Homelessness and Crime (JUSTA490-001) examines social problems associated with homelessness, including crime and victimization

What are best practices to move people out of homelessness? How do we deal with crime and other social problems associated with homelessness? How can we reduce the very high rates of victimization among homeless people? Who becomes homeless and why?

These question will be examined in Homelessness and Crime (JUSTA490-001). This Spring 2019 elective course will be held Mondays and Wednesdays from 10:00 to 11:15 AM.

• CRN: 37056 (Note: There are multiple sections of JUST A490. Be sure to use the right CRN for this course!)
• Catalog description: JUST A490 is a variable topics course which addresses current issues. Topics of national interest as well as those peculiar to Alaska will be included. 
• Special note: JUST A490 may be repeated once for credit with a change in subtitle. 
• Prerequisites: JUST A11O with Junior or Senior standing (exceptions made upon instructor approval). Ask about an override if you have a Social Science GER other than JUST A110.

For more information, contact Prof. Sharon Chamard at sechamard@alaska.edu or 786-1813.

Registration for Spring 2019 courses begins on November 12 for seniors and November 13 for juniors.

Environmental Crime Prevention (JUST A332) explores how to reduce crime by altering the environment

We can reduce crime without trying to make people better. The Spring 2019 course Environmental Crime Prevention (JUSTA332) explores how this is possible through altering the environment to reduce opportunities to commit crime. We’ll look at practical applications of different aspects of environmental crime prevention such as defensible space, crime prevention through environmental design, situational crime prevention, and problem-oriented policing.

This class will be useful if you

• want to learn how to reduce your own risk of being a crime victim;
• work in retail and want to keep customers and employees from stealing from you;
• are curious about the relationship between human behavior and design of places;
• are in real estate and want to provide safer spaces for your tenants;
• wonder how urban design and street patterns contribute to crime.

This elective course will be held Mondays and Wednesdays, 11:30 to 12:45 PM.

• CRN: 37051
• Catalog description: Examines the theoretical background to opportunity— reducing in environmental crime prevention. Explores the application and implementation of crime prevention through environmental design, defensible space, and problem-oriented policing. Illustrates the practical and policy difficulties of environmental crime prevention through the use of case studies and field work.
• Special note: JUST A320 recommended
• Prerequisites: JUST A200 and JUST A201 and (JUST A251 or SOC A251).

Prerequisites a problem? Ask about a registration override!

For more information, contact Prof. Sharon Chamard at sechamard@alaska.edu or 786-1813.

Registration for Spring 2019 courses begins on November 12 for seniors, November 13 for juniors, and November 14 for sophomores.

Alumni spotlight: Daniel Reinhard, Justice B.A. 2015, Criminology M.A. 2017, working with AJiC this summer

Daniel Reinhard, Justice B.A. 2015, Criminology M.A. 2017, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, B.C., is currently enrolled in a Ph.D. program at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. This summer, Reinhard is working as a research professional in the Alaska Justice Information Center (AJiC) with Associate AJiC Director and Justice faculty Dr. Troy Payne.

Reinhard's work for AJiC includes compiling Alaska criminal justice data for AJiC Fact Sheets, a series of publications that address crime and criminal justice topics. Reinhard is also assisting with the Law Enforcement and Administrative Statistics (LEMAS) survey in Alaska, and the LEMAS Tribal Community Public Safety Supplement survey. Both are related to better understanding law enforcement staffing and resource needs throughout the state.

As an undergraduate, Reinhard worked on a case study of Town Square Park in downtown Anchorage. He co-authored an article with Dr. Payne,  "The Complexity of Problem-Solving in Urban Parks: A Case Study,"  published in the journal, International Criminal Justice Review, in 2016.

Dr.  Sharon Chamard, Justice faculty, calls Reinhard one of her "best crime prevention students." Last summer, she traveled to Vancouver, B.C.  to be an outside reader and external examiner for Reinhard's master's thesis defense.

Reinhard's area of interest is environmental criminology and international crime prevention. In the fall, he is taking Ph.D. courses at Texas State related to crime mapping, behavioral sciences, and sex offenders, as well as teaching an undergraduate class on crime theory and victimization. When  not taking courses and teaching, Reinhard is working on panhandling and homeless research in Austin, Texas.

