Criminal Justice and Criminology Electronic Theses and Dissertations (UMKC)
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The items in this collection are the theses and dissertations written by students of the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology. Some items may be viewed only by members of the University of Missouri System and/or University of Missouri-Kansas City. Click on one of the browse buttons above for a complete listing of the works.
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Item The production of treatment courts : an organizational evaluation of job roles, dynamics, and power(2025) McQuillen, Erin Elise; Sexton, LoriTreatment courts were developed as an alternative to the traditional criminal court model to address the underlying needs of the justice-involved population in hopes of stopping individuals from cycling in and out of the revolving door of the traditional criminal justice system. This alternative model creates many differences in the courtroom, one specific aspect being the courtroom team members and their prescribed roles. There appears to be a misalignment between how courtroom workgroups were designed to operate in the written law and how they operate in practice, specifically regarding the treatment court model’s principle of collaboration. Based on this finding, it becomes clear that treatment courts change the job roles and power dynamics in the courtroom workgroup. Drawing from Lipsky and Goffman, we see the complexities of these working conditions and the experiences of the workgroup. Semi-structured interviews with treatment court workgroup actors helped illuminate perceived job roles and team dynamics among these individuals.Item Promoting prosocial behaviors through restorative justice principles : emerging patterns in rewarded behavior(2025) Jordon, Caitlyn Marie; Sexton, LoriThe United States prison system has more recently become open to the incorporation of new principles like restorative justice practices. The Transition Center of Kansas City (TCKC) is a restricted reentry facility that aims to provide the needed tools for incarcerated people to successfully reintegrate into society. This study seeks to examine how prosocial values are integrated into TCKC’s foundational principles of restorative justice and elements of dignity. Utilizing a mixed methods approach with archival and observational data, the study analyzes emerging patterns of prosocial values and their relation to other key principles. The study finds that the teaching of prosocial behaviors is apparent in the residents in a myriad of ways. Evidence suggests the design and policies of TCKC are put into practice through both shoutouts and course trainings. The combined usage of restorative justice practices, prosocial behaviors, and elements of dignity provides valuable skillsets to the residents.Item This is not a prison: surrealism in transition from the perspective of staff implementing a restorative community in a carceral facility(2024) Farrar, Summer D.; Sexton, LoriThis qualitative study explores the implementation of a restorative justice and Nordic-influenced program at a Department of Corrections-run facility. Observations of staff at the facility and how they utilize restorative tools in the context of the legal system, which is by nature adversarial, produced a snapshot of an institution in the process of transition. The work of the corrections professional is traditionally focused on maintaining order within a carceral facility. Restorative justice principles emphasize the dignity of the individual, amends made to those who are impacted, and the well-being of the community. As the staff worked to implement dignity, a key component in Nordic-influenced carceral practice, into their daily tasks and interactions, the result was “a strange and anxious feeling sometimes created by familiar objects in unfamiliar contexts” (Tate, n.d.). This is a state best explained by artists between World Wars I and II, whose response to the condition of their society was the creation of the Surrealism movement. The nature of the criminal justice system shapes even the most routine operations of the carceral facility. Implementing a program that emphasizes personal dignity and community within the adversarial legal system creates an environment that is surreal. The surrealism produced was a sign that transformation was taking place. This study provides insight into what institutional change within the criminal legal system may look and feel like. An uncomfortable mix of old and new practices is a sign that change is underway. It also explores the implementation of restorative justice principles in conflict resolution, as well as into many aspects of daily institutional life such as clothing, eating, navigating in and out of the facility, searches of bodies and cells, programs, drugs, formal complaints, and internet access.Item Community Perspectives of Police Changes During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina(2023) Delic, Merima; Kotlaja, MarijanaThe COVID-19 pandemic, which began in March 2020, forced police to adapt to a rapidly changing environment, including new police, tasks, and different work tactics. Based on surveys of community members, this study explores the public perceptions about the nature and extent of police organizational and operational changes in Sarajevo, BiH. This study looked at how procedural justice and trust affect citizens’ levels of compliance and obedience with police orders. This was accomplished using survey data administered to citizens (n=157) in Sarajevo, BiH. The survey contained questions across nine domains: operational changes, complaints and internal investigations, reactive policing strategies (i.e., calls for service, taking people into custody, and traffic enforcement), changes in COVID-19 policing strategies, and changes in proactive policing strategies. Procedural justice, with trust as a mediator, had significance for both the compliance and obedience measures (directly and indirectly). However, trust as its own measure was only significant for compliance. Trust, procedural justice, and being female were all significant for obedience. Community members who have had more procedurally just encounters with the police are more likely to comply and obey police orders. Citizens who perceive police as being more trustworthy were more likely to obey, but not comply with police orders.Item Hate By Numbers: Exploring Hate Crime Reporting Across Crime Type And Among Special Interest Groups Using The NCVS(2023) Stroud, Samantha; Sexton, LoriHate crimes are of particular harm to both individual victims and the communities they represent but are difficult to measure due to challenges facing data collection and reporting to police. The National Crime Victimization Survey, or NCVS, is an important tool for gathering data regarding crime and victimization both reported and not reported to police. This research utilizes data collected by the NCVS from 2016-2020 from a nationally representative sample of households to compare reporting of hate crime victimizations versus non-hate crime victimizations, including among violent crime types, as well as exploring differences across reporting for hate and non-hate crimes across respondent identities for veterans, disability status, citizenship, sexual orientation, and gender identity. This research, utilizing the Bureau of Justice Department’s definition of hate crime, found no significant difference in reporting hate crimes to police for the unweighted data, and a significant difference for the weighted data, with hate crime victims being more likely to report to police. No significant difference was found in reporting hate crimes compared to non-hate crimes across violent crime types, except for robbery hate crime in the weighted data set, which was less likely to be reported than non-hate crime robberies. Differences in reasons for not reporting hate crime were compared to non-hate crime. Hate crime victims appear more likely to cite reporting to another official. Additionally, both groups of victims cited the belief the police would think the crime was not important as one of their top four most important reasons for not reporting. Among special interest groups, the most significant findings involved veterans being less likely to experience hate crime, but more likely to report it; non-citizens were more likely to experience hate crime victimization when comparing violent crime; disabled persons were more likely to experience a hate crime but less likely to report to police; lesbian, gay, and bisexual persons were more likely to experience hate crime, but less likely to report when comparing violent crime; and transgender persons were also more likely to experience hate crime victimizations. Comparisons to prior research, limitations, and further research implications were explored.