Dr. Rivera discusses recent Forum article on youth marijuana and prescription drug abuse at State Epidemiology Workgroup

L to r: Dr. Marny Rivera and Claire Schieder,
Department of  Health and Social Services;
chair of the State Epidemiological Workgrop.

Dr. Marny Rivera, Justice Center faculty, was invited to the State Epidemiological Workgroup (SEW) meeting on October 12 to discuss her research, including an article in the recent issue of the Alaska Justice Forum, which looks at Anchorage adults' perceptions and attitudes toward youth abuse of marijuana and non-medical use of prescription drugs. 

The State Epidemiological Workgroup (SEW) is under the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), Division of Behavioral Health (DBH), and is funded by the Alaska Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant.  SEW is responsible for developing a systematic, scientific process to determine state prevention priorities related to substance use consumption, consequences and influences.

Read the Alaska Justice Forum article, "Youth Marijuana and Prescription Drug Abuse in Anchorage." Dr. Cory R. Lepage, Justice faculty, is a co-author of the article with Dr. Rivera. The Alaska Justice Forum is the research journal of the UAA Justice Center and is published 3 times per year. Subscribe to the Alaska Justice Forum.

9th Annual Women in Law Enforcement Recruitment Fair is October 26 at the Student Union

Are you interested in an exciting career in law enforcement? Come to the 9th Annual Women in Law Enforcement Recruitment Fair!

Where:  UAA Student Union
When:    Wednesday, October 26, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies will be on hand to talk to you about career opportunities.

Sponsored by the Women Police of Alaska with the support of the Alaska State Troopers, and UAA Career Exploration and Services
 

White House and U.S. Attorney General cite research by Dr. Rosay

The White House has released a Fact Sheet for the North American Working Group on Violence against Indigenous Women and Girls.  The Fact Sheet cites research from Dr. André Rosay’s National Institute of Justice report, Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women and Men: 2010 Findings From the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey.  During the Working Group meeting, Attorney Generals from the United States, Mexico, and Canada delivered remarks.  In her remarks, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch discussed how the disturbing statistics in Dr. Rosay’s research have supported the Obama administration’s work to help indigenous women live without fear of sexual assault and domestic violence.  

Read the Attorney General's remarks here.
Read Dr. Rosay's report here.

From the White House Fact Sheet:
Prevalence Report on National Rates of Violence against Alaska Native and American Indian Women and Men: In May 2016, NIJ released a new report: Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women and Men: 2010 Findings From the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey. This study examines the prevalence of violence against American Indian (AI) and Alaska Native (AN) women and men, using a large nationally representative sample. The results — which show high rates of violence for both women and men — provide the most thorough assessment on the extent of violence against AI and AN women and men to date. Findings from the study estimate levels of sexual violence, physical violence by intimate partners, stalking, and psychological aggression by intimate partners among AI and AN women and men, as well as estimates of interracial victimization.

Prof. Brandeis publishes article on marijuana legalization in Alaska Bar Association Bar Rag

Prof. Jason Brandeis, J.D., Legal Studies faculty in the Justice Center, published an article in the latest issue of the official publication of the Alaska Bar Association, The Alaska Bar Rag.  In his article, "Marijuana legalization in Alaska: It's about to get real," Prof. Brandeis discusses the complicated developments around marijuana regulation in Alaska.  He notes, "All of this sets an interesting backdrop for the State of Alaska, which will begin to see the direct results of shifting marijuana laws and policies this fall as legal, regulated commercial marijuana transactions begin."

Read the full article:
"Marijuana legalization in Alaska: It's about to get real,"  Jason Brandeis. The Alaska Bar Rag, July - September 2016.


Prof. Brandeis teaches courses on the American legal system, constitutional law, and civil liberties, and is a frequent speaker on constitutional law and other legal topics.  Prof. Brandeis also maintains a private law practice through which he advises clients on marijuana law and policy questions.  This law practice preceded this radio panel discussion, and included providing legal services to the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Alaska. 

