Master of Arts in Psychology, Cleveland State University, 2025, College of Arts and Sciences

There is a disproportionate number of individuals with serious mental illness in U.S. correctional facilities. While these individuals make up approximately 6% of the general population, they account for up to 40% of the incarcerated population (Al-Rousan et al., 2017; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2023). This overrepresentation is likely explained by discrimination against individuals with serious mental illness at every level of the criminal justice system, as they are twice as likely to be arrested and 50% more likely to receive a jail sentence for misdemeanors compared to those without serious mental illness (Charette et al., 2014; Hall et al., 2019; Torrey et al., 2014). The current study continued the examination of this discrimination by investigating the impact of offender mental illness on public perceptions of crime. Participants viewed two electronic case records, each depicting an offender convicted of either a nonviolent or a violent crime. Both cases portrayed either offenders with mental illness (i.e., schizophrenia) or offenders without mental illness. Participants rated the offenders on a series of positive and negative traits, indicated how much they believe the target is deserving of incarceration, rated how severe they believe the crime is, and evaluated the fairness of the imposed sanction. Contrary to hypotheses, results indicate that offenders without serious mental illness were perceived more negatively and more deserving of incarceration, their crimes were perceived as more severe, and the sanctions they received were perceived as fairer than those with serious mental illness. This research provides a substantial contribution to the literature regarding the disproportionate number of individuals with mental illness in U.S. correctional facilities. It has implications for both stigma reduction efforts and comprehensive mental health evaluations within the criminal justice system.

Committee: Elizabeth Goncy (Committee Chair); Ilya Yaroslavsky (Committee Member); Kathleen Reardon (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2024, Arts and Sciences: Political Science

Legalizing marijuana is often advocated as a measure to address the persistent racial injustices within the American criminal justice system. Previous research indicates that support for marijuana legalization has become increasingly entrenched. However, there has been no prior study that directly evaluates the influence of pro- and anti-legalization arguments by elites, specifically those framed in terms of their impact on the African American community. Considering this, the primary objective of this study is to understand how deeply rooted opinions about marijuana legalization are. I do so by examining the extent to which elite racial appeals prime voters' racial predisposition to marijuana policies. Specifically, I investigate the effect of explicit elite racial framing on respondent's policy position on the extent of legalization (recreational use nationwide, medical use nationwide, illegal nationwide, or leave the decision to the states), social equity-focused policies (reparative justice), and beliefs about whether legalization would help improve underrepresented communities. I further study why some sectors of the population are fiercely opposed to marijuana policies even when exposed to positive information about legalization, thereby investigating whether the American public is willing to change their beliefs towards marijuana policies in the face of countervailing information that confounds stereotypes. To address these research inquiries, I employ a two-step methodology. Initially, I analyze support for marijuana policies utilizing nationally representative surveys. Subsequently, I incorporate a novel survey-embedded experiment to assess the impact of elite racial communication on voters' views about marijuana. The experimental manipulation revealed statistically significant differences across the three conditions on several dependent variables. These include respondents' policy positions on the extent of legalization, opinions on th (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Stephen Mockabee Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Brian Calfano Ph.D. (Committee Member); David Niven (Committee Member) Subjects: Political Science

Bachelor of Arts, Wittenberg University, 2023, Sociology

Recidivism, or the tendency of individuals to re-offend after release from incarceration, is a complex and multifaceted issue that has significant implications for the criminal justice system, the communities affected by crime, and the individuals who are justice-impacted. Each day, a substantial number of individuals in the United States are released from correctional facilities. Despite efforts to prevent their return to incarceration, more than half of paroled individuals end up going back to prison or jail, perpetuating a vicious cycle of criminality that poses a threat to their communities. The issue of recidivism is a pressing concern that demands effective solutions to prevent further harm to society and promote the successful reintegration of those impacted by the criminal justice system. The United States has created various systems to combat recidivism including two different forms of community supervision, known as probation and parole. For this study, I interviewed parole officers in order to learn their perspectives. This study is designed to investigate the impact of various factors, specifically attitudes toward reintegration into society, on positive recidivism outcomes. The interviews revealed that factors such as correctional programs, substance abuse, mental health, social support, and even newer factors such as aging out all affect recidivism outcomes. While those factors are important, this research also shows a singular factor that seems to have one of if not the biggest effect on recidivism outcomes. The parole officer's belief in the returning citizen attitude is underappreciated in past literature and, when focused, can be huge in increasing positive recidivism outcomes. From a parole officer's point of view, a returning citizen's attitude can affect how seriously they take the educational programs and if they even care to better themselves. This belief can change how a parole officer views the returning citizen in a more negative or positiv (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Nona Moskowitz (Advisor); Julius Bailey (Committee Member); David Nibert (Committee Member) Subjects: Criminology; Social Work; Sociology

