Justice Center closed November 28 and 29 for Thanksgiving break

UAA and the Justice Center will be closed Thursday and Friday, November 28 and 29, for the Thanksgiving break.

We wish you and your families a very happy and safe holiday!

Justice Center participates in UAA Preview Days for high school students

2013 Preview Days nametags

Prof. Deb Periman, J.D., and Prof. Ryan Fortson, J.D., Ph.D., Justice faculty, met with high school students at the November 1st UAA Preview Days at the Student Union.

Preview Days is designed specifically for high school juniors and seniors and their guests, and offers them the opportunity to experience first-hand all that UAA has to offer.

Students and their guests attend a mock class, workshops on admissions and financial aid, and speak with current students about campus life , and with UAA faculty about academic programs.

Prof. Fortson at the Justice Center exhibit table.

Justice faculty present at the American Society of Criminology annual meeting in Atlanta

Justice faculty presented on a variety of topics at the recent American Society of Criminology Annual Meeting in Atlanta, November 20-23, 2013. The theme for 2013 is "Expanding the Core: Neglected Crimes, Groups, Causes and Policy Approaches."

The American Society of Criminology is an international organization whose members pursue scholarly, scientific, and professional knowledge concerning the measurement, etiology, consequences, prevention, control, and treatment of crime and delinquency.

Justice Center Faculty presentations included:

Estimates of Violence Against Alaska Native Women
Dr. André Rosay, UAA Justice Center Director 

Deflection of Offenders During "Bar Break" in Downtown Anchorage
Dr. Sharon Chamard, Justice faculty

Identifying and Addressing the Civil Legal Needs of Crime Victims in Alaska
Dr. Marny Rivera and Dr. Cory R. Lepage, Justice faculty

The Path Shaw and McKay Did Not Take: The Policy Consequences of People versus Place Responses 
Dr. Troy Payne, Justice faculty; Kathleen Gallagher (Ph.D. candidate), Dr. John Eck, and Dr. James Frank, University of Cincinnati

Crime Analysts & Criminologists: Partnering for Crime Reduction - A Roundtable
Dr. Troy Payne, Justice faculty 

Dr. Chamard elected co-lead of the UAA UPD Auxiliary Emergency Team

Dr. Sharon Chamard, Justice Center faculty, was elected on October 17, 2013 to a two-year position as co-lead of the UAA UPD Auxiliary Emergency Team, and has been a member of the team since its creation in 2007. The auxiliary team trains monthly during the academic year in areas such as traffic and crowd control, infectious disease control, handling of hazardous materials, pet rescue and shelter during disasters, radio communications, and search and rescue.

Many on the auxiliary team, including Dr. Chamard, have also been certified as Campus Community Emergency Response Team (CCERT) members. The auxiliary team participates in mock disaster drills (i.e., for pandemics and natural disasters) and assists the University Police Department in planned building evacuations.

November 25 is International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

Women's activists have marked November 25 as a day against violence since 1981. This date was chosen because it marks the day of the brutal assassination in 1960 of the three Mirabal sisters, political activists in the Dominican Republic, on orders of Dominican ruler Rafael Trujillo (1930-1961).

In 1999, the United Nations General Assembly designated 25 November as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and invited governments, international organizations and NGOs to organize activities designed to raise public awareness of the problem on that day.

Violence against women continues to be a global pandemic. Up to 70% of women experience violence in their lifetime, according to the United Nations website.

In Alaska, according to the Alaska Victimization Survey 2010 statewide results:

• 58.6% of Alaska women experienced at least one incident of intimate partner violence or sexual violence over their lifetime.
• 11.8% experienced at least one incident of intimate partner violence or sexual violence during the last year prior to the survey.

Regional results for the AVS are also available.

Dr. Payne speaks at forum on stand your ground law in Alaska

Dr. Payne (standing) presents information on
Stand Your Ground law in other states and
available research on impact of these laws.

