WSU Criminal Justice Library and Research News

Felony Cases--United States
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics
Felony Defendants in Large Urban Counties, 2002
"Presents
data collected from a representative sample of felony cases filed in
the Nation's 75 largest counties during May 2002. The cases are tracked
for up to one year to provide a complete overview of the processing of
felony defendants from filing to disposition and sentencing. Data
collected include current arrest charges, demographic characteristics,
prior arrests and convictions, criminal justice status at arrest, type
of pretrial release or detention, bail amount, court appearance record,
adjudication outcome, and sentence received if convicted. This periodic
report has been published biennially since 1990."

Adolescents--Dating--Abuse
Source: Liz Claiborne, Inc.
Teen Relationship Abuse Survey (PDF; 100 KB)
"Research
shows deep and troubling evidence that significant numbers of today’s
teens are not only victims of dating abuse but are accepting it as
normal. More alarmingly, as teens get older and enter into serious
relationships, a still greater number are exhibiting and accepting
controlling, abusive, and even violent behaviors -- often by a
two-to-one margin -- over younger teens who have less dating
experience. Many young people face tremendous pressure to have a
boyfriend, girlfriend, keep a relationship, and to have sex."

GLBT Citizens--United States--Police Abuse
Source: Amnesty International
Stonewalled – still demanding respect: Police abuses against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the USA
"This
report is based on the report Stonewalled: police abuse and misconduct
against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the U.S.
produced by Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) in 2005. It is based on
research conducted between 2003 and 2005 which focused primarily on
four very different and geographically diverse US cities – Chicago
(Illinois), Los Angeles (California), New York (New York), and San
Antonio (Texas). All four cities have well-documented histories of
police brutality and misconduct and each has taken at least some steps
to address these human rights abuses. They, therefore, provide an
insight into the progress that has been made and the challenges that
remain."

Justice Information Sharing--Privacy
Source: National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center)
Protecting Privacy in Integrated Justice Systems (PDF; 205 KB)
"The
full implications of improved justice information sharing are not yet
known. The challenge is that state privacy policies have not kept pace
with technological advances. The state laws, practices, and rules and
regulations designed to protect privacy were mostly put in place when
justice records and information were paper-based, housed in separate
agencies and organizations, and not searchable electronically. The
advent of justice information sharing, however, is testing the adequacy
of these privacy policies. While many of these issues are not new, what
are new are the large-scale implications; never before has so much
justice information been immediately available at the touch of a
button."

Source: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, U.S. Department of Justice
Juvenile Runaways (PDF; 720 KB)
"This
86-page guide describes the problem of juvenile runaways, reviews risk
factors, and identifies a series of questions designed to assist
communities in analyzing their runaway problem. The guide also reviews
responses to the problem from the perspectives of evaluative research
and police practice."

Prisoners--Employment
Source: MRDC
The Power of Work: The Center for Employment Opportunities Comprehensive Prisoner Reentry Program
"Ex-prisoners
face a daunting set of obstacles to reentry, but securing employment
may be the biggest challenge of all. The unemployment rate of formerly
incarcerated people one year after release may be as high as 60
percent, and there is an increasing reluctance among employers to hire
people with criminal histories. Further, studies show that inmates
reentering communities are most vulnerable to failure in the early
stages after release from jail or prison. Since the late 1970s, New
York City’s Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) has addressed the
relationship between work and crime. Through a highly structured
program of pre-employment training, immediate short-term transitional
employment, and full-time job placement services, CEO helps close to
2,000 men and women each year to take the crucial first steps toward
staying out of prison and returning to their families and communities."
Full Report (PDF; 460 KB)