Come to the Domestic Violence Action Month Roundtable Discussion tonight in LIB 307!

The Justice Club is sponsoring a Domestic Violence Action Month Roundtable Discussion tonight.

What:  Domestic Violence Action Month Roundtable Discussion
When:  Thursday, October 20, 2016, 7:00 pm-8:00 pm
Where:  UAA/APU Consortium Library, LIB 307

Join Justice Center faculty Dr. Lindsey Blumenstein and Dr. Troy Payne,  and Officer Rhonda Street and Officer Lisa Whitmore of the Anchorage Police Department, for a discussion of domestic violence in Alaska.  This panel will discuss how frequently domestic violence occurs, how to help victims, what the process of reporting to the police is like, and circumstances where reporting to police may not be the best course of action for the victim — all with a focus on what everyone can do to prevent domestic violence. 

This event is co-sponsored by the Justice Club and the Justice Center.

Dr. Blumenstein participates in Alaska Quarterly Review panel discussion about rape at Anchorage Museum

Dr. Lindsey Blumenstein, Justice faculty, was a panelist at the October 7 UAA Alaska Quarterly Review (AQR)  program, "A Voice Against the Culture of Rape."  The program began with the dramatic reading of an essay about campus rape and its aftermath. The essay, "White Horse," is by Eliese Goldbach, a writer who lives and works in Cleveland, Ohio, and was published recently in AQR. AQR is the literary journal of the University of Alaska Anchorage.

Panelists included victim advocates and survivors of sexual assault. Dr. Blumenstein researches campus sexual assault and violence against women and is a frequent speaker on these issues.

Read the story here:
"Panelists openly discuss rape in Alaska, and its devastating aftermath" by Travis Khachatoorian.  KTUU Channel 2 News. 7 Oct 2016

Pre-Law Society co-sponsors Oct 5 UAA Campus bookstore event - book launch of Pieces of Me: Rescuing My Kidnapped Daughters

L to r: Author Liz Meredith; Elsie Boudreau, social worker;
and Nicole Stanish, AWAIC program manager, at the program.

The Pre-Law Society co-sponsored the October 5 UAA Campus Bookstore event - the book launch of Alaskan author Lizbeth Meredith's memoir, Pieces of Me: Rescuing My Kidnapped Daughters.  In her book, Ms. Meredith recounts her story of surviving intimate partner violence and her struggles to rescue her abducted daughters.

Elsie Boudreau, a social worker, and Nicole Stanish, Abused Women's Aid in Crisis (AWAIC) Program Manager,  joined Ms. Meredith to lead a discussion about domestic violence, the unintended consequences of leaving an abuse relationship, and the important role of a caring community. Other event sponsors include AWAIC, Green Dot Alaska, Victims for Justice, YWCA Alaska, and the Alaska Humanities Forum.  This event was free and open to students, faculty, staff, and community members.

Domestic violence research by Justice Center and AJSAC highlighted in Seawolf Monthly

The October 2016 issue of  Seawolf Monthly highlights the domestic violence research, education, and prevention efforts on the UAA campus in the article, "Shining light into the darkness of domestic violence." Seawolf Monthly is an electronic newsletter sent to university and community partners. The article is also noted on the UAA homepage.

The article focuses on research being done by Dr. André Rosay, Justice Center Director; Dr. Lindsey Blumenstein, Justice Center faculty; Dr. Brad Myrstol, Alaska Justice Statistical Analysis (AJSAC) Director; and Khristy Parker, MPA, AJSAC Research Professional.

The story notes:

"The Justice Center’s André Rosay, Lindsey Blumenstein, Brad Myrstol and Khristy Parker have conducted recent research and surveys that more sharply define where and why domestic violence happens in Anchorage and other areas of the state, how it looks in rural versus urban areas, helping lawmakers, Alaska State Troopers and others in the community better understand its nuances so they can more effectively address domestic violence issues.'The intention of [the Alaska Department of Public Safety’s] collaboration with the university is to embrace and learn from the results from the study—a step toward data-driven policymaking and maximizing the use of very limited departmental resources,' the troopers said in a January 2016 press release."

