This is a composition of information derived from the research conducted to produce each episode of Nefarious. As part of my final thesis project for my undergraduate degrees in criminal justice and forensic psychology, I created a podcast on the topic of true crime with an academic approach titled Nefarious. Each episode of Nefarious examines a particular case in relation to some academic theme learned throughout my educational career at Arizona State University. Episode one examines the life and crimes of Richard Ramirez and different criminological theories that could be used to explain his behavior. Episode two looks at the case of Brock Turner and Chanel Miller and focuses on the larger problem of rape culture in America and sexual assault on college campuses. In episode three the case of the Central Park Five is detailed in relation to false confessions and wrongful convictions within the legal system. Episode four is centered around Kyle Rittenhouse and the use of self-defense as a legal defense in the justice system as well as the political atmosphere surrounding this case. The fifth episode explores three cases of police brutality against racial minorities and the history of police in America. The final episode of Nefarious covers the life and crimes of Jeffrey Dahmer and analyzes such actions from a forensic psychology approach.

Background: ACEs has been associated with stress and violence in prior research. More research is needed to set up gender differences between males and females displaying violence and stress in response to ACEs. Objectives: This study investigated the effects of ACEs and gender on exhibited frequencies of violence and stress within youth. Methods: This study used descriptive statistics and regression to examine the relationships between gender and aces on violence and stress using data from the Arizona Youth Survey (AYS). Interactions were included to evaluate if gender moderated the effect of ACEs. Results: Analyses showed that ACEs significantly impacted youths’ engagement in violence and experiences of stress. Additionally, boys engaged in more violence while girls experienced increased stress. Interaction effects were not substantial as compared to the main effects of ACEs and gender. Conclusion: Given the results, youth interventions should focus on the overall impact of ACEs, regardless of gender.

Maryvale is the most densely populated neighborhood in Phoenix, Arizona. Originally master-planned for white middle-class families, Maryvale has become a majority-minority neighborhood that is still impacted by socioeconomic problems left from the 1980's white flight, as well as a reputation for being dangerous. Residents share their experiences living in the community and their opinions about its problematic reputation and its impact and current development efforts. Oral history brings a personal perspective to the literal history of Maryvale to create a more accurate and comprehensive story.

In 1984, President Ronald Reagan passed the National Organ Transplant Act (NOTA) to create an organ national registry and prohibit the purchase and selling of specific organs. Despite the enactment, the kidney shortage remains. This leaves 13 people on the waiting list dying prematurely every day while waiting for a kidney donation. This revision of the amendment permits the selling and purchase of kidneys in order to decrease kidney organ trafficking and help alleviate the kidney shortage. An argument on why this amendment should be considered is explained through statistics, ethics, socioeconomic, market fundamentalism, and legislative history. These sections find ample support for amending the National Organ Transplant Act of 1984 to include the sale and purchase of kidneys.

The concept of rape has been a prominent part of historical U.S. criminal law, and legislation and statutes have changed significantly over time. Despite numerous reforms, however, there is still a lack of reporting, arrests, and convictions for sexual assault cases. This is due to several factors influencing the judgement of criminal justice actors, such as how cases are handled by police officers and prosecutors, who decide whether to further investigate a case, send the case to prosecution for sentencing, or bring the case to trial. Some of these influences include legal and extra-legal factors and certain beliefs or assumptions about sexual assault victims, which affect these officials’ discretionary decisions. As a result, criminal justice officials tend to dismiss or unfound a sexual assault case, especially with acquaintance rape, contributing to the substantial lack of arrests and convictions. These facts, which are examined in the paper, emphasize the need to reassess our criminal justice system's current response to sexual assault cases. This includes adjusting the evaluation markers for prosecutors, improving the communication between the relevant criminal justice actors, and implementing evaluations of prosecutorial ethics and community satisfaction.

Social isolation in early childhood can have life-long effects on social behaviors and development. Cerebellar crus I has additionally been linked to social behaviors through forebrain pathways. In this study, we hypothesized that social isolation of mice from postnatal day 21 (P21) until p35 would result in impaired social behaviors. Additionally, we hypothesized that gq DREADD injections into crus I, to increase levels of cerebellar stimulation, at the start of the isolation period would counteract the effects of isolation, leading to mice who displayed normal social behaviors. Social behavior at P35 was tested using the 3-Chamber Task, a well-established model, and SLEAP deep-learning software was used to obtain quantifiable data. We found no difference in social behaviors between socially raised and isolated mice. However, gq DREADD mice displayed greater levels of social interaction and exploration than either socially raised mice or isolated mice. This research carries implications for possible therapeutic interventions for groups prone to social isolation, such as those with developmental disabilities, minority groups, the elderly, and prison populations.

The goal of this creative project is to produce digestible information for Jewish and Christian faith leaders who may interact with people who are or were incarcerated. The brochures can be downloaded and used as resources for faith leaders. The data for this project was collected from ASU's Center for Correctional Solutions.

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.