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- Title
- TRANSFERRING JUVENILES TO THE ADULT COURT: A FACTORIAL SURVEY OF FLORIDA PROSECUTORS.
- Creator
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King, Robin, Applegate, Brandon, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Prosecutors have enormous discretion in the criminal justice system. Their decisions can ultimately impact and shape the course of the lives of the offenders whom they prosecute. This is certainly true for juvenile offenders considered for transfer to the adult court. Previous research indicates that serious, violent offenders are the most likely to be transferred to the adult court. However, very little is known on prosecutors' views of the role of the juvenile court, the process of...
Show moreProsecutors have enormous discretion in the criminal justice system. Their decisions can ultimately impact and shape the course of the lives of the offenders whom they prosecute. This is certainly true for juvenile offenders considered for transfer to the adult court. Previous research indicates that serious, violent offenders are the most likely to be transferred to the adult court. However, very little is known on prosecutors' views of the role of the juvenile court, the process of transfer or the facts that influence their decision to transfer a juvenile to the adult court. A statewide survey of 800 Florida prosecutors was implemented using factorial vignettes. The results indicate that prosecutors support the idea of transfer generally, particularly when they are making the final determination to transfer to the adult court. Further, prosecutors indicate that juvenile transfer should be used sparingly, in extreme cases that are not appropriate to the resources of the juvenile court. The data were also examined to determine the effect of juvenile offender and juvenile offense characteristics on the decision to transfer a juvenile to the adult court. Analysis revealed several significant predictors of preference for transfer: age, threat to society, presence of a violent offense, ethnicity of juvenile, presence of prior adjudications, and amenability to treatment.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- Identifier
- CFE0001266, ucf:46937
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001266
- Title
- The Disobedient Prisoner: A Racial Comparison of the Level of Punishment Prescribed to Inmates for Rule Violations.
- Creator
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King, Sarah, Corzine, Harold, Gay, David, Reckdenwald, Amy, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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With the various studies that point to racial disparities at different levels of the United States' criminal justice system, it is necessary to uncover all places within the system where racial disparities might exist. Understanding that Black inmates are disproportionately represented within the prison system led to the hypothesis that Black inmates receive harsher punishments than White inmates when they violate a rule while in prison. A cross-sectional study, (")Survey of Inmates in State...
Show moreWith the various studies that point to racial disparities at different levels of the United States' criminal justice system, it is necessary to uncover all places within the system where racial disparities might exist. Understanding that Black inmates are disproportionately represented within the prison system led to the hypothesis that Black inmates receive harsher punishments than White inmates when they violate a rule while in prison. A cross-sectional study, (")Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities, 2004,(") which was available through ICPSR, was used in order to test the hypothesis. The data were collected from October 2003 through May 2004. For the current study, only inmates who had committed armed robbery, aggravated assault, or murder were in the sample. After the modification of the variables comprised of race, rule violations, and punishment type, the sample size was 652. First, an OLS regression was used in three models, which showed that major rule violations had a significant effect on the type of punishment an inmate received, but race did not. Second, age groups were employed to run an OLS regression within each of the four age groups. This revealed that major rule violations had a significant effect on the type of punishment an inmate received in four of the age groups, but race was not significant in any of the models. Implications and possible explanations regarding these findings are discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005819, ucf:50045
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005819
- Title
- A Mixed-Methods Approach to Examining the Memphis Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Model: An exploratory study of program effectiveness and institutionalization processes.
- Creator
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Magers, Megan, Potter, Roberto, Rosky, Jeffrey, Adams, Kenneth, Lin, Hefang, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The present study utilized a mixed-methods strategy to examine the effectiveness, diffusion, and institutionalization of the Memphis Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model. To evaluate the effectiveness of the training component of the CIT model, a panel research design was employed in which a sample of 179 law enforcement officers and 100 correctional officers in nine Florida counties were surveyed on the first day of training (pretest), the last day of training (posttest), and one month...