PHD, Kent State University, 2023, College of Public Health

Background: People with schizophrenia (PWS) face a substantial risk of criminal justice system (CJS) encounters. Understanding PWS's behavior that attracts CJS's attention, and the role substance use disorder (SUD) and long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics treatment play on the risk is critical to prevent the vicious cycle of CJS encounters. Methods: PWS (N=976) who received services at the Community mental health centers in Summit County, Ohio, from 2010-2017, were included. Offenses from their first CJS encounters through 2018 were characterized. The role of SUD on the risk of CJS encounters was assessed using the time-to-event analysis. Rates of CJS encounters were compared between first-generation antipsychotics LAI (FGA-LAI) and second-generation antipsychotics LAI (SGA-LAI), across LAI antipsychotics, and treatment and non-treatment periods fitting Poisson regression models. For the former two comparisons, separate models were fitted for PWS with and without prior CJS encounters and PWS with and without SUD. Results: About 51% had > 1 encounter (median: 4.5) during 32.22 years of median follow-up. PWS were booked for an array of offenses and the most common were non-violent related to public disorder (23.28%), court order (17.45%), property (12.74%), and substance (11.07%). Two-fifth of the study sample had SUD (40%). Compared to the no SUD group, the hazards of getting CJS encounters were 1.88 and 1.83 for those with 1 (21.09%) and > 2 SUD (18.99%), respectively. Alcohol-alone (HR: 2.90), other single drug-alone (HR: 2.82), and polysubstance (HR: 1.91) use disorders had a significant negative effect on time-to-first CJS encounters. SGA-LAI vs. FGA-LAI treatment groups comparison showed no significant differences in the rates of CJS encounters. However, specific LAI comparison showed higher encounter rates among the risperidone treatment group compared to the PP1M group among those with prior CJS encounters (RR: 2.14) and SUD (RR: 1.95). PWS durin (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Madhav P. Bhatta (Committee Chair); Deric R. Kenne (Committee Member); Tianyuan Guan (Committee Member); Douglas A. Smith (Committee Member) Subjects: Epidemiology; Mental Health; Public Health

MA, Kent State University, 2023, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology and Criminology

Research confirms that the support system is vital for incarcerated populations in how their support affects recidivism rates, drug and alcohol use, and employment rates; however, few studies have focused on the perspective of the support system. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the support systems of incarcerated people encountered unprecedented challenges. This study examines the experiences of the individuals who support incarcerated persons during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The data from the study was collected from posts in a public Facebook page dedicated to those who act as the support system for incarcerated persons. Posts from March 2020 to June 2021 were collected and analyzed using conventional content analysis. This research will center on the voices of the support system and gain a better understanding of their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings suggest that the stressors from the COVID-19 pandemic expounded existing issues for the support system. The implications of these findings will be discussed.

