MPA Program Alumni at Governors State University

This study proposes to investigate how public views on the wrongful conviction issue are connected with the perceived need for criminal justice reform and whether the professional experience in law enforcement influences these perceptions. This study employs a qualitative research design, deriving its conclusions from the comparative analysis of the survey responses concerning the issue of wrongful convictions and the criminal justice system collected from 45 law enforcement professionals and 35 individuals without such experience. The comparative results reveal that for the respondents without working experience in law enforcement, racial/ethnical bias was one of the most substantial issues of wrongful convictions, while for the respondents with working experience in law enforcement, the main issue was connected to the harmful effect of such cases on the victims, their families, and society. The respondents from both groups believe that there is a need for criminal justice reform, particularly in several specific directions, including the justice system itself, legal defense, policing, investigation, diversity in the justice system, DNA technology, jury selection, training for law enforcement, prosecution, and defense attorney.

This research analyzes the police departments’ unconventional approach to fighting heroin by offering treatment instead. Police departments implement a program, the Safe Passages, that allows an individual addicted to heroin to enter the police department without fear of arrest or questioning. A qualitative research design was used for this study that was centered on new initiatives that have been enacted by leaders in law enforcement in order to combat the heroin epidemic. This study analyzed the Safe Passages program in police departments in Will County: the overall cost of the program, information dissemination to the public, and the impact it has had on communities. Data was collected through in-depth interviews, and also available documentation that illustrated whether or not initiatives, such as the Safe Passages program, have been looked at as successful in certain communities. This qualitative study found three themes that emerged: heroin addiction was a problem in communities, the costs associated with the Safe Passages program, and the challenges, such as lack of recent participation and poor advertising, and effects the Safe Passages program has had on communities where the program was implemented.

This research analyzed the disinvestment in higher education in Illinois. This study is an exploratory case study based on interviews with eleven Presidents, Vice Presidents, and Associate Vice Presidents of Enrollment Management from nine Illinois public universities, qualitative analysis, and secondary data. This study revealed four main themes: the challenges in public universities due to disinvestment in higher education, students migrating outside Illinois, the importance of AIM HIGH Grants, and increased creativity in recruiting students by admissions departments. Disinvestment in higher education had the following impacts: increased tuition, diminished enrollment of students, students migrating outside Illinois, deferred maintenance, loss of talented faculty, and reduction of capital projects.

This research employs a convenience sample survey design to explore the complex interaction between race, gender, and public perceptions of wrongful convictions. Examining 324 responses from diverse groups, the study finds that these views are not uniform across different demographics. African Americans and women exhibit significantly heightened perceptions of wrongful convictions and more robust support for justice reform. The regression results also highlight that age, education, and professional background in law enforcement significantly influence these perspectives. Notwithstanding its limitations, the study forms foundation for further inquiry into the role of socio-demographic factors in shaping public attitudes toward criminal justice system.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the main perceived stressors and coping among law enforcement officers. Based on Stress Management for Law Enforcement Officers surveys of 427 law enforcement officers in Illinois, USA, descriptive analysis and one-way ANOVA tests were performed to analyze perceived stress and coping among patrol versus non-patrol police officers. The findings suggest that financial situation, situation when fellow officer killed or witnessing a fatality, poor personal relationships with supervisor(s), and unfair promotional opportunities are the leading causes of stress. One-way ANOVA test showed a marginal difference in the mean of perception of stress when fellow officer killed or witnessing a fatality among officers in patrol in comparison to non-patrol officers. One-way ANOVA test showed a significant marginal difference in the mean of relationship with supervisor(s) stress perception scores among non-patrol officers in comparison to patrol officers. Non-patrol officers had a higher relationship with supervisor(s) stress perception scores than officers in patrol. The study reveals that exercising is the main stress reliever for law enforcement officers. The study refutes the notion that alcohol is a preferred stress reliever as has been indicated in other studies. Analysis of stress perception and coping is allowing for a more rich understanding of stress and coping among law enforcement officers and provides recommendation for implementation of stress reduction techniques in police departments.