Read the full article here: 

"Shining light into the darkness of domestic violence" by Tracy Kalytiak. Green & Gold News. 17 Oct 2016 and Seawolf Monthly Oct 2016.

Justice Center co-hosts CCEL Think Tank on October 4 with the Alaska Innocence Project

L to r: Jory Knott, UAA Pre-Law Society president;
Bill Oberly, Alaska Innocence Project Executive Director;
Dr. Ryan Fortson, Justice Center; and Dr. Judy Owens-Manley,
Center for Community Engagement & Learning Director.

The Justice Center co-hosted the October 4 Center for Community Engagement & Learning (CCEL) Think Tank: "Does society owe anything to the wrongfully convicted?"  The Alaska Innocence Project (AIP) presented this issue to attendees, and the discussion was co-led by Bill Oberly, AIP Executive Director, and Judy Owens-Manley, CCEL Director. This free event was open to student, faculty, staff, and the public.

October 4 was International Wrongful Conviction Day.

Think Tanks are a monthly community engagement experience in which a nonprofit agency presents a challenge or issue and attendees brainstorm solutions for the organization.  Students, faculty, staff and community members are invited to attend and assist this organization by contributing thoughts and ideas to the discussion.

Prof. Periman presents to Alaska Association of Paralegals

Prof. Deb Periman, J.D., Legal Studies faculty in the Justice Center, made a presentation to the Alaska Association of Paralegals on October 13 at their monthly meeting. Prof. Periman discussed "Legal Research Revisited."

The Alaska Association of Paralegals (AAP), formerly known as the Alaska Association of Legal Assistants (AALA), was founded in May 1981 as a non-profit professional membership association of Alaska paralegals committed to the development and growth of the paralegal profession. AAP is a member of the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA).

Tonight: Prof. Brandeis presents Oct 18 at Alaska Common Ground event on the future of marijuana, coffee, and beer industries in Alaska

Prof. Jason Brandeis, J.D., Legal Studies faculty in the Justice Center, will be a panelist at the October 18 Alaska Common Ground event: "Bud, Brew, and Beer: The emergence of marijuana, coffee and beer industries in Alaska." He will be discussing an overview of the marijuana industry and potential impacts of legalization on Alaska's fiscal and economic future.
What: North to the Future event  -"Bud, Brew, and Beer"
When: Tuesday, October 18, 2016 -- 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Where:  49th State Brewing Company, 717 W. 3rd Avenue, Anchorage
Admission:  Free

This event is part of a series of free lectures  - "North to the Future: Keeping Us from Heading South" - presented by Alaska Common Ground and Nerd Nite to explore Alaska's future economy.

Prof. Brandeis teaches courses on the American legal system, constitutional law, and civil liberties, and is a frequent speaker on constitutional law and other legal topics.  Prof. Brandeis also maintains a private law practice through which he advises clients on marijuana law and policy questions.  This law practice preceded this presentation, and included providing legal services to the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Alaska.

Prof. Fortson presents to Alaska Bar Association Family Law Section about Palmer Court study

Dr. Ryan Fortson, J.D., Ph.D., Legal Studies faculty in the Justice Center, presented data from a study on outcomes in the Palmer, Alaska Court, to the Alaska Bar Association Family Law Section on October 4.   

Dr. Fortson and Dr. Troy Payne, Justice faculty, co-authored the study which looked at represented and non-represented parents in custody trials in the Palmer Court to determine the effect of legal representation on custody determinations.

Dr. Rosay interviewed by KTUU Channel 2 News about high rates of violence and sexually offensive language

Dr. André Rosay, Justice Center Director, was interviewed recently by KTUU Channel 2 News about the high rates of sexual violence in Alaska and sexually abusive language.  Dr. Rosay stated, “Words absolutely matter,” .... “We all have role in making it clear that violence against women is not tolerated in our society.”

