Allen D. Sapp

The evolution of higher education in law enforcement: Preliminary findings from a national study

The preliminary results are reported in a national study of police education. All state police agencies, all municipal agencies serving populations greater than 50,000, and all sheriffs departments with more than 100 sworn officers were surveyed to obtain data on the level of higher education in the departments, policies in support of college education, and the effect of higher education on policing. The survey was followed by indepth site visits to San Diego, San Jose, and Sacramento, California; Kansas City, Missouri; New York City; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Largo, Florida. Significant findings showed that the average educational level of police officers has risen steadily over the past two decades; that only a small proportion of police departments formally require college for employment of promotion; that the great majority, however, have educational support policies and an “informal” criterion of college for selection and promotion or officers. The data also show that minorities are being recruited effec...

Less Than Utopian: Sex Offender Treatment in a Milieu of Power Struggles, Status Positioning, And Inmate Manipulation in State Correctional Institutions:

When a prisoner enters a penal institution, an enormous adjustment process follows. State prisons possess the elements of Goffman’s (1961, 1962) total institution: stripping inmates of self-esteem and subjecting them to inhumane degradation (Garfinkel, 1956). Incoming prisoners are exposed to a normative system requiring adaptation to the inmate social code (Kalinich, 1980). Initially, learning to live according to the inmate culture is arduous; however, the inmate quickly realizes the prison culture facilitates existence and relieves hardships attendant within total institutions (Sykes, 1958). Besides the social code, inmates encounter an informal hierarchical organization in which certain prisoners obtain institutional privileges (Garabedian, 1963). The correctional pecking order is firmly established when new inmates arrive; nonetheless, how prisoners manipulate the status hierarchy has consequences for inmates’ physical and emotional health. Prisoners high in the status hierarchy are targeted by others attempting to acquire prestige. Likewise, inmates with little status are vulnerable to victimization, being perceived as weak. The emotional toll of perpetually being on guard from an attack wears at fragile mental stability and challenges survival within correctional institutions. Pressures are also introduced by correctional and treatment staff. Contradictory messages from authorities concerning expectations for release further burden inmates’ adjustment to the prison culture, which demands absolute resistance to the establishment.

Issues and perspectives of law enforcement accreditation: A national study of police chiefs

Abstract In late 1984, the first police agencies were awarded accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). Since then, 275 agencies have achieved accreditation, with many more in various stages of self-assessment. Two primary concerns have emerged with respect to the process: (1) the managerial utility of accreditation, and (2) whether accreditation is in conflict with community policing. No empirical research has addressed these issues. This national study utilized survey research to establish benchmark data on these factors and identify further research questions. Embodied in this article note are selected initial findings from the study as well as foundation information related to law enforcement accreditation.

JUVENILES IN ADULT PRISONS: PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS

ABSTRACT The number of juveniles in adult correctional facilities will continue to grow as states turn to the adult criminal justice system as one solution to increasing violent juvenile crime rates. Many questions regarding transfer and its consequences have been and are being researched. One seemingly unexplored area of research focuses on the adult systems response to these young newcomers. This research suggests that correctional administrators have some serious concerns regarding the placement of youth into adult correctional facilities, as well as concerns about what the system does and does not offer to these transferred youth.

Serial Arson and Fire-Related Crime Factors

The information contained in this chapter is the result of ongoing research conducted by the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC) at the Federal Bureau of Investigation Academy in Quantico, Virginia. The NCAVC is a law-enforcement-oriented resource center that consolidates research, training, investigative, and operational support functions to provide assistance to law-enforcement agencies confronted with unusual, high-risk, vicious, or repetitive crimes. In 1986, a subunit was established within the Center to study arson and bombings. Representatives from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms joined the Center staff to serve in the Arson and Bombing Investigative Services Subunit (ABIS). This arrangement is based on a concurrent investigative responsibility with the FBI in these areas. ABIS has the primary responsibility to provide assistance in arson, bombing, terrorism, and related violent crimes submitted to the NCAVC by federal, state, local, and foreign law enforcement agencies. The staff of the Center is joined by faculty from major universities, members of the mental health and medical professions, and other law enforcement representatives (NCAVC, 1992).

A Descriptive Study of Child Molestation: Victim and Offender Characteristics

The vast majority of studies focusing on child sexual abuse have been paved in psychological, social and historical perspectives. These studies often concern descriptions of the child sexual abuse offenders and their victims. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.) Behavioral Science unit has contributed a substantial amount of information regarding sexual child abuse. Typologies of child sexual abuse

Police experiences and responses related to the homeless

In a national study of the nations largest police agencies (N=521) data were gathered on police department policies, practices, and experiences in dealing with the homeless. Salient findings showe...

Fringe benefits: The hidden costs of unionization and collective bargaining in corrections

Public Sector Unionization is a phenomenon characterized by rapid growth. Many studies have found, however, that the pay differential between unionized and non-unionized public sector employees is relatively small. This study posits the theory that one possible explanation is that unionized public sector employees are making gains in an area where the cost of concessions is somewhat hidden. Specifically, that unionized public sector employees enjoy a substantial lead in number of fringe benefits. The public sector area chosen for study is that of corrections. A questionnaire was constructed and mailed to all 50 state correctional systems assessing whether or not employees received 35 fringe benefits. The fringe benefits are divided into five categories and reported in tabular form. In addition, the fringe benefits are examined as a composite index and a comparison is then made between unionized and non-unionized employees. The results clearly show that unionized correctional employees have a considerable advantage in the number of fringe benefits enjoyed.