Save the date! Pizza party for Justice & Paralegal students on September 20

Pizza Party for Justice & Paralegal Students
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
4:00 -5:30 p.m.

Justice Center, Consortium Library
2nd floor, LIB 213

Drop in for pizza and beverages and meet your advisors, professors, 

and fellow students!

Justice students at a past student event enjoy the food!

Dr. Myrstol interviewed by National Education Association for featured online article about school resource officers

Dr. Brad Myrstol, Justice faculty, was interviewed about school resource officers (SROs) for a featured online article,  "Police Presence in Schools Continues to Grow," published on the National Education Association (NEA) neatoday  news website on August 26, 2011.

The basis for the interview was Dr. Myrstol's  Fall 2010 Alaska Justice Forum article, "Police in Schools: Public Perceptions"  which provides a history of School Resource Officers (SROs) — certified, sworn police officers who are employed by a local police agency but are assigned to work in local schools — and presents results of public perceptions of SROs in Anchorage School District schools based on questions in the 2009 Anchorage Community Survey.

UAA Justice Center and Alaska State Troopers release report on marijuana grow searches

The UAA Justice Center and the Alaska State Troopers have released a report, The Predictive Validity of Marijuana Odor Detection, by Dr. Brad Myrstol and co-author, Prof. Jason Brandeis, J.D., Justice Center faculty. The report was commissioned by the Alaska State Troopers (AST).

The study includes an overview of the legal status of marijuana by Prof. Brandeis and an analysis of data by Dr. Myrstol from over 200 marijuana grow searches conducted by AST during the calendar years 2006, 2007, and 2008. Marijuana was found and seized in 98.5% of the cases reviewed.

The primary purpose of the study was to provide an empirical estimate of the extent to which AST investigators' detection of marijuana odors served as a reliable indicator of the presence of illegal quantities of marijuana.   Detection of marijuana odors was found to be significantly associated with the discovery of relatively large amounts of marijuana - that is, quantities of four ounces or more, as well as 25 or more plants.

Details of the project are available on the Justice Center website.

Prof. Brandeis teaches courses on American government, constitutional law and civil liberties, and is a frequent speaker on constitutional law and other legal issues. Prof. Brandeis also maintains a private law practice through which, subsequent to the date of the writing and release of this report, he provided legal representation in administrative agency proceedings for the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Alaska. 

Justice Center readies for 2011 campus kick-off

The Justice Center will be at the 2011 Campus Kick-off on Saturday, August 27, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on the Cuddy Quad. Dr. Brad Myrstol and Dr. Troy Payne, Justice faculty, will be at the Justice Center booth to speak with students about Justice Center programs and options.

This year's Campus Kick-off features food, information booths, prizes, and live entertainment. Comedian Nick Thune performs at the Wendy Williamson at 7:15 p.m., and don't miss the walk-in movie at 9:00 p.m. on the south lawn of the Wells Fargo Sports Complex. See you there!

The 2010 Justice Center booth.

Prof. Periman talks about Making Learning Visible at CBPP faculty in-service

Dr. Randy Magen, School of Social Work, and Prof. Deb Periman, Justice Center faculty, outlined the "Making Learning Visible" (MLV) project for the UAA College of Business & Public Policy faculty in-service on August 19.  The goal of the MLV project is to provide resources and a supportive community of colleagues to faculty as they strive to self-evaluate and improve their teaching skills.  "Making Learning Visible" is coordinated by the Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence (CAFE).

 Standing l to r: Dr. Randy Magen, School of Social Work; Prof. Deb Periman, Justice Center; and Prof. Lynn Koshiyama, Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence (CAFE), respond to questions from the group.

Dr. Diane Hirshberg (center), UAA Center for Alaska Education Policy Research, highlights the increasing importance of the scholarship of teaching and learning movement at universities across the country.

National ACLU President Anthony Romero podcast on KSKA Addressing Alaskans today, August 18

National Executive Director of the ACLU Anthony Romero's presentation on July 14 at the Wendy Williamson, "Disparate Opportunity in America: The Ongoing Struggle for Equal Rights,"  is being podcast on KSKA "Addressing Alaskans"  at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. today, Thursday, August 18.

