In Pursuit of Racial Justice: The Politics and Consequences of Racial Disparity Reform in the U.S. Criminal and Juvenile Justice Systems

Overrepresentation of racial and ethnic minorities is a troubling fact in the U.S. criminal and juvenile justice systems. The scope and racial character of American criminal processing is critically shaped by politics. Scholarship has focused on the politics that helped to forge a large and racially disparate criminal justice system as well as recent political attempts to scale back criminal justice operations. This study examines the political development and consequences of policies aiming to reduce racial inequalities in the adult and juvenile justice systems. It introduces the concept of racial disparity reform, or any policy that seeks to diminish unnecessary or adverse criminal processing differences among racial groups. Reforms range from exploratory studies and restrictions on using race as a decision-making factor to mandatory interventions throughout an entire justice system. These measures are based on policymakers’ beliefs about the consistent and legitimate application of the law. This research argues racial disparity reform is politically possible and consequential in curbing inequalities. Three methodological strategies support this claim. First, this study uses legislative and executive documents to qualitatively test how different problem definitions of racial inequality led to distinct national policy responses. Ideas of disproportionate impact motivated exploratory reform in capital punishment, beliefs of discrimination encouraged prohibitory reform in racial profiling, and constructions of disparity and discrimination prompted comprehensive reform in youth confinement. Second, it quantitatively identifies the socio-political factors associated with reform developments in the states. Reform is more likely when Democrats control the elected branches, racial disproportionalities worsen, and judiciaries do not have active reform efforts. Finally, this study uses multivariate techniques to distinguish the racially egalitarian effects of a congressional mandate requiring states to reduce the disproportionate number of minorities processed throughout their juvenile justice systems. Intervention on behalf of this racial disparity reform diminishes the likelihood of punitive sanctioning and decreases the size of processed minority youth populations. This study concludes politics is important in generating more racially just criminal processing practices and redefining the future of American criminal justice

Energy consumption, conversion plans, and conservation in Kansas commercial and industrial firms

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1979 D65Master of Art

Screening for Depression During the Early Perinatal Period

The clinical practice guideline (CPG) is the implementation of a depression screening tool to be used in the early perinatal period. The practice change occurred in a rural Obstetrical and Gynecological (OBGYN) practice in the southern United States. The CPG change has been guided by recommendations from both the American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the American College of Nurse Midwives. Implementation of this CPG change addresses the gap in practice of not doing depression screening during the perinatal period, and only screening during the postpartum period, which was being done at the OBGYN office. Theorist Lewin’s ‘change theory’ guided the implementation of the project. In order to apply this project, a process of changing practice guidelines was needed at the OBGYN office. The DNP project presented the practice change guideline of implementing the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Screening (EPDS) tool. The need for the CPG development was evaluated by 3 nurse leaders using the AGREE II tool and was recommended 100% without modifications by all 3 evaluators. The CPG, with the results, was presented and discussed with the practice site’s practitioners. The practitioners implemented the EPDS to be given at the 12- week checkup appointment versus the confirmation of pregnancy appointment, which was suggested through the DNP project’s CPG. The implementation of this CPG has the potential to provide a safer environment for pregnant women, their newborns, and their families

Empowering consumers to reduce residential energy waste : designing, implementing, and evaluating the Connecticut neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, 2013.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 152-164).This thesis considers behavior change strategies to increase CT residential energy efficiency uptake in the context of an action research pilot. Action research includes experimental pilot deployment within a realworld system, continuously analyzing customers participating in their daily lives. The approach allows for simultaneous planning, execution, and evaluation, as well as concurrent development of major program changes, real-time solutions, and innovative responses. The Connecticut Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge (N2N), in which my research was conducted, was designed to determine the minimum conditions necessary to administer cost-effective community and behavior-based energy efficiency programs. Customers in 14 small towns complete energy savings actions, such as efficient lighting, weatherization, and upgrades, like insulation, appliance upgrades, advanced air sealing, and renewable energy installations. N2N meets customers where they are already going (e.g., in the field) by partnering with local community groups, town governments, low income and senior organizations, faith communities, education facilities, and business organizations, and using social and earned media channels. I describe the N2N opportunity; program design, execution, and evaluation; primary behavioral research, especially the DOE Home Energy Score behavioral economics experiment; and the post-grant transition process. Four main pilot implementation components were used, including: lead generation using behavioral marketing, research, and outreach approaches; a technology platform closely tracking the customer; a continuous process of evaluation; and frequently published results dashboards. The research discovered gaps in program performance that will hinder meeting CT's long-term energy, efficiency, and carbon reduction goals. N2N is also finding evidence of increasing rates of upgrade uptake, where word of mouth and self-herding (e.g., where people follow past behavior) leads to action for others, as well as additional actions in individual households, respectively. The research finds two main recommendations for CT energy efficiency programs: 1) Continue to fund fast-paced, testing grounds for efficiency programs outside of current regulatory constraints to: inform program design and policy decisions, as well as direct market innovation, and 2) Use social and behavioral approaches to encourage viral spreading of efficiency uptake.by Kat A. Donnelly.Ph.D

Technology & policy recommendations for the 2030 United Kingdom energy strategy

Thesis (S.M. in Technology and Policy)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, Technology and Policy Program; and, (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2008.Includes bibliographical references (p. 67-69).Given United Kingdom (UK) carbon dioxide emissions policies that direct attention at the electricity segment, the focus is on the largest electricity polluter, coal, and the immediately pressing issue of UK coal policy. There is also some consideration of overall energy systems impacts. Coal is an abundant, yet environmentally damaging fossil fuel at every stage of use. In the European Union (EU), regulation will require Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD) technology on all existing coal plants by 2016, which represents a large capital expenditure. In addition, the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme will likely require future carbon abatement technologies on coal plants. In fact, several proposed UK coal generators are currently considering uncertain technology solutions to carbon emissions, Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS). For these reasons, the future price of coal generation remains largely uncertain with a wide confidence band. This thesis uses real options analysis to develop low, medium, and high coal and carbon prices in the year 2030 to account for future uncertainties. These scenarios are compared against current and proposed coal and carbon policies to determine investment scenario paths, which will allow for investment decision modifications as price and policy factors change. The major conclusion of the analysis is that when accounting for high carbon and fuel price uncertainties, it is cheaper to build a new supercritical plant than it is to retrofit an existing plant. This is especially true for older plants and if the FGD and CCS technologies will be implemented in stages. Therefore, it is a finding of this thesis that the UK should set stringent coal policy, and support that policy with stringent emissions regulations and planning processes, to send strong price signals immediately to invest today either in new clean coal infrastructure or, preferably, in other sustainable technologies rather than face a costly further delay of energy system investments.by Kathy A. Donnelly.S.M.S.M.in Technology and Polic