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<p> The general public knows very little about the criminal justice system overall, which can result in an assorted, often negative, opinions of the criminal justice system. The public's confidence in the criminal justice system is imperative to the operation of the criminal justice system. Our criminal justice system relies on the participation from the community in order to work. One speculation as to why the public has a less than favorable opinion of the criminal justice system is that the system is viewed a mystery. The public has no idea how each component of the criminal justice system works because the majority of the public has had no direct contact with the criminal justice system. Most information obtained about the criminal justice system, the public gathered from what they hear and see from the media or from other people. Using secondary data from a national survey, this dissertation analyzed mass media, specifically TV news, newspapers, and TV judge programs, to determine these variables have an influence on the relationship of the courts and public opinion in the United States. This dissertation can be viewed as ground zero in terms of how the media began to influence the public's opinion of the criminal justice system, especially the court component. For this study, a quantitative approach using a descriptive survey design was used. It was determined that the respondents were not as influenced by mass media as anticipated. The findings of this study were more consistent with the international literature than domestic literature on this topic. This dissertation offers a better understanding of the connection between mass media, even without the more modern aspects of the media such as the internet, and the public's views of the courts. This dissertation presents valuable information for satisfaction with the courts and attitude toward the courts that has not been seen in the current literature on this subject. In conclusion, recommendations were provided offered to further advance the research in this area.</p>

This research proved a unique opportunity to observe a cohort of 20 life-sentenced prisoners that had already negotiated an often fragmented and difficult ‘system’. These prisoners were at the Category-C stage of their sentence (medium security) and looking to progress to Category-D (open conditions) and ultimately towards release on license. Unusually, they were attempting to do this at a private prison, HMP Wolds in East Yorkshire - the first private prison to open in Europe in 1992. Due to negotiating a new contract in 2001, it became the first private prison house a group of ‘lifers’ in a dedicated Lifer Unit. The research details how progress was made and how this private prison, staffed with predominantly untrained specialised ‘lifer’ supervisors, coped with this type of prisoner and if the prisoners would progress on time. This qualitative research project examines issues such as conditions, staffing, education, work and programmes, mainly through the eyes of the prisoners but also by way of staff interviews and observation. Although no direct comparison could be made with a similar private prison, as no other private prison held lifers at that time, it is a useful observational study with a degree of longitudinal depth. The prison certainly demonstrated that it could hold lifers in very good conditions, overseen by excellent quality staff and three quarters of the cohort had either progressed on time or were scheduled to progress to open conditions at the time the research concluded. From the Director personally, the staff made every effort to do things correctly, not only providing the minimum requirements, but providing pockets of innovation that could lead to universal improvements in the treatment of prisoners in England and Wales – most notably the decent manner in which prisoners were treated by staff, which leads to a much more relaxed atmosphere, and therefore a quieter prison with few disciplinary issues. Cognitive-behavioural programmes were analysed and the research demonstrated that the whole rehabilitative idea, although well conceived, is poorly administered in practice, with no central coordination. The research questions whether lifers are suited to such programmes and whether they should actually take up much sought-after places on such courses considering their potential distance from release. To bring this narrative account to life, the thesis highlights two prisoners and conducts a detailed ‘case study’ of each; one who negotiated the ‘system’ successfully and another who failed to engage. It follows their time at HMP Wolds and explores their experiences of the prison regime generally, conditions and staff and considers such issues as sentence planning, town visits, programme provision and delivery. These two prisoners commented lucidly on their time in HMP Wolds and although they were generally very positive about their experience, these comparative case studies demonstrate the difficulty in negotiating the prison ‘system’. The standard of treatment in HMP Wolds was found to be high, backed up with external inspection reports, with most lifers making progress on time due to excellent staff diligence. The privatisation debate, morally and practically, is discussed at length and the holding of lifers sees an increase in not only numbers, but responsibility in the private sector. It could be argued that following almost two years studying this private prison; that if private establishments prove to be no worse that the public sector and no more expensive, then surely this is all that can be asked of them. There is concern as to whether the currently over-crowded prison system is working, but private prisons have certainly not added to the problem, indeed privatisation may have improved some aspects and therefore relatively, privatisation can and should be labelled a success.