Mr. Romero's presentation highlights the ongoing struggle for equal rights and opportunity in America, the continuing challenges faced by minority and underprivileged communities, and the work of the ACLU in fighting for equal rights.

The live event was co-sponsored by the UAA Justice Center, the ACLU of Alaska, and other University and community partners.

Tribal court conference brings together tribal, state, and federal representatives

Justice Center Director Dr. André Rosay, faculty member Dr. Cory Lepage, and Alaska Justice Forum editor Barbara Armstrong attended the 27th Annual Alaska Tribal Court Development Conference in Fairbanks, August 9-11, 2011. Over 90 tribal court judges, court clerks, tribal administrators, Native village representatives, as well federal and state agency representatives participated.  The agenda included presentations on tribal court procedures, restorative justice, and  state/tribal relations.

This event is funded by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Bureau of Indian Affairs through Tanana Chiefs Conference, the National Tribal Judicial Center at the National Judicial College, the University of Alaska Fairbanks Interior Aleutians Campus, and the University of North Dakota School of Law Tribal Judicial Institute.

Due Process and Essential Practices for Tribal Courts panel (l to r): Tribal Court Chief Judge Ingrid Cumberlidge, Sand Point; Natasha Singh, Tanana Chiefs Conference General Counsel; Natalie Landreth, Native American Rights Fund Staff Attorney; and Kevin Illingworth, UAF Tribal Management Program Director. 

Mock Circle Sentencing participants (l to r): Tribal Program Specialist David Raasch, Fox Valley Technical College, WI; Sue Hollingsworth, former Tribal Court Facilitator, Tanana Chiefs Conference; Jackie Wholecheese, Native leader, Huslia; Kathy Morgan, Nenana tribal member; State of Alaska District Court Magistrate Christopher McLain, Galena; Kevin Illingworth, UAF Tribal Management Program Director; and Mishal Gaede, Tribal Court Facilitator, Tanana Chiefs Conference.  Tribal Government Specialist Lisa Jaeger, Tanana Chiefs Conference (seated in chair off stage to far left) acted as recorder for the group.

Alaska Court System panel (l to r): District Court Magistrate Christopher McLain, Galena; District Court Magistrate Dacho Alexander, Fort Yukon; District Court Magistrate Alicemary Rasley, Fairbanks; Superior Court Judge Randy Olsen, Fairbanks; and Alaska Supreme Court Justice Daniel Winfree, Fairbanks.

Prof. Periman discusses Books of the Year and Making Learning Visible at new faculty orientation

Prof. Periman talks about Making Learning Visible.  Standing on the right (r to l) are Dr. Predeger and Dr. Magen.

 Prof. Deb Periman, Justice faculty, participated in the day-long new UAA  faculty orientation on August 15.   Dr. Elizabeth Predeger of the School of Nursing, Dr. Randy Magen of the School of Social Work, and Prof. Periman outlined details of activities of the "Making Learning Visible" Project for the upcoming academic year. These include the Café Best Practices Series, Course/Teaching Portfolio Development, and  the Book Group which is focusing on the text, "Inquiring into the College Classroom: A Journey Toward Scholarly Teaching." The goal of this project is to provide resources and a supportive community of colleagues to faculty as they strive to self-evaluate and improve their teaching skills.

Prof. Periman also described the "UAA/APU Books of the Year" program, part of the Ford Foundation Difficult Dialogues Project.  The program encourages faculty to integrate into their curriculum books selected for their relevance and timeliness. The Big Short by Michael Lewis and The Working Poor by David K. Shipler were selected by a faculty committee for the 2011 through 2013 academic years.  The program's website provides faculty with materials and ideas for weaving themes from the books into their classes and creating a community conversation.

Prof. Periman discusses "Books of the Year" in the above photos.

Dr. Cory R. Lepage joins Justice Center faculty

Dr. Cory R. Lepage has joined the faculty of the Justice Center as an Assistant Professor.  He received his Ph.D. in sociology from the University of California, Riverside, and his M.S. in criminal justice from California State University, Long Beach. His areas of emphasis are courts, sociology of law, criminological theory, and research methods and analysis.  Most recently, Dr. Lepage has conducted research on justice of the peace courts in the U.S. and Canada and on dual diagnosis courts.

