Dissemination and Impact Amplified: How a Researcher–Reporter Collaboration Helped Improve the Criminal Justice Response to Victims With Untested Sexual Assault Kits

Produce Change ◽

Greater Good ◽

The Impact ◽

Rape Kits ◽

Criminal Justice Response

We present a case study of a researcher–reporter collaboration that formed from an initiative to address thousands of previously untested rape kits in one Midwestern (U.S.) jurisdiction. We explore this symbiotic partnership by examining (a) how and why it formed; (b) the outcomes, including extensive and public dissemination and a unique project that surveyed 294 Ohio law enforcement agencies to see what happened after the rape kits were tested (Ohio Rape Kit Survey Project); and (c) the impact that the partnership, dissemination, and larger initiative had in sparking demonstrable change in how the justice system and the general public responded to and engaged with the issue of untested rape kits and with victims of sexual assault. We conclude with larger takeaways from this collaboration for researchers and reporters but also provide a framework for how this type of collaboration can be leveraged to produce change for the greater good.

Criminal justice in the middlebrow imagination: The punitive dimensions of Making a Murderer

Crime Media Culture An International Journal ◽

10.1177/1741659019835249 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

pp. 81-96 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Daniel LaChance ◽

Paul Kaplan

Keyword(s):

Criminal Justice ◽

Law Enforcement ◽

20Th Century ◽

Justice System ◽

Close Reading ◽

Law And Order ◽

Late 20Th Century ◽

Crime And Punishment

Popular documentary representations of crime and punishment have traditionally tended to fall into two camps: programs that are critical of law enforcement agencies and those that are sympathetic to them. In this article, we show how programs that present themselves as critical of legal authorities can nonetheless reinforce the “law and order punitivism” that underlay the ratcheting up of harsh punishment in the late 20th century. In a case study of the popular documentary miniseries Making a Murderer, we show how this can happen when texts fetishize the question of a criminal defendant’s innocence, adopt a “good versus evil” approach to players in the criminal justice system, and perpetuate a procedural rather than substantive vision of justice. Arguments are supported by a close reading of Making a Murderer and illustrated by a line of discussion it inspired in an internet forum.

Role of Victim in the Criminal Justice System

Dev Sanskriti Interdisciplinary International Journal ◽

10.36018/dsiij.v3i0.34 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

pp. 30-36

Author(s):

MEERA MATHEW

Keyword(s):

Criminal Justice ◽

Law Enforcement ◽

Criminal Justice System ◽

Justice System ◽

Crime Victims ◽

Different Types ◽

Victims Of Crime ◽

The victims of crime are those who have formerly endured injury or are possibly suffering as an outcome of crimes having been committed. The direct family or dependants of the direct victims, who are harmfully affected, are also included within the meaning of the term “Victims”. The predicament of the victims does not finish with the crime but it persists. It may even increase, following the crimes; since they have to face the rigors of the actuality, such as deficient support system, dearth of social backing, and sense of anxiety. They also experience the intricacy of police inquiry, magisterial investigation and criminal trial. The impact of victimization on different kinds of victims due to different types of crimes has been varied such as physical, psychological and financial. Through this paper writer has endeavored to check the situation of victims of crime in India and the criminal justice system. It is apparent that the desolation of the victims have not been effectively addressed or even gone out of contemplation. Victims are disregarded, may, forgotten. The paper also stresses the need to provide support to crime victims. The author of the present paper has also recommended some of the imperative steps that are to be implemented by the law enforcement agencies in India to improve the position of victims in the criminal justice system.

Officers' perceptions regarding the unexpected effects of body-worn cameras

Policing An International Journal of Police Strategies and Management ◽

10.1108/pijpsm-09-2019-0153 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 43 (2) ◽

pp. 390-402

Author(s):

