Dr. Rivera presents Victimization Survey data to state DV and Sexual Assault Training Conference

Dr. Marny Rivera, Justice faculty, and Lauree Morton, Interim Executive Director, Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, presented data from the 2010 Alaska Victimization Survey to attendees at the State of Alaska Department of Health and Social Services Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Training Conference.  The conference was held April 7 and 8 in Anchorage and was presented in partnership with the Governor's Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Initiative.

The materials presented include "Results of the 2010 Alaska Victimization Survey" and "Alaska Victimization Survey: Detailed Responses to Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Violence Questions."

National Crime Victims' Rights Week in Alaska April 30 - May 2

National Crime Victims' Rights Week will be observed in Alaska April 30 - May 2, 2011.

For details on events see the Victims for Justice calendar. This year's theme is "Reshaping the Future, Honoring the Past."

Forum articles included in digest of statistical analysis center publications

Abstracts of two Alaska Justice Forum articles by Justice faculty have been included in the Justice Research and Statistics Association (JRSA) Statistical Analysis Center (SAC) Publication Digest for July - December 2010. "Police in Schools: Public Perceptions," by Dr. Brad Myrstol, and "Measuring and Fighting Meth Use in Alaska and the U.S.," by Dr. Marny Rivera, both appear in the Forum,Vol. 27, No. 3, Fall 2010.  JRSA is a national nonprofit group of state Statistical Analysis Center (SAC) directors, and also includes other researchers and practitioners in government, academia, and criminal justice organizations. The Alaska Justice Statistical Analysis Center is housed within the UAA Justice Center.

Nikiski students visit Justice Center

Students from Nikiski Middle/High School visited the Justice Center on April 20 as part of their tour of the UAA Campus. Dr. Ron Everett, Justice Program Coordinator, met with Gary Wiebel, school counselor, and seven of his students, and discussed the Justice and Paralegal Studies Certificate programs available at UAA, and career options in the justice field.

Dr. Chamard presents justice career information to teens

Dr. Sharon Chamard, Justice faculty, presented information to teens about careers in justice at the "Career Creation Fair" held April 18 at the Fairview Community Recreation Center. This annual event is sponsored by the Back to Work Network.

AWAIC and U.S. Attorney present at UAA Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Awareness program

Head of table: Amanda Matthews, AWAIC (left) and U.S. Attorney, Karen Loeffler (right)

Amanda Matthews, Programs Manager for Abused Women's Aid in Crisis (AWAIC) and Karen Loeffler, U.S. Attorney for the District of Alaska spoke about intimate partner violence, dating violence, and roommate violence, and strategies for dealing with these issues at a workshop on April 19 at the UAA Student Union. Students, faculty, and staff participated in the program.

This event was one of a number of programs scheduled as part of UAA's observance of April as Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Click here for the full schedule of events.

Pictured at left, left to right: Michael Votava, Assistant Director of Student Conduct, UAA Office of the Dean of Students; U.S. Attorney Karen Loeffler; Amanda Matthews, AWAIC Programs Manager.

Justice faculty selected for eportfolio training

Dr. Ron Everett and Prof. Deb Periman, Justice faculty, have been selected to participate in the 2011 Eportfolio Intensive conducted by the UAA Office of Academic Affairs, May 9 – 12, on campus. Dr. Everett and Prof. Periman will be working as the Justice and Paralegal eportfolio Team to develop a model eportfolio system for Justice and Paralegal faculty to use in implementing eportfolios in the curriculum and in program assessment.

Eportfolios are digital archives of student learning, with learning artifacts, student reflections, and peer or teacher feedback organized around learning outcomes. Faculty in the intensive will define student learning outcomes and how these might be demonstrated and included in a student eportfolio, explore how faculty can give useful feedback to students about their eportfolios, and discuss how challenges to implementing eportfolios as part of a program’s overall academic assessment plan could be met.

This institute will develop faculty teams with enhanced skills to design and implement an eportfolio for their majors. Selected faculty teams will develop, pilot, and assess their eportfolio projects over AY12 and report to other faculty the results of their project. Participation in this institute and pilot program is a one year (May 2011 – May 2012) commitment.