Dr. Myrstol selected for leadership positions on NeighborWorks Anchorage board of directors

Dr. Brad Myrstol, Justice faculty, was recently elected Secretary of the NeighborWorks® Anchorage Board of Directors, and was also selected to be Chair of the Committee on Community Engagement and Resident Services.

In his capacity as secretary of the Anchorage board, he attended the August 8-11, 2011 NeighborWorks America Training Institute on community and neighborhood revitalization which was held in Atlanta.  He will also be participating in the September 2011 Board Leadership Forum for the Pacific District of NeighborWorks America in Portland.  During the conference, Dr. Myrstol will visit Central City Concern (CCC), a nonprofit agency  founded in 1979, which serves single adults and families in the Portland area who are impacted by homelessness, poverty, and addiction. CCC offers a continuum of affordable housing options integrated with direct social services, including healthcare, recovery, and employment.

NeighborWorks America is the country’s preeminent leader in affordable housing and community development. NeighborWorks® Anchorage is part of the nationwide network of nonprofits affiliated with NeighborWorks America, and  is dedicated to improving the quality of life for families and individuals by preserving homes, creating new housing opportunities and strengthening neighborhoods.

Prof. Brandeis attends Law and Society 2011 annual meeting

Prof. Jason Bradeis, J.D., Justice faculty, attended the 2011 Law and Society Association annual meeting in San Francisco in June.  This multi-disciplinary event brings together scholars from around the world to discuss  the place of law in social, political, economic, and cultural life.  Participants bring training from a variety of  backgrounds including law, sociology, political science, psychology, anthropology, economics, and history, as well as other areas related to the study of socio-legal phenomena. The association publishes the Law & Society Review, sponsors annual conferences and educational workshops, and fosters the development of academic programs in law and society around the world.

Dr. Chamard elected chair of Anchorage Public Safety Advisory Commission

Dr. Sharon Chamard, Justice Center faculty, was elected on August 10, 2011 to the office of chair of the Municipality of Anchorage’s Public Safety Advisory Commission (PSAC).  This nine-member body advises the mayor and Anchorage Assembly on public safety issues of concern to the citizens of the Municipality.   Dr. Chamard has been on the PSAC since 2006, and has served as vice-chair since 2008.

Dr. Payne attends Data-Driven Approaches to Crime and Traffic Safety (DDACTS) workshop

APD crime map showing density of person crimes.

Dr. Troy Payne, Justice faculty, attended the "Data-Driven Approaches to Crime and Traffic Safety (DDACTS)" workshop hosted by the Anchorage Police Department (APD) on July 26 -28, 2011 in Anchorage.  Attendees included representatives from Alaska state agencies.

DDACTS involves the use of geo-mapping to identify areas that have high incidence of crime and crashes, and to determine effective and efficient means for deploying law enforcement and other resources based on this data.  The goal of DDACTS is to reduce the incidence of crime, crashes, and traffic violations across the nation.  This program is supported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Bureau of Justice, and the National Institute of Justice.

The APD crime map shown is an example of how geo-mapping uses color to indicate density of crimes; in this instance, red equals a high value and denotes a high density of person crimes in particular areas of Anchorage in June 2011.

Justice grad appointed special assistant to Alaska Department of Public Safety Commissioner

Kelly Howell, Special Asst. to DPS Commissioner

Kelly Howell, B.A., Justice '92, was recently appointed the Special Assistant to Alaska Department of Public Safety (DPS) Commissioner Joe Masters. One of her major roles is as legislative liaison for DPS, and Kelly will be reviewing and drafting proposed legislation, evaluating and drafting regulations, and meeting with members of the legislature.  In addition, she serves as the liaison to the Office of the Governor Sean Parnell and will be continue to be involved in the Governor’s Initiative to end the epidemic of sexual assault and domestic violence in Alaska.  Most recently, Kelly was the domestic violence and sexual assault services coordinator for the Alaska State Troopers and traveled statewide training first responders, working with victim services providers, and assisting with policy development.

