Matthew Nelson

Front-Stage Stars and Backstage Producers: The Role of Judges in Problem-Solving Courts

Abstract In problem-solving courts judges are no longer neutral arbitrators in adversarial justice processes. Instead, judges directly engage with court participants. The movement toward problem-solving court models emerges from a collaborative therapeutic jurisprudence framework. While most scholars argue judges are the central courtroom actors within problem-solving courts, we find judges are the stars front-stage, but play a more supporting role backstage. We use Goffmans (1959) front-stage–backstage framework to analyze 350 hours of ethnographic fieldwork within five problem-solving courts. Problem-solving courts are collaborative organizations with shifting leadership, based on forum. Understanding how the roles of courtroom workgroup actors adapt under the new court model is foundational for effective implementation of these justice processes.

Public Support for Racial Profiling in Airports Results From a Statewide Poll

This article examines the public opinion of randomly selected Pennsylvanians on their support for racial profiling at airports. The 2009 Penn State Poll revealed that most Pennsylvanians felt that profiling was occurring at airports—but did not support the practice. Building on prior research, the research introduced three new measures into the area of public opinion on racial profiling. These included the role of perceived effectiveness, perceived discrimination, and ethical values in influencing public opinion on racial profiling. Respondents who felt racial profiling in airports was effective and was discriminatory were more likely to believe it was occurring. In terms of support for racial profiling, those who felt the practice was discriminatory and unethical were less likely to support it, whereas conversely, those who felt the practice was effective tended to support its use. We argue that the public needs to be better informed about the strategies that have been proven to be most effective in reducing the threat of terrorist attacks.

The Interconnection between Intellectual Achievement and Self-Control

Low self-control has emerged as a strong predictor of criminal conduct and analogous behaviors. Questions remain, however, as to the origins of self-control. Whereas some argue it is a trait instilled solely through a process of parental socialization, more recent research has suggested the possibility that self-control is interconnected with many executive functions deriving from the prefrontal cortex of the brain. Using data from the Child Development Supplement of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (N = 2,104), this study assesses the degree to which self-control is linked with intellectual achievement in childhood and adolescence. Results from Poisson regression analyses indicate that intellectual achievement is significantly related to variations in self-control, controlling for a variety of parenting measures; age, race, and gender; and previous levels of self-control. A discussion of the relationship between intellectual achievement and self-control is provided.

Is Criminology Out-of-Date? A Research Note on the Use of Common Types of Data

There is a need to explore trends in data use by researchers in criminology to assess the limitations of the knowledge base in the discipline. The current study explores the use of data published in three top criminology journals over a 10-year period to review: (1) data types (primary, secondary, or both), (2) the age of the data, and (3) whether scholars using data at least a decade old mention it as a limitation. The study found that the time dimension of data varied by publication source. A heavy reliance on secondary data was observed across all journals. Studies using only secondary data tended to have older data on average when compared to other data types. A majority of articles using data at least a decade old did not mention it is a shortcoming. The paper concludes by discussing advantages and disadvantages of relying on secondary data within the discipline of criminology.

Hate Crimes in Post-9/11 Pennsylvania: Case Characteristics and Police Response Revisited

Extant research suggests that police involvement with hate crimes and bias incidents may be affected by case- and community-level characteristics. Triggering events, such as the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 (9/11), or the recent heated debates concerning illegal immigration, may also mediate this relationship. The present study builds on prior research by replicating the work of Wilson and Ruback (2003), which explored whether historical events, case characteristics, and community demographics are significantly associated with police involvement and response to bias-motivated offenses. The goals of this study were twofold: (1) to determine if the level of police response to bias-motivated incidents changed significantly post-9/11 and (2) to determine the extent to which case- and community-level factors are associated with police involvement. The findings illustrate that a significant increase in police response to hate crimes and bias incidents occurred post-9/11, and that both case- and community-level characteristics affect police involvement.

Mean Streets and Mental Health: Depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder at Crime Hot Spots

This study explores the relationship between mental health and place at microgeographic units of analysis. We examine self-reported symptomology for depression and PTSD for 2,724 survey respondents interviewed in three types of randomly selected street segments: violent crime hot spots, cool spots, and cold spots. We find that the mean symptomology score is 61% higher for depression in violent crime hot spots than cold spots, and 85% higher for PTSD. Overall, we estimate that 14.8% of residents of violent crime hot spots meet thresholds for moderate depression or a diagnosis of PTSD. This can be compared to only 6.5% of residents at the cold spots. Using PSM and weighted negative binomial regression approaches we show that observable selection factors are not responsible for the relationships identified. Examining geographic influences, we find an important area effect of violent crime for both mental health measures, and an additional impact of the specific street of residence for PTSD.

Testing the effects of delinquent peers and self‐control on disruptive behaviors in the college classroom

While many studies have examined the effects of disruptive behaviors in the secondary classroom, few have focused on disruptive behaviors in the college classroom. Also, no study has examined whether concepts from criminological theories (i.e., self‐control and delinquent peer association) predict disruptive behaviors in the classroom, controlling for delinquent behaviors outside of the classroom. Using self‐reported data from 705 college students, this study found that delinquent peer association, low self‐control, and delinquency were all significantly related to a participant’s level of disruptive classroom behaviors. These results highlight the need for further investigation of disruptive behaviors in the college classroom.

An Exploratory Analysis of Federal Litigation in the United States Challenging Asset Forfeiture

This article examines the results of research that analyzed asset forfeiture litigation from the U.S. Court of Appeals. More specifically, the research focused on the characteristics and outcomes of 193 cases in which plaintiffs were seeking the return of assets. The research also examined the predictors of success for plaintiffs in these cases. Among the findings, we found that most assets were seized through criminal proceedings and involved cash forfeitures. When forfeiture proceedings began, however, 94% were carried out using the civil process. Plaintiffs lost most of the cases, but several variables significantly increased or decreased the likelihood of winning. When the plaintiff was a corporation, and when the case originated through the criminal asset forfeiture proceeding, the likelihood of the plaintiff prevailing increased. However, gender (specifically, being male), third-party involvement, and cash forfeitures reduced the likelihood of the plaintiff ’s winning. This article discusses the implications of these findings and suggests future directions for asset forfeiture research.