Show moreThe present study utilized a mixed-methods strategy to examine the effectiveness, diffusion, and institutionalization of the Memphis Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model. To evaluate the effectiveness of the training component of the CIT model, a panel research design was employed in which a sample of 179 law enforcement officers and 100 correctional officers in nine Florida counties were surveyed on the first day of training (pretest), the last day of training (posttest), and one month following their completion of CIT training (follow-up). These surveys measured the extent to which CIT training achieved several officer-level objectives, including increased knowledge of mental illness and the mental health referral process, improved self-efficacy when responding to mental health crises, and enhanced perceptions of verbal de-escalation skills, mental health services in the community, and the mental health referral process. The results of these surveys revealed officers experienced a statistically significant increase on every measure of training effectiveness between the pretest and posttest data collection points. However, a significant decline was found among the 117 officers that responded to the follow-up survey on the measures associated with self-efficacy and perceptions of verbal de-escalation, which points to a measurable decay in the effectiveness of the training in the intermediate timeframe with regard to these two measures. To examine the extent to which the diffusion of the CIT model resembles a social movement in the field of criminal justice and to explore the impact of CIT institutionalization on the organizational structure of criminal justice agencies, an online survey was distributed to 33 representatives of law enforcement and correctional agencies known to participate in the CIT program in the nine Florida counties in which officers were surveyed. The results of this survey indicate interagency communication and external pressure from mental health providers and advocates largely contribute to the decision of criminal justice agencies to adopt the CIT model. In addition, the findings of this survey suggest criminal justice agencies modify their organizational structure in a number of different ways to internalize and institutionalize the CIT model. By coupling a training program evaluation with an assessment of diffusion and institutionalization, this study makes a unique contribution to organizational and evidence-based literature.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0004884, ucf:49671
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004884
- Title
- The Impact of Public Service Motivation on Reentry Managers' Decision-making Practices.
- Creator
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Pryor, Marie, Kapucu, Naim, Hu, Qian, Blessett, Brandi, Potter, Roberto, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The goal of this exploratory study is to examine the effects of public service motivation (PSM) in predicting decision-making of criminal justice personnel (reentry managers) in the management of former prisoners. The overarching research question seeks to answer if, and in what way, PSM score influences reentry managers' approach to their work with the formerly incarcerated, who are in transition from prison back into the community. The main assumption of this study is that those reentry...
Show moreThe goal of this exploratory study is to examine the effects of public service motivation (PSM) in predicting decision-making of criminal justice personnel (reentry managers) in the management of former prisoners. The overarching research question seeks to answer if, and in what way, PSM score influences reentry managers' approach to their work with the formerly incarcerated, who are in transition from prison back into the community. The main assumption of this study is that those reentry managers with a higher PSM score will be more inclined to take an assistance oriented approach with former prisoners and be more likely to make rehabilitative decisions than those with lower PSM scores, who will be more inclined to assume a punitive role. This study utilized binomial logistic regression and chi-square analysis to test hypotheses. Survey data was collected over a period of three months in the summer and fall of 2014, and was based upon a national sample of 108 reentry managers whose agencies had received funding from a federal reentry grant. Follow-up interviews were also conducted with nine participants to provide deeper understanding of responses and explain some of the quantitative findings. Overall findings supported the key assumption with the overall sample possessing medium to high PSM scores and a greater frequency of making rehabilitative decisions.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0006050, ucf:50973
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006050
- Title
- ZERO TOLERANCE FOR SOME:THE ROLE OF RACE IN ZERO TOLERANCE EXCLUSIONARY DISCIPLINE.
- Creator
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Bejarano, Meghan, Ford, Jason, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Within the last few decades, zero tolerance policies and exclusionary discipline have become the standard way in which schools manage student behavior. These policies, namely suspension and expulsion have been shown to have negative impacts on the lives of students who are punished with them. Educationally, the removal of students from the classroom hurts their chances of achieving academic success. Furthermore, these policies have been linked with an increase in the presence of law...
Show moreWithin the last few decades, zero tolerance policies and exclusionary discipline have become the standard way in which schools manage student behavior. These policies, namely suspension and expulsion have been shown to have negative impacts on the lives of students who are punished with them. Educationally, the removal of students from the classroom hurts their chances of achieving academic success. Furthermore, these policies have been linked with an increase in the presence of law enforcement on school campuses, which results in the arrest of students, burdening them with expensive and serious legal battles. This research examines whether nonwhite students are more likely to be sanctioned by this form of discipline. A nationally representative sample of middle and high school students is used to estimate four logistic regression models, with exclusionary discipline as the dependent variable and race as the primary independent variable. The analysis shows that nonwhite students are more likely to suspended or expelled than white students - even when student behavior is the same. This research adds to the existing body of research on exclusionary discipline and provides a nationally generalizable study to support the claim the nonwhite students are at an increased risk to be sanctioned by zero tolerance policies.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFH0004643, ucf:45276
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004643
- Title
- Domestic Violence (&) No-Drop Policies: Doing More Harm Than Good?.
