The Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences, Loss of Family Members, and Family Responsibility on Illegal Acts

Description
Children who experience ACEs are more susceptible to engaging in illegal acts later in adulthood. Despite the frequency of ACEs within the prison population, the criminal justice system continues to employ a punitive ideology in its operations instead of addressing

Children who experience ACEs are more susceptible to engaging in illegal acts later in adulthood. Despite the frequency of ACEs within the prison population, the criminal justice system continues to employ a punitive ideology in its operations instead of addressing the ACEs that lead people to commit illegal acts. Many defendants in this study had prior charges and/or were confirmed to have previously served some amount of time in an incarceration facility before they appeared in court to be tried again. The criminal justice system is sometimes referred to as a “revolving door” because it describes the high recidivism rate and how many released ex-offenders return to jail a few years after their release. Every single defendant in the study had current and/or previous drug charges or a history of substance abuse, which goes to show how much the criminal justice system needs to change the way it approaches substance use disorders if the goal is to reduce recidivism. A punitive approach to substance abuse and addiction is ineffective when people who have experienced a multitude of ACEs are released from prison just to return to the same environment that they were arrested from.
Date Created
2024-05
Agent

Indigenous College Students' Violent Victimization, Help-Seeking, Service Utilization, and Needs: A Mixed-Methods Approach

189390-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Indigenous Peoples (Native American, American Indian, and Alaska Native) have experienced high rates of violence and victimization since colonization – which continues to present day. However, little is known regarding the victimization experiences of Indigenous college students. Furthermore, universities are

Indigenous Peoples (Native American, American Indian, and Alaska Native) have experienced high rates of violence and victimization since colonization – which continues to present day. However, little is known regarding the victimization experiences of Indigenous college students. Furthermore, universities are struggling to recruit and retain Indigenous college students, evident by their low enrollment and matriculation rates. One possible reason for this could be universities' inability to support Indigenous students, especially those who have experienced victimization. Yet, there is little empirical knowledge regarding how universities can best support these Indigenous students. To address these gaps, the current dissertation takes a holistic approach to understanding Indigenous individuals’ needs within the university context. Drawing upon Indigenous student survey and interview data, in addition to faculty and staff interview data, this dissertation explores the victimization experiences of Indigenous college students, their service utilization, informal help-seeking behaviors, barriers to seeking help, and ways to improve university services. Overall, findings reveal that Indigenous college students in this sample experience high rates of victimization. Additionally, having culturally relevant services, culturally competent service providers, and being able to practice their culture is necessary to best support Indigenous college students. Recommendations for universities are presented to improve the campus environment for Indigenous college students.
Date Created
2023
Agent

Not with a Bang, but with a Whisper Utilizing a Restorative Justice Framework to Address Issues of Ecocide and Environmental Harm

189309-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Human activity, such as industrialization and deforestation, have led to an increase in global temperatures and natural disaster events that have resulted in the death of over two million people and an economic loss of over USD $3.64 trillion in

Human activity, such as industrialization and deforestation, have led to an increase in global temperatures and natural disaster events that have resulted in the death of over two million people and an economic loss of over USD $3.64 trillion in the last 50 years. Governments, organizations, and activists across the globe have tried to reduce the collateral consequences of human activity on the planet; however, even with increased attention to these issues, there has yet to be much discussion of accountability for planetary harm. Greenhouse gas emissions, waste dumping, and climate change mostly result from individuals, corporations, and governments exploiting the planet of its natural resources freely, without direct and immediate consequence. In the field of criminal justice, the criminalization of and penalization for engagement in certain acts is meant to deter harmful acts. Therefore, to deter auto-genocide, one must ask whether perpetrators of global harm should be held accountable, and what accountability might look like in these scenarios. This article explores traditional definitions of “crime,” punishment, and the criminal label, and discusses the possibility of holding perpetrators of ecocide and the impending auto-genocide accountable utilizing a restorative justice framework.
Date Created
2023
Agent

Exploring Legal Socialization in a New Rule-System: How the Legal Socialization Framework, Coercive Models, and Consensual Models, Apply to Motocross and Supercross.

187855-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Research on legal socialization aims to develop an understanding of how individuals develop their relationship with law and legal actors, as well as how this relationship influences their behavior. One perspective of the legal socialization framework typically considers two models:

Research on legal socialization aims to develop an understanding of how individuals develop their relationship with law and legal actors, as well as how this relationship influences their behavior. One perspective of the legal socialization framework typically considers two models: the coercive model, where behavior is altered by authoritative force, and the consensual model, where behavior is altered by a sense of obligation. Legal socialization is not limited to the actual legal system and can be understood by applying the concepts to other rule-based systems. The current study applied the legal socialization framework to a previously unexplored rule system: motocross and supercross. The goal of this study was to see how formal and informal rule systems of motocross and supercross incorporate aspects of the coercive and consensual models to influence riders’ behaviors. To achieve this aim, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 professional motocross and supercross riders. Findings demonstrate that, although aspects of both models influenced rider behavior, riders expressed more desire for elements from the consensual model, including a penalty process that was clear, consistent, and allowed for rider voice. Findings also highlighted additional factors that influenced riders’ behaviors, including safety, image, relationships, and respect.
Date Created
2023
Agent

"No Justice" Inside Ableist White Supremacy: Narratives of Mental Health and Failed Treatment Experiences Within the U.S. Carceral State

Description

The United States houses only five percent of the world’s population but over 20% of its prison population. There has been a dramatic increase in carceral numbers over the last several decades with much of this population being people with