Jordan C. Pickering

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Criminal Justice ◽

Law Enforcement ◽

Criminal Justice System ◽

Justice System ◽

The United States ◽

Content Type ◽

Advantages And Disadvantages ◽

PurposeThroughout the last decade, a number of empirical studies have assessed the effectiveness of body-worn cameras (BWCs) among law enforcement agencies across the United States. The purpose of this paper is to examine officers' perceptions regarding the impact this technology has had on police-community relations, as well as the working relationship between police and other actors in the criminal justice system (e.g. prosecutors, jurors).Design/methodology/approachThe author conducted focus groups with officers (n = 89) from two local law enforcement agencies in California that had adopted BWCs in recent years. Participating officers discussed advantages and disadvantages they associated with BWCs, as well as how BWCs have impacted their relationship with the public and justice system personnel.FindingsOfficers recognized advantages to using BWCs, including the potential for positive changes in police behavior and the ability to protect officers against false citizen complaints. Officers also identified a number of disadvantages (or consequences) they associate with BWCs, such as the depreciation of credibility behind an officer's word and the impact of video footage on prosecutorial decision-making.Originality/valuePrior studies have gathered officers' perceptions regarding BWCs, but very few have assessed whether and how the use of this technology by law enforcement influences other actors within the criminal justice system. The findings from this study may prompt further empirical consideration regarding BWCs, especially with regard to whether police use of this technology significantly impacts citizens' trust in the police and how their use may impact prosecutorial and juror decision-making.

UAV Forensics: DJI Mini 2 Case Study

Drones ◽

10.3390/drones5020049 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 49

Author(s):

Miloš Stanković ◽

Mohammad Meraj Mirza ◽

Umit Karabiyik

Keyword(s):

Law Enforcement ◽

Federal Aviation Administration ◽

Easy Access ◽

The Past ◽

Personally Identifiable Information ◽

Multiple Devices ◽

Forensic Tools ◽

Recreational Use

Rapid technology advancements, especially in the past decade, have allowed off-the-shelf unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that weigh less than 250 g to become available for recreational use by the general population. Many well-known manufacturers (e.g., DJI) are now focusing on this segment of UAVs, and the new DJI Mini 2 drone is one of many that falls under this category, which enables easy access to be purchased and used without any Part 107 certification and Remote ID registration. The versatility of drones and drone models is appealing for customers, but they pose many challenges to forensic tools and digital forensics investigators due to numerous hardware and software variations. In addition, different devices can be associated and used for controlling these drones (e.g., Android and iOS smartphones). Moreover, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the adoption of Remote ID is not going to be required for people without the 107 certifications for this segment at least until 2023, which creates finding personally identifiable information a necessity in these types of investigations. In this research, we conducted a comprehensive investigation of DJI Mini 2 and its data stored across multiple devices (e.g., SD cards and mobile devices) that are associated with the drone. The aim of this paper is to (1) create several criminal-like scenarios, (2) acquire and analyze the created scenarios using leading forensics software (e.g., Cellebrite and Magnet Axiom) that are commonly used by law enforcement agencies, (3) and present findings associated with potential criminal activities.

Enacting an Improved Response to Sexual Assault: A Criminal Justice Practitioner’s Guide

10.3768/rtipress.2020.op.0066.2007 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Patricia A. Melton

Keyword(s):

Domestic Violence ◽

Criminal Justice ◽

Law Enforcement ◽

Sexual Assault ◽

Best Practices ◽

Violent Crime ◽

Sexual Assaults ◽

Violent Crimes ◽

Serial Offenders

Sexual assault is a violent crime that traumatizes individual victims and endangers entire communities. Every victim of sexual assault deserves an opportunity for justice and access to the resources they need to recover from this trauma. In addition, many perpetrators of sexual assaults are serial offenders who also commit other violent crimes, including armed robberies, aggravated assaults, burglary, domestic violence, and homicides, against strangers and acquaintances. Criminal justice agencies have the power to create a strategic, sustainable plan for an improved response to sexual assault that aligns with current best practices and national recommendations. In this document, we define an “improved response” as an approach that supports effective investigation and prosecution of sexual assault cases, holds perpetrators accountable, and promotes healing and recovery for victims of sexual assault. This guide will help prosecutor and law enforcement agencies create a process with milestones, goals, and suggested actions, all designed to support a successful and sustainable approach for addressing sexual assault cases. Improving the criminal justice system’s response to sexual assault ultimately improves public safety and promotes trust between criminal justice agencies and the communities they serve.