Committee: Kamesha Spates (Advisor); Christopher Dum (Committee Member); Richard Adams (Committee Member) Subjects: Sociology

Bachelor of Arts (BA), Ohio University, 2022, Sociology

Previous research indicates that the experiences of family members of the condemned warrants further exploration, as comparatively very little sociological analysis has been conducted on this population. This project further examines an element of their experience which has not yet been fully explored – the ways family members of death row inmates experience the U.S. criminal justice system. Further, this research aims to explore the potential of these family members as victims, through an analysis of the formal definition of victimhood as characterized by victimologists. The research for this thesis is conducted using qualitative methods, including interviews and content analysis. I code these interviews to develop a set of theme categories established by family members; the coding method utilized is informed by Polletta's (2011) narrative criminology literature. Implications for resources to provide family members of the condemned, as well as suggestions for adaptations to the interactions between family and the criminal justice system are explored

Committee: Amanda Cox Ph.D. (Advisor); Howard "Ted" Welser Ph.D. (Advisor) Subjects: Criminology; Sociology

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2021, Sociology

Although prior research has looked at the role of intimate relationships and desistance from crime, fewer have considered how involvement in the criminal justice system affect high-quality intimate relationships. Formal contact with the criminal justice system (i.e., arrest or incarceration) is occurring at younger ages, often before emerging adulthood, when serious intimate relationships and family formation occurs. Events such as arrest or incarceration arguably disrupt efforts to acquire and sustain quality intimate relationships. Research that has examined such associations has focused solely on incarceration or the history of one partner. With increased female policing, and over policing of racial/ethnic minority communities, the need to consider all possible forms of criminal justice contact, and experiences of both partners in a relationship are critical for understanding how criminal justice contact affects relationship quality. This dissertation examined how criminal justice histories of either partner was associated with: (1) relationship uncertainty, (2) intimate partner violence, and (3) depression. Using longitudinal data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (TARS) (n = 1,021) is ideally suited to consider criminal justice histories of both partners, and the multitude of individual, partner and relationship characteristics intertwined with these outcomes. Results from ordinary least squared (OLS) regression models indicated baseline support for nearly all associations and revealed the importance of considering separate indicators for respondents and their partners for outcomes of relationship uncertainty, intimate partner violence and depression. In final models, effects often were mitigated with the inclusion of relationship dynamics. Findings demonstrate the importance of considering ongoing criminality of both partners as well; however, the strong associations with the outcomes of intimate partner violence and depression could not fully rec (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Monica Longmore Ph.D. (Advisor); Mariana Mereoiu Ph.D. (Other); Stephen Demuth Ph.D. (Committee Member); Peggy Giordano Ph.D. (Committee Member); Wendy Manning Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Criminology; Sociology

BA, Kent State University, 2021, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Political Science

The criminal justice system has been affected by a mental health crisis for decades. This paper examines how the potential improved collaboration of mental health and social services would influence the criminal justice system. Addressed is the history of mental health treatment within the country and the disadvantages of past policies which hindered development of key programs. The advantages and disadvantages of theoretical and current policies are discussed and analyzed. This paper also investigates the real-time implementation of reform efforts within the city of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County as well as the intended effects of these changes on the city justice system and community as a whole.

Committee: Julie Mazzei Ph.D. (Advisor); Ashley Nickels Ph.D. (Committee Member); Casey Boyd-Swan Ph.D. (Committee Member); Susan Roxburgh Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Law; Political Science

Bachelor of Arts, Ohio University, 2021, Political Science

Mass incarceration is a widely recognized problem not just in the United States but around the world. However, in the United States in particular, there is a widespread consensus that too many people are being incarcerated and for too long. This thesis aims to examine the issue of mass incarceration in the United States while analyzing both the power of and the role that prosecutors have as they contribute to the issue of mass incarceration. Specifically, this thesis examines the role of the prosecutor both as a contribution to mass incarceration in the United but also as a source of reform. However, it is only through the organizing of voters that reform-minded prosecutors may be elected and have the opportunity to reform the system in the United States. This thesis suggests that we are at a critical moment in time as the birth of a reformative movement begins and the future of both the criminal justice system and mass incarceration in the United States can be determined by both the role of the prosecutor and voters in the United States.

