http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/keyword/criminal-justice Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Fri, 03 Apr 2026 20:39:23 -0400 Fri, 03 Apr 2026 20:39:23 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1936/explaining-the-gender-gap-in-the-criminal-justice-system-how-family-based-gender-roles-shape-perceptions-of-defendants-in-criminal-court By Katharina Geppert - Numerous studies have investigated why women are vastly underrepresented in prisons across the United States. In explaining this “gender gap,” scholars have found that women are treated more leniently than men at various stages of the judicial process. Explanations for women’s lenient treatment are often oversimplified as “sex differences” in criminal behavior and could benefit from further investigation. Through qualitative interviews with federal judges and attorneys, as well as observations of criminal court proceedings, this study examines how the family, as a... Wed, 09 Feb 2022 01:17 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1936/explaining-the-gender-gap-in-the-criminal-justice-system-how-family-based-gender-roles-shape-perceptions-of-defendants-in-criminal-court http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1865/mental-illness-stigma-in-criminal-justice-an-examination-of-stigma-on-juror-decision-making By Jordan Termeer - Negative stereotypes associated with mental illnesses can lead to discrimination towards those with these illnesses through a process of stigmatization (Link & Phelan, 2001). This current study explored the stigmatization of offenders with mental illnesses through a mock-juror scenario. The influence of the media on this stigma was also examined. Undergraduate students (N = 266) were randomly assigned to one of three depictions of mental illnesses within the media (positive, negative, control) and one of three mental illness conditions for a defendant in a trial (schizophrenia, depression,... Wed, 20 Jan 2021 10:29 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1865/mental-illness-stigma-in-criminal-justice-an-examination-of-stigma-on-juror-decision-making http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1809/the-cycle-of-punishment-in-producing-society By Maureen A.S. Arsenal - These “at-risk populations” tend to be marginalized and/or minority groups. The implication of this “at-risk” judgement, is that the legal system marries moral panic with racialized criminality. Stereotypes and the overrepresentation of Blacks, Hispanics and Indigenous people in our correctional facilities fuel our perception of race(s) that are ‘likely’ to be criminal. The cycling of offenders in and out of the judicial system is how the legal system controls them, for example: the use of criminal history as a tool to justify further monitoring, restrictions... Sat, 03 Oct 2020 07:52 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1809/the-cycle-of-punishment-in-producing-society http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1783/towards-a-theory-of-leniency-for-immigrants By Keerthana Annamaneni - In his compelling account of juvenile justice, “Age of Culpability,” Gideon Yaffe provides a philosophically rigorous justification for the claim that “children should be given a break when they do wrong; they ought to be treated more leniently than adults.”[1] While his claim may be conventional, his reasoning is highly novel. Yaffe rejects the notion that children deserve “a break,” or lenient punishments, because children and adults are intrinsically different.[2] Rather, children deserve leniency because children are denied the vote and cannot author their... Wed, 15 Apr 2020 09:45 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1783/towards-a-theory-of-leniency-for-immigrants http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1767/restoring-justice-an-alternative-to-the-school-to-prison-pipeline By Daisy Morales - The school-to-prison pipeline, a "partnership” between juvenile courts and the school system, "developed through a punitive and harmful framework to the detriment of many vulnerable children and adolescents,” is a phenomenon of the late twentieth century (Mallet, 15). However, juvenile courts and the school system have been historically linked through their focus on controlling young people perceived as troublesome (Mallett, 15). As early as the 1800s and as late as the 1970s, corporal punishment, such as beatings with a ruler, was used by many schools as a normalized method of dealing... Wed, 02 Oct 2019 10:10 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1767/restoring-justice-an-alternative-to-the-school-to-prison-pipeline http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1753/the-criminal-justice-systems-mistreatment-of-transgender-individuals-a-call-for-policy-reform-to-assist-a-marginalized-prisoner-community By Stephenie King - While media coverage and politicians constantly acknowledge the inadequacies of the criminal justice system in managing victims and offenders of color and low socioeconomic status, the discussion about the failure of the criminal justice system towards transgender individuals, victims or offenders, is an issue that is rarely discussed. Transgender individuals have experienced a history of mistreatment