Monday, February 22, 2010

Gender issues in the justice professions panel presentation

Justice Dana Fabe of the Alaska Supreme Court, attorney Marla Greenstein of the Alaska Commission on Judicial Conduct, attorney Jason Brandeis of the Alaska Public Offices Commission, and paralegal BJ Baker of the Judge Advocate General Corps (JAG) Environmental Section will speak Tuesday, February 23, 2010 from 8:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. in SSB 224.

This panel will discuss bias, gender issues associated with legal ethics and courtroom behaviors, legal standards applicable to discrimination claims, the role of gender in various justice system professions. Professor Deborah Periman, Justice Center faculty, is the campus organizer.

All Justice and Paralegal students are invited.

Dr. Myrstol contributes to crime encyclopedia

Dr. Brad Myrstol, Justice Center faculty, is a contributing author on the topic of drug use forecasting/arrestee drug abuse monitoring (DUF/ADAM) for the recently published Encyclopedia of Victimology and Crime Prevention. Drug use forecasting/arrestee drug abuse monitoring refers to a long-term research program initiated in 1987 by the National Institute of Justice which measured the prevalence of illicit drug use by those arrested and booked into local jails in more than three dozen jurisdictions across the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii. The DUF/ADAM program was suspended in 2003 due to budget cuts. In 2006 the program was given new life by the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Renamed Adam II, the program operates in 10 major metropolitan areas.

DV Study by Dr. Rivera cited by Alaska Attorney General's Office

A domestic violence study by Dr. Marny Rivera, Justice faculty, was cited by the Alaska Attorney General's office in a brief for a case on appeal to the Alaska Supreme Court, State of Alaska v. Robert Duane Gibson, III.

The study, "Assaults in Domestic Violence Incidents Reported to Alaska State Troopers," appears in the Fall 2008, Vol. 25, No. 3 issue of the Alaska Justice Forum. The article was co-authored by André Rosay, Justice Center Director; Darryl S. Wood; Greg Postle; and Katherine TePas.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Gender Issues in Justice System Professions presentation

Date: Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Time: 8:30 – 9:45 a.m.
Location: SSB 224

Justice Dana Fabe of the Alaska Supreme Court, Attorney Marla Greenstein of the Alaska Commission on Judicial Conduct, Attorney Jason Brandeis of the Alaska Public Offices Commission, and Paralegal BJ Baker of the JAG Corps Environmental Section will discuss bias, gender issues associated with legal ethics and courtroom behaviors, legal standards applicable to discrimination claims, and the role of gender in various justice system professions. All Justice and Paralegal students are welcome!

Monday, February 15, 2010

Justice Club bake sale raises funds for projects

The Justice Club bake sale fund-raiser held February 8 and 9 brought in money for club projects including shuttle bus transportation to Seward for the upcoming Spring Creek Correctional Center tour. Home-baked and retail goodies were available for purchase.

Pictured left to right are Mike Guzy, Justice Club vice-president; Summer Yancey, member; and Ashley Whitaker, student-customer.

Dr. Chamard contributes to crime handbook and crime encyclopedia

Dr. Sharon Chamard, Justice Center faculty, is a contributing author on the subject of routine activity theory for two recent publications: The SAGE Handbook of Criminological Theory and the Encyclopedia of Victimology and Crime Prevention. Routine activity theory is one of the "opportunity" theories of crime that attempts to explain the occurrence of crime events rather than the development of criminal propensity in individuals. It states that crime happens when a motivated offender and a suitable target converge in time and space in the absence of a capable guardian. The theory also examines broad changes in society and how these lead to changes in community life that create new opportunities for crime.

Drs. Rosay and Rivera cited in Northern Light article on sexual assault on campuses

Dr. André Rosay, Justice Center Director, and Dr. Marny Rivera, Justice Center faculty, were cited in an article about sexual assault on college campuses, "Self awareness means safety," in the Northern Light February 9, 2010 issue. The article by Journalism student Jerzy Shedlock cited Dr. Rosay's presentation on "Sexual Assault in Alaska" to the Alaska Senate Judiciary Committee in August of this year, and the data on the use of alcohol by victims and suspects in sexual assault incidents. Dr. Rivera noted that studies indicate a higher likelihood for sexual assault to happen to women who are members of sororities. This greater likelihood may be linked to the time sorority members spend with men in fraternities, and the high consumption of alcohol by fraternity members.