Committee: John Gilliom (Advisor) Subjects: Criminology; Law; Legal Studies; Political Science

Master of Social Work, The Ohio State University, 2021, Social Work

Reentry programs seek to reduce reoffending behavior of formerly incarcerated adults by utilizing effective interventions, including the Risk, Needs, and Responsivity (RNR) model. The RNR model was developed to assess the risks and needs of the individual so the best intervention or treatment response can be identified. Formerly incarcerated individuals are able to offer insight into the utility of community interventions and their ability to help reduce recidivism. A scoping review was conducted to assess the availability and scientific rigor of recidivism-based interventions, and their applicability to formerly incarcerated adults. This review considers the availability of empirical evidence about effective interventions to reduce recidivism and reoffending among adults. The review also includes a review of the RNR model, which has an emerging evidence base. Ultimately, the scoping review for this thesis explores whether current interventions for those reentering their communities following after their release from prison are helpful for keeping them from reoffending in the future.

Committee: Camille Quinn PhD (Advisor); Susan Yoon PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Criminology; Social Work

Master of Fine Arts, The Ohio State University, 2021, Art

In this essay I lay bare my theoretical framework for the artworks titled "Unrest" and "A Historical Process: Unchanged Representation" featured in the MFA thesis exhibition, "Proximity". I investigate the history of photography in relation to the mug shot while focusing on my brother's experience with mental illness and the criminal justice system in my pursuit to investigate questions of power, and photography's ability to honor and villainize.

Committee: Jared Thorne (Advisor); Carmen Winant (Committee Member); Gina Osterloh (Committee Member) Subjects: Fine Arts

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2016, Sociology

The complex relationship between economic disadvantage, antisocial behavior, stress, and health makes assessing the role of the criminal justice system on health more complicated than previous descriptions in criminological literature. Previous literature has asserted that incarceration has long-term repercussions for mental and physical health. Yet, researchers have not explored directly the criminal justice system involvement and health connection while adequately controlling for childhood poverty and a history of antisocial behavior. Furthermore, researchers have theorized that stress is a mechanism facilitating these relationships. However, few studies have attempted to empirically test the role of general stress. Using the Toledo Adolescent Relationship Study (TARS), I tested whether being arrested or incarcerated has a long-term negative influence on the health of individuals who engage in health adverse behavior and come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Additionally, I examined stress as a potential mechanism through which economic disadvantage and criminal justice system involvement affects health outcomes. Results supported my hypothesis that antisocial behavior and a history of economic disadvantage explains the relationship between the criminal justice system and self-reported health outcomes in young adulthood. However, my results did not support my hypothesis that the relationship between depressive symptoms and incarceration history was spurious. My results supported the role of stress as a mediating factor between incarceration and depression. Results from the present study demonstrated how the effect of incarceration is subject to several confounding factors. Most prominently, economic contexts and antisocial lifestyles. Future research should not neglect these pre-incarceration factors when assessing the effects of incarceration on health and well-being.

Committee: Monica Longmore PhD (Advisor); Peggy Giordano PhD (Committee Member); Wendy Manning PhD (Committee Member); Stephen Demuth PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Criminology; Sociology

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2016, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Criminal Justice

Deaf suspects, defendants and offenders are a largely underexplored population in criminal justice research, and there are very few studies that have examined their involvement in the criminal justice system. In addition, virtually no research has been conducted on how to manage the deaf from a systemic perspective. Without standardized practices and procedures for handling the deaf, the criminal justice system runs several risks, including disparate treatment and violations of ADA-guaranteed rights that may lead to inadmissible evidence, dismissals of cases, and not guilty verdicts, as well as lawsuits and litigation, all of which create additional strain on an already overburdened system. The current study combines previous research on the deaf and their involvement in the criminal justice system with the findings of data gathered from practitioners nationwide to gain an understanding of how best to handle, process, and communicate with the deaf at each stage of the CJ system. The goals of this study are twofold: to identify questions and concerns criminal justice practitioners face when managing deaf suspects, defendants and offenders, and to address the questions and concerns through the assembly of lists of best practices for managing the deaf at each stage of the criminal justice system. The lists of best practices can be used by law enforcement, attorneys, judges, and correctional personnel to ensure that they are adhering to ADA requirements, and may serve as a springboard for the development of evidence-based departmental, courtroom, and institutional policy for agencies nationwide.