Dr. Payne presents at criminology conference in Durban, South Africa

Dr. Troy Payne, Justice faculty, presented at the 20th annual Environmental Criminology and Crime Analysis (ECCA) Symposium on July 19, 2011 in Durban, South Africa. 

His presentation titled, "Criminogenic Features of Apartment Complexes: A Preliminary Case Control Study,"  was co-authored with Heidi L. Scherer of Kennesaw State University and John E. Eck of the University of Cincinnati.  This study used epidemiological methods to compare high crime apartment complexes to low crime apartment complexes along multiple dimensions, including management practices and the immediate spatial context of the complexes.

ECCA is an annual, invitation-only symposium attended by an international group of researchers and practitioners engaged in situational crime prevention, intelligence-led policing, and problem-oriented policing. This year's ECCA was hosted by the Built Environment Unit of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and co-sponsored by the eThekwini Municipality of South Africa.

In 2008, the Justice Center hosted the 17th annual ECCA Symposium on the UAA campus.
 

Alan McKelvie receives Bureau of Justice Statistics grant

Alan McKelvie, Director of the Alaska Justice Statistical Analysis Center (SAC), has received a grant from the Bureau of Justice Statistics for FY2011-2012 under the State Justice Statistics Program for Statistical Analysis Centers.  With this award, Mr. McKelvie will be upgrading and expanding the Justice Information Exchange Model that is located at the SAC.  Key improvements will include import/export capabilities, information exchange package documentation, and security settings. This library of standardized information exchange packages project was begun in FY2009-2010.

The standardized information exchange packages will include data such as incident reports, criminal intakes and dispositions, booking forms, criminal fingerprint cards, citation forms, and criminal complaints, and will be made available to criminal justice agencies statewide through the SAC website.

See additional information on the Justice Information Exchange Model and on the National Information Exchange Model (including information exchange package documentation (IEPDs). The Alaska Statistical Analysis Center is housed at the UAA Justice Center.

Congrats to Justice and Paralegal Studies majors named to spring 2011 honors lists

The Justice Center congratulates Justice and Paralegal Studies majors named to the Chancellor's and Dean's Lists for Spring 2011.

Chancellor's List, Spring 2011

Baker,Joshua J.
Batch,Michael J.
Butenhoff,Dillon J.
Del Frate,Kimberly K.
Eichrodt,Sean T.
Herrin,Sarah L.
Holmes,Jeremy D.
MacAlpine,Heather
Martin,Jonathan P.
Vreeman,Shiloh M.
Waldorf,Kelsey C.
Wilkinson,Isabell K.
Workman,Alexa B.

Dean's List, Spring 2011

Alguire,Coleman J.
Armstrong,Bethany A.
Blood,Patrick R.
Bulaong Ramirez,Sy P.
Crain,Kristen A.
Crozier,David A.
Erickson,Marti M.
Forshee,Amber C.
Giacalone,Samuel M.
Good,Louisa C.
Kadriu,Luljeta O.
Kaufman,Ezekiel J.
Mayfield,Joseph D.
Miller,Michael I.
Morthorpe,Charlotte K.
Powell,Donte J.
Presser,Matthew P.
Reinhard,Daniel J.
Sandlin,Kelly K.
Smith,Andrew J.
Tanner,Stacy L.

Requirements for Honors Lists:  To be named to the Chancellor's List, a student must be an admitted undergraduate degree/certificate-seeking student enrolled in at least 12 UAA credits graded with academic letter grades and must have earned a GPA of 4.00 for the semester. To be named to the Dean's List, a student must be an admitted undergraduate degree/certificate-seeking student enrolled in at least 12 UAA credits graded with academic letter grades and must have earned a GPA of at least 3.50 for the semester. 

Dr. Payne attends crime prevention through environmental design training course

Dr. Troy Payne, Justice faculty, joined a group of risk managers, municipal officials, planners, and law enforcement personnel from around the state, at the "Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED)" workshop hosted June 21-24, 2011 in Anchorage by the Alaska Peace Officers Association (APOA). 

This workshop was developed by the National Crime Prevention Council to highlight how CPTED can be used to reduce crime in given areas through design and use of buildings, public spaces, landscaping, barriers, and lighting.

Attendees at the Anchorage Crime Prevention through Environmental Design workshop.