Dr. Myrstol presents at Western Society of Criminology Conference

Dr. Brad Myrstol, Justice Center faculty, presented "School Resource Officers: Public Perspectives and Perceptions" at the 2010 Western Society of Criminology Conference in Honolulu on February 5. This Powerpoint slide presentation presents an overview of school resource officer (SRO) programs, which place police officers in schools, and provides results of a preliminary analysis of perceptions of the SRO program in Anchorage School District. Currently 16 officers plus two supervisors of Anchorage Police Department are assigned to the Anchorage SRO program, which was established in 2003.

Dr. Rivera contributes chapter to juvenile justice textbook

Dr. Marny Rivera, Justice Center faculty, is a contributing author to the recently released textbook, Juvenile Justice and Delinquency, edited by Albert R. Roberts and David W. Springer, and published by Jones and Bartlett Publishers. She is the co-author with UAA School of Social Work Professor Kathi Trawver of a chapter titled "Innovative Justice for Youth with Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders: Juvenile Drug and Mental Health Courts."

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Justice Club info for Spring 2010 semester

The Justice Club has established a regular meeting place and time for the Spring 2010 semester:
Day: Every Tuesday
Time: 4:00 - 5:00pm
Room: SSB 223
Officers for the 2009/2010 academic year are:
President: Kristen Doughty
Vice President: Michael Guzy
Treasurer: Sarah Peterson
Club Coucil Representative: Eryne Reilly
Events Coordinator: Kristin Machado
The Justice Club can be reached at its email address, abjustice@uaa.alaska.edu

For more information about the Justice Club, including the Justice Club application form, see the Justice Club home page.

Monday, February 8, 2010

Justice exit exams for Spring or Summer 2010 graduation

Justice majors who plan on graduating in Spring or Summer 2010 under the 2004-2005 or later catalog must take the Justice Exit Exam.

Time/location: The Justice Exit Exam will be administered:
  • In SSB 224 on Friday, March 19, 2010 from 10:30–12:00 PM
  • In SSB 251 on Friday, April 2, 2010 from 2:00–3:30 PM
If you are required to take the Justice Exit Exam, please contact the Justice Center at 786-1810 to reserve a date. The exit exam should take approximately an hour and 30 minutes to complete.

Grading: Currently there is no minimum score on the test required for graduation, and the test is taken anonymously.

Proof of identity: Exit exams are taken anonymously, but you will be required to fill out a sign-in form so we know you have fulfilled the requirement for graduation. You will need to show a picture ID before taking the exit exam. You may use your Wolfcard, driver’s license, or any state picture id card as proof of your identity.

Note: This notice only pertains to those students who are planning to graduate in the Spring or Summer semester under the 2004-2005 or later catalog. If you are graduating under a previous catalog, you do not need to take the Justice Exit Exam. The Justice Exit Exam is administered during the Spring and Fall semesters only. Those students graduating in the Summer will need to take the exit exam the previous Spring semester. Students who plan to graduate during the Summer semester, but do not take the exam in the Spring, technically will not be graduated until they take the exit exam the following Fall semester.

Justice Center welcomes students at Preview Days

Justice Center staff and Justice Club students joined to welcome students and parents to Preview Days on February 5.

In addition to getting information about the Justice major, minor, Paralegal Certificate, and courses, visitors to the Justice Center table also got to meet "MacDuff," a US Marshals Service K-9 explosives dog and his handler, Deputy US Marshal Jimmy Johnson. "Mac Duff" is the only Alaska US Marshals Service K-9.

Equipment from the University Police Department was also on display. As an added attraction, the Justice Club held a raffle for Justice Club hoodies - you can see Gandalf sporting one of the hoodies in the photos.

Dr. Chamard co-edits special issue of Security Journal

Dr. Sharon Chamard, Justice Center faculty, and Dr. Rashi Shukla of the University of Central Oklahoma, are the guest co-editors of a special issue of Security Journal. The special issue is titled "Expanding the Boundaries: Selected Papers from the 17th International Environmental Criminology and Crime Analysis Symposium," Vol. 23, Issue 1 (February 2010).

The Environmental Criminology and Crime Analysis (ECCA) Symposium was held at the University of Alaska Anchorage in July 2008 and was hosted by the Justice Center with support from the Office of the Chancellor. Dr. Chamard and Dr. Shukla were the symposium organizers.