<p> The positive psychosocial association between humans and animals suggests there may be a specific utilitarian task in which canines could assist and enhance interactions that extends beyond the field of behavioral sciences and into other fields, such as criminal justice. Additional research is needed in order to study the efficacy of incorporating AAI into the interview process by law enforcement when questioning children of suspected abuse. Interviews with sexually abused children can be ineffective in producing clear and usable evidence for prosecution due to increased anxiety, stress and fear. The purpose of this qualitative study was to ascertain the viewpoints, opinions and perspectives of forensic investigators regarding the utilization of AAI in the interviewing of sexually abused children. Specifically, how the introduction of AAI affects the ability of forensic investigators to obtain critical information when interviewing children of sexual abuse. Participants who utilize AAI while investigating children of sexual abuse were identified through purposive sampling via recruitment email flyer (Appendix A). This qualitative exploratory study conducted in-depth telephone interviews with five forensic investigators who utilize AAI while investigating children of suspected sexual abuse. Data analysis was consistent with existing literature and findings suggest when implemented as part of an effort to improve practice, AAIs could complement the interview process and help to alleviate anxiety, stress and fear and improve emotional and cognitive behavior. The participants&rsquo; narratives identified several key factors associated with the use of AAI: better rapport with the victim, reduced stress and anxiety, and ability to obtain more information from the victim. Data obtained from this research provided additional insight into this phenomenon and can help guide the direction of future research.</p>

<p> Currently, 27 states have medicalized marijuana, and eight states plus the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for recreational use. The media have played a central role in these campaigns by having a robust effect on perceptions of marijuana policy. The media have also been used throughout history to influence individual behavior, particularly surrounding marijuana and other drug use.</p><p> To analyze the media&rsquo;s effects on voting on marijuana initiatives and shifts in perceptions of marijuana policy, risk, harm, and use, this study anonymously surveyed 664 undergraduates. The students were selected using multistage cluster sampling of all departments and courses at a diverse, large university. Findings indicate that the media do not have a significant impact on beliefs and behaviors when peers and social bonds are control variables. Implications include utilizing the media to target peers and parents, an interdisciplinary approach, and utilizing social media for drug reform and prevention efforts. </p>

<p> Female youth are a growing population in the juvenile justice system; however, research on female justice-involved youth is lacking relative to male counterparts. As research suggests this population has experienced higher rates of trauma, the purpose of this study was threefold: first, to describe the extent of complex trauma exposure and sequelae, second, to evaluate the utility of the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument&ndash;Version 2 (MAYSI-2) Trauma Experiences (TE) scale related to complex trauma, and third, to analyze the relationship between complex trauma and comorbid diagnoses of incarcerated adolescent females, using a developmental trauma framework. The present study used archival data from the records of 229 adolescent females, ages 13 to 20, who were remanded to a maximum security juvenile justice facility in Illinois. Scores from the MAYSI-2 TE scale were collected as well as Clinical Needs Assessments that provided demographic information and data regarding trauma exposure and sequelae. A developmental trauma rubric was specifically designed for this study based on the DSM-5 proposed developmental trauma disorder (DTD) diagnosis. Trauma-related data was mapped onto the rubric for the purpose of identifying youth with complex trauma reactions and comparing this data with MAYSI-2 TE scale scores. Exploratory analyses laid a foundation for understanding complex trauma exposure and sequalae among incarcerated female adolescents. As expected, over three fourths of participants were exposed to repeated interpersonal traumas with youth experiencing an average of five different types of trauma exposure. Contrary to the first hypothesis, the MAYSI-2 TE scale was significantly correlated with complex trauma exposure. The second hypothesis was supported, which was contrary to the literature on the subject, and indicated that the MAYSI-2 TE scale scores decrease upon re-assessment after re-admission to the facility. Finally, the third hypothesis revealed nearly universal comorbid diagnoses among the sample (97.4%) and a relationship was found between the proposed developmental trauma disorder diagnosis and diagnoses of personality, bipolar and related, neurodevelopmental, and trauma and stressor related disorders. These results suggest that screening for trauma should be a high priority in juvenile justice settings and that while the MAYSI-2 TE scale score is related to complex trauma exposure, added screening is warranted to identify trauma-related symptoms. Additionally, alternative screening strategies may be useful for those returning to the facility as these youth&rsquo;s TE scale scores were found to be lower than those initially incarcerated as well as lower than their previous scores. Finally, the field would benefit from the adoption of a complex trauma diagnosis to prevent inadequate and inaccurate diagnoses being given when the etiology of symptoms is trauma-based.</p>

