Danielle Dawkins Essays (1509 words) - Crime, United States

Danielle Dawkins Essays (1509 words) - Crime, United States Danielle Dawkins Dr. Bentzen American Government 4/1/17 Racial Disparity and Mass Incarceration T he United States of America is home to the largest prison system in the world, with more than 2.3 million citizens behind bars, which represents a staggering 943 percent increase within the past century. Making up only 5 percent of the entire world population, the U.S. makes up 25 percent of the prison population globally. These app alling statistics are a product of systemic and structural oppression, which is the foundation for Mass incarceration itself. The history of mass incarceration dates back to the Reconstruction era (1865-1877). Directly after the Civil war, the south was in tatters because an integral part of its economy had been demolished: slavery. As stated by the 13 th amendment, "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any plac e subject to their jurisdiction." One should take notice to the loophole within the 13 th amendment, as exploitation of such took place immediately. Essentially, African Americans couldn't be held as slaves , but the y could be held as prisoners for the purpose rebuilding the south. At an alarming rate, many were imprisoned by the masses for petty "crimes " that otherwise would not have mattered. This period of the late 19 th century marked the first major prison boom, and it laid the groundwork for the rapid growth of mass incarceration that's still occurring to this d ay. Four presidents can be credited for this monstrosity of a prison system: Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton. From the "war on poverty" to the 1994 crime bill, I will expound upon the political initiatives of each of these presidents, and how their historic policies disproportionately impacted the African American community. About a century after the reconstruction period, Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and launched many other political initiatives with egalitarian-like values. In March of 1 965, President Johnson had three bills sent to congress in hopes of furthering his p rogressive agenda. Two bills included the Housing and Development Act of 1965 , which instituted the subsidization of private homes for those of a lower socioeconomic status, an d the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which granted black Americans in the south the opportunity to fully exercise their right to vote. Although these bills were crafted with good intentions, they were actually deeply rooted in assimilationist-like assumptions held by conservatives on black culture. Conservatives were locked onto the premise that constructs such as race and class were not factors of poverty, but rather a "subculture" ridden with " s ocial pathologies" , such as illegal drug use and stre et crime . A sociologist by the name of Katherine Beckett stated, "The misbehaviors of the poor were transformed from adaptations to poverty th at had an unfortunate effect of reproducing it into character failings that accounted for poverty in the first place." T herefore, t his commonly shared belief of black communities prompted President Johnson to constitute the official "War on Poverty" . So, it should be no surprise that at the peak of his progressive agenda, Johnson introduced the Law Enforcement Assistance Act (LEAA), which essentially sparked the militarization of local police operations in small black communities. In Johnson's own words, "the federal Government will henceforth take a more meaningful role in meeting the whole spectrum of problems posed by crime." This new legislation officially transformed the "War on Poverty" into the "War on Crime" . Johnson's successor, Richard Nixon took the "War on Crime" to a level of extreme punitive a ctions that caused a drastic upsurge in incarcerated bodies, while leaving a permanent scar of thousands of families for years to come. Nixon rose to power on dog whistle politics, which are racially coded appeals that catered to that segregationists and a ssimilationists alike. He utilized fearmongering politics in order to instill yet even more prejudice and fear into Americans across the country. All seventeen of his politica l speeches were dedicated to restoring law and order, and his infamous campaign ad featured images

Fire service administration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Fire service administration - Essay Example Diabetes is an episodic impairment that could make a person considered disabled under ADA (Illinois Legal Aid, 2012). Therefore, the firefighter may be considered disabled due to his diabetic nature that may limit his brain functioning that make him sleep during paramedic training. The law compels the need for employers to make available â€Å"reasonable accommodation to employees with disabilities, not unless their accommodation would cause considerable problems and, or cost to the employer (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, n.d.). In respect to the law, the department might take some steps to accommodate the firefighter. The steps include, and not limited to reallocating tasks to other employees, adjusting working schedules, providing intervallic breaks during work time, and providing medical assistance. The department can be permitted to conduct employee medical examinations to determine if employees can perform vital job functions without injuries. Further, an employee’s work contract can be suspended or terminated in cases that employees are unable to perform duties as required (Illinois Legal Aid, 2012). For example, employers may consider safety and health issues as substantial harm to the employee. In this case, the firefighter’s weight gain exposes him to cardiovascular diseases that are leading causes among fire fighters (Fahs et al., 2009). Fahs, C., Smith, L., Horn, G., Agiovlasitis, S., Rossow, L., Echols, G., Heffernan, K., & Fernhall, B., (2009). Impacts of excess body weight on arterial structure, function, and blood pressure in firefighters. The American Journal of Cardiology, 104(10):1441-5. doi:10.1016/j.amjcard.2009.07.009 Illinois Legal Aid. (2012) Disabilities Guidebook: Who Has a Disability under the ADA? Guidebook of Laws and Programs for People with Disabilities. Retrieved from

