No description available.

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

abstract: Studies on what shapes public perceptions of ex-prisoners are abundant. One omission is the detailed investigation of how perceptions of former inmates might vary by the amount of time since their last incarceration term. More specifically, it remains unknown whether increased length since an ex-prisoner’s last incarceration spell is positively linked to higher levels of trust. This study (N = 448) uses a factorial vignette design to test the perceived trustworthiness of former inmates across two hypothetical scenarios. Time since last incarceration spell is used as the independent variables in a series of ordered logistic regression models. The role of gender is also explored. Results show that trust perceptions of ex-prisoners minimally vary by time since last incarceration spell when personal victimization is at risk, but the magnitude is small and shows no clear pattern of declining risk over time. Less support is observed in situations where property victimization is at risk. These findings illustrate the complexity of how people perceive and feel about ex-inmates in situations of trust. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Criminology and Criminal Justice 2018

Prompted by the need to expand the criminological enterprise, I put forward a criminology of education that offers a deeper understanding of education’s purpose in contemporary society. In tracing the reconfiguration of social security and understandings of citizenship in Western capitalist societies, education is situated as a centrally important institution of social governance. Moving from ‘the social’ as the predominant category of governance to smaller, individualized units of governance such as the ‘community’ has produced a post-social state which involves significant implications for political institutions, including crime control and education. This is illustrated by the ‘criminalization of schools’ thesis, which posits that schools increasingly take on responsibilities for governing crime to the point that they are now governed through crime. Market preparation constitutes another governing principle of education, encapsulated in what can be termed the ‘marketization of schools’, which points to education’s role in producing lean, active citizens. I draw on the work of Michel Foucault and Pierre Bourdieu for explicating the features of governance and discipline, and their articulation. I then turn to explore the empirical referent found in recent efforts to rethink and reorganize student discipline policies in Ontario schools. The ‘discovery’ of bullying in Ontario is suggested to be a discursive reality that made possible the implementation of a program of regulation. From this, we see that education is conceptualized and represented as a ‘security apparatus’, and education policies as increasingly concerned with managing public safety and social order.

Each year, hundreds of thousands of youth move through juvenile justice systems in the United States, and the number of female offenders is increasing. At the probation level, there appears to be a lack of services, such as mentoring, mental health services, sex education, and counseling, to meet the gender-specific needs of female juvenile delinquents in rural settings. The purpose of this study was to discover county probation officers' perceptions of girls' needs and the officers' decision-making processes related to recommending services. This case study was based on feminist criminology theory. The research questions sought to learn how probation officers working with female juvenile offenders in a rural county describe their roles in the supervision process and how they decide which gender-specific services are most appropriate. Three probation officers in a rural jurisdiction in a northeastern state were interviewed, and the responses were coded and analyzed using thematic content analysis. Findings indicated that the officers neither viewed girls differently nor felt the need to treat the genders differently, even though their responses revealed that female youth are more often subject to truancy, promiscuity, and running away than male youth. The primary recommendation resulting from the study is to implement gender-responsive programs to meet the diverse needs of delinquent girls. Such programs would offer female youth more guidance and rehabilitation, potentially reducing future offending. This study has implications for positive social change in informing those serving in the youth criminal justice field, and families involved in the system, about the gap in understanding and implementing gender-specific strategies to meet the needs of rural female youth in conflict with the law.

No description available.

Postmortem fingerprint collection is a common practice at medical examiners’ offices. Fingerprints are often collected with electronic scanners or ink pads and fingerprint cards. However, obstacles to obtaining clear impressions such as rigor mortis and decomposition can be difficult to overcome using the current methods. There is no clear best method for collecting these compromised fingerprints. The GelSight Mobile™ is a handheld three-dimensional contact imaging system that can measure the topography of any surface regardless of the lighting conditions of the environment. The resolution of the images created is extremely high and can be used to measure single micron features. The goal of this project was to determine if the GelSight Mobile™ was a suitable method for postmortem fingerprint exemplar collection, and to determine if it provides a higher quality fingerprint impression than current postmortem fingerprint collection methods. For this study, three methods – black ink, two-dimensional scanning, and the GelSight Mobile™ – were used on decedents with varying ranges of decomposition to determine the best method for postmortem fingerprint collection. The postmortem interval for the decedents ranged from one day to almost one year, with the latter being exposed to outdoor environments for approximately two weeks prior to discovery and then stored for over a year. Embalmed cadavers were also examined. The results revealed that the GelSight Mobile™ captured fingerprints of higher quality, specifically with higher percentages of prints with level three detail and higher counts of minutiae characteristics than the other methods. However, to be optimized for forensic fingerprint collection, it is recommended that the GelSight Mobile™ be adapted to incorporate a larger gel cartridge and software capabilities to include a mirrored image option and a filter to give images an ink-like appearance.

No description available.

<p>This counseling project examines the issue of recidivism and the need to realign the current system of retribution in favor of rehabilitative services in the United States prison system. Theoretically, this project reviews attachment theory as developed by John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth and ties the central constructs inherent to attachment theory to equine-assisted prison-based programs. Support and evidence of animal-assisted interventions as agents of healing and psychological growth is found in connection between theory and practice in the case study involving the selected hypothetical inmate, Robert. Robert explores his traumatic past using attachment theory based personal therapy sessions in conjunction with working with the horses through the prison-based animal program. Dialogue exchanges in therapy elucidated how Robert&rsquo;s attachment to the horses and with his therapist developed. The resulting progression and insight building abilities he acquires may serve as preventative measures with respect to re-offense after release. </p>

<p> A majority of active shooter incidents occur at the workplace (FBI, 2014), and the frequency of natural disasters is on the rise (Mileti, 1999). Many large agencies prepare employees through various response training approaches for such crises. TSA historically addressed training for all emergencies through a mandatory online all-hazards training, along with yearly evacuation drills. Following the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) shooting on November 1, 2013, a mandatory active shooter web-based training was also assigned to every TSA employee. After completing both the all-hazards and active shooter web-based trainings courses, TSA employees had the option to participate in the training evaluation surveys. Analysis of the feedback from the online trainings informs both the acceptability of this training format, as well as future improvements for the web-based curriculum. This research highlights the suitability of providing important training to TSA officers online.</p>