Justice in Review: New Trends in State Sentencing and Corrections 2014-2015

In 2014 and 2015, 46 states enacted at least 201 bills, executive orders, and ballot initiatives to reform at least one aspect of their sentencing and corrections systems. In conducting this review of state criminal justice reforms, Vera found that most of the policy changes focused on three areas: creating or expanding opportunities to divert people away from the criminal justice system; reducing prison populations by enacting sentencing reform, expanding opportunities for early release from prison, and reducing the number of people admitted to prison for violating the terms of their community supervision; and supporting reentry into the community from prison. By providing concise summaries of representative reforms in each of these areas, this report serves as a practical guide for other state and federal policymakers looking to affect similar changes in criminal justice policy

John H. Spotts

Biography of John H. Spotts prepared by the Spotts family. John H. Spotts was a longtime Marshall University staff member who was much respected by students and peers alike.https://mds.marshall.edu/african_american_pub/1004/thumbnail.jp

Institutional Aggression: Psychometric Development of a Predictive Risk Assessment Screening Tool

Aggression among those with mental illnesses has been extensively reviewed. Research has shown that aggression within an institutional or hospital setting, that is presently termed “Institutional Aggression,” threatens the ability to provide a safe and therapeutic environment for both patients and staff. Although earlier measures have been designed to address this construct, the present study examines Institutional Aggression based on the parameters of the Overt Aggression Scale (OAS; Yudofsky, Silver, Jackson, Endicott, & Williams, 1986). The purpose of the current study was to determine the predictive relationship between clinical and sociodemographic factors and the rate of Institutional Aggression with the intention to create a risk assessment screening measure. Although significant predictive relationships were revealed, results offered little information about characteristics of those likely to commit acts of aggression due to small percentages of the variability accounted for by the model. Future research is necessary to further investigate the way in which static and dynamic variables interact with one another in order to develop a clearer picture of the reasons why individuals engage in aggression, both within and exterior to institutional settings. With a greater understanding of the aforementioned, targeted interventions may be developed to address the global concerns both of improving the therapeutic environment and of limiting aggressive behaviors

An investigation into the impact of human age on persuasion and advertising.

The elderly segment of this country\u27s population is growing rapidly. By the beginning of the next century, adults age 65 and over will fully comprise one-quarter of the population. It cannot be assumed that communication principles that apply to young adults are directly applicable to elderly adults. Age-related changes in learning, memory and information processing can have a dramatic effect on communicating with an aging population. The Elaboration Likelihood Model developed by Petty and Cacioppo provided the underlying persuasion theory for this study. Previous advertising and gerontological research provided additional theoretical basis for the research hypotheses. This study examined the impact of personal relevance and type of ad copy on the persuasion process for elderly as compared to young adults. More specifically, the research objectives were: (1) To examine information processing differences for persuasive communications between elderly and young adults under conditions of high and low personal relevance. (2) To study the persuasiveness and memorability of abstract and concrete ad copy for elderly and young adults. (3) To identify reasons for age-related deficits in memory. To accomplish these objectives, chronological age, personal relevance and type of ad copy factors were manipulated in a 2 x 2 x 2 between subjects design. There were two levels each of age (young/old adults), personal relevance (high/low), and type of ad copy (abstract/concrete). Two hundred, thirty-eight young and elderly subjects were studied. All subjects participated in an experimental session in which they examined a sample magazine containing stimulus advertisements and then completed a questionnaire. Results of the study showed that young adults appear to have better aided recall and recognition memory for advertisements than older adults. There were differential effects for abstract and concrete ad copy. For both age groups, concrete was remembered better than abstract ad copy. Yet, elderly adults exposed to concrete ad copy appeared to have higher levels of purchase intent in the high personal relevance condition than in the low personal relevance condition. Overall, elderly adults had higher levels of purchase intent than young adults, but poorer memory performance. Finally, memory deficits among elderly adults appeared to stem from problems recalling information from memory, not due to encoding information into memory. The implications of the study findings for advertising are many. These relate to the type of copy used in print advertisements, media selection for reaching the elderly adult, and advertisement effectiveness measurement, to name a few. It is clear that advertisers need to approach elderly adults differently than they do young adults. Future research directions are presented

Comparison of Registered Nurse Job Satisfaction to Patient Satisfaction and the Link to the Role of the Nurse Manager

This is an in depth qualitative research study using a compelling literature review and an in depth case study of one hospital comparing registered nurse job satisfaction scores with patient satisfaction scores. The literature review indicates that research positively correlates nurse job satisfaction to patient care satisfaction. This research study focuses on understanding the possible relationship between registered nurse job satisfaction and patient satisfaction with nursing care. The role of the nurse manager is explored in order to understand possible the impact of that role on the satisfaction scores of both groups

PENAL INSTITUTIONS Sentence and Punishment: Provide for the Imposition of Life Without Parole

The Act provides for the imposition of a sentence of life imprisonment without parole on a defendant convicted of murder where the fact-finder (judge or jury) has found one or more statutory aggravating circumstances. Imprisonment for life without parole means that the defendant shall be incarcerated for what remains of his natural life without eligibility of parole