Dr. Troy Payne, Justice faculty, was a panelist at "Community Forum: Stand Your Ground Law in Alaska" sponsored by the Anchorage Community Police Relations Task Force and the Anchorage Equal Rights Commission (AERC) on November 7 at Clark Middle School.

The forum addressed the Stand Your Ground law and its implementation in Alaska.  Dr. Payne presented information on Stand Your Ground law in other states and available research on the impact of these laws.

Click here for Dr. Payne's PowerPoint presentation: "Stand Your Ground": History and Effects.

Other panelists included: John Skidmore, Alaska Department of Law; Wanda Greene, NAACP; Kevin McGee, NAACP Political Action Committee; and Chief Mark Mew, Anchorage Police Department. Susan Parkes, local attorney, was the moderator. The program was opened by Rev. William Greene, Chair of the Anchorage Community Police Relations Task Force.

For more information, contact Stephanie Horvat, AERC Intake and Outreach Coordinator, at 343-4342 or horvatsm@muni.org

L to r: Susan Parkes, moderator; John Skidmore, Dept. of Law, Dr. Troy Payne, UAA Justice Center;
Wanda Greene, NAACP; Kevin McGee, NAACP Police Action Committee; Chief Mark Mew,
Anchorage Police Dept.; Rev. William Greene, Chair, Anchorage Community Police Relations Task Force.

Justice Center and UAA campus closing at 12:45 p.m. today due to icy road conditions

The Anchorage, JBER, and Eagle River campuses of UAA are closing at 12:45 p.m. today due to icy road condtions.

The Justice Center will reopen on Monday, November 25, at 8:00 a.m.

Prof. Brandeis attends International Drug Policy Reform Conference

Prof. Jason Brandeis, J.D., Justice faculty, recently attended the International Drug Policy Reform Conference in Denver in October.  This biennial event brings together over 1,000 attendees representing 30 different countries committed to developing more just and effective ways of dealing with drugs in our society.

Topics included alternatives to the war on drugs, harm reduction, international and comparative approaches to drug regulation, use of supervised injection facilities, marijuana legalization, racially-biased policing and drugs, mass incarceration and drug use, and the impact of money bail on poor, nonviolent offenders.

Prof. Brandeis teaches courses on constitutional issues and civil liberties, and is the author of an article published in the December 2012 Alaska Law Review,  "The Continuing Vitality of Ravin v. State: Alaskans Still Have the Right To Possess Marijuana in the Privacy of Their Homes."
Prof. Brandeis also maintains a private law practice through which, subsequent to the date of this conference, he provided legal representation in administrative agency proceedings for the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Alaska.

Dr. Everett and Prof. Periman discuss developing and assessing critical thinking at CAFE program

L to r: Dr. Ghulam, Dr. Everett, Prof. Periman, J.D.  Panelists and participants listen as |
Prof. Periman discusses material from the Lilly West Conference.

Dr. Ron Everett, Prof. Deb Periman, J.D., Justice faculty, and Dr. Ghulam Bham, School of Engineering, were the panelists at the November 1st Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence (CAFE) program, "Developing and Assessing Critical Thinking in Face to Face and Online Classrooms."

This program highlighted information presented at the 2013 Lilly West Conference on College and University Teaching about how faculty can develop and assess student critical thinking in face to face and online classrooms. The use of authentic assignments fosters deeper and more connected student learning. The final segment focused on how these principles can be applied in Engineering programs.

Legal Studies Program and the Center for Community Engagement & Learning join together to support student volunteerism

The UAA Justice Center Legal Studies Program and the Center for Community Engagement and Learning are working together to provide opportunities for students to engage in volunteer service to the community. Students who volunteer the required number of hours with an approved legal services agency can graduate with Pro Bono Service Honors.

Prof. Deb Periman, J.D., Legal Studies Program Coordinator, is a member of the faculty advisory committee to the Center for Community Engagement and Learning Civic Engagement Certificate.  