Committee: Sandra Browning Ph.D. (Committee Chair); R. Robin Miller Ph.D. (Committee Member); Edward Latessa Ph.D. (Committee Member); Sarah Manchak Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Criminology

Master of Science in Criminal Justice, Youngstown State University, 2015, Department of Criminal Justice and Consumer Sciences

Co-occurring disorders became a growing concern in the United States beginning in the early 1980s. This research is a secondary analysis of data derived from the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Data Archive (SAMHDA) Treatment Episode Data Set— Discharges (TEDS-D), 2011. Findings are based on 343,430 individuals with co-occurring substance abuse and mental health problems. I test the following hypothesis: Individuals with co-occurring disorders who are allotted to a program through the criminal justice system are more likely to complete treatment programs rather than those referred through non-criminal justice settings. In addition, I explore the type of referrals within the criminal justice system to see which referral source yields a better outcome than other criminal justice referrals by containing more supervision. The findings indicate that criminal justice referrals have high completion rates relative to non-criminal-justice referrals. It was also found that among the criminal justice referrals the highest completion rates were associated with DUI/DWI, diversion, and prison/jails and the lowest with probation.

Committee: Richard Rogers Ph.D. (Committee Chair); John Hazy Ph.D. (Committee Member); Derick Young (Committee Member) Subjects: Criminology; Mental Health; Rehabilitation; Statistics

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2014, Counselor Education

The ability of mothers in the criminal justice system to obtain stable employment upon release from the criminal justice system has been shown to be a crucial aspect for successful reentry into society. The described population is often unemployed or works in unrewarding and underpaid jobs. These individuals often fail to find quality employment due to limited resources on a personal, educational, and societal level. The present study aimed to determine whether mothers in the criminal justice system differ in their career needs. Levinson's theory of adult development suggests distinct life eras over the life span associated to particular age groups. The researcher used three of four life eras of Levinson's theory to investigate if mothers in the criminal justice system (n=1,040) differ in their career needs related to education, employment, counseling, and hope for the future. The researcher found in the sample of this study only moderate support for the theory with little evidence to support the age-linked notion of these stages. Results showed that mothers differ significantly across age groups as defined by Levinson's theory in their experienced rejections for a job due to their criminal record, the degree to which mothers desire to receive long-term counseling and their hope for the future. While the researcher did not find strong evidence that supports the postulate of Levinson's primary developmental sequence in mothers in the criminal justice system, the researcher did identify several notable implications based on the study's results. Suggestions are provided for improvements in research design, measurement, and for future research to understand the best approaches to provide effective career counseling to mothers in the criminal justice system.

Committee: John Laux (Advisor); Nick Piazza (Committee Member); Kasey Tucker-Gail (Committee Member); Christopher Roseman (Committee Member) Subjects: Counseling Education; Counseling Psychology; Criminology

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2008, Arts and Sciences : Philosophy

Mandatory sentencing has not resolved the problem of disparity in sentencing in our criminal justice system, as originally thought when it was first implemented. However, Aristotle's concept of particularism can help alleviate the situation when it is agreed that mandatory sentencing has failed. This is because particularism involves a feature called equity in Aristotle's idea of justice. One of the most noticeable impediments created by mandatory sentencing is the lack of discretionary powers on the part of judges, resulting in a strictly retributivist form of justice, a one-size fits all approach to those who are found guilty of violating certain kinds of laws. With Aristotle's concept of equity developed to encompass discretionary powers for judges, a means is provided for the spirit of the law to be the dominating force in its application and not just the letter of the law. In this thesis I hope to show that Aristotle held such a view, to consider what modern particularists are saying about it, and synthesize my own version of it. This involves a review of how strict sentencing came about, as well as explaining why Aristotelian Particularism offers a better solution to the problems plaguing our criminal justice system than we have in place today.

