Mandatory Minimum Penalties: An Analysis of Four State’s Penal Codes and Federal Court Policies

In Nebraska, variations of bills attempting to amend mandatory minimum laws in the state have been introduced. The harshness of the mandatory sentences, as well as the looming state of emergency caused by prison overcrowding, have sustained the debate over sentencing laws. This essay identifies the core issues of mandatory minimum sentencing laws and analyzes the states of Nebraska, Texas, Alabama, California, and the federal system’s use of mandatory minimums for felony charges to identify potential solutions. Statute review found that Nebraska’s current sentencing codes are misaligned with the rest of the nation; not even Alabama with one of the harshest penal codes uses mandatory minimums for their habitual criminal statutes. Of the penal codes that included mandatory minimum language, additional language was included to protect from harsh practices. When drafting legislation, Nebraska law-makers should consider the following recommendations. Looking to Texas and California’ practice of high judicial discretion, Nebraska should rid the penal code of mandatory minimum language. To ensure violent offenders receive necessary programming before reentry, Nebraska could prohibit probation for certain crimes, similar to California. Nebraska could also adopt the federal system’s “safety valve” relief mechanism that allows for prosecutorial discretion while maintaining clear requirements. As for mandatory minimums attached to habitual criminal laws, similar legislation to California’s Proposition 36 should be reconsidered. Finally, Nebraska should avoid reactionary legislation to certain offenses; as seen by Alabama’s trafficking in fentanyl mandatory minimum, this type of legislation costs the state money and puts non-violent offenders in prison for longer

Discriminatory corporate taxation and location competition

Diese Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit verschiedenen Aspekten einer diskriminierenden Unternehmensbesteuerung und betrachtet dabei unter anderem die Optimalität eines solchen Steuersystems aus einer finanzwissenschaftlichen Perspektive.This thesis deals with different aspects of discriminatory corporate taxation and analyzes inter alia the optimality of such a tax regime from a public economic perspective

Cylinders and spheres : toddlers engage in problem solving

Every day more six million infants and toddlers (children under 3 years of age) enter some kind of out-of-home care, with 22% of this group attending center-based programs. Studies on the quality of care in centers indicate that 40% of these children are in poor quality settings while 51 % are in mediocre to medium quality settings. Two factors contributing to these low ratings are lack of age-appropriate materials and lack of learning opportunities. To address these data Piaget\u27s theory of constructivism guided the design of a study to provide evidence of construction of knowledge that occurred when toddlers were provided with interesting objects and were allowed to play freely with those objects. The study took place in one classroom of a child care center located in a small rural town in the Midwest. Eight children 18 through 24 months old participated in the study. Materials selected for the study (clear cylinders and plastic spheres) were available to the children for two hours each day during activity time. Children were allowed to play freely with the materials. Adults in the classroom provided support but did not direct the activity. Two video cameras and descriptive field notes captured children\u27s actions with the materials. Data were analyzed to identify actions and sequences of actions that indicated construction of knowledge or problem solving. Findings from this study indicated that children progressively organized their actions as they explored the objects, identified problems, and worked to solve those problems. When given time and allowed to play freely with the materials, children were tenacious in their problem solving, often working on one problem over several days. The data revealed five components to the problem-solving process: exploration, contradiction, repetition, experimentation, solution. The types of problems children pursued were related to Piaget\u27s categories of reality: space, time and causality. Based on the findings, implications are provided for teachers (both pre-service and in-service) and teacher educators

Using a Computer Science-based Board Game to Develop Preschoolers\u27 Mathematics

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Using a Computer Science-Based Board Game to Develop Preschoolers\u27 Mathematics

There is a critical need to teach computer science (CS) in order to assure that our nation remains competitive globally [6]. CS is a new basic skill necessary for economic opportunity [6] but is rarely taught before age 6 and only using electronic devices [1]. This presents a challenge for those concerned with “screen time” inherent in electronic devices [2] and for children in poverty with little access to electronic devices [3]. Coding, creating a series of commands that a computer carries out, is a component of CS and can be introduced as early as preschool age and results in increased logical sequencing [5] (putting action commands in order). Missing from the research is the impact of coding with non-electronic formats on logical sequencing with children younger than age 6. Our study fills this need by using a non-electronic format with 4-year-olds. The purpose is to see if playing Robot Turtles, a board game designed to teach coding, will increase logical sequencing skills. Our hypothesis is that we will see a 10 times greater increase in logical sequencing in the children who play Robot Turtles than those playing Candy Land, a board game with no measurable effect on math skills [4

Spelling and whole language

A current trend in language arts programs in elementary schools is the shift from skills-based instruction to a focus on emergent literacy and whole language (Watson, 1988). Teachers are setting aside textbooks and are involving children in language activities that are functional and purposeful to them (Goodman, 1986). Nowhere is this instructional trend more obvious than in the area of writing. It is viewed as a recursive process in creating meaning (Graves & Stuart, 1985; Calkins, 1986)

The necessity for an increased understanding of quality in early childhood practices by school psychologists

Due to the increased recognition of the importance of quality early childhood education for young children from economically disadvantaged homes and young children with disabilities, public schools are beginning to provide early childhood programs. Implementing such programs into the public schools will require school psychologists to be knowledgeable in the premise of developmentally appropriate practices and its crucial role in quality early childhood education. This paper presents a framework of developmentally appropriate practice and what constitutes quality early childhood education programs. The benefits of quality early childhood education programs are assessed through the examination of longitudinal research of early education programs and the effectiveness of state-funded early childhood programs. Specific studies focus on selected aspects of developmentally appropriate practice concerning child development and growth. This review looks at ways of assessing developmentally appropriate practices from the ecological view point. The paper concludes with implications for school psychologists