Chamard article referenced in NYT story on car theft

Prof. Sharon Chamard

A recent article in the New York Times about high rates of car theft and growing property crime in Alaska referenced an article by Sharon Chamard, Justice faculty, regarding gun ownership in Anchorage and Mat-Su Borough. In "Car Stolen in Alaska? It Could Be Your Neighbor Chasing the Thief," author Kirk Johnson discusses the rise of civilian crime fighters in Anchorage responding to car thefts. Johnson refers to Chamard's article that reports surveys showing firearm ownership in Mat-Su Borough among adult heads of household at 71.4 percent and in Anchorage at 52.6 percent to support the "assumption that most Alaskans are armed" and posits that this "may be keeping crime from getting worse." However, Anchorage Police Chief Justin Doll countered that while there are good intentions behind citizen involvement, "it's really dangerous." Citizens should be an active voice for public safety, Doll says in the article, "But when crime actually happens let us deal with it."

Chamard co-leads THINK TANK on making public spaces safe

Prof. Sharon Chamard, Justice Center faculty, along with Prof. Shannon Donovan, Department Chair, Department of Geography & Environmental Studies, and a representatives from the Municipality of Anchorage, will lead a discussion on, "Can we make public spaces in Anchorage safe and welcoming for everyone." This THINK TANK with the municipality is Thursday, March 8, 11:30a.m. to 12:45 p.m. in UAA/APU Consortium Library, Room 307. Pizza will be provided.

The event is hosted by the UAA Environmental Studies, UAA Justice Center, UAA Center for Community Engagement and Learning, and the Municipality of Anchorage.

Congratulations to 2017 grads!

L-R: Troy Payne, Deb Periman, Allan Barnes,
Sharon Chamard, Brad Myrstol, and Ron Everett.
Not pictured: Kristin Knudsen and Ryan Fortson

Sharon Chamard, UAA Faculty Senate President and Justice faculty, spoke at UAA commencement on Sunday and encouraged graduates to "to lift up those around you, to contribute to the betterment of the world, or just your tiny corner of it.  Do what you can to ensure that others coming behind you have the same or even better opportunities than you have had."

Read the full text of Chamard's inspiring speech below:

As President of the Faculty Senate, and on behalf of the faculty, it is my honor and privilege to congratulate all of you graduates for your success and accomplishments.

Whether this is part of your life plan hatched as a toddler and you fully expected to be sitting here today, or you are looking around in amazement, wondering how you pulled off this tremendous feat of completing a university degree, you are all now members of an elite group—those who have had the good fortune of living in a time and place that provides broad opportunities for higher education.
 
Indeed, you are part of the most educated generation in the history of the world. Did you know, for example that in 1960, shortly after Alaska became a state, only 10% of Alaskan adults had a Bachelor’s degree? That percentage has increased every year, and now we’re close to 30%. Globally, right now fewer than 10% of adults have a college degree.

With this good fortune and privilege comes a responsibility, to lift up those around you, to contribute to the betterment of the world, or just your tiny corner of it.  Do what you can to ensure that others coming behind you have the same or even better opportunities than you have had.
 
Right now, despite the festivities of the day, you may be worried about your own future, about getting a good job, and about paying back your student loans. But I guarantee you, you have what it takes to not only continue to succeed in your own life, but to help others around you succeed.  It takes persistence and commitment to get where you are today, and you can model that behavior to your siblings, your children, your coworkers, your friends, and the people in your community.

For faculty, seeing you all turn the page to your next amazing story is tremendously gratifying. We hope you will look back on this chapter of the book of your life with fondness, appreciation, and a sense of accomplishment.
 
Now, I ask my faculty colleagues to join me in recognizing you for your success and thanking you for sharing a part of your valuable life with us.
 

Faculty Senate President Chamard chairs UAA chancellor search

Dr. Sharon Chamard

Dr. Sharon Chamard, Justice Center faculty, became UAA Faculty Senate President in May and was recently appointed chair of the UAA Chancellor search committee. In her role as Faculty Senate President, Charmard presides over a monthly forum and a committee structure that  addresses university-life issues (curriculum, student success, institutional organization, and professional development) and represents the Faculty Senate as part of UAA shared governance on a variety of groups, including the Council of Deans and Directors, Faculty Alliance, and University Assembly.