Prof. Knudsen joins faculty response panel for debate on state's obligation to prevent climate change

L to r: Prof. Ray Anthony, Prof. Paul Ongtooguk, and Toby Schwoerer,
listen to Prof. Knudsen's response to the debate.

Prof. Kristin Knudsen, J.D., Justice faculty, was a member of the faculty response panel for the  Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence & the UAA/APU Difficult Dialogues Initiative sponsored debate on: "Does the state have an obligation to act to prevent climate change?"  

The event featured the award-winning UAA Speech and Debate Team, a faculty response panel, and a facilitated public discussion.  Members of the faculty response panel included Prof. Knudsen; Toby Schwoerer, Institute for Social and Economic Research; Prof. Paul Ongtooguk, School of Education; and Prof. Ray Anthony, Philosophy Department.

This program is part of a series of debates and discussions sponsored by the UAA Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence since 2003 to offer the Anchorage community access to university resources as a basis for discussions of policies and issues affecting its future.

For more information on these events, contact eroderick@uaa.alaska.edu or 786-4605.

UAA dance concert explores violence toward women - November 22, 23, and 24

UAA Dance Ensemble and Alumni present, "Sleying the Reed: A Movement Mediation on Women & Violence" directed by Prof. Katherine Kramer, UAA Department of Theatre and Dance. This work explores violence toward women through the medium of dance.

"Sleying the reed..." is a term used in weaving to describe pulling threads through the part of the loom called a reed.

Day: Fridays, Saturdays, & Sunday, November 22, 23, 24
Time: 8:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 6:00 p.m. Sunday
Place: UAA Harper Studio Theatre, Fine Arts Bldg., Room 129
Admission: $14 general/$10 student

The director, Prof. Kramer, was moved to address this issue artistically after reading Half the Sky by Nicolas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn.

The event will also offer a local perspective on the issue of violence against women and provide information on resources and services available to women who victims of violence. On selected nights, there will be short "talk-back" sessions to encourage a community dialogue.

For more information, contact Andrea Lee Miller at 786-1766.

Dr. Chamard elected vice-chair of the Muni of Anchorage Public Safety Advisory Commission

Dr. Sharon Chamard, Justice Center faculty, was elected on October 9, 2013 to the office of vice-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 previously served as chair from 2011-2012 and vice-chair from 2008-2011.

Tribal Judge David Voluck speaks at UAA Library on Monday, November 18

Tribal Judge David Voluck, Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes, will speak at UAA next week on "The Resurgence of Tribal Courts: A Tribal Judge's Perspective":

Date: Monday, November 18
Time: 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Place: UAA/APU Library, LIB 307
This event is free and open to UAA students, faculty, staff, and the public.

Judge Voluck is an attorney, and in 2008 was appointed Chief Judge of the Sitka Tribal Court. In 2010, he was appointed Magistrate/Judge for the Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes. Judge Voluck was appointed Presiding Judge Pro Tem in 2012 for the Aleut Community of St. Paul Island Tribal Government.  His legal experience includes work for the Sitka Tribe of Alaska and as a member of the law firm of Landye, Bennett, and Blumstein, LLP.  Judge Voluck is the co-author with David Case of the legal treatise, Alaska Natives and American Laws. He is a noted lecturer on a variety of topics related to Indian law, Tribal Courts, Native culture, and their interplay with religion.

Prof. Ryan Fortson, J.D., Ph.D., Justice faculty, is the coordinator for this event.

Photo by Lisa Jaeger.

Data from Dr. Chamard's presentation on education and crime noted in Frontiersman op-ed piece

Information from the recent presentation by Dr. Sharon Chamard, Justice faculty, and Sgt. Derek Hsieh, Anchorage Police Department, to the Partnership for Public Education on the relationship between education and crime was noted in an op-ed piece in the Frontiersman:

"Better behind desks than bars," (op-ed piece) by Heather Resz, Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman 24 October 2013

For their presentation, Dr. Chamard and Sgt. Hsieh drew on data from studies by education researchers and organizations, including "Saving Futures, Saving Dollars: The Impact of Education on Crime Reduction and Earnings" (2013) by the Alliance for Excellent Education, and a study by Lance Lochner and Enrico Moretti, "The Effect of Education on Crime: Evidence from Prison Inmates, Arrests, and Self-Reports" (2004) which appeared in the American Economic Review.

