Lois A. Ventura

College students' views on gay and lesbian issues: does education make a difference.

Abstract Many in academia believe that higher education leads to an increase in tolerance towards individuals who are different. There are some empirical findings to supportthis premise; however, the impact of higher education on acceptance of homosexuality hasnot been adequately explored. Gays and lesbians in society face many negative attitudes.Based upon the survey results of 364 students at a Midwestern university, juniors and seniors had statistically significant more positive attitudes towards gays and lesbians thandid freshmen and sophomores. Even in multi-variate analysis, upper-level students had more positive views on many of the attitudinal measures.

Domestic Violence: Court Case Conviction and Recidivism

This article examines the effect of convictions for domestic violence or a related charge on the recidivism of batterers. Findings indicate that convictions reduce the likelihood of domestic violence recidivism. The variance explained by the conviction variable is modest; however, conviction remains significant when the batterers’histories of domestic violence charges and other background variables are introduced. The article also explores the associations between batterers’background characteristics and court convictions, as well as the effect of sanctions on the recidivism of convicted batterers.

The impact of work–family conflict on correctional staff A preliminary study

Work–family conflict (WFC) occurs when the work domain and family domain are incompatible with one another in some manner. A survey of staff at a private Midwestern prison measured four dimensions of WFC: time-based work on family conflict, strain-based work on family conflict, behavior-based WFC and family on work conflict. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression results indicate that strain-based conflict was the only form of WFC to have a significant effect on job stress. Both strain-based conflict and behavior-based conflict had a significant impact on job satisfaction. Finally, time-based conflict, behavior-based and family on work conflict all had significant effects on organizational commitment.

Differences in attitudes toward gays and lesbians among criminal justice and non-criminal justice majors

The criminal justice system is supposed to protect and serve all members of the community equally; therefore, any prejudicial attitudes harbored by criminal justice students may negatively impact their job performance as future justice professionals. Four hundred and eighty-four students at a large Midwestern university were surveyed on their views toward gay and lesbian persons and issues. The responses of criminal justice majors were compared to the responses of students majoring in other fields. Criminal justice majors tended to have more negative views of gays and lesbians than students in other majors. However, there was not a significant difference between the two groups of students in their willingness to extend rights to and socialize with gay and lesbian individuals.

Recidivism 12 Months After TASC

Abstract Treatment Alternatives to Street Crime (TASC) is a national program model that has been proposed as a strategy to address the needs of offenders with substance abuse problems who are under some form of community corrections supervision. Logistic regression analysis of a random subsection of 300 clients discharged from a Northwest Ohio TASC program during calendar year 2000 found that successful completion of TASC was significantly associated with a reduction in rearrest within 12 months following TASC discharge. This effect was seen even after controlling for other factors associated with criminal recidivism, such as age, sex, prior criminal history, and prior alcohol and drug use.

Offenders Who Are Mothers with and without Experience in Prostitution: Differences in Historical Trauma, Current Stressors, and Physical and Mental Health Differences

BACKGROUND Women offenders are a growing population in the criminal justice system; most are mothers. A subset of these women have a history of prostitution. Despite more recent research identifying the needs of women offenders who are mothers, those with and without experience in prostitution are still generally represented in the literature as a homogenous group. METHODS This study examined the differences between mothers who indicated that they had engaged in prostitution with those who had not. The data were from a survey of offending mothers in a Midwestern city and was based on 889 respondents. Approximately 20% of the women indicated that they had engaged in prostitution at some point in their lives. FINDINGS Mothers with histories of prostitution reported more exposure to violence, witnessing crime, living in areas with high drug activity, and having a higher rate of physical and mental health problems. CONCLUSIONS Health care professionals who interact with mothers in the criminal justice system who have histories of prostitution should be careful to assess for a history of trauma and its psychological consequences. Along with increased health care needs, interventions are needed to help these women obtain basic needs such as stable housing outside of high crime and high drug-use areas and to receive targeted psychological services that respond to the unique trauma suffered by this subpopulation of offenders.

The Career Counseling Needs of Mothers in the Criminal Justice System.

The past 2 decades have produced a rapid increase in the numbers of incarcerated mothers. This study investigated both career development and the career counseling needs of mothers in the criminal justice system. A mixed-methods design was employed using both qualitative interviews (n = 1,161) and quantitative survey methods (n = 1,170). Identified needs included counseling regarding continuing education and vocational training, access to health care, and counseling to recover from work in the sex trade.

The Clinical Mental Health Counseling Needs of Mothers in the Criminal Justice System

This study investigated the mental health needs of mothers in the criminal justice system using qualitative methods. Identified needs included counseling to help mothers recover from trauma, to define sense of self, and to link them with external support systems.

Litigation Views among Jail Staff: An Exploratory and Descriptive Study

The staff at a county jail in Florida were surveyed concerning their attitudes, experiences, and perceptions about civil liability. Few of the jail staff surveyed reported that they had ever been sued, and the vast majority of those who had been sued were supervisors. The likelihood of being sued increased with tenure. Slightly less than half of the jail staff believed that they had been adequately educated in civil liability or that their department would support them if they were sued in the performance of their duties. The survey found that half of the jail staff supported civil liability against public employees and agencies who harm or violate the civil Eights of citizens. Most jail staff did not believe that threats of civil suits hindered their job performance. The studys findings have implications for jail administrations, particularly in terms of the need for staff training on civil liability, and support the need for additional research on jail staff as well as for comparative research on jail staff and police attitudes toward civil liability.