Committee: Lawrence Jost PhD (Committee Chair); John Martin PhD (Committee Member); Robert Richardson PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Criminology; Law; Philosophy

BA, Oberlin College, 2005, Economics

This paper examines the potential differences in sentencing outcomes for public defenders compared with private attorneys. I explore the economic literature for explanations, implications, and results. There is a need for extensive research within the field of economics to provide empirical results to offset the mostly game-theoretically dominated discussion of the criminal justice system. The results are inconclusive due to a lack of statistical significance and potential selection bias in the data. Future research relating to this study is also discussed.

Committee: Barbara Craig (Advisor); Hirschel Kasper (Advisor); Ken Kuttner (Advisor) Subjects: Criminology; Economics; Law; Legal Studies

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2011, Epidemiology and Biostatistics

This study estimates the risk of suicide associated with recent court involvement (criminal, traffic, civil) and related court-related stressors using archived court data, a novel source of exposure data capturing a wide range of both minor and severe life stressors. By including all offenses, claims, appearances and court-related stressors and accurately measuring the timing and sequencing of events in relation to death, this study provides evidence regarding the most relevant period of heightened suicide risk surrounding severe life stressors and recent court involvement. The study utilizes a county-wide electronic archive of court-docket data linked to death certificates for all suicide victims and comparison causes of death in a large urban county of Ohio during the period of 2000-2005. For suicide deaths, medical examiner's notes were coded and matched to assess co-occurring risk factors, use of mental health and healthcare services, previous suicide attempts and behavioral markers relevant for developing court-based interventions. A matched case control design was used including all adult suicide deaths during the study period (N=315) frequency matched by sex, age, race and residential location to a control group of non-injury related deaths (N=615) and a second comparison group comprised of injury-related deaths (N=615). Nearly a third of all adult suicide victims had court involvement in the year prior to death, twice the proportion observed among non-injury deaths (OR = 2.0, 95% C.I. {1.44-2.75}, p <.001). Among younger men under 35, a majority of suicide victims had recent court contacts, a group with no recent contacts with either primary care or mental health. Involvement in criminal misdemeanors, car accidents and foreclosures each conferred a three-fold elevated risk of suicide. The risk of suicide peaks within three months of an offense or claim suggesting a short but measurable period of latency for targeted interventions. The dismantling of the publ (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Sana Loue PhD (Committee Chair); Sara Debanne PhD (Committee Member); Siran Koroukian PhD (Committee Member); Martha Sajatovic MD (Committee Member); Mark Davis PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Epidemiology; Public Health

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2010, Social Welfare

This secondary analysis study examines factors associated with stages of change and motivation among offenders undergoing mandated substance abuse treatment under the criminal justice system. The sample is comprised, almost exclusively, of people of minority ethnic identity with the largest group being of Hispanic origin. The sample of 160 respondents was drawn from the prison system in New York. These respondents were classified as belonging to either pre-action (n=60) or action group (n=100) based on the Stages of Change Readiness and Treatment Eagerness Scale (SOCRATES). The pre- action group included those who were in precontemplation, contemplation and preparation stages as defined by Prochaska and DiClemente's Transtheoretical Model, and the action group included those who were in action and maintenance stages. The research examined whether pre-action and action groups differed in terms of internal motivational level (as measured by the motivation subscale of CMR Scale); level of depression (Beck Depression Inventory); consequences of addiction (items from the Addiction Severity Index); and Criminal History (number of convictions, arrests, seriousness of legal problems). The study found a significant difference between the groups in terms of consequences of addiction variables: pre-action group members had a higher score on clinician's ratings of respondents' need for drug treatment and need for legal services; and reported a higher score on their perception of the seriousness of legal problems facing them. Respondents who belonged to pre-action reported a higher number of substances of abuse and were initiated into substance use at a younger age compared to those in the action group. Discriminant Function Analysis and Logistic Regression were carried out to examine factors that predict stage membership. Consequences of addiction variables gained salience over internal motivation, depression and criminal history in the overall model. Age of initiation, clini (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Kathleen Farkas PhD (Committee Chair); Judith Lipton PhD (Committee Member); Mark Singer PhD (Committee Member); Elizabeth Tracy PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Social Research; Social Work