Read the full story here:
"In a state with high rates of sexual violence, Alaskans weigh in on Trump's remarks" by Paula Dobbyn. KTUU Channel 2 News. 13 Oct 2016

Research position opening at Justice Center

Alaska Justice Forum editor, Barbara Armstrong, will be leaving the Justice Center at the end of this year.  The Justice Center is seeking a qualified individual to join our staff to supervise the publication process for the Forum, as well as other public dissemination activities, and to engage in independent research.

Read the position announcement here.

Please view the job posting for details.
http://careers.alaska.edu/cw/en-us/job/504947/research-professional-4

Dr. Lepage and UAF Prof. Jeff May complete feasibility assessment of Anchorage Municipal Prosecutor's Office pretrial diversion program

Dr. Cory R. Lepage, UAA Justice Center faculty, and Prof. Jeff D. May, J.D., UAF Justice Department, recently completed the feasibility assessment of a pretrial diversion program in the Anchorage Municipal Prosecutor's Office.  This report, "The Anchorage, Alaska Municipal Pretrial Diversion Program: Initial Outcome Assessment," is phase 1 of the assessment. Seneca Theno is the Municipal Prosecutor in the Office of the Municipal Attorney.

The general goal of pretrial diversion (PTD) programs is to "divert" offenders from adjudication and possible incarceration to a program with specific conditions for compliance.  The Municipal Prosecutor's Office established a pretrial diversion alternative in 2001 which is typically offered to individuals with non-violent offenses or with no or minimal criminal history.  Early in the processing of a case - often at arraignment - if program criteria are met, the offender is offered diversion as an alternative to traditional court case processing.

AJSAC releases Fact Sheet - Sexual Violence Committed Against University of Alaska Students, by Gender

The 16-05 issue of the AJSAC Fact Sheet, "Sexual Violence Committed Against University of Alaska Students, by Gender," presents separate estimates of sexual violence, including sexual misconduct and sexual assault victimization both on and off campus, against women and men enrolled at the University of Alaska (UA) in spring semester 2016. Women- and men-specific estimates are provided for the UA system as a whole only.

The results presented here are based on the survey responses of a randomly selected sample of 1,982 undergraduate and graduate students who were enrolled at any of the three UA major administrative units (MAUs) — UA Anchorage (UAA), UA Fairbanks (UAF), or UA Southeast (UAS) during spring semester 2016. This survey was modeled after the Campus Climate Survey Recommendations prepared by the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault.

Dr. Lindsey Blumenstein, Justice Center faculty, and Dr. Brad Myrstol, Director, Alaska Justice Statistical Analysis Center (AJSAC), are the authors of this Fact Sheet.

Barbara Armstrong, Forum editor, selected to receive 2016 Chancellor's Award for Staff Excellence

L to r: Barbara Armstrong and
Chancellor Tom Case at the
awards reception.

Barbara Armstrong, Alaska Justice Forum editor and Justice Center research professional, was recently announced as a recipient of the 2016 Chancellor's Award for Staff Excellence in recognition of her outstanding contributions and exceptional service to the university.

The Staff Excellence Award is given for demonstrated, well- recognized, sustained, or recent special effort by a staff person resulting in a significant and positive impact on UAA.

The Chancellor's Awards promote excellence and recognize individuals and groups for their exceptional service to the university community. The other categories for the Chancellor's Awards for Excellence include Teaching, Academic Research, Promoting Student Achievement,  Diversity, Community Engagement, and Stewardship. A reception for all the Chancellor's Awards recipients was held Friday, October 7.

Justice and Legal Studies students & alums - come to the UAA Fall Career Fair October 13 in the UAA Student Union!

Participating employers are specifically looking to hire Justice and/or Legal Studies students and alums! Come to the UAA Career Fair sponsored by UAA Career Exploration and Services.

What: 2016 UAA Fall Career Fair
When: Thursday, October 13th -- 9:00 am - 2:00 p.m.
Where: UAA Student Union
Parking: FREE parking in certain lots (click here for our Fall Career Fair parking details)

Meet with 50+ businesses from a variety of industries and get information on full-time, part-time, internship, or seasonal positions! There are companies and organization for ALL career fields!