For additional information on crime and education, see "K-12 Education Spending and Student Outcomes: A Review of the Evidence" (2012) from the Washington Institute for Public Policy.

Prof. Periman presents at American Association for Paralegal Education 32nd Annual Conference

Prof. Deb Periman, J.D., Justice faculty and Legal Studies Program Coordinator, recently presented at the 32nd Annual American Association for Paralegal Education (AAfPE) Conference this fall in Phoenix.

Prof. Periman presented "Legal Research Reconsidered: Legal Analysis Challenges in Digital Research" which examined the brain connection with print resources, analytic challenges in digital research, and teaching strategies for replicating in digital research the analytic advantages of print research.  She was part of a panel which addressed the topic, "Legal Research Reconsidered: Print vs. Digital."

AAfPE's membership includes hundreds of universities, colleges, and other institutions of higher learning throughout the United States and in Canada. Since 1981, AAfPE's member schools have trained thousands of paralegal students each year to help increase, improve, and support access to the legal system in their communities. 

AJSAC Fact Sheet: Arrests for Drug Offenses in Alaska: 2000–2011

The September 2013 issue of the AJSAC Fact Sheet presents data on arrests for drug offenses made by Alaska police agencies for the period 2000 through 2011. The report presents drug offense arrest information for both adults and juveniles for the 12-year period, including number of drug offense arrests, drug offense arrests as a percentage of all arrests, drug offense arrest rate, and drug offense types. Data is drawn from the annual Crime in Alaska report of the Alaska Department of Public Safety, which represents the State of Alaska's contribution to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) program. The Fact Sheet is by Dr. Brad A. Myrstol, director of the Alaska Justice Statistical Analysis Center (AJSAC).

Justice major does personal fundraising to offer scholarship through Anchorage Police Auxiliary Search Team

Lena Illig, Justice major, has been a member of the Anchorage Police Department (APD) Auxiliary Search Team for two years.  The primary mission of the search team is to assist APD in locating and rendering aid to persons reported lost or missing within the APD service district. The search team is an all volunteer, non-profit corporation.

Through fundraising that Lena did, the APD Auxiliary Search Team is now offering a $250 scholarship to students seeking a degree in Justice, Legal Studies, Emergency Services, Fire Safety, or a related field.  Lena plans to continue fundraising for the APD Search Team scholarship program.

Send all inquiries about the scholarship to Lena Illig at lena.illig@gmail.com. Applications forms are available in the Justice Center, Consortium Library, room LIB 213 or online at http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/justice/scholarships.cfm

Prof. Wolfe mentors South High student in forensics

Prof. Jim Wolfe, Justice adjunct faculty, provided a forensic science mentorship last winter to South Anchorage High School student, Jacob Crapps. Prof. Wolfe is a former forensic scientist with the Alaska Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory, and is currently a forensic consultant and trainer. 

Jacob Crapps assisted Prof. Wolfe in preparing for a presentation at the 2013 International Association of Identification International Conference held in Rhode Island in August.

At the conference, Prof. Wolfe presented, "Optimizing Techniques for Photographing and Casting Snow Impression Evidence," which focused on improved ways to photograph and cast snow impressions of things such as shoe prints and tire tracks.

Jacob is presently a senior at South High, and plans to study engineering or science in college.  See photos below of their work.

Jacob Crapps conducts photo tests with an oblique light source.

Prof. Wolfe conducts snow impression photography tests near Byron Glacier.

Prof. Wolfe tests a fast setting plaster in Fairbanks.

