Dr. Myrstol speaks to Alaska judges on public perceptions of judicial fairness

Dr. Myrstol discusses procedural justice.

Dr. Brad Myrstol, Justice faculty, presented at an Alaska Court System training for newer judges on January 11, 2013.  One portion of the training focused on "Maintaining Impartiality"; Dr. Myrstol presented findings from his article, "Public Perceptions of Judicial Fairness," published in the Alaska Justice Forum Summer 2012 29(2) issue.

In the article, Dr. Myrstol and his co-author, Dr. Cory R. Lepage, Justice faculty, discussed procedural justice and local courts. Their study examined data from the 2009 Alaska Community Survey and responses to questions about public perceptions of fairness of judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and police.

Summer 2012 issue of the Alaska Justice Forum

The Summer 2012 issue of the Alaska Justice Forum features articles on public perceptions of judicial fairness in Alaska courts; the Bring the Kids Home Initiative, launched in 2004 to reduce the placement of emotionally disturbed children and youth in out-of-state facilities; a summary of current work being conducted by the Criminal Justice Working Group; and faculty news.

ARTICLES:

"Public Perceptions of Judicial Fairness" by Brad A. Myrstol and Cory R. Lepage

Despite the prominent role played by local courts in the justice system, research investigating public perceptions of local courts is scarce. This article uses data from the 2009 Anchorage Community Survey to examines public perceptions of judicial fairness in Alaska criminal courts.

"'Bring the Kids Home': Alaska Community-Based Treatment for Children and Youth" by Barbara Armstrong

For a long time, children and youth in Alaska with severe emotional disturbances and challenging behaviors had few in-state options for treatment, most often being sent to out-of-state residential psychiatric treatment facilities. The Alaska Youth Initiative and the creation of more community-based services improved the situation in the 1980s, but by the late 1990s, the number of children sent out of state for treatment was again on the rise. This article described the Bring the Kids Home Initiative, launched in 2004 to address these circumstances and to develop a more cohesive system of in-state services.

"Criminal Justice Working Group Update"

A summary of current work being conducted by the Criminal Justice Working Group (CWCG): a pilot electronic discovery project in Juneau; a study of how court-appointed counsel in criminal cases are appointed; therapeutic DUI courts; the Prisoner Re-Entry Task Force; recidivism; and case management systems. CWCG is coordinated and staffed by the Alaska Judicial Council.

"Correction to Alaska Judicial Council Report"

The Alaska Judicial Council has issued a correction to the report Does the YLS/CMI Help to Prevent Recidivism disucssed in the Winter/Spring 2012 of the Alaska Justice Forum.

"Dr. Rosay Awarded Visiting Executive Research Fellowship With National Institute of Justice"

Dr. André B. Rosay, Justice Center Director, has been awarded a Visiting Executive Research Fellowship with the National Institute of Justice (NIJ).

"New Faculty"

Professor Ryan Fortson and Professor Kristin Knudsen have joined the Justice Center faculty as of the Fall 2012 semester.

Dr. Chamard publishes 2009 Anchorage Community Survey results for Anchorage Police Department

Dr. Sharon Chamard, Justice faculty, has recently published, "Anchorage Community Survey 2009: Anchorage Police-related Results," as part of the Community Indicators Project at the UAA Justice Center.

The Anchorage Community Survey (ACS) asked residents to respond to questions about the quality of life in their Anchorage neighborhood, their satisfaction with municipal services, and their opinion of the criminal justice system, including police.  This report presents the findings of the 23 questions that focused on the Anchorage Police Department (APD).  Overall, respondents were satisfied with APD, with close to two-thirds (66%) of those who answered these questions reporting they were satisfied (43%) or very satisfied (23%).

The report also includes results grouped by community council area of the survey respondents.The full report of the 2009 Anchorage Community Survey is forthcoming.

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.

Spring 2011 issue of the Alaska Justice Forum

The Spring 2011 issue of the Alaska Justice Forum features articles on Anchorage residents' perceptions of Anchorage Police Department, Internet crime in the U.S. and Alaska, and Internet crimes against children. The 8-page issue includes the following articles:

"Anchorage Residents' Perceptions of Police" by Brad A. Myrstol

This article presents Anchorage resident perceptions from the 2009 Anchorage Community Survey on Anchorage Police Department response time, helpfulness, fairness, use of excessive force, crime investigation, and crime prevention.

"Internet Crime in the U.S. and Alaska"

In 1997, the Internet was used in 18 percent of U.S. households, but by 2009, the percentage of U.S. households using the Internet had climbed to 69 percent — an increase accompanied by a whole new nexus for crime and fraud in the U.S. and globally. This article provides an overview of the response to Internet crime in Alaska and of data from the 2010 “Internet Crime Report” issues by the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

"Internet Crimes Against Children"

As children’s access to and use of the Internet continues to grow, so does the potential for victimization of children. This article details effort to combat child exploitation in Alaska and the U.S., with an emphasis on Intenet crimes against children. Includes a timeline and a resource listing on child explitation and Internet crime.

"Justice Center Changes"

Cory LePage has joined the Justice Center faculty. Marie Brunner, Justice Center office manager for 9 years, has retired; and Rhoda Brown, formerly Senior Grant Accountant at Grants and Contracts, has joined the Justice Center as office manager.

Dr. Chamard presents Anchorage Community Survey data

Dr. Sharon Chamard, Justice faculty, and principal investigator for the 2009 Anchorage Community Survey, will present the findings from this biannual survey to the Anchorage Community Police Relations Task Force (ACPRTF) at a Community Update meeting on Monday, October 4, at 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at the Fairview Community Recreation Center. This event is open to the public.

For more information on the ACPRTF or the meeting, please contact Marie Husa at 343-4338.

Dr. Chamard interviewed by KTUU Channel 2 News about 2007 Anchorage Community Survey Report

Dr. Sharon Chamard, Justice Center faculty, was interviewed by KTUU Channel 2 News concerning the release of the "2007 Anchorage Community Survey Sourcebook," "2007 Executive Summary," and the " Community Indicators Project at UAA: Anchorage Police Department Related Results." This biannual survey of the Anchorage Municipality asks residents demographic information, their opinion about life in Anchorage, including their level of satisfaction with municipal services, their perception of safety in the community, and questions about neighborhood social cohesiveness.

The 2009 Anchorage Community Survey is currently underway, and the report from the survey is anticipated in late spring 2010.

Anchorage Community Survey 2007: Three new reports

Announcing the release of three reports from the Anchorage Community Survey 2007:

• The Anchorage Community Survey, 2007: Executive Summary, revised ed.
• The Anchorage Community Survey, 2007: Sourcebook
• Community Indicators Project at UAA: Anchorage Police Department Related Results

All reports are authored by Shel Llee Flexman-Evans, who was principal investigator for the project.

The biannual Anchorage Community Survey (ACS), part of the Justice Center's Community Indicators Project, provides one of the most detailed pictures available of community attitudes within the network of communities forming the Anchorage municipality. The survey reports contain information on the demographics of residents, their perceptions of life in their neighborhoods, social activities and organizations, and satisfaction with various municipal and government functions, including policing. The first Anchorage Community Survey was conducted in 2005. The 2009 survey is currently in progress.