Melissa Thompson
Portland State University
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Publication
Featured researches published by Melissa Thompson.
Annals of The American Academy of Political and Social Science | 2006
Christopher Uggen; Jeff Manza; Melissa Thompson
Convicted felons face both legal and informal barriers to becoming productive citizens at work, responsible citizens in family life, and active citizens in their communities. As criminal punishment has increased in the United States, collateral sanctions such as voting restrictions have taken on new meaning. The authors place such restrictions in comparative context and consider their effects on civil liberties, democratic institutions, and civic life more generally. Based on demographic life tables, the authors estimate that approximately 4 million former prisoners and 11.7 million former felons live and work among us every day. The authors describe historical changes in these groups; their effects on social institutions; and the extent to which they constitute a caste, class, or status group within American society. The authors conclude by discussing how reintegrative criminal justice practices might strengthen democracy while preserving, and perhaps enhancing, public safety.
American Journal of Sociology | 2003
Christopher Uggen; Melissa Thompson
Generalizing from the sociology of earnings attainment, we develop a conceptual model of social embeddedness in conventional and criminal activities to explain illegal earnings among criminal offenders. To isolate the effects of time‐varying factors such as legal earnings, drug use, and criminal opportunities, we use data from the National Supported Work Demonstration Project to estimate fixed‐effects models predicting month‐to‐month changes in illegal earnings. We find that criminal earnings are sensitive to embeddedness in conforming work and family relationships, criminal experience, and the perceived risks and rewards of crime. Moreover, heroin and cocaine use creates a strong earnings imperative that is difficult to satisfy in the low‐wage labor market, and offenders earn far more money illegally when they are using these drugs than during periods of abstinence.
Deviant Behavior | 2017
Jaysen Ferestad; Melissa Thompson
ABSTRACT Shock advertising antidrug campaigns pose significant implications for methamphetamine (meth) addicts. In recent years, the Montana Meth Project public service campaign has broadcast a series of advertisements containing shocking and disturbing images of meth addicts in an attempt to prevent meth use. Although intended to warn teens about the dangers of meth, the shock-based advertising reaches another population: meth addicts, unintentionally exposing them to a labeling process. This study examines the effects of Montana’s advertisements on the worldview of 20 recovering meth addicts using interviews. Results highlight the unintended consequences of shock advertising on those attempting to reintegrate into the non-using community, suggesting that the campaign negatively impacts addicts’ worldviews and creates stereotypes, stigma, and differential treatment of meth users. Ultimately, this antidrug scare campaign appears to be a barrier to reintegration for meth addicts.
Policing-an International Journal of Police Strategies & Management | 2016
Melissa Thompson; Kimberly Barsamian Kahn
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand whether mental health status – either alone or in conjunction with race – affects perceptions of police legitimacy. Design/methodology/approach Using survey data collected from Portland, Oregon residents (n=259), this research examines predictors of trust in the police. Findings Results show that individuals with a history of mental illness are similar to African-American respondents: both are especially distrustful of the police. The combination of race and mental illness does not appear to create additional levels of distrust. Social implications This research suggests there are important racial and mental health disparities in perceived police legitimacy, and that these disparities will need to be addressed for the police to successfully combat crime and encourage compliance with the law. Originality/value Although research has consistently highlighted how race affects perceptions of police legitimacy, research has not yet examined whether mental health status affects perceptions of police legitimacy; in addition to race, this paper highlights the unique perspectives of individuals with mental health concerns regarding policing.
Archive | 2016
Melissa Thompson; Kimberly Barsamian Kahn; Jean M. McMahon; Madeline O’Neil
Abstract Purpose Previous research on community attitudes toward the police focuses on suspect race as an important predictor of attitudes toward law enforcement and police use of force. Generally, missing from these studies, however, is the role of mental illness, both independently and in conjunction with race, and its effect on perceptions of police. This chapter summarizes our recent research addressing two issues: (1) how race and mental illness of suspects affect perceptions of the appropriateness of police use of force, and (2) how race and mental illness of citizens affect perceptions of police. Methodology/approach We examine these issues by summarizing research obtained through The Portland Race and Mental Illness Project (PRMIP), a survey administered to residents of Portland, Oregon. For our first topic, we use an experimental vignette that randomly alters race and mental health status of suspects. For our second topic, we ask respondents to self-report race, mental health status, and perceptions of the police. Findings Our dual focus provides two key findings: first, citizens’ perceptions of police use of force are affected by suspect race and mental health status. Second, like Black citizens, citizens with mental illness also have a negative impression of law enforcement. Originality/value Our research builds on research indicating racial disparity in trust in police by showing that mental illness – both that of the respondent and that of a suspect – affects attitudes toward the police. These results suggest that mental health status affects attitudes toward law enforcement and should be considered in future research and public policy.
Police Practice and Research | 2018
Melissa Thompson; Kimberly Barsamian Kahn
Abstract Despite having the potential to affect cooperation and support for law enforcement, community preferences for police training are generally unstudied. This paper seeks to understand (1) general community preferences for police training for responding to mental health crises, (2) where the public prioritizes this mental health crisis training relative to racial bias training, and (3) whether these preferences vary depending on respondent demographics and risk factors for police contact. Survey data from a general sample of Portland, Oregon residents (N = 259) shows public support for police training on responding to mental health crises, but the public as a whole is split over whether mental health, or racial bias training, should be prioritized as the best use of police training time. Logistic regression analyses demonstrate three main findings regarding the impact of respondent characteristics on preferences for police training: (1) black respondents appear concerned that, by drawing attention to mental health crises, police will be more limited in their responses to racial bias; (2) respondents facing the greatest, and those with the least, amount of risk in police/citizen encounters are most supportive of mental health crisis training; and (3) mental illness itself does not appear to affect support for police mental health crisis training. These differences in support for training need to be understood before law enforcement can cultivate community support for police officers and their training practices.
Sociological Perspectives | 2010
Melissa Thompson
Criminology | 2012
Melissa Thompson; Christopher Uggen
Demography | 2017
Sarah Shannon; Christopher Uggen; Jason Schnittker; Melissa Thompson; Sara Wakefield; Michael Massoglia
Journal of Experimental Criminology | 2017
Kimberly Barsamian Kahn; Melissa Thompson; Jean M. McMahon