Dr. Lepage of UAA and Prof. May of UAF to conduct evaluation of pre-trial diversion program in Anchorage

Dr. Cory R. Lepage, UAA Justice Center faculty, and Prof. Jeff D. May, J.D., UAF Justice Department, will be conducting an evaluation of  a pre-trial diversion program in the Anchorage Municipal Prosecutor's Office.  Phase 1 of the evaluation will focus on justice system cost savings as a result of this program.

The general goal of pre-trial 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 pre-trial diversion alternative in 2001 which is typically offered for non-violent offenses to individuals 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.

Participation in the program by the offender is voluntary, and the offender agrees to comply with PTD conditions which can include the payment of fines, community work service (CWS), and other applicable requirements.  If the offender successfully completes the PTD conditions, the case is dismissed.  If the pre-trial diversion conditions are not completed, the offender is subject to traditional court case processing.

Alaska Court System FY 2014 Annual Report is online

The Alaska Court System Annual Report FY 2014 was released in February of this year and is online. As it has for three years, the Justice Center assisted the court system with the layout and design of the project.  Antonia Moras, former editor of the Alaska Justice Forum, was the project coordinator for the court system. 

Melissa S. Green, Justice Center publication specialist, worked with Ms. Moras on the project through a contract with the court system.  In collaboration with Ms. Moras, Ms. Green completed the design and layout of the text and statistical tables for the Annual Report and a Profile of the Alaska Court System.

This issue of the annual report is presented in the new, expanded format developed for the FY 2012 report which Ms. Moras and Ms. Green also collaborated on. The report includes profiles of the judges with photos, maps, easy-to-read statistical tables, an overview of the court system, highlights of court initiatives, and photos of Alaska court houses, as well as photos of scenic areas around the state.

The full text of the report in color is online at the Alaska Court System website.

Justice faculty named influential persons by first/second-year UAA students

L to r: Dr. Lepage and Dr. Payne.

Dr. Troy Payne and Dr. Cory R. Lepage, Justice faculty, have been named influential persons by first-year/second-year students at UAA, according to a MAPworks survey.

The Division of Student Access, Advising & Transition (SAAT) within the Office of Student Affairs asked first-year and second-year students who took the MAPworks surveys during the 2014-2015 academic year to name "a faculty member who has assisted them the most in their academic success at UAA." A total of 535 students nominated 102 faculty members as influential persons. The division of SAAT and MAPworks program hosted an annual faculty appreciation reception on March 25 for individuals named by students. 

The MAP in MAPworks stand for Making Achievement Possible and is a student success and retention tool linking students with the individualized resources they need, when they need them. By taking just two surveys per semester, MAPworks @ UAA can assist first and second year students in getting connected to useful resources on campus.

Justice major to present at 6th Annual UAA Community Engagement Forum on April 24

Daniel Reinhard, Justice major, is presenting at the 6th Annual UAA Community Engagement Forum sponsored by the Center for Community Engagement and Learning (CCEL) on April 24.  Daniel will be discussing his research project, "Crime and Disorder at Town Square Park," which is related to the research he has been doing with Dr. Troy Payne, Justice faculty, in collaboration with the Anchorage Police Department and the Anchorage Downtown Partnership.

Daniel also presented a paper about his project at the recent Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences annual conference in March in Orlando.

Community Engagement Forum schedule on Friday, April 24:
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 pm Poster session
12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Luncheon program
UAA/APU Consortium Library, LIB 307

The poster session is an opportunity to talk to Community Engaged Student Assistants about their faculty-community partner projects.  The Community Engagement Forum features awards to students and faculty and highlights of our community partnerships, including the presentation of the 2015 Selkregg Community Engagement & Service Learning Award and Dr. Alex Hills Engineering & Civic Engagement Award.

Alpha Phi Sigma - criminal justice honor society - welcomes new members on April 23

 Alpha Phi Sigma National Criminal Justice Honor Society welcomes new members on Thursday, April 23 at a 12 noon meeting at the Justice Center.  Moose's Tooth pizza is on the agenda.

If you are a new inductee, come by and pick up your certificate and pin. If you are an existing member, stop by to say hello. If you are eligible for membership but haven’t signed up yet, stop by and we can explain the process.

Prof. Ryan Fortson, J.D., is the faculty advisor.

Dr. Blumenstein talks to Gruening Middle School class about sexual assault in Alaska

Dr. Lindsey Blumenstein, Justice faculty, spoke in February to Gruening Middle School students in Anchorage about the issue of sexual assault in Alaska. The students in Victoria Otte's 8th grade social studies class are participating in Project Citizen and are in the process of choosing a public policy topic to focus on for their project.

Dr. Blumenstein's research areas include intimate partner violence, campus sexual assault, substance abuse, and criminological theory.

The Anchorage School District website describes this program as a part of the 8th grade civics curriculum which helps students learn how to be active citizens by engaging with government and trying to solve local community public policy problems. Project Citizen is sponsored by the Center for Civic Education.

Save the date - April 15! 7th Annual Women in Law Enforcement Recruitment Fair at the UAA Student Union

Are you interested in an exciting career in law enforcement,  but don’t know who to ask, where to start or what to do?

Come to the Recruitment Fair! 

Date:  Wednesday, April 15
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Where:  UAA Student Union, Upper Level  next to the Wells Fargo Sports Complex
Parking: Free
Everyone is welcome to attend.

• Local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies are actively recruiting for female officers.
• Talk with agency representatives about the opportunities and rewards of a career in law enforcement.

Sponsored by:

Women Police of Alaska 

with the support of 

Alaska State Troopers

UAA Career Services Center

Alaska Association of Chiefs of Police 

UAA Justice Center

For more information, contact Danica Bryant, UAA Career Services Center, 786-4513 dmbryant2@uaa.alaska.edu

Alaska Justice Statistical Analysis Center releases fact sheet on Violent Crimes Compensation Board claims for FY 2004–2014

The most recent issue of the AJSAC Fact Sheet presents data from the Alaska Violent Crimes Compensation Board (VCCB) on claims made and compensation granted to victims of violent crime for fiscal years 2004–2014.

The report, "Violent Crimes Compensation Board: Claims, FY 2004–FY 2014," presents data on new claims filed, types of crime and types of expenses for which compensation was claimed, and compensation totals. On average, the five most common violent crimes resulting in applications for compensation over the eleven-year period were sexual abuse of a minor, domestic violence, assault, sexual assault of adults, and homicide.

The fact sheet is by Khristy Parker of the Alaska Justice Statistical Analysis Center (AJSAC). The AJSAC is housed within the UAA Justice Center and publishes Fact Sheets addressing various crime and criminal justice topics.

Dr. Blumenstein invited to join UAA Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalition for Change

At UAA, the recently formed Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalition for Change includes faculty and staff who are working on developing prevention programs and policy recommendations for the campus.

The group will be asking students to become involved in these efforts. Dr. Lindsey Blumenstein, Justice Center faculty, is a member of the coalition. Her areas of expertise include intimate partner violence, sexual assault and the college population, kidnapping, and research methods.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month

In the United States, April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). The goal of SAAM is to raise public awareness about sexual violence and to educate communities on how to prevent it.

Sexual violence is a major public health, human rights and social justice issue.  UAA recently formed a Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalition for Change to focus on these concerns. (See related blog post, "Dr. Blumenstein invited to join UAA Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalition for Change.")