Make a great first impression by:

• Dressing professionally (business casual or business professional)
• Bringing multiple copies of your resume (tailored to job openings or industry)
• Researching the participating companies and organizations beforehand (listed on our Fall Career Fair webpage)
• Preparing professional questions for recruiters

 For more information on employers attending, how to dress professionally, FREE parking, and further details, click here for the UAA Career Exploration & Services (CES) webpage.

Prof. Brandeis presents Oct 18 at Alaska Common Ground event on the future of marijuana, coffee, and beer industries in Alaska

Prof. Jason Brandeis, J.D., Legal Studies faculty in the Justice Center, will be a panelist at the October 18 Alaska Common Ground event: "Bud, Brew, and Beer: The emergence of marijuana, coffee and beer industries in Alaska." He will be discussing an overview of the marijuana industry and potential impacts of legalization on Alaska's fiscal and economic future.

What: North to the Future event  -"Bud, Brew, and Beer"
When: Tuesday, October 18, 2016 -- 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Where:  49th State Brewing Company, 717 W. 3rd Avenue, Anchorage
Admission:  Free

This event is part of a series of free lectures  - "North to the Future: Keeping Us from Heading South" - presented by Alaska Common Ground and Nerd Nite to explore Alaska's future economy.

Prof. Brandeis teaches courses on the American legal system, constitutional law, and civil liberties, and is a frequent speaker on constitutional law and other legal topics.  Prof. Brandeis also maintains a private law practice through which he advises clients on marijuana law and policy questions.  This law practice preceded this presentation, and included providing legal services to the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Alaska.

Dr. Blumenstein presents on intimate partner violence at Alaska Maternal Child Health & Immunization Conference

Dr. Lindsey Blumenstein, Justice faculty, presented at the 2016 Alaska Maternal Child Health & Immunization Conference in Anchorage on September 27.  She discussed "Intimate Partner Violence, Mental Health, and Food Insecurity."

In her comments, Dr. Blumenstein noted that preliminary evidence suggests intimate partner violence (IPV) impacts food insecurity, and food insecurity is clearly associated with adverse mental health problems. She suggests that given the high rate of IPV in Alaska, more research is needed to clarify the interaction of IPV and food insecurity on the mental health of women across racial/ethnic groups, especially American Indian and Alaska Native women.

A focus of the conference was best practices or tools for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of key women's, children's, and adolescents' health issues in Alaska. This biennial event is sponsored by the Alaska Native Epidemiology Center and the Alaska Division of Public Health, Section of Women's, Children's, and Family Health.

A look back at September's law school fair at UAA Student Union

UAA students took advantage of the September 15 Law School Fair at the Student Union to meet with representatives from over 30 law schools from across the U.S. Here are a few photos from the event. The UAA Pre-Law Society also took the opportunity to recruit members at the fair.

 

UW Law Prof. Mathiew Le and Prof. Kristin Knudsen,
Justice Center Undergraduate Legal Studies Program
Coordinator, take a moment for a photo. UAA and
UW School of Law have a partnership which provides
accelerated law school admissions for qualified UAA students.

Natasha Richmond, Lewis & Clark Law School
Assistant Director of Admissions, coordinated the
Law School Fair at both UAA and UAF.

Student representatives from the Pre-Law Society (PLS) were on hand
to recruit members. They took a moment for a photo with
Annie Route, UAA Director of Student Life & Leadership (far left),
whose staff oversees events in the Student Union. PLS members are (l to r)
Carlie Christenson, Jory Knott, Kionne Lewis, and Jennifer Ham.

Prof. Brandeis participates in KUCB radio panel discussion on Unalaska commercial marijuana referendum

Prof. Jason Brandeis, J.D., Legal Studies faculty in the Justice Center, recently participated in a live call-in panel discussion on KUCB Radio 89.7 FM Unalaska Community Broadcasting about the upcoming commercial marijuana referendum in Unalaska in October of this year.  Other panelists included Unalaska Assistant City Manager Erin Reinders and Public Safety Director Mike Holman.