ECCA is composed of the leading international scholars in the fields of environmental criminology, situational crime prevention, and problem-oriented policing. It meets each year in a different country to discuss the latest developments in theory, in analysis techniques (including crime mapping), and in policing and crime prevention practice.

Dr. Rosay receives Anchorage youth mentoring certificate of appreciation

Dr. André Rosay, Justice Center Director, was presented a Certificate of Appreciation in recognition of his commitment to mentoring Anchorage's youth and his valuable contributions to the Anchorage Mentoring Alliance. The Anchorage Mentoring Alliance is a coalition of individuals and organizations that share resources and best practices to improve and increase mentoring.

Dr. Rivera awarded contract to evaluate programs for families

Dr. Marny Rivera, Justice Center faculty, has been awarded a $75,000 contract by OnTrack Addiction Recovery Programs and Services to provide evaluation services for the Permanency Project and the Family Connections Program in Jackson County, Oregon. These related programs provide drug treatment and comprehensive services for families with child welfare issues (i.e., dependency petition, removal from home, etc.).

The programs and evaluations of them are funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children & Families. The evaluation services will continue over a three-year period.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Justice Club minutes for February 2, 2010

from Kris Doughty
Justice Club President

UAA Justice Club
Minutes for meeting of Tuesday, February 2, 2010
LIB 207B

The club has submitted our request for a room to hold our weekly meetings in. We will hopefully have our regular meeting place arranged for next week’s meetings.

The Justice Club is organizing a food drive to benefit the Food Bank of Alaska. We are planning to run it beginning February 15th and lasting for the duration of the semester with several donation barrels throughout the campus. We have submitted our request form with the Food Bank and are awaiting approval and we are also working on contacting the University to authorize the donation sites.

Upcoming Events

Preview Day is an event held on campus for high school Juniors and Seniors looking to see what our university has to offer. We will be sharing a booth with the Justice Center. The event is from 11:30-1:00 this Friday February 5. If you would like to volunteer at the booth please let us know.

We will be holding a bake sale on February 8th and 9th from 11-2 in the SSB lobby. If you are able to make any baked goods to sell or would like to sit at the table, please let us know.

The Alaska Workers Association will be giving a presentation at our club meeting on February 16th, at 4:30 p.m. Our regular meeting will still begin at 4pm with AWA speaking for approximately 30 minutes beginning at 4:30. We are trying to arrange to have pizza and soft drinks available at the meeting so anyone who is interested in hearing about this organization or looking for some volunteer opportunities should attend!

Student Researcher Justin Voss will be doing a trial run of his ACJS presentation for the club. The date and time has yet to be determined so please be on the look out for that. This is a wonderful chance to come and support one of our peer’s achievements!

The USUAA Travel Grant deadline is February 5th, 2010. If you are planning on attending ACJS, this is a great opportunity to have up to $750 of your trip expenses reimbursed. There will be another opportunity to apply for the Travel Grant later in the semester. Don’t miss this chance to get free money from the university!

Other upcoming events planned with the dates to be determined include a tour of the Airport Police, Spring Creek Correctional Facility, Medical Examiners Office and the FBI. We also have guest speaker Assistant District Attorney Reagan Williams later in the semester and possibly a representative from the Alaska State Troopers. Please let us know what other tours you are interested in and who you would like to see. The club is also looking to do a pre-law advising session. We need to hear from club members to see if there is enough interest to set this up before it is scheduled so please shoot us an email.

For more information about the Justice Club, see the Justice Club home page.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Alan McKelvie evaluates criminal information exchange system software

Alan McKelvie, Director of the Alaska Statistical Analysis Center, has been asked to be the beta-tester and evaluator for Patriot Data Solutions Group/CDX Exchange Builder software designed to assist in information sharing among justice agencies. McKelvie, in charge of training for MAJIC (Multi-Agency Justice Integration Consortium), will be testing this software's capability to quickly and efficiently build complete, compliant IEPDs (Information Exchange Packet Documentation) that can be shared statewide and nationally.

These standardized information exchange packets will include such data as incident reports, criminal intakes and disposition, booking forms, citation forms, and criminal complaints. McKelvie will report his findings to Patriot Data Solutions/CDX Exchange Builder, MAJIC, and the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

Dr. Chamard interviewed by ADN re new police chief

Dr. Sharon Chamard, Justice faculty, was interviewed by the Anchorage Daily News for their January 24 article about the new chief of the Anchorage Police Department. Dr. Chamard served on the Municipality of Anchorage search committee for the new chief.