Public confidence in the New South Wales Criminal Justice System: 2014 update

This paper finds that public confidence in the NSW Criminal Justice System has improved since 2007, but pervasive misperceptions around crime trends and justice outcomes seemingly continue to undermine confidence. Abstract Aim: To assess (1) the level of public confidence in the New South Wales (NSW) criminal justice system (CJS) in 2014, (2) the relationship between confidence levels and individuals’ characteristics, including personal exposure to crime, and media consumption behaviours, (3) how confidence in the NSW CJS has changed since 2007, and (4) whether changes in confidence are associated with changing perceptions of crime and criminal justice outcomes. Method: Data are sourced from a repeat cross-sectional survey of the NSW public (n=2,002 in 2007; n=2,001 in 2012; n=1,989 in 2014). Variation in confidence levels across the 2014 sample and over time is documented and tested for statistical significance. Basic logistic regression models are developed to predict respondents’ confidence as a function of their individual characteristics, and extended to control for variation in their perceptions of crime and justice outcomes. Results: The results suggest that two out of every three NSW residents (64 per cent) are confident that the CJS brings people who commit crimes to justice. Just 44 per cent of residents are confident that the CJS meets the needs of victims, compared with 81 per cent confidence that the CJS treats individuals accused of committing crimes fairly and respects their rights. Most residents (66 per cent) believe sentences handed down are too lenient. One in three residents (35 per cent) are confident that the CJS deals with cases promptly. Personal exposure to crime is associated with lower levels of confidence in the CJS in general, and confidence also varies across groups with different media consumption habits. Since 2012, there has been a slight reduction in confidence around whether the CJS meets the needs of victims, and punitiveness appears to have intensified. Otherwise, public confidence in the justice system remained largely unchanged over this two-year window. Confidence is at higher levels than those recorded in 2007, and this partly reflects slight corrections in public perceptions of crime and justice outcomes. Conclusion: Public confidence in the NSW CJS has improved since 2007, but pervasive misperceptions around crime trends and justice outcomes seemingly continue to undermine confidence. The magnitude of the media’s influence on confidence levels remains an open question

Privatization and Cooperative Management in the Provision of Public Services in the Rural United States

Local governments in the U.S. are struggling with financial shortfalls due to economic downturns, loss of federal assistance, and resistance to raising more revenue through property taxes. This has led to increased interest in provision of municipal services by private contractors and cooperative arrangements in an effort to increase efficiency. Using results from previous studies in Illinois and Wisconsin we attempt to model the municipal decision of how to provide residents town services. In order to test the applicability of past work to smaller towns we conducted a survey of the mostly rural state of New Hampshire in the summer of 2004. This paper will provide descriptive statistics of this New Hampshire survey and comparisons to the results of past work. We also construct decision-making models using logit, probit, and Poisson techniques which examine the influence of population, location and other exogenous factors on the decision to privatize.

Using Matching Estimators to Evaluate the Effect of Unit-Based Pricing on Municipal Solid Waste Disposal

The delivery of municipal services for the collection, transfer, and disposal of household solid waste is often provided by local governmental units; typically at the town or city level. Unit-based pricing, also known as pay-as-you-throw (PAYT), is a residential solid waste collection program requiring households to pay a fee per bag of trash disposed. Unit-based pricing represents a significant departure from the historical practice of financing solid waste service from property tax revenues in which the marginal cost to a household for disposing solid waste is effectively zero. Local governments are motivated to adopt unit-based pricing for the purpose of creating a financial incentive for households to reduce the quantity of solid waste disposed and concurrently increasing the level of recycled materials. The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of unit-based pricing of household solid waste disposal. A counter-factual model is used to estimate the program effect. The study area for this paper consists of the 234 incorporated towns and cities in the state of New Hampshire. As of 2008, 40 towns had adopted a form of unit-based pricing of household solid waste. Results from propensity score matching suggest there is an average annual reduction of 466 pounds of household solid waste due to unit-based pricing.Propensity score matching, unit-based pricing, pay-as-you-throw, municipal solid waste, Environmental Economics and Policy,

ENERGY DEVELOPMENT AND LABOR MARKET DYNAMICS: A STUDY OF SEVEN WESTERN COUNTIES

Impacts of energy development on the secondary business sector of development-impacted counties are examined in a survey of seven western counties. Problems experienced by businesses in attracting and retaining qualified employees and in expanding to take advantage of growing markets are evaluated. Characteristics of private and public sector employees and their implications for community planning are discussed.Community/Rural/Urban Development, Labor and Human Capital,

NASA Developmental Biology Workshop: A summary

The Life Sciences Division of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of its continuing assessment of its research program, convened a workshop on Developmental Biology to determine whether there are important scientific studies in this area which warrant continued or expanded NASA support. The workshop consisted of six panels, each of which focused on a single major phylogenetic group. The objectives of each panel were to determine whether gravity plays a role in the ontogeny of their subject group, to determine whether the microgravity of spaceflight can be used to help understand fundamental problems in developmental biology, to develop the rationale and hypotheses for conducting NASA-relevant research in development biology both on the ground and in space, and to identify any unique equipment and facilities that would be required to support both ground-based and spaceflight experiments

NASA space biology accomplishments, 1982

Summaries of NASA's Space Biology Program projects are provided. The goals, objectives, accomplishments, and future plans of each project are described in this publication as individual technical summaries