The Protection of the Rights to Life and Health in Emergencies: An Examination of the Handling of Covid-19 Pandemic in Nigeria

KAS African Law Study Library - Librairie Africaine d’Etudes Juridiques ◽

10.5771/2363-6262-2021-2-259 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 259-279

Author(s):

BONTUR LUGARD Sunday

Keyword(s):

Human Rights ◽

World War Ii ◽

Law Enforcement ◽

Video Camera ◽

Continuous Training ◽

Moral Duties ◽

Entire Society ◽

The Right ◽

The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) is inarguably the most disrupting occurrence in human affairs since the World War II. This virus left governments, communities and systems with the legal, social and moral duties to protect from its impacts. However, some of the approaches adopted towards protecting the victims, potential victims, and the entire society, especially in Nigeria, caused more harm than the disease itself. This work reviews the impact of the curtailment measures adopted by governments in Nigeria and their adverse bearing on human rights, especially the right to life as a sacrosanct and universal right. It further examines how law enforcement agencies’ operations - within the confines of the institutional and international best practices - their non-adherence to the rules of engagement or principles of ethical operations have resulted in the violation of human rights, rather than protecting them. It also analyses the impact of the virus on the right to health and access to medical facilities in times of emergencies in Nigeria and concludes that both rights were either violated or not realized within the context of the ‘war’ against the COVID-19 pandemic. This work advocates for the continuous training on human rights responsibilities of law enforcement agents, a more rigorous recruitment process with a minimum qualification from school certificate to ordinary national diploma, the use of video camera in the course of operations, among others that would help safeguard the rights of citizens in times of emergencies like the COVID-19.

Criminal networks analysis in missing data scenarios through graph distances

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0255067 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (8) ◽

pp. e0255067

Author(s):

Annamaria Ficara ◽

Lucia Cavallaro ◽

Francesco Curreri ◽

Giacomo Fiumara ◽

Pasquale De Meo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Law Enforcement ◽

Incomplete Data ◽

Criminal Networks ◽

Criminal Organizations ◽

Edge Removal ◽

Graph Distances ◽

Intentional Deception ◽

Node Removal ◽

Data collected in criminal investigations may suffer from issues like: (i) incompleteness, due to the covert nature of criminal organizations; (ii) incorrectness, caused by either unintentional data collection errors or intentional deception by criminals; (iii) inconsistency, when the same information is collected into law enforcement databases multiple times, or in different formats. In this paper we analyze nine real criminal networks of different nature (i.e., Mafia networks, criminal street gangs and terrorist organizations) in order to quantify the impact of incomplete data, and to determine which network type is most affected by it. The networks are firstly pruned using two specific methods: (i) random edge removal, simulating the scenario in which the Law Enforcement Agencies fail to intercept some calls, or to spot sporadic meetings among suspects; (ii) node removal, modeling the situation in which some suspects cannot be intercepted or investigated. Finally we compute spectral distances (i.e., Adjacency, Laplacian and normalized Laplacian Spectral Distances) and matrix distances (i.e., Root Euclidean Distance) between the complete and pruned networks, which we compare using statistical analysis. Our investigation identifies two main features: first, the overall understanding of the criminal networks remains high even with incomplete data on criminal interactions (i.e., when 10% of edges are removed); second, removing even a small fraction of suspects not investigated (i.e., 2% of nodes are removed) may lead to significant misinterpretation of the overall network.

THE PLACE OF ADMINISTRATIVE LAW STANDARDS IN THE LEGAL SYSTEM PRINCIPLES OF INTERACTION OF JUDICIAL EXPERT INSTITUTIONS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES

Juridical science ◽

10.32844/2222-5374-2020-105-3.33 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 258-264

Author(s):

А. О. Полянський

Keyword(s):