Dr. Everett interviewed by Fairbanks Daily Newsminer about reform of the justice system and Alaska Senate Bill 64

Dr. Ron Everett, Justice faculty, was interviewed by the Fairbanks Daily Newsminer about proposals to reform the justice system and bipartisan Alaska Senate Bill 64.

Dr. Everett noted that alternatives to prison such as mental health and substance abuse treatment, reentry assistance for released offenders, and supervision can make an impact and lower costs. The new development is that many of these alternatives to prison sentences are now being embraced by conservatives.

"Cost of housing state's prison population has senators seeking sentencing reform" by Matt Buxton (Fairbanks Daily Newsminer, 6 Oct 2013).

UAA dance concert explores violence toward women - November 15 -24

UAA Dance Ensemble and Alumni present, "Sleying the Reed: A Movement Mediation on Women & Violence" directed by Prof. Katherine Kramer, UAA Department of Theatre and Dance. This work explores violence toward women through the medium of dance.

"Sleying the reed..." is a term used in weaving to describe pulling threads through the part of the loom called a reed.

Day: Fridays, Saturdays, & Sunday, November 15-24
Time: 8:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 6:00 p.m. Sunday
Place: UAA Harper Studio Theatre, Fine Arts Bldg., Room 129
Admission: $14 general/$10 student

The director, Prof. Kramer, was moved to address this issue artistically after reading Half the Sky by Nicolas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn.

The event will also offer a local perspective on the issue of violence against women and provide information on resources and services available to women who victims of violence. On selected nights, there will be short "talk-back" sessions to encourage a community dialogue.

For more information, contact Andrea Lee Miller at 786-1766.

UA Statewide Voice notes Alaska Victimization Survey data

The article, "Domestic Violence: How it affects students and employees," appearing in the October issue of the UA online newsletter, "The Statewide Voice," refers to data from the Alaska Victimization Survey, an ongoing research project of the UAA Justice Center. 

The article by Chief Human Resources Officer Erik Seastedt was written to highlight October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Dr. Payne speaks at forum on stand your ground law in Alaska - November 7

Dr. Troy Payne, Justice faculty, will be a panelist at "Community Forum: Stand Your Ground Law in Alaska" sponsored by the Anchorage Community Police Relations Task Force and the Anchorage Equal Rights Commission (AERC).  The forum will address the Stand Your Ground law and its implementation in Alaska.

Date: Thursday, November 7
Time: 6:30 - 8:00
Place: Clark Middle School

Other panelists include: Sharon Marshall, District Attorney's Office; John Skidmore, Alaska Department of Law; Wanda Greene, NAACP; Kevin McGee, Political Action Committee; and Chief Mark Mew, Anchorage Police Department.

For more information, contact Stephanie Horvat,  AERC Intake and Outreach Coordinator, at 343-4342 or horvatsm@muni.org

Mat-Su data from Alaska Victimization Survey noted in Frontiersman opinion piece

Sign and flags in field along Glenn Highway.
Photo by Robert DeBerry - used with permission.

Violence against women data from the Alaska Victimization Survey 2013 Mat-Su regional estimates are highlighted in a recent opinion piece by Prof. Judy Gette, UAA Mat-Su College:

"Explaining the 53 percent" by Judy Gette (Spectrum opinion piece) (Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman, 24 Oct 2013).

The piece has an accompanying photo by Robert DeBerry of the Frontiersman showing a sign in a field along the Glenn Highway near the Alaska State Fairgrounds in Palmer with "53%" written on it and a row of purple and white flags planted nearby.

The sign indicates the percentage of adult women in the Mat-Su Borough who have experienced intimate partner violence, sexual violence, or both in their lives.  The sign and flags were put up by the Mat-Su National Organization for Women. For more information see  Mat-Su Now.

Alaska Justice Forum issues now on HeinOnline

The Justice Center quarterly research publication, Alaska Justice Forum, is now available on HeinOnline, the world's largest image-based legal research database. 

The UAA/APU Consortium Library subscribes to HeinOnline.