Chamard provides technical assistance to Town Square Park redesign

Dr. Sharon Chamard, Justice faculty, served as a member of the Technical Advisory Group for the Anchorage Parks and Recreation Department to develop a new  Anchorage Town Square Park design. Two proposals for going forward were released today.

The Technical Advisory Group, on which Dr. Chamard served, includes a group of designers and planners with a history of work, body of knowledge and understanding of past efforts regarding the development of Town Square Park.

Dr. Sharon Chamard attends International ECCA Symposium

Escuela Superior de Economia y Negocios in San Salvador
hosted 26th International Symposium on Environmental
 Criminology and Crime Analysis.

Dr. Sharon Chamard, Justice faculty, attended the 26th International Symposium on Environmental Criminology and Crime Analysis (ECCA) in ESEN (Escuela Superior de Economía y Negocios) in San Salvador, El Salvador in June. Dr. Chamard, who teaches environmental criminology, is one of about 50 people from around the world who met to discuss the latest research in environmental criminology and the spatial and temporal analysis of crime.

Abuse of older women, lack of psychiatric beds, among articles in summer 2017 Alaska Justice Forum

Newly redesigned Alaska Justice Forum print and expanded web 2017 summer editions are now available. Articles include:

Print and web editions of Alaska Justice Forum

• Abuse Faced by Older Alaskan Women - by Andre Rosay
• L.Diane Casto and Andre Rosay Talk About Elder Abuse - video
• Consequences of Alaska's Lack of Psychiatric Beds - by Pamela Cravez
• Community Solutions to Liquor Store Problem - by Sharon Chamard (web edition exclusive)
• Justice Center Director Farewell - by Andre Rosay (web edition exclusive)
• New Alaska Justice Forum Editor Note - by Pamela Cravez

The Alaska Justice Forum is returning to quarterly publication. To make this possible, the Forum is limiting mailed delivery of the print edition and enhancing its web presence with expanded and updated print edition stories as well as articles and content exclusive to the web. Sign up to get delivery of the Alaska Justice Forum.

Justice faculty celebrate 2017 graduates

Justice faculty L-R: Dr. Brad Myrstol, Prof. Deborah Periman, Dr. Ron Everett, Dr. Marny Rivera, Dr. Cory Lepage,
 Dr. Allan Barnes, Prof. Kristin Knudsen, Dr. Andre Rosay, and Dr. Sharon Chamard. Not pictured: Prof. Ryan Fortson,
 who was performing on the French horn in the pit orchestra during UAA's Commencement. Sunday, May 7.

Congratulations 2017 graduates! Best wishes on your future success!

Justice Center takes third place at Anchorage Youth Court 2017 Gavel Games.

Justice faculty (L-R) Dr. Sharon Chamard, Prof. Ryan
Fortson, and Prof. Troy Payne participated in
Gavel Games with Prof. Kristin Knudsen (not pictured).
Photo by Prof. Knudsen.

Lucy Cuddy Hall was filled with 30 teams of legal eagles and youth court supporters engaged in a battle of intelligence and arcane knowledge on Friday, March 3. The Justice Center, fielding its first team, battled for first with the Anchorage Bar Association through four rounds, but slipped to third behind Team Morrison and the Anchorage Bar after a round of questions on Olympic history.  Who knew bowling was an Olympic demonstration sport?

The Justice Center was a co-sponsor of the annual Gavel Games, the largest fundraiser for Anchorage Youth Court (AYC). AYC provides an opportunity for students to serve as attorneys, judges, bailiffs, clerks and jurors in cases involving their peers. Youth in grades 7 through 12 accused of minor offenses, are referred by the Alaska Division of Juvenile Justice to AYC to have their cases heard. Youth found guilty are spared a formal juvenile record if they complete their sentence and do not break the law again.

Justice Center faculty present at American Society of Criminology 2016 Annual Meeting in New Orleans

Drs.  André Rosay, Troy Payne, Marny Rivera, Brad Myrstol, Sharon Chamard, Allan Barnes, Cory R. Lepage, and Lindsey Blumenstein made presentations at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Criminology in New Orleans in November. This year's conference theme was "The Many Colors of Crime & Justice."