<p> Discovering the relationship between the occupational stress of community supervision officers (CSO), their supervision orientation and community supervision outcomes will improve the field of community corrections with respect to CSO job satisfaction, work performance, turn-over rates, workload distribution and training officers in evidence based practices. It also expands already rich research on offender recidivism. An ex post facto non-experimental quantitative design was used to describe the relationship between the independent variables (IV) under observation: the occupational stress level and supervision orientation of CSOs, and the dependent variables (DV): the number of client arrests on the caseloads of CSOs, the offenders&rsquo; successful completion of community supervision, the offenders&rsquo; unsuccessful completion of community supervision, and the number of violation reports a CSO sends to the releasing authorities for offenders on their caseloads. Two survey instruments called the Job Stress Survey (JSS) and the Revised Community Corrections Officer Orientation Scale (RCC) were used to collect data from CSOs. Multiple regression analyses of the IVs and DVs concluded that there was no statistically predictive relationship between the occupational stress and supervision orientation of CSOs. Additionally, there was no statistically predictive relationship between the occupational stress of CSOs, their supervision orientation, or community supervision outcomes. This research began a valuable discussion about the influence of stress on CSO interactions with their offenders, which may influence offender noncompliance with community supervision. Further research should include a larger representation of CSOs, so that more variables can be incorporated into a study for a more robust analysis.</p>

Law enforcement analysis is increasingly utilized by police organizations to help its warranted officials understand the public safety and security environment and make decisions about threats, harms and risks. While there is a well-developed practitioner literature and a number of evaluative studies about law enforcement analysis, there has been little empirical research into the day-to-day work practice of law enforcement analysis. This thesis utilizes participant observation and semi-structured interviews to construct an ethnography of the daily work practice of law enforcement analysis in three sites in the USA, Ireland and the UK. This empirical research at the intersection of the organizational structures and work cultures of both the law enforcement analytic units and the larger police organisation to which they belong helps explain not only how knowledge is created but also what knowledge and why. The thesis concludes that while law enforcement analysis produces valuable knowledge about current threats and harms and plays a role in organizational risk management, a variety of factors circumscribe the type of knowledge that is produced. The result is that the future is left largely unknown and that law enforcement analysts play a limited role in brokering organizational uncertainty about the public safety and security environment.

<p> After the kidnapping and murder of his son Adam in 1981, John Walsh dedicated his life to advocating for missing children. He became the forerunner of a movement to change the laws of the country so that no parent or child would have to suffer through the same events his family endured. The media frenzy surrounding the case, as well as John Walsh&rsquo;s efforts to make child endangerment and missing children a national issue, helped influence and alter the way the public views the issues of child safety, child kidnapping, and the offenders that harm these children. This research analyzed newspaper articles involving the Adam Walsh murder, and examined rhetorical patterns based on ideas of the social construction of reality, folk devils and moral panics. This research revealed five rhetorical themes the media used when discussing the Adam Walsh case: vulnerability of the victim, description of the offender and crime, transformation of John Walsh, America&rsquo;s lost childhood innocence and the evolution of the criminal justice system. Results showed repeated pattern of descriptive language emphasizing Adam&rsquo;s age for innocence and vulnerability, a distinct evolution of John Walsh as a moral entrepreneur and an overall loss of innocence and safety felt amongst parents and children. </p><p> This research revealed that the legislation developed and passed has been influenced by fear pervasive in society, rather than criminal data. The findings suggests that federal legislation needs to be modified so that there is less invasion into the lives of nonviolent offenders that are less likely to recidivate.</p>

<p> The school-to-prison pipeline is a phenomenon that is occurring in public schools across the country. This study investigates if the presence of a School Resource Officers (SRO) has an effect on the rate of expulsions experienced in schools. My data is from a secondary data set from the 2009-2010 School Survey on Crime and Safety. I use the presence of an SRO or security personnel, percentage of white student enrollment, school urbanicity, and percentage of students that score below the 15th percentile on standardized tests as independent variables. My dependent variable is expulsion rates for disobedient behavior. I create one model using OLS regression to run the dependent variable against all of the independent variables. The results yielded that the presence of security personnel or an SRO has increased the rate of expulsions due to disciplinary infractions. I also found that race decreased the expulsion rate; this means that as the percentage of white students goes up, the expulsion rate goes down. These findings suggests that the disproportionate amount of African Americans in this country&rsquo;s prison system could be starting in our school systems.</p>