori individuals and families in the Queensland and New Zealand criminal justice systems. The study provides the opportunity for Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Māori peoples who have been in custody to put forward their voices about the effectiveness or benefits of prison-based programs, and culturally-specific programs offered in Queensland and New Zealand prisons. It also opens up the debate about the importance of utilising culture-as-rehabilitation when dealing with Indigenous people in custody; hence, the voices of Indigenous program providers from Queensland and New Zealand have been instrumental in bringing this issue to the forefront. This research utilised qualitative Indigenous research methodologies and guided by an Indigenous epistemological framework. Whilst a set of informal interview questions guided the process; the use of mir atager or Indigenous yarning modalities was a core aspect of communication during the data collection. With the consent of all participants, the interviews were tape recorded verbatim and analysed thematically with the use of a culturally appropriate colour coding method. In conducting comparative cross-cultural research between Queensland and New Zealand, I was guided by the skills and expertise of an Indigenous research advisor, a cultural supervisor and language interpreters and advisers. Twenty-one Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Māori participants shared their stories. The findings arising from the yarnings have identified the cultural inappropriateness of mainstream prison programs and the lack of culturally-specific programs, particularly in the prisons in Queensland. The voices of Indigenous program providers in Queensland also highlighted the lack of Corrective Services recognition for, and accreditation of their programs. A key issue arising from the data is the lack of culturally relevant and gender-specific programs that addresses the special needs of Indigenous women in Queensland and New Zealand prisons. Also arising from the people’s voices is the need for more pre-release and post-release support to assist in their journey from prison to community. In consideration of the endemic representation of Indigenous peoples in custody as noted above, the research strongly advocates for the funding and establishment of Indigenous-specific prison support services in the community and in the correctional centres to cater for the culturally-specific needs of Indigenous peoples in their journey from prison to community. This research documented the complex and multi-layered issues facing Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islanders and Māori peoples in the criminal justice system and calls for a more healing-in-justice approach utilising culture-as-rehabilitation methods to correcting the behaviours of Indigenous people who come before the criminal justice system. Last, but not least, the research respects and acknowledges the pain and suffering of those who have been victims of crime, and thereby it is envisaged that the findings of this research will assist in the creation of safer and whole communities.

Abstract The implementation and delivery of prison rehabilitation programs is crucial to the successful restoration and reintegration of incarcerated people. However, the high recidivism rate nationwide is a clear indication that the current prison programs are not working. Furthermore, it is common knowledge that the core content of most prison-based programs are designed through Western lenses and facilitated predominantly by non-Indigenous program providers. This has greatly impacted on the progression of those Indigenous peoples who come from diverse cultural backgrounds, speak other languages and who have very limited numeracy and literacy levels, hence hindering their rehabilitation and restoration processes. Another factor of concern is the current retributive model of ‘correcting’ or prison-for-punishment approach as opposed to a more therapeutic model of ‘restoring’ or healing-in-justice approach. The aim of this study is to explore viable ways of achieving rehabilitation and restoration in an effort to address the disproportionate representation of Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Māori individuals and families in the Queensland and New Zealand criminal justice systems. The study provides the opportunity for Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Māori peoples who have been in custody to put forward their voices about the effectiveness or benefits of prison-based programs, and culturally-specific programs offered in Queensland and New Zealand prisons. It also opens up the debate about the importance of utilising culture-as-rehabilitation when dealing with Indigenous people in custody; hence, the voices of Indigenous program providers from Queensland and New Zealand have been instrumental in bringing this issue to the forefront. This research utilised qualitative Indigenous research methodologies and guided by an Indigenous epistemological framework. Whilst a set of informal interview questions guided the process; the use of mir atager or Indigenous yarning modalities was a core aspect of communication during the data collection. With the consent of all participants, the interviews were tape recorded verbatim and analysed thematically with the use of a culturally appropriate colour coding method. In conducting comparative cross-cultural research between Queensland and New Zealand, I was guided by the skills and expertise of an Indigenous research advisor, a cultural supervisor and language interpreters and advisers. Twenty-one Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Māori participants shared their stories. The findings arising from the yarnings have identified the cultural inappropriateness of mainstream prison programs and the lack of culturally-specific programs, particularly in the prisons in Queensland. The voices of Indigenous program providers in Queensland also highlighted the lack of Corrective Services recognition for, and accreditation of their programs. A key issue arising from the data is the lack of culturally relevant and gender-specific programs that addresses the special needs of Indigenous women in Queensland and New Zealand prisons. Also arising from the people’s voices is the need for more pre-release and post-release support to assist in their journey from prison to community. In consideration of the endemic representation of Indigenous peoples in custody as noted above, the research strongly advocates for the funding and establishment of Indigenous-specific prison support services in the community and in the correctional centres to cater for the culturally-specific needs of Indigenous peoples in their journey from prison to community. This research documented the complex and multi-layered issues facing Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islanders and Māori peoples in the criminal justice system and calls for a more healing-in-justice approach utilising culture-as-rehabilitation methods to correcting the behaviours of Indigenous people who come before the criminal justice system. Last, but not least, the research respects and acknowledges the pain and suffering of those who have been victims of crime, and thereby it is envisaged that the findings of this research will assist in the creation of safer and whole communities.

The innovative forensic technique of DNA profiling has been acclaimed as the most important advance in forensic science since fingerprinting. Whilst there is much anecdotal information on the impact of DNA profiling on criminal investigation, prosecution and adjudication, there is little quantitative and control comparison data on the routine use of forensic DNA profiling. This study evaluates the effect of the introduction of DNA profiling in Victoria on a number of key points in the criminal justice system. The overall impact of DNA profiling was low as determined by the percentage of criminal cases which utilise DNA profiling. However, in certain classes of cases its impact was measurable, most notably in sex offences committed by “strangers”. Less than one quarter of sexual offence cases of DNA profiled resulted in a contested trial, suggesting that the focus of DNA profiling on the criminal justice system should swing to the pre-trial phase. DNA profiling was most often used in sexual offence cases and a database comparison of these cases before and after the advent of DNA profiling was examined. Whilst not statistically significant, trends indicated there were more solved cases, more guilty pleas and fewer trials after the introduction of DNA profiling, but more individuals were drawn into the investigatory process. The number of trials of sexual offences in which consent was an issue was slightly greater than previously. The increase in guilty pleas with DNA profiling was only for stranger type crime. Further research is recommended as DNA profiling becomes the cornerstone of biological forensic analysis.

Treatise (Ed. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Toronto, 2004. / Adviser: David Levine.

Thesis(M.A.)--Auburn University, 2005. / Abstract. Includes bibliographic references.