Justice faculty meet with Mat-Su Career & Tech High School students

Students from the justice class at Mat-Su Career and Technical High School in Wasilla met with Justice faculty and toured the Justice Center on Monday, April 18. Mrs. Pepper Thiede, Mat-Su CTHS justice teacher, brought seven students to UAA to familiarize them with the program options at the Justice Center, and also to tour the Department of Biological Sciences cadaver lab.

Dr. Sharon Chamard, Dr. Brad Myrstol, and Dr. Ron Everett, Justice faculty, presented a brief overview of the Justice major and Paralegal Studies Certificate programs, as well as career opportunities for Justice majors. Students and faculty engaged in a question and answer session which touched on school resource officers, the Mat-Su Community Survey, gun laws, community policing, and other topics.

Pictured (left to right) Dr. Chamard, Dr. Myrstol, and Dr. Everett engage in discussion with Mat-Su Career and Technical High School students.

Dr. Everett to speak on victimology at international conference

Dr. Ron Everett, Justice faculty, will be a faculty member for the post-graduate course, "Victimology, Victim Assistance and Criminal Justice," presented by the World Society of Victimology (WSV) and the Inter University Centre Dubrovnik in Croatia, May 9-21, 2011. Dr. Everett will speak on "Victims in Alaska or Victims of Alaska: Understanding the Structural Context of Social Problems and Victimization."

This course was instituted in 1984 and is conducted each year by an international faculty of experts in victimology. Registration is limited to about 40 individuals. Crisis intervention, victim compensation, restorative justice, economic victimization, and women as victims of violence, are among the issues to be presented.

The WSV is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization with Special Category consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations and the Council of Europe. Brought together by a mutual concern for victims, its world-wide membership includes victim assistance practitioners, social scientists, social workers, physicians, lawyers, civil servants, volunteers, university academics of all levels, and students.

UAA/APU Books of the Year Program announces 2011-2013 selections

The UAA/APU Books of the Year Program theme for 2011-2013 is "Money and Morality," and the book selections for this theme have recently been announced: The Big Short by Michael Lewis and The Working Poor by David Shipler.

The program has been changed to a two-year theme to allow more time for weaving the theme and books into curriculum, and fostering campus and community partnership programs. The Books of the Year program continues to be part of the Difficult Dialogues initiative, which brings faculty, staff, and community members together to explore common themes.

Prof. Deb Periman, Justice faculty, was one of six faculty members from UAA and APU appointed to the 2011-2013 UAA/APU Books of the Year Faculty Steering Committee by Senior Vice Provost Rene Carter-Chapman.

Dr. Everett on review panel for NIJ Fellowship

Dr. Ron Everett, Justice faculty, was recently on a review panel for the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Ph.D. Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF) Program for FY2011. Ph.D. students from around the country submit requests for funding to assist with completion of their research-based doctoral dissertations on crime, violence, and other justice-related topics including social and behavioral-related sciences, operations technology, information and sensors research and development, and investigative and forensic sciences.

Reviewers evaluate applicants and make recommendations to NIJ. All applicants must be at an accredited, degree-granting educational institution in the United States.

Department of Justice fellowship in Alaska for Tribal victim assistance

May 17, 2011 is the deadline for applying for an Office for Victims of Crime/Department of Justice(OVC/DOJ) fellowship to work providing Tribal victim assistance to Alaska Natives in rural Alaska through the OVC/DOJ Alaska Native Action Team (ANAT).

The focus of the fellowship will be on the public safety, justice, and victim service needs and challenges these  communities face. Serving crime victims in Alaska presents daunting challenges as many rural, remote Alaska Native communities are impoverished, isolated, and lack victim assistance services.

Applicants are encouraged to register with grants.gov several weeks before the deadline for the application submission.

If you have questions,contact Kathleen Gless, Victim Justice Program Specialist, at 202–307–6049 or
by e-mail kathleen.gless@usdoj.gov.

See the following for details:
 Website
Grants.gov
Program URL
Full program description

Justice Center web manager joins panel of bloggers for Ole class

Melissa Green, Justice Center Publication Specialist and web manager, will be one of several bloggers filling in for former UAA Public Administration faculty member Steve Aufrect at his community education blogging class on Friday, April 15 in Rasmuson Hall. The class is offered through Olé. Olé Anchorage is one of UAA's community partners.

