From the Paper "Forensic Science
The term, "forensic science," encompasses a range of disciplines employed for legal purposes. Depending on the branch of science, forensic professionals may include, among others, physicians, nurses, chemists, and coroners. These individuals' expertise may be applied to both civil and criminal investigations. It can provide a means for determining cause of death in murder investigations, and can also be used to determine suspects' guilt or innocence in cases of sexual assault. Obviously, given the broad scope of the forensic sciences, abundant opportunity exists for those seeking a career in this field. Moreover, of the many different options available, some may be particularly suitable for women.
Forensic science combines scientific knowledge with the..."
From the Paper "This research examines the following question: Can the exercise of police discretion in the use of force be reformed or controlled? The thesis of this examination is that the use of force by police in the discharge of their duties can both be reformed and controlled without compromising the capacity of the police to maintain public safety and enforce the law.
Violence in the United States has reached epidemic proportions. Violence is most typically an outgrowth of conflict when peaceful dispute mechanisms fail. The use of force by police frequently occurs in situations that are characterized by violence prior to the arrival of police. Crime, particularly violent crime, has been a major concern of the American population for decades. The demands placed upon police office ... "
Abstract This paper examines the role of the local fire department in responding to and planning for terrorist attacks. It describes paradigm shift in the way the department releases information to the public since September 11th, 2001. The paper states that a properly functioning master plan is essential to maintain order and lessen the effects of fear and panic from the terrorist attack.
From the Paper "In disaster response training and planning, it is said that the first people on the scene are the local fire department, but in reality, they are the second ones on the scene. The first person is the person who made the call. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, communities demanded to know that their government was ready in the event of another attack on the Federal, state and local level. They want to see concrete plans to handle such an event and a massive effort to assure that this does not happen again. Terrorism is unique from other disasters from an Emergency Response Perspective as it can take on many unpredictable forms. The following research will examine the role of the local fire department in responding to and planning for terrorist attacks."
Abstract This paper discusses the trafficking of women, the use of force and deception to transfer women into situations of extreme exploitation especially sexual exploitation: Women forced to dance nude, perform as sex slaves, held as indentured servants, perform acts of prostitution. The paper points out that the trafficking of women and children for sex and labor is prevalent in all regions of the United States and around the globe. The author feels that the most effective way to tackle trafficking is at the grass roots level, strengthening local economies and educating women and their families about the dangers of enslavement.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Trends
Theoretical Explanation
Merton's Anomie
Radical Theory
Routine Activity Theory
Viewpoint
Recommendations
Comprehensive Preventive Measures
Penal Legislation
Proactive Victim Support
Cooperative International Policies
Better Document Control
Targeted Public Education
Conclusion
From the Paper "Robert Merton's anomie theory explains crime in terms of inequity between culturally approved goals and the means to achieve those goals. The lure of trafficking women is like the lure of trafficking drugs: Easy money and the fulfillment of financial goals. Clearly, traffickers of women do not have equal access or legitimate means of obtaining society's bounty. Since this is an individualist theory, the trafficker does not blame society; rather he blames himself for his shortcomings."
Abstract The article outlines the development of forensic science over the past 50 years and its growing contribution to crime solving. It also presents some case studies of court cases and deals with the roll of forensic evidence in the courtroom. The author points out that until DNA testing was introduced in the early 1980s the main form of forensic identification was fingerprinting which is not accepted by all as valid evidence.
From the Paper "Though forensic science has been aiding police work for a long time, it is only in the last two decades that it gained any real prominence. With better technologies being adopted by police departments worldwide, forensic evidence stands a better chance of entering formal investigations. But while these technologies have helped accentuate the significance of forensic science, they have also played a dominant role in discrediting forensic evidence. For example finger printing which is the oldest form of forensic evidence is widely being considered part of junk science that should be kept out of the court. Similarly no case involving DNA matching as primary evidence has ever made it to the Supreme Court in the United States."
Abstract This paper presents the two main arguments in favor of the death penalty which are the theory of deterrence and the "eye-for-an-eye" premise. The paper also explains the view point of those who oppose the death penalty. It explains that they generally argue that the death penalty does not deter people from committing serious crimes such as murder, and that people will not stop committing serious crimes such as murder out of fear of the death penalty. Those who oppose the death penalty often argue that its vengeance is a pointless motivation for punishment because it brings no real feeling of solace to the families of victims.
