Neuroscience and Juvenile Justice

Recent advances in the field of neuroscience, especially improved magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques, are providing scientists and decision-makers with an increasingly complex understanding of how our brains develop from birth to adulthood. While these studies are still in their infancy, they have already made it clear that the brain typically continues to develop long after the point at which an individual becomes a legal adult (i.e., at age 18), and that the slow maturation process that plays out in the social context is mirrored by a slow maturation process at the neural level. Despite the tentative nature and unsettled meaning of this information (i.e., we do not yet understand the actual link between brain structure and behavior), neuroscience is increasingly implicated in long-standing debates about the treatment of juveniles in the criminal justice system and the extent to which adolescents can be held legally responsible for their acts. To date, the most notable example of this trend has been Roper v. Simmons, in which the Supreme Court banned the death penalty for offenders under the age of 18. The case revolved around the trial, sentencing, and habeas corpus petition of Christopher Simmons, who brutally murdered an elderly woman during the course of a burglary when he was 17 years old. The Court held that although the execution of juveniles was once considered acceptable in American society, a national consensus had emerged that such a punishment was cruel and unusual and, thus, in violation of the Eighth Amendment. The majority agreed with Simmons’ claim that adolescents do not possess the emotional, intellectual, or biological maturity necessary to be reliably classified among the worst offenders. Although adolescents should certainly be punished for their crimes, they should not pay the ultimate price for impulses that they were unable to control. Simmons’ argument was premised largely on new brain imaging evidence suggesting that the adolescent brain is not as well developed as the adult brain

Model Management Using Fuzzy Belief Functions

Model management is the task of selecting and applying appropriate analytical models by a Decision Support System. The selection of a model in current model management systems requires definitive boundaries or explicit rules and reasoning. Selection of a model, however, often requires examining choice attributes that have no clear definitions or that overlap in their applicability. The selection of a single model from among various alternative models may thus require components of fuzzy reasoning. In this paper, we examine the use of belief graphs, a fuzzy technique, to select an appropriate integer programming solution methodology based upon several problem formulation characteristics. Our prototype shows that belief graphs are effective at selecting model methodologies within the scope of the decision settin

Diffusion and System Change - A Case Study of Innovations in a Course Management System

This case study in progress compares two stages of usage of a Course Management System at a private university: before a major functionality upgrade, and after. Here, we report the initial study of usage before the upgrade. It extends current research by taking into account prior use, and noting features (whether in the previous system or not) that attract new implementers. The focus of the study is on Perceived Characteristics of Innovations and management behaviors that facilitate effective implementation of system features. The instrument used by Van Slyke, Lou and Day will be used to study secondary adoption both before and after the upgrade, as described by Gallivan (2001). Results of the first phase of research will be available for presentation at the conference

Using the Sayre Model to analyze Internet privacy

The Internet continues to evolve as a transportal of electronic commerce. It has penetrated into every facet of organizational life, from the ordering of commodity goods to providing a means to speed the recording and payment of federal income taxes. Internet usage continues to expand rapidly, surfacing issues in its wake that must be managed in order for it to ensure that it is viable as a long-term strategic tool for government and industry. To bridge the legal gap that has emerged as a result of the dynamic growth of the Internet, the United States Congress has acted to begin to address issues such as access to information and the unauthorized use of personal data. Though the issues themselves are not new, the amount of information and the rapidity of transfer of the information have been greatly expanded by the use of the Internet. This paper explores the relationship between the three dimensions (government, individual consumer needs and business as represented by industry groups) that are influencing the development of a legislated Internet privacy model

An Exploration of Knowledge Management Techniques

Knowledge Management (KM) is an emerging new tool for harnessing an organization\u27s largely untapped resource - Knowledge. KM is a process that includes the development, storage, retrieval, and dissemination of information and expertise, explicit as well as tacit, within the organization to support and improve an organization\u27s business performance. There are as many techniques to implement KM, as there are definitions of KM. Knowledge Management requires a major shift in organizational culture and a commitment at all levels of a firm to make it work. This paper explores what Knowledge Management is, the links between KM and innovation, the imperatives for KM, and technological tools for KM implementation in an organization

Competing in the Virtual World: E-Commerce Factors that affect the Property-Casualty Insurance Industry

Electronic commerce has exploded; its expansion projections are consistently understated. We explore the current state of the property-casualty insurance industry use of the Internet for electronic commerce, by analyzing the factors that affect the expansion and use of electronic commerce in the property-casualty insurance industry. The insurance industry has embraced the use of technology to expand its market and to provide better customer service. Competition within the United States has expanded recently to include companies in Europe and Asia. A survey of property-casualty insurance company web sites was performed to determine what types of services and features are currently offered through the Internet. Thirty-six web sites were sampled and the results showed that while no insurance company currently offers a fully electronic policy purchase process, there are a variety of services that are provided for through their web sites. The more common web based features include the ability to locate an agent, the ability to find information about how to report a claim, and the ability request a quote. Use of the Internet as a tool for electronic commerce within the insurance industry has not yet been fully utilized