Green is an experienced blogger, has had her own blog for many years, and designed the Justice Center's blog.

Justice Club final meeting of semester on Friday, April 15

The Justice Club will hold its final meeting of the semester on Friday, April 15, at 1:00 p.m. in SSB 253. Election of officers will be held. Please consider running for office!

After the elections, members will view the HBO special "Crack in America" - soda and popcorn provided!

If you were unable to go on the Spring Creek Correctional Center tour or would like information on employment with the Alaska Department of Corrections, please pick up a free information packet in the Justice Club box in the Justice Center office.

Research overview: Violent and property offenses in Anchorage

"Violent and Property Offenses in Anchorage, 2003–2009", the most recent issue of Justice Center Research Overview, presents crime rates and number of offenses for violent and property crimes in Anchorage known to police from 2003 to 2009. Data for Anchorage was also compared with that for five cities of similar size in the western U.S. — Spokane, Salt Lake City, Portland, Colorado Springs, and Boise. The research overview was compiled by Khristy Parker of the UAA Justice Center.

The figures come from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program, which collects information from nearly 18,000 law enforcement agencies in the U.S. on eight serious crimes, known as Part I offenses, and over twenty less serious offenses, known as Part II offenses. Part I offenses include four violent crimes — murder/non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault — and four property crimes — burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson. The figures presented in the research overview are for all eight Part I offenses.

Justice majors shine at 2011 Student Showcase

Heather MacAlpine and audience.

Heather MacAlpine and Ezekiel Kaufman, Justice majors, were selected to each make a presentation at the 2011 UAA Student Showcase on April 7. The Student Showcase highlights the extraordinary work of students throughout the University of Alaska Anchorage system.

Heather MacAlpine's presentation, " Alaskans' Lands: A Native Alaskan's Perspective," focused on how being born in Alaska and growing up as a non-Native in a Native village has shaped her viewpoint on natural resource development in the state.

Ezekiel Kauffman and audience.

In "Race-Based Perception of Judges," Ezekiel presented data on the relationship between a group of NW Arkansas arrestees' race and their perceptions of treatment by the courts.

Now in its 27th year, Student Showcase creates an opportunity for dialogue among university and community members. Students submit their best work and an anonymous review is done by a faculty member of the submission discipline. Works receiving the highest marks are presented at the Conference. Distinguished community members are invited to the event to evaluate, critique, and comment on students' works.

Awards for top papers and projects include publication in the 2011 Student Showcase Journal and a $300 cash prize.

Dr. Barnes named as special contributor to UAA student's 1st year college success

The Office of Student Affairs asked first year students this spring to "Name the person on campus who has helped you the most in your college success." Students named over 30 individuals, as well as departments and “all my professors.”

Dr. Allan Barnes, Justice faculty, was named by Andrea Alexander, UA Scholars Program, as the person who has helped her the most in her college success during her first year at UAA.

A list of some of the persons named by students in the survey appears in The Northern Light, April 5, 2011 issue. This survey was part of MAP-Works - Making Achievement Possible, an innovative student success and retention program.

Dr. Rivera reviews Anchorage Underage Drinking Survey data

Dr. Marny Rivera, Justice faculty, is the principal investigator for an Anchorage Underage Drinking Survey that is being conducted in two parts. The first survey was a paper instrument sent to a random sample of Anchorage residents asking them about their awareness of underage drinking in the community. The second part of this study is an online only survey that is being conducted to supplement results of the paper survey. The results of both surveys will inform strategies designed to reduce underage drinking in Anchorage. A final report is anticipated by summer 2011.

This study is funded by Volunteers of America, Communities Mobilizing for Change on Alcohol, through a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and a number of events at UAA have been scheduled related to awareness and prevention of domestic violence and sexual assault. These programs are part of "UAA Against Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault."

NOTE: The AWAIC presentation on Tuesday, April 19, will now be at 3:00 p.m., instead of 2:00 p.m.