- Creator
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Vincent, Jolene, Huff-Corzine, Lin, Corzine, Harold, Reckdenwald, Amy, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Over the past few years, much debate has been centered on domestic violence, also known as intimate partner violence (IPV), and how it should be handled in our society and criminal justice system. In previous years, domestic violence has been seen not only as a private family matter, but a situation in which no outsiders should intrude. In 2014, the Centers for Disease Control stated that intimate partner violence is a public health problem with 27% of women and nearly 12% of men who have had...
Show moreOver the past few years, much debate has been centered on domestic violence, also known as intimate partner violence (IPV), and how it should be handled in our society and criminal justice system. In previous years, domestic violence has been seen not only as a private family matter, but a situation in which no outsiders should intrude. In 2014, the Centers for Disease Control stated that intimate partner violence is a public health problem with 27% of women and nearly 12% of men who have had some sort of experience with sexual or physical violence at the hands of an intimate partner, being stalked, or had violence impacting their lives in some way. Over the past 20 years, many policies have been enacted that attempt to not only hold offenders responsible for their actions, but also to help victims obtain the resources they so desperately need. While it may seem simple to say that police should arrest more and judges should give harsher sentences in an attempt to control domestic violence, they do need effective tools to help them achieve these results. In this paper, I analyze the satisfaction victims of intimate partner violence have with no-drop policies. These policies do not allow victims to drop charges against a perpetrator. Using data from the Interuniversity Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), findings indicate that male victims are more likely to be satisfied with the no-drop policy than are female victims. Because victims did not want the criminal justice system response to their victimization to go beyond arrest, future research needs to focus on why victims do not support jailing or therapy for offenders.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005898, ucf:50885
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005898
- Title
- Falling Behind in Pay: A Longitudinal Test of Equity Theory Among Florida Municipal Police Agencies' Salaries.
- Creator
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Lord, Robert, Gau, Jacinta, Wolf, Ross, Paoline, Eugene, Folger, Robert, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Prior research has found equity theory explains employee responses to falling wages in relation to other comparable workers. The present research attempts to contribute to the criminal justice literature by directly testing equity theory within the policing context, something no study has done to date. Applied to policing, equity theory predicts sworn officers employed by departments with falling or inequitable salaries (i.e., their salaries fail to keep up with those at other regional...
Show morePrior research has found equity theory explains employee responses to falling wages in relation to other comparable workers. The present research attempts to contribute to the criminal justice literature by directly testing equity theory within the policing context, something no study has done to date. Applied to policing, equity theory predicts sworn officers employed by departments with falling or inequitable salaries (i.e., their salaries fail to keep up with those at other regional agencies) will reduce their work input (i.e., discretionary arrests) and/or quit in higher numbers than before (i.e., increase attrition). The present study also attempts to quantify how far officer salaries can fall behind the mean regional police pay before a municipal agency experiences negative outcomes. The research questions are examined using data from Criminal Justice Agency Profile (CJAP) Reports from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), with historical salary and attrition data for 122 municipal law enforcement agencies in Florida from 2001-2011, and Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Part II Arrest Data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for the same time period. A time-series cross-sectional (TSCS) analysis is conducted over 11 annual data points. This study attempts to bring an additional theory into the fold of the policing literature by testing it against a large, law enforcement specific data set. This is in part an effort to answer the call for what has been described as a need for more theory in the criminal justice and policing literature (Cooper (&) Worrall, 2012; Mears, 2010). It should also enable police administrators to gauge, relative to regional competitor salaries, at what point to anticipate negative consequences from the underpaid condition of police officers working at their municipal police agencies. The findings suggest Florida municipal police officers do not reduce their work inputs, as measured by UCR Part II arrests, but do quit their jobs in larger numbers in response to stagnant or falling salaries as predicted by equity theory. Policy implications include a better understanding by police administrators as to what they can expect and prepare for when municipal police officers' salaries become stagnant or fall as compared to pay at other regional law enforcement agencies.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006136, ucf:51170
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006136