The United States houses only five percent of the world’s population but over 20% of its prison population. There has been a dramatic increase in carceral numbers over the last several decades with much of this population being people with mental illness designations. Many scholars attribute this phenomenon to the process of deinstitutionalization, in which mental health institutions in the U.S. were shut down in the 1950s and ‘60s. However, disability scholar Liat Ben-Moshe argues that this is a dangerous oversimplification that fails to credit the deinstitutionalization movement as an abolitionist movement and to take into account shifting demographics between institutions and prisons/jails. This study considers how mass incarceration in the U.S. stems from a trend of isolating and punishing BIPOC and people with disabilities at disproportionate rates as it explores lived experiences at the intersection of mental health and incarceration. Findings inform an abolitionist agenda by highlighting the near impossibility of rehabilitation and treatment in an inherently traumatizing space.

Date Created
2023-05
Agent

Understanding the Unique Experiences of Juvenile Lifers in Navigating Relationships After Prison: Trauma and Posttraumatic Growth

Description

Until the 2012 decision in Miller v. Alabama, youth under the age of 18 were mandatorily sentenced to death by incarceration for certain acts in 45 states. Adolescence is understood to be an impressionable period for the development of relationshi

Until the 2012 decision in Miller v. Alabama, youth under the age of 18 were mandatorily sentenced to death by incarceration for certain acts in 45 states. Adolescence is understood to be an impressionable period for the development of relationship and socialization skills. While a breadth of research has explored the impact of social ties on the experiences and outcomes of incarcerated adults, less research has examined the impact of relationships for those incarcerated in adult prisons as youths. Following the landmark Montgomery v. Louisiana case, hundreds of individuals originally sentenced as youth to die in prison were released and had to navigate a society and community vastly different from the one they left in their adolescence. The current study explores the impact of long-term incarceration on an individual's ability to navigate relationships with others during and after incarceration. A case study of five re-entered Black men shows how sharing traumatic experiences throughout incarceration forged deep bonds amongst "juvenile lifers" that extend beyond the prison setting and facilitated individual-level posttraumatic growth. Findings suggest revisions to the parole stipulation prohibiting engagement amongst those with felony convictions.

Date Created
2022-12
Agent

“Reimagining Community Safety”: A Qualitative Analysis of the Defund the Police Movement

168498-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
In May 2020, following the death of George Floyd, communities across the nation organized protests to raise awareness about police brutality and racism in police departments. Protesters popularized the term “defund the police,” which encourages local officials to remove funding

In May 2020, following the death of George Floyd, communities across the nation organized protests to raise awareness about police brutality and racism in police departments. Protesters popularized the term “defund the police,” which encourages local officials to remove funding from police departments and reinvest it into community resources. This study uses qualitative methods to analyze archival and interview data (N= 13) regarding the Defund the Police Movement in Minneapolis, MN; Portland, OR; and San Francisco, CA. The study provides insight into the relationship between community members and police officers before the movement, how people conceptualized the movement, and hopes for public safety in the future. The results indicated that regardless of people’s perspectives of the Defund the Police movement, people appreciated the increase in discussion about best practices and policy changes to increase public safety.
Date Created
2021
Agent

Faith Life of Those Formerly Incarcerated

165878-Thumbnail Image.png
Description

The purpose of this project was to create a platform where people could tell their stories about how their faith impacted their incarceration and their incarceration impacted their faith. There is no single path to pursuing faith in prison, and

The purpose of this project was to create a platform where people could tell their stories about how their faith impacted their incarceration and their incarceration impacted their faith. There is no single path to pursuing faith in prison, and each person faces their own challenges and facilitators in doing so. There is power in stories, and we can learn so much from simply listening. Each story told through this project presents a unique experience of pursuing Christianity while incarcerated. This project interviewed three people who had pursued their faith during their time in prison. The goal of these interviews was to hear first hand the experiences of dedicating oneself to Christianity while incarcerated. Their stories were broken up into three sections, pre-incarceration, during incarceration, and post-incarceration to explore how each participant’s faith differed across the three phases. Main topics discussed include what religious services they had access to while incarcerated, what the main challenge they faced in pursuing their faith in prison, and how their faith impacted their reentry into society.

Date Created
2022-05
Agent

Thinking with Compassion: Understanding Barriers and Goals of Homelessness

165680-Thumbnail Image.png
Description

Homelessness in America continues to increase yearly, with a recent increase of 2% between 2019 and 2020 (State of Homelessness: 2021 Edition, 2021). Housing insecure individuals often remain unhoused because they experience different barriers and setbacks to their goals of

Homelessness in America continues to increase yearly, with a recent increase of 2% between 2019 and 2020 (State of Homelessness: 2021 Edition, 2021). Housing insecure individuals often remain unhoused because they experience different barriers and setbacks to their goals of financial and housing stability. While literature has uncovered some of the unique barriers homeless communities face, a majority do not touch on some of the deeper-rooted issues within their communities nor offer solutions for how housing insecure individuals can be supported by the public. For this study, five housing insecure participants were interviewed regarding their difficulties with being homeless, how compassion has shaped their lives, and what goals they have for regaining stability and security in their lives. Two themes emerged from these interviews: barriers to trust and connection and supports for attaining stability and safety. This paper aims to expose the different issues the homeless communities encounter to better understand their hardships and needs. Additionally, this paper offers solutions to encourage support for homeless communities on individual, organizational, and governmental levels.

Date Created
2022-05
Agent