Justice Center faculty made 10 presentations on a range of topics: data from the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) -- including elder abuse and polyvictimization, homeless young adults in Anchorage, civil legal needs of crime victims in Alaska,  data centers for criminal justice research, police referrals for prosecution in sexual assault and sexual abuse of a minor cases, public inebriates, and classroom teaching methods.

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.

L to r: Dr. Cory R. Lepage and Dr. Marny Rivera at
their ASC presentation.

Dr. Chamard presents at CCEL Urban & Rural in Alaska Community Engagement Conference at UAA

Dr. Chamard (at podium) discusses her project.

Dr. Sharon Chamard, Justice faculty, presented at the October 21 Urban & Rural in Alaska: Community Engagement at UAA Conference sponsored by the Center for Community Engagement and Learning (CCEL).

A group of over 25 UAA faculty were part of the "Rapid-Fire Community Engagement at UAA" lunch session.  Faculty members each had 2 minutes to present information on their community-engaged project.  Dr. Chamard discussed, "Did closing a liquor store change the neighborhood?"

The conference also featured a keynote address, and break-out sessions with faculty, community partners and students presenting together on a variety of community-engaged projects.

Kara Joseph, CCEL Office Manager (seated at left), and
Dr. Judith Owens-Manley, CCEL Director, listen to Dr. Chamard's presentation.

 

UAA College of Health faculty and students present at Housing and Homelessness Conference in October

Drs. Troy Payne and Sharon Chamard, Justice Center faculty, presented at the "University and Community Partnerships" session at the Alaska Coalition on Housing and Homelessness (ACH2) Annual Conference in Anchorage on October 11.

Dr. Payne and Dr. Donna Aguiniga, UAA School of Social Work, discussed their research project, "Space, Place & Home: Mapping the Social Environment of Anchorage Homeless Populations." Their research, in partnership with Covenant House, focused on homeless youth. Through interviews and the use of maps, the researchers asked youth to trace the locations they traveled to throughout the day and evening, and where they slept at night.

Dr. Sharon Chamard presented on "Homeless Encampments" and discussed her research that  examines why homeless encampments exist where they do and the factors that make one location preferred over another. She often works with the Anchorage Police Department Community Action Policing (CAP) Team to address public safety concerns, including homelessness and the use of public space.

Dr. Travis Hedwig, UAA Department of Health Sciences, explained the project, "Increasing Retention, Graduation, and Educational Success Among UAA Students Experiencing Homelessness." Dr. Kathy Trawver, School of Social Work, and Isabel Hakala, a Health Sciences Dept. student, are also working on this project. They used publicly available information on Free Student Application for Federal Aid (FAFSA) forms from UAA students to gauge the number of UAA students experiencing homeless - the form specifically asks about experience of homelessness. The goal is to ascertain the needs of homeless UAA students and assist them in their college career.

UAA College of Health nursing students also presented about their service learning project from the Nursing Therapeutic II class - the Senior Nursing Capstone Project - and their partnership with Karluk Manor, a Housing First model residence in Anchorage. This cohort of nursing students began a community nursing project to provide home visits to residents of Karluk Manor. Their goal was to determine how this experience of a home visit project influenced student nurses' views about community nursing and its value. Asst. Prof. Rachel Muir, FNP-BC, was the faculty for this class.

The session was moderated  by Dr. Travis Hedwig with the UAA Department of Health Sciences.

 

Dr. Hedwig opens the program and discusses the number of students
at UAA experiencing homelessness

Dr. Aguiniga describes the Anchorage youth homelessness project she and
Dr. Payne have been working on.

Dr. Payne explains the mapping and interview process used with
the Anchorage homeless youth who volunteered to participate in the study.

Dr. Chamard discusses homeless encampments and her future research
on social networks that are often part of the camps.

 

UAA student nurses present data on their community nursing project.

UAA presenters at the Housing and Homeless Conference - l to r: UAA Health Sciences Student Isabel Hakala,
Dr. Donna Aguiniga, UAA School of Social Work; Asst. Prof. Rachel Muir, UAA School of Nursing;
School of Nursing students: Mary Mills, Mai Lor, Glory Ramirez, Katie Krueger, Jessi Pepper, Angelene Ketah, Amanda Bedrosian, and Kailyn Vaughn; Asst. Prof. Travis Hedwig, UAA Dept.of Health Sciences;
UAA Justice Center faculty Dr. Sharon Chamard and Dr. Troy Payne.