and prejudice by traditional society, including judicially, but with contemporary acceptance movements and a rise in openly trans figureheads and celebrities, some may think the history of mistreatment... Thu, 31 Jan 2019 09:45 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1753/the-criminal-justice-systems-mistreatment-of-transgender-individuals-a-call-for-policy-reform-to-assist-a-marginalized-prisoner-community http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1401/shame-anger-and-guilt-the-hierarchy-of-emotions-in-restorative-justice By Scot N. DuFour - There has been a shift away from the traditional adversarial criminal justice system and towards a victim centered system. The effects of this shift can be seen in talk of “closure” as a justification for the death penalty, the use of victim impact statements in court hearings, and the implementation of restorative justice programs. Restorative justice programs are centered on providing healing and reconciliation for all concerned parties in a criminal offense rather than seeking justice in a traditional retributive manner. Since restorative justice programs focus on healing, emotion... Thu, 28 Apr 2016 07:35 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1401/shame-anger-and-guilt-the-hierarchy-of-emotions-in-restorative-justice http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1328/sexual-behavior-in-prison-populations-understood-through-the-framework-of-rational-choice-and-exchange-theory By April N. Terry - Rational choice and exchange theories have been used to explain many phenomena in the field of sociological research. Although some literature has used such theories to explain sexual offenses, no research has attempted to make the connection between rational choice and exchange theory as a way of explaining sexual behavior of inmates. The following paper attempts to use such theories to further understand explanations for sexual behavior of inmates. Although standards such as the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) seek to restrict sexual behavior amongst the incarcerated population, while providing... Sat, 16 Jan 2016 10:04 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1328/sexual-behavior-in-prison-populations-understood-through-the-framework-of-rational-choice-and-exchange-theory http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1027/statutory-rape-and-teen-sexting-laws-the-consequences-of-poorly-crafted-legislation By Sarah L. Rankin - Child pornography laws are primarily drawn from the "Protection of Children Against Sexual Exploitation Act" of 1977. This act targets persons who “transport, ship, receive, distribute, or reproduce child pornography” but precludes minors because they are the subjects of the pornography (Cornwell, 2013). Technology has certainly changed in the 40 years since the penning of this legislation. Many adolescents now have access to smartphones that, among other things, enable them to privately take and send sexually suggestive pictures and messages, or ‘sexts.’ Technically, this... Mon, 13 Apr 2015 04:32 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1027/statutory-rape-and-teen-sexting-laws-the-consequences-of-poorly-crafted-legislation http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/707/non-traditional-therapies-in-forensic-populations-benefits-of-human-animal-interaction-art-therapy-and-meditation-based-interventions By A. M. Foerschner - Unique challenges are present in therapy when working with mentally ill offenders in a correctional setting. In order to encourage effective therapeutic change, hurdles such as strong resistance to therapy by inmates, complex etiologies of illness, and limited resources must be overcome in addition the usual challenges of treating individuals who have psychological issues. The present paper explores how non-traditional therapies, including human-animal interaction, art therapy, and meditation-based interventions have shown great effectiveness in treating mental illnesses common in the forensic... Tue, 16 Oct 2012 10:07 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/707/non-traditional-therapies-in-forensic-populations-benefits-of-human-animal-interaction-art-therapy-and-meditation-based-interventions http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/706/obtaining-justice-for-victims-of-strangulation-in-domestic-violence-evidence-based-prosecution-and-strangulation-specific-training By Brigitte P. Volochinsky - Strangulation accounts for 10-percent of violent deaths in the United States, with six female victims to every male victim. A common form of abuse in domestic violence, strangulation may result in many harmful health effects and it often indicates either an ongoing pattern of abuse or it foreshadows escalating violence. Yet, strangulation is often minimized by the criminal justice system, including law enforcement officials, emergency room medical personnel, and prosecutors, who equate strangulation with a slap on the face. The phenomenon of minimizing a violent and life-threatening act occurs... Wed, 10 Oct 2012 10:53 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/706/obtaining-justice-for-victims-of-strangulation-in-domestic-violence-evidence-based-prosecution-and-strangulation-specific-training