Theories of management (learning diary) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Theories of management (learning diary) - Essay Example Through this session, a deeper understanding of reasons why leadership and management are so closely related has been obtained by studying the trend of evolution of leadership concept with respect to management. Most of these theories have been based on different attributes of leaders, which made scholars define leadership and theorists theorize the concept of leadership. When these attributes no longer seemed to exist and/or situations had changed, the contingency theory of leadership emerged based on incidents and changing nature of management and demands. A concise view of leadership from emerging contemporary perspectives of management further throws light on how leaders are made and what makes leaders emerge. different viewpoints and ideologies. In general, it can be explained in relative terms based on the qualities and skills possessed, and situations. The underlying essence of leadership is to guide others and set new directions to achieve a goal or accomplish a task. The present leadership philosophy is an outcome of great leaders’ achievements of past. The leaders of past were not involved in management, but were able to direct, guide and mobilize people systematically for achievement of a common cause. Most of such known leaders from history are remembered even today, for example, Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi to name a few, were leaders who changed the world through their principles based on humanity and spirituality. On the contrary, Adolf Hitler is also counted among the leaders of the world known for his able administration and creation of strong military regime that was able to devastate the entire world. These perspectives could be the precursors of development of different leadership concepts. the first to define leadership based on management functions including planning, organising, leading and controlling.

Contract management and Procurement management Essay

Contract management and Procurement management - Essay Example It is therefore, very important that the project managers must manager certain components of the whole project management and project life cycle in more details as compared to other components of the project. It is therefore of great importance that the project managers must find a perfect fit between the different components of the overall project. Contract Management and Procurement management are two most important concepts of project management where project managers tend to interact with external players such as vendors, suppliers as well as regulatory authorities. The management of contract and procurement processes therefore needs special skills to fit them properly into the overall process of project management as well as project life cycles. By law, a contract is "an agreement between competent parties, for consideration, to accomplish some lawful purpose with the terms clearly set forth" (Newell, 2005). The above definition of contract suggests that it is an agreement which is backed up by the legal consideration. Within the context of project management, contract management is a phased process which involves different stages. Project Managers first determine the requirements of the contract i.e. what is required to be obtained and acquired to complete the project. Once the requirements of the project are clearly identified, the project managers issue requisitions and than the next phase are of solicitation. When solicitation phase is over, the contract is awarded to the approved vendors. This whole process requires interaction between the external as well as internal parties to the project therefore there remain very strong chances of the project overruns If the process of contract management is not effectively managed. As the whole purpose of Project life cycle is to focus on how to manage the project therefore, contract management being one of the critical components of the project, requires that the project managers must find a perfect fit between the project management and contract management. As discussed above that the contract management starts at the time when project managers first assess the requirements of the project. In our case, we will be requiring software and hardware to implement our proposed email system, therefore once the requirements of the whole project are determined, the next phase in contract management and the project management requires that the project managers must start the process of solicitation and finally awarding the contract. This whole process is therefore the core process of the project management since it is through the contract management that the project managers tend to manage their schedules, costs as well as other associated activities of the project. It is also important to consider that the contract management, when properly fit into the project management life cycle, delivers very important benefits for the project itself. A good contract management would provide a system for centralized oversight of the whole project however with a degree of decentralized ownership of the different components of the project. Further, contract manageme