From the Paper "Whether the death penalty deters crime is a point on both sides of the death penalty debate. Those in favor of the death penalty argue that it deters crime, while those who are against it argue that it does not. From a utilitarian standpoint, deterrence is the most important element of the debate because there is no reason to have the death penalty if it has social benefit.
I do not believe it has any deterrent effect, and there is scant evidence to support that it does. More importantly, the death penalty has historically been applied in an uneven manner, with African-Americans and other minorities unfairly receiving the death penalty disproportionately."
Abstract Discussion of the large number of innocent people sentenced to death in Florida, then exonerated and freed. Florida's Death Penalty Reform Act of 2000. Examples of wrongful convictions. Death penalty in other States. Division between Northern and Southern states. High number of African Americans on death row. Death penalty vs. life without parole.
From the Paper "The Death Penalty in Florida
Introduction:
Florida leads the nation in the number of innocent people sentenced to death, then exonerated and freed. Since the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the resumption of the death penalty in 1976, Florida has reversed the convictions of 20 Death Row inmates, more than any other state in the nation. In 1999, 75 percent of the death.penalty cases brought before the appeals court were overturned. (Goering, 2000, B2) In fact, the death penalty does not serve the public interest of real justice, for Florida or anywhere else.
REVISION TO THE DEATH PENALTY LAWS:
Florida has by far the largest number of Death Row cases where an inmate was granted a new trial either because prosecutors..."
Abstract Examines the death penalty & its impact on African Americans. Discusses which States have the death penalty; the ratio of African Americans to other races on death row. Ratio of African Americans to other races put to death in Capital Punishment states. Concludes blacks are disproportiantly executed or sentenced to death compares to whites. Charts of statistics.
From the Paper "This research examines the death penalty in the US, especially its impact on African-Americans. The research will set forth the context in which the issue of capital punishment has met the experience of African-Americans, and then discuss the states that have the death penalty, the ratio of African-Americans to other races on death row in each state, and the ratio of African-Americans to other races put to death in each capital-punishment state in the last 10 years.
To understand the impact of the death penalty on African-Americans in recent years it is necessary to examine the structure of capital punishment that has emerged in recent American history, which in significant part has organized itself around the impact of racism on civil society. Historically, nonwhites were likely to receive death-penalty sentences and were..."
Abstract Analysis of Humphreys' book on the sociology of deviance. Book centers on a study of men from mainstream society (most married) who engaged in impersonal sex with other men in public bathrooms. Subculture. Risks involved (exposure, police) and reward (sexual satisfaction). Faults author's controversial research strategy (posing as a deviant to obtain information) & his methodology as violations of the freedom & privacy rights of his subjects, and as lacking depth. Praises book for its enlightening perspective.
From the Paper "In Tearoom Trade: Impersonal Sex in Public Places, Laud Humphreys redefined the sociology of deviance by showing that men from mainstream society were the main participants of a highly deviant activity?impersonal sex in restrooms dubbed the tearoom (Rainwater in Humphreys, 1975, p. xiii). Unlike prevalent conceptions of deviant acts as belonging solely to a deviant subculture, such as the gay culture, tearoom sex involves men who are married and live with their wives (Humphreys, 1975, p. 105).
Depending on how far their deviant behavior deviated from the rest of their lives, these men faced different risks by participating in tearoom sex. Therefore, Humphreys (1975) discovered that married men with a respectable position in mainstream society compensated for their deviant behavior by..."
Abstract Discusses challenges confronted by social workers and other counseling professinals who provide intervention and prevention services. Acting-out or delinquent behavior as a feature of adolescent depression disorders. Need for a working alliance between rehabilitation system caregivers, justice system professionals and parents. Theoretical causes of delinquency. Achieving desirable attitudinal change.
From the Paper "Counseling and Juvenile Rehabilitation
Social workers and other counseling professionals are confronted with the myriad challenges of providing effective intervention and prevention services to juvenile delinquents and other adolescents referred to juvenile rehabilitation centers (Miser, 1996). In the mental health literature, acting-out or delinquent behavior is recognized as an associated feature of adolescent depression disorders. These concerns, however, are seldom addressed in the delinquency literature, which tends to position delinquency and acting-out behaviors as independent of other potentially co-morbid conditions or disorders (miser, 1996). For professionals who work with this population, the literature indicates that working alliances between disparate rehabilitation system caregivers, justice system professionals, and parents a ..."
Abstract This paper discusses various theories of criminal behavior including biological, psychological, and sociological factors. Some of the theories discussed are Lombroso's theory of atavism, Freud's theory of the id, ego, and superego and Aker's social learning theory.
