Theses and Dissertations from UMD
Permanent URI for this communityhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/2
New submissions to the thesis/dissertation collections are added automatically as they are received from the Graduate School. Currently, the Graduate School deposits all theses and dissertations from a given semester after the official graduation date. This means that there may be up to a 4 month delay in the appearance of a give thesis/dissertation in DRUM
More information is available at Theses and Dissertations at University of Maryland Libraries.
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Item When “Tough” Cops Divert and “Soft” Cops Charge: Trait Attitudes vs. State Situational Narratives in a Focal Concerns Process of Police Decision-Making(2019) Slothower, Molly P; Sherman, Lawrence; Criminology and Criminal Justice; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Research Question Do police officers’ overall “tough” or “soft” attitudes toward crime and defendants determine how they handle discretionary cases, or does each officer look at the elements in each case to see whether they should act “tough” or “soft” in the given situation? This study tests whether police decisions to divert cases from prosecution into diversionary out-of-court disposals are driven by “trait attitudes”—each officer’s overall “tough” or “soft” attitudes toward defendants, which are stable characteristics of each officer regardless of the situation—versus officers’ “state attitudes”—their narratives about the meaning of specific elements present in each case as they make decisions. Methods Thirty-four officers in a large urban force completed attitudinal surveys and 20 case study vignettes. For each vignette, officers recorded: each relevant element (e.g. criminal history, alcohol involvement); whether each element pushed them toward prosecution or diversion, and why; and whether they would prosecute or divert the case. Officers recorded 2,241 elements across 645 case responses. Using primarily hierarchical logistic regression models, this study tests the impact of trait attitudes versus state narratives on recommended case outcomes. Results Officer decision-making was more influenced by officers’ interpretations of whether elements signaled each defendant was “reformable” or “incorrigible” than by their overall “tough” or “soft” attitudes. Officers often disagreed on how they interpreted the same elements in the same cases, leading to different outcomes. State narratives were strong predictors in most models regardless of officers’ overall attitudes, including predicting diversion. Trait attitudes had little or no impact in most models, except for one subset of officers—officers in the “toughest” quartile of attitudes were more likely to perceive defendants as incorrigible and less likely to divert. Implications This study provides evidence against the theory that officers are primarily driven by their overall attitudes toward defendants, and instead suggests their narratives interpreting case elements are important drivers of differences between officers in decision-making—officers try to pick the "correct" outcome in each case using these narratives. Therefore, research and police departments should explore officers’ interpretation of situational elements, and test mechanisms to provide feedback regarding accuracy of assumptions.Item Victim Perceptions of Legitimacy of Diversion to a Conditional Out-of-Court Disposal: A Randomized Controlled Trial(2014) Slothower, Molly; Gottfredson, Denise; Criminology and Criminal Justice; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This paper describes a randomized controlled trial testing the impact of a conditional out-of-court police disposal on victim satisfaction. The study draws on three previous research findings: that the quality of procedural factors about the way a case is handled (fair and respectful treatment, etc.) influence victim satisfaction more than the outcome of cases; that victims' primary goal for their case is to stop the offender from committing the crime again; and that the way in which a sanction is communicated can change how appropriate the sanction is perceived to be. In this sample of 142 UK crime victims, half of the offenders in these victims' cases were randomly assigned to court as usual, and half to diversion into Turning Point, wherein offenders agreed to complete conditions designed to stop their offending and address victims' needs. Based on a victim survey (70% response rate), Turning Point sample was 45% more satisfied with their cases (72.5% and 50% satisfaction, respectively). Potential explanations and implications are discussed; how out-of-court disposals are communicated may be key. In a third non-randomized but suggestive sample of victims with Turning Point cases without special attention to communication with victims, only 54% of victims were satisfied.Item A Prescription for Trouble: Prescription Drug Diversion as the New Trend in Drug Crime(2013) Dykstra, Laura Garnier; Johnson, Brian D.; Criminology and Criminal Justice; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Nonmedical use of prescription drugs is rising in the United States (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2001; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2011). Diversion of these substances represents a growing problem for law enforcement and public health officials (Cai, R., Crane, E., Poneleit, K., & Paulozzi, L., 2010; U.S. Department of Justice, 2009). This study documents the extent of prescription drug diversion among an understudied population -- individuals with legitimate prescriptions - and uses Social Learning Theory and Rational Choice Theory to examine risk factors relating to diversion. Participants: Participants in this study were 502 young adults who had been prescribed a medication in waves 5 through 7 of the College Life Study. The College Life Study is a prospective longitudinal study of a single cohort of young adults that were sampled from a large, public university in 2004. Methods: Diversion behavior was described in detail and differences between diverters and non-diverters were examined. Regression analyses examined the effects of theoretically driven peer and rational choice effects on the likelihood of diversion. Opportunity and perceptions were examined as potential mediators. Results: Individuals with legitimate prescriptions divert a substantial amount of medication. Reasons for refusing to divert, opportunities for diversion, and beliefs about diversion differ between diverters and non-diverters. Regression analyses revealed both peer effects and exposure to information regarding prescription drugs predict diversion. Opportunity mediated the relationship between perceptions of peer diversion and likelihood of diversion. Conclusions: Support for both social learning and rational choice approaches to diversion was found. Additional research is warranted to continue to explore risk and protective factors relating to diversion. Implications for the field are discussed.Item Racial Disparities in Pre-Sentencing Courtroom Outcomes(2011) Salpino, Anthony; Wellford, Charles; Criminology and Criminal Justice; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The foundation of the American criminal justice system rests on the idea that all offenders should be treated equally before the law. However, prior research has shown that an offender's race may result in differential treatment. Despite extensive literature examining sentencing and race, very little attention has been given to the courtroom processes that occur after arrest but prior to sentencing (primarily executed at the discretion of the prosecutor). This study examines three of those pre-sentencing processes (dismissals, diversions, and charge reductions) that drastically affect the treatment an offender receives during later stages of the proceedings. Results indicate that minorities are significantly more likely to receive dismissals while being significantly less likely to receive diversions or charge reductions. Findings regarding geographic location and other variables are also discussed as well as limitations and suggestions for further research.