The focus of the program was the October referendum which seeks to repeal a current ordinance banning state-licensed marijuana businesses in Unalaska.

Listen to the full broadcast here - it originally aired 09 Sep 2016:
Unalaska's Commercial Marijuana Referendum: A Conversation with City Officials hosted by reporter Laura Kraegel, KUCB

Prof. Brandeis teaches courses on the American legal system, constitutional law, and civil liberties, and is a frequent speaker on constitutional law and other legal topics.  Prof. Brandeis also maintains a private law practice through which he advises clients on marijuana law and policy questions.  This law practice preceded this radio panel discussion, and included providing legal services to the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Alaska.

Dr. Rivera interviewed by KTUU Channel 2 News regarding research about adults' perceptions of youth use of marijuana and prescription drugs

Dr. Marny Rivera, Justice Center faculty, was interviewed about her  research and an article in the recent issue of the Alaska Justice Forum, which looks at Anchorage adults' perceptions and attitudes toward youth abuse of marijuana and non-medical use of prescription drugs.  Dr. Cory R. Lepage, Justice faculty, is a co-author of the article with Dr. Rivera .

View the full KTUU story here:
"Teen prescription drug concerns higher than marijuana" by Mallory Peebles.  KTUU Channel 2 News. 27 Sep 2016.

Click here for a link to the Alaska Justice Forum article, "Youth Marijuana and Prescription Drug Abuse in Anchorage." 

The Alaska Justice Forum is the research journal of the UAA Justice Center and is published 3 times per year. To subscribe to the Alaska Justice Forum, send an email to editor@alaska.edu with "Forum" in the subject line.

Dr. Blumenstein and CDVSA Director Morton interviewed by KTUU Channel 2 News about gender-based violence

Dr. Lindsey Blumenstein, Justice faculty, and Ms. Lauree Morton, Executive Director of the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (CDVSA), were interviewed by KTUU Channel 2 News about gender-based violence following the recent release of the Alaska Victimization Survey (AVS) Municipality of Anchorage 2015 estimates.

Ms. Morton discussed the results for Anchorage:

• 1 in 2 adult women in the Municipality of Anchorage (48%) have experienced intimate partner violence, sexual violence or both, in their lifetime;
• 1 in 13 have experienced intimate partner violence, sexual violence or both, in the past year;
• The percentage of women in the Municipality of Anchorage who have experienced intimate partner violence, sexual violence, or both in their lifetime dropped from 55% to 48%.
• The percentage of women who have experienced intimate partner violence, sexual violence, or both in the past year dropped from 10% to 8%.
• Rates of violence against women in the Municipality of Anchorage remain unacceptably high.

The presentation on the Anchorage estimates also included discussion by Dr. Blumenstein of the results from the 2015 survey of sexual violence against UAA students.Conducted in the spring of 2016, this survey measured the prevalence of sexual misconduct and sexual assault against UAA students, both on and off campus. Findings include:

• From January 2015 to Spring 2016, 1 in 10 UAA students have experienced sexual assault and/or misconduct.
• 1 in 30 have experienced sexual assault.
• 1 in 11 have experienced sexual misconduct.

KTUU news reports:
 "Victims of Violence" - interview of Dr. Lindsey Blumenstein  by Rebecca Palsha. KTUU Channel 2 News. 26 Aug 2016.
"Victimization Survey Results" - interview of Ms. Lauree Morton by Rebecca Palsha. KTUU Channel 2 News. 26 Aug 2016.

MORE INFORMATION:
For more background on this project, visit http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/justice/avs
For more information about CDVSA, visit http://www.dps.state.ak.us/CDVSA/
To learn more about Abused Women’s Aid in Crisis, visit http://www.awaic.org
To learn more about Standing Together Against Rape, visit http://www.staralaska.com/