Justice faculty participate in Quality Matters (QM) online teaching workshop

Dr. Sharon Chamard and Dr. Ron Everett, Justice faculty, and Prof. Deb Periman, J.D., Legal Studies Program Coordinator in the Justice Center, recently participated in a Quality Matters (QM) workshop about teaching online presented by UAA Academic Innovations and eLearning.

Quality Matters (QM) is described as a faculty-centered approach to improving the design of online and blended courses. A key feature of QM is peer review of course design and delivery.

Justice Center volunteers at point-in-time count and Project Homeless Connect Anchorage 2016

Dr. Sharon Chamard, Justice faculty, and Barbara Armstrong, editor, Alaska Justice Forum, joined scores of other volunteers to assist with the annual HUD point-in-time count of homeless persons and Project Homeless Connect on January 27, 2016 in Anchorage.

Dr. Chamard assisted with the annual point-in-time count of persons at homeless encampments. Barbara Armstrong worked with volunteers doing data entry for the individuals served at Project Homeless Connect at the Egan Convention Center.

 The PIT (point-in-time) annual counts for HUD provide counts of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single night. This data is used in policymaking and determining assistance for homeless persons on the local, state, and federal levels.

Project Homeless Connect brings together service providers and government agencies under one roof to provide homeless persons with the services they need. Services provided included haircuts, health exams, legal services, housing and employment information, and referrals to mental health and substance abuse counseling. The Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness (ACEH) is the organizer of the event. A total of 797 clients were served at the Anchorage Project Homeless Connect event this year.

Data entry volunteers for
Project Homeless Connect.

Project Homeless Connect events were also held in Juneau, Fairbanks, and Kenai. Final statewide data on numbers served and the point-in-time count of homeless persons are being compiled and will be released at a later date.

Dr. Chamard presents at conference in India on crime prevention

Shore Temple, Mahabilapuram,
outside of Chennai, India.

Dr. Sharon Chamard, Justice Center faculty, recently gave a presentation at the Environmental Criminology and Crime Analysis (ECCA) symposium in Mahabilapuram, Tamil Nadu, India.  Her presentation was titled “’Whack-a-Mole’ and Displacement of Illegitimate Users of Public Space.”

Her presentation discussed how interventions to move "illegitimate" users from public space do not solve the core problems (e.g., homelessness and substance abuse), because the individuals simply move to other less public locations.

While in India, she also visited with officials with the Indian Police Service in Jaipur, Rajasthan at a neighborhood-level station house and at the Police Headquarters.

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.

L - r: Dr. Rashi Shukla, University of Central Oklahoma; Dr. Sharon Chamard;
Inspector Neeraj Bhardwaj, Station House Officer, Malviya Nagar Station, Jaipur;
Dr. Lin Liu, University of Cincinnati and Sun Yat-Sen University.

L-r: Dr. Bhupendra Singh, Pro-Vice Chancellor of the Sardar Patel University of Police,
Security, and Criminal Justice, Jodhpur; Dr. Rashi Shukla, University of Central Oklahoma;
Dr. Lin Liu, University of Cincinnati and Sun Yat-Sen University; Dr. Sharon Chamard.

Dr. Chamard in poster session at ECCA conference on situational crime prevention

Dr. Sharon Chamard, Justice faculty, participated in a poster session at the 2015 Environmental Crime and Criminal Analysis (ECCA) Conference in June in New Zealand.  Her poster focused on "Community Attitudes About Late Night Safety."

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.

Dr. Chamard's poster.

Report by Dr. Chamard to Muni Public Transit Advisory Board quoted in Alaska Dispatch News article about downtown transit center

A report by Dr. Sharon Chamard, Justice faculty, was quoted in an Alaska Dispatch News article about Anchorage's downtown transit center.  Dr. Chamard wrote the report for the Muncipality's Public Transit Advisory Board following a tour of the downtown transit center in the spring.

Among the issues she noted were the number of people coming to the transit center and remaining for long periods of time, the public ownership of the facility which presents challenges to security staff seeking to ask people to leave, poor maintenance of the space, and the concentration of criminal justice and social services tenants.

Read the full article:
"Broad effort seeks to change character of Anchorage's downtown transit center" by Devin Kelly. 25 May 2015. Alaska Dispatch News