From the Paper "Attribution theory is aimed at explaining why people behave or act in a certain manner. Some people attribute behaviors to some quality within the individual themselves, such as biology, heredity, or psychology. Others attribute behaviors to factors outside of the individual. These are social factors, which include economic factors, the community in which the individual lives, the family, peer groups, and many more. For centuries, theorists have been applying the attribution theory to crime in order to determine why people commit crime. There are many different theories on this subject. Some attribute crime to biology, some to psychology, and others to sociology. These theories can be applied individually or combined to describe why people commit crime."
Abstract This paper begins by defining and explaining the problem of violence in high schools - ranging from petty bullying to gun battles leaving students dead. Some causes of the increase in violence are discussed such as violent TV shows, social pressure and the easy availability of guns. Social consequences of high school and gang violence is addressed and some solution are suggested. These suggestions include student tasks forces, workshops and a zero-tolerance attitude towards violent incidences by the school authorities.
From the Paper "The more publicly visible and horrifying acts of violence in American high schools, and junior high schools, this past year have just been the tip of the iceberg. Violence in American schools has increased dramatically - often associated with youth gang activity. In looking at some recent figures for the school year 1996-1997, there were 4,000 cases of rape and sexual assault reported. There were also over 11,000 cases of physical assault reported, including assaults with weapons. This seems to be correlated, to some extent, with an increase in youth gang violence which has more than doubled during the past two decades (Owens, 1999)."
Abstract The paper discusses the background to the creation of the three-strikes law, which imposes heavy mandatory sentences on persons convicted for the third time of a felony. The paper examines whether the law exhibits adequate proportionality in applying third-strike sentences.
It also discusses the constitutionality of the law and arguments put forward by opponents to the law.
From the Paper "Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O?Connor's opinion in Ewing v. California stressed that courts should not interfere with decisions by state legislatures concerning criminal sentencing policies (Cahill, 2003). In this case, the supreme court upheld the constitutionality of a 25-year sentence against Gary Albert Ewing, whose third-strike sentence was stealing three golf clubs, valued at $1200, from a store."
Abstract This paper examines the issues surrounding the "three strikes" law to determine whether it has been effective in reducing crime, if it deters crime,and if it is a fair and practical law. Ultimately, this paper aims to determine if the three strikes law should be implemented nation-wide. It discusses how since its introduction in 1993, the controversial "three strikes" sentencing law has been a topic of heated debate amongst politicians, lawmakers and the public. It looks at how the foundation of the "three strikes" law is often referred to as the "six percent solution" which holds that a small percentage of criminals, approximately six percent, commit up to 80 percent of all crimes. Thus, proponents of the "three strikes" laws believe that it will get this highly active and dangerous group of repeat criminals off the street, significantly reducing crime rates. Statistics and graphs are included.
From the Paper "A separate study by Beres and Griffith (1998) revealed that the three strikes law produces a modest reduction in crime (Jones, et al, 2001). However, these results showed that the reasoning behind the law is intrinsically flawed for many reasons. For one, there is little evidence that incarcerating the six percent of career criminal actually reduces crime. Rather, evidence shows that a substantial number of young males engage in criminal activity during their adolescence years. In addition, this study showed that criminally active offenders are often imprisoned regardless of "three strikes" laws. Therefore, the only offenders affected by the three-strikes law are mainly low-rate, non-violent offenders. Finally, this study revealed that sentencing repeat offenders to longer terms would not have a real impact on the general crime rate. "
Abstract This paper discusses how the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 have caused numerous changes in criminal policies. It examines three of those effects ? the expanded powers of the President and Attorney General, new policies that could affect local policing and concerns about infringements on civil rights and liberties. It looks at how these policies have relaxed the restrictions on federal and law-enforcement authorities, giving them greater latitude in activities like search and seizure, eavesdropping and the detention of suspected criminals. It also shows how civil rights groups have also expressed concern that such measures are unconstitutional.
From the Paper "On the downside, some cities have seen an increase in crime rates as a direct result of the terrorist attacks. Generally, the extent of law enforcement authority varies with the nature and size of the criminal environment faced by the police. The terrorist attacks have greatly raised demands on law enforcement in New York and Washington, DC. In other places, police manpower has been diverted towards activities relating to homeland security. These include guarding public events and places as well as responding to reports of possible terrorist threats. As a result of this drain, some cities have seen a corresponding increase in theft and homicide (Stuntz)."
Tags: 9/11, law-enforcement, criminal, policies, president