Additional information on sexual assault can found on the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) website.

Marie Brunner retiring from Justice Center

Justice Center faculty and staff are very saddened to announce the retirement of our beloved Office Manager, Ms. Marie Brunner. Marie has superbly served the University of Alaska Anchorage in a variety of capacities since 1978. We invite you to join us on Friday April 22, from 3:00pm to 4:30pm, in LIB 213, to celebrate Marie's retirement and to console us for our great loss.

Winter 2011 issue of the Alaska Justice Forum

The Winter 2011 issue of the Alaska Justice Forum features articles on the Uniform Collateral Consequences of Conviction Act, designed to facilitate offender reentry throughout the United States, and the Fairbanks gang assessment. The 12-page issue includes the following articles:

"Prisoner Reentry and the Uniform Collateral Consequences of Conviction Act" by Deborah Periman

The Uniform Collateral Consequences of Conviction Act, designed to facilitate offender reentry throughout the United States, is model legislation approved by he National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws (NCCUSL). Model or uniform legislation does not carry the force of law, but are important in shaping the development of law across the country. The newly approved Uniform Collateral Consequences Act is currently under consideration in Nevada, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. This article describes its provisions and its implications for Alaska. A bibliography for further reading is also included.

"Gangs: National Data and the Fairbanks Gang Assessment" by Khristy Parker and Shea Daniels

The Fairbanks Gang Assessment, completed in 2010, is the first structured study of gang activity in Alaska. This article examines gang member demographics, gang membership motivation, problems caused by gangs, and possible solutions to gang problems in Fairbanks North Star Borough. Selected national gang data and trends are also examined.

"Legal Definitions of Gang and Gang Crime"

Legal definitions of gang and gang crime vary among federal and state jurisdictions, which are described in this brief article.

"Gang Units in Local Law Enforcement Agencies"

This article summarizes a recent report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics on 365 of the nation’s large (100 or more sworn officers) police departments and sheriffs’ offices with a unit focusing on gang crime. Currently there are no dedicated gang units in any Alaska law enforcement agencies. A brief bibliography on gangs is included.

Alpha Phi Sigma national criminal justice honor society welcomes 18 new members

Eighteen Justice majors were awarded certificates and pinned as members of the Alpha Phi Sigma National Criminal Justice Honor Society, Omega Xi Chapter, on Wednesday, March 30 at the Justice Center. Family and friends attended the ceremony, followed by a reception.

To be selected for this honor, each student had to maintain a 3.2 overall cumulative GPA and 3.2 GPA in their Justice major. Alpha Phi Sigma is the only National Criminal Justice Honor Society for Criminal Justice Majors. The society recognizes academic excellence of undergraduate and graduate students of criminal justice.

Dr. Marny Rivera, faculty advisor, moderated the ceremony, assisted by Justice Center faculty members Dr. Brad Myrstol, Dr. Troy Payne, and Dr. Sharon Chamard.

2011 inductees:
1. Coleman Alguire
2. Sy Bulaong Ramirez
3. Seth Bowen*
4. John Croughen
5. David Crozier
6. Jeremy Holmes
7. Ezekiel Kaufman
8. Heather MacAlpine
9. Travis Marquiss*
10. Jonathan Martin
11. Sarah Park*
12. Jacob Ruebelmann*
13. Kelly Sandlin*
14. Kaitlin Simenson
15. Jolene Stracuzzi
16. Isabell Wilkinson
17. Ailee Wood
18. Kelsey Waldorf

*Spring 2011 graduates.

Front row - left to right: Dr. Sharon Chamard, Kelly Sandlin, Sy Bulaong Ramirez, Isabell Wilkinson, Heather MacAlpine, Sarah Park, David Crozier, Ailee Wood, Dr. Marny Rivera, Dr. Brad Myrstol. Back row - left to right: Dr. Troy Payne, Seth Bowen, Coleman Alguire, Jeremy Holmes, Ezekiel Kaufman, Jacob Ruebelmann, John Croughen, Kelsey Waldorf, Kaitlin Simenson, Dr. Allan Barnes. Not pictured: Travis Marquiss, Jonathan Martin, Jolene Stracuzzi.