Law Enforcement ◽

Public Relations ◽

Legal Status ◽

Legal Regulation ◽

Administrative Law ◽

Legal Basis ◽

Legal Principles ◽

Forensic Institutions ◽

The relevance of the article is that the effectiveness and efficiency of interaction between forensic agencies and law enforcement agencies depends on many factors, one of which is a properly "constructed" system of legal acts. At the same time, the special nature of the interaction of these entities, the attraction of its content to the administrative and legal sphere, as well as the specifics of forensic institutions and law enforcement agencies in general necessitates a detailed review of legal principles in this area and determining the place of administrative and legal regulation. The purpose of the article is to establish a system of legal bases for the interaction of forensic institutions with law enforcement agencies, as well as to determine the place of administrative and legal regulation among them. It is established that the legal basis of interaction of forensic institutions with law enforcement agencies is a system of regulations and their provisions governing the legal status of forensic institutions and law enforcement agencies, as well as the content and procedure of interaction of these entities. It is proved that administrative-legal regulation is a type of branch of the general-legal category of legal regulation, which occurs with the help of administrative law and determines the impact of law on public relations of a special nature arising from the activities of public administration. That is, we are talking about the relationship of power and management influence that prevails in the work of public authorities, local governments and so on. This is a purposeful, comprehensive, streamlining impact of law on public relations in the sphere of government, which occurs through the rules of administrative law, which are part of the system of legal principles outlined above. It is emphasized that the legal basis for the interaction of forensic institutions and law enforcement agencies have an administrative and legal basis, which is expressed in a large number of rules of administrative law, enshrined in regulations of various legal force. This situation is due to the fact that the norms of this branch of law determine: the administrative and legal status of forensic institutions and law enforcement agencies; functions, powers and tasks assigned to law enforcement agencies and forensic institutions; mechanisms of interaction of forensic institutions and law enforcement agencies in performing their functions defined by law; organizational and practical goals of this interaction; etc.

INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE IN COORDINATING THE ACTION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES

International scientific journal Internauka Series Juridical Sciences ◽

10.25313/2520-2308-2022-1-7837 ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Sergii Melnyk ◽

◽

Alina Ignatievа ◽

Keyword(s):

Law Enforcement ◽

International Law ◽

Rule Of Law ◽

Justice System ◽

International Experience ◽

International Treaties ◽

Criminal Cases ◽

The Rule Of Law ◽

Legal Enforcement

The article researched international experience in coordinating the action of law enforcement agencies in modern international law. It is stated that, enforcement agencies are those institutions that enforce the laws, including election-related laws. Enforcement аs an important integrity mechanism as it deters those who might be interested in subverting the system as well as identifies and punishes those who have broken the law. The responsibilities for enforcing laws and codes are usually divided among different agencies, depending on the nature and severity of the problem. Initial investigations may start with the oversight agency, but can be referred to an enforcement agency if it was determined that legal enforcement was required. For example, potential criminal cases uncovered during a routine audit can be referred to the justice system. If the prosecuting authorities decide to pursue the case, they could charge and prosecute the alleged perpetrator, with a court pronouncing sentence if the defendant were found guilty. Jurisdictionally, there can be an important difference between international law enforcement agencies and multinational law enforcement agencies, even though both are often referred to as «international», even in official documents Effective enforcement requires a functioning legal system and a respect for the rule of law. An important factor in maintaining integrity in enforcement is the independence of the judiciary, as justice is supposed to be administered fairly, equally and impartially. The prevention, investigation and cessation of international and many domestic crimes, as well as the prosecution of those responsible for their commission, are not it is always possible alone, without the help of other states and international organizations. Achieving this goal requires states not only to proclaim unilateral declarations of intent, participation in the signing international treaties and the activities of international institutions, but also the actual implementation of joint and agreed activities aimed at combating transnational and domestic organized crime.

Cloudy days ahead: Cross-border evidence collection and its impact on the rights of EU citizens

New Journal of European Criminal Law ◽

10.1177/2032284419865608 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 227-250

Author(s):

Lawrence Siry

Keyword(s):

Law Enforcement ◽

Cloud Storage ◽

The United States ◽

Legal Assistance ◽

The European Union ◽

Cross Border ◽

Use Of Data ◽

Evidence Collection ◽

In recent years, the development of cloud storage and the ease of cross-border communication have rendered the area of evidence collection particularly difficult for law enforcement agencies (LEAs), courts and academics. Evidence related to a criminal act in one jurisdiction might be stored in a different jurisdiction. Often it is not even clear in which jurisdiction the relevant data are, and at times the data may be spread over multiple jurisdictions. The traditional rules related to cross-border evidence collection, the mutual legal assistance treaty (MLAT) regimes, have proved to be out-dated, cumbersome and inefficient, as they were suited for a time when the seeking of cross-border evidence was more infrequent. In order to tackle this problem, the United States has enacted the Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data Act, which gives extraterritorial e-evidence collection powers to US courts. Simultaneously, the European Union (EU) has proposed similar sweeping changes which would allow for LEAs in Member States to preserve and collect cloud-based evidence outside of the MLAT system. This article critically evaluates these developments from the perspective of the impact on the rights of EU citizens.