Language and memory Essay Example for Free

Language and memory Essay Limitations with the study included the sample range being too small. This means that it is difficult to make generalisations because 20 undergraduate students cannot possibly be representative of the sample population. In order to improve the experiment, a wider sample range could be used, including people from different age groups and ethnic backgrounds. Another limitation was gender bias. The driver in the vignette was male which could have meant that male participants may have been more sympathetic to him when giving an estimation. If a female character had been used, the results may have been different. This could be improved by using two sample groups, both with female characters, but again with either the smashed into condition or bumped into condition. The results of this and previous studies have a number of implications in todays society. Loftus and Palmers work (1974), showed how changing a verb in a sentence, can alter eyewitness recall of a car accident. These findings have major implications for the Legal Justice Systems. In a study by Rattner (1988), a review of 205 cases of wrongful arrest showed that 52% of the cases were associated with mistaken eyewitness testimonies. These results highlighted the unreliability of eyewitness testimony. Other studies have demonstrated that witnesses sometimes cannot attribute memory to its appropriate sources, or that they make source attribution errors. When witnesses get information from other witnesses and from the police, then their own recollection is likely to be contaminated (Fisher, 1995). This is yet further evidence suggesting that there should be less dependence on eyewitness testimony, and with the arrival of advanced gene technology, it is now possible to use alternative sources of evidence. References Carlson, N. R., Buskist, W., Martin, G. N. (2000). Psychology The Science of Behaviour, 266-267 Loftus, E. F. and Palmer, J. E. (1974). Reconstruction of automobile destruction: an example of the interaction between language and memory. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behaviour, 13, 585-589. Fisher, R. P., (1995). Interviewing victims and witnesses of crime. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 1(4), 732-764.  Nisha Ghei Eyewitness Practical

The Goals Of Positive Youth Development Young People Essay

The Goals Of Positive Youth Development Young People Essay Positive Youth Development focus on building or promoting positive qualities in adolescents and focus on adolescents development in a social context, including the family, school and/or community (Catalano et al., 2002) . It suggests that good life can be encouraged by identifying individual strengths of character and fostering them (Seligman. 2002). Positive youth development goal is to build and strengthen personal qualities that enable adolescents to grow and flourish throughout life (Park, 2004). Positive youth development suggests that by focusing on adolescents strengths, the impact of negative risk factors will be reduced (Thornberry, 1995). Focusing on adolescents strengths in multiple domains, such as family, school, and community, is what is particularly important in buffering adolescents from the effects of risk factors (Thornberry, 1995). Positive youth development sets the main guidelines as to how we can best support adolescents healthy development. Lerner (2005) states that Positive youth development outcomes can be identified as the Five C; Competence (academic, social, vocational skills), Self-Confidence, Connectedness (healthy relationship to community, friends, family), Character (integrity, moral commitment), Caring and Compassion (Lerner at al., 2005). Positive youth development focuses on the adolescents pos itive outcomes rather than negative outcomes (Catalano et al., 2002). The positive youth development approach aims to provide the maximum impact on the life-path of adolescents (Catalano et al., 2002). Youth development suggests long-term outcomes. Adolescents who consistently experience healthy attitudes and clear expectations for positive behaviour within their families, schools, and communities are less likely to become involved in risky behaviours, especially if they have developed strong bonds to the individuals and social groups within these settings (Garmezy, 1971). Adolescents have to experience and embrace the newly acquired skills and positive relationships over a long period of time to be effective. Positive youth development strategies have to accompany adolescents throughout their growing up years. While short term positive outcomes are important and should be built on, Positive youth development suggests positive long term outcomes.(Park, 2004). The Positive Youth Development focuses on building on the adolescents strengths, talents and interests encouraging wellness as much as on remedying deficits. Youth development strategies target all adolescents. It suggests that creating supportive and enriching environments for all adolescents will lead to positive outcomes as well as reduced negative outcomes (Lerner, 2004). The Positive Youth Development perspective stemmed from the work of comparative psychologists who had been studying the plasticity of developmental modes that emerged from the fusion of biological and contextual levels of organisation (Benson et al., 2006). The work of Garmezys (1983) ideas about the invulnerable child, which suggests that adolescents protective factors can reduce the impact of risk factors, followed by Werners (1982) work on resiliency were the cornerstone for the positive youth developmental approach (Damon, 2004). In 1997 Benson focused on the developmental assets, idea, which explains the adolescents positive characteristics in contrast to the incapacities of adolescents. The exploration of adolescence by developmental scientists interested in developmental systems theory resulted in the elaboration of the Positive Youth Development perspective (Benson et al., 2006). The Positive Development Perspective Versus the Deficit View The exploration of a strength- based ideal promotes the concept of positive human development (Lerner, 2004). Since the founding of the scientific study of adolescent development (Hall, 1904), the predominant conceptual frame for the study of adolescence has been one of prevention and elimination of risk factors that make adolescents and youth vulnerable to maladaptive behaviours ( Benson et al., 2006). The goal of Positive Youth Development is not merely restricted to surviving in the face of adversity but actually growing throughout life (Lerner, 2007). Interventions targeting only one single problem have come under criticism. Broad based interventions can therefore have broad effects. Thus programs that promote wellness and building strengths such as character strength among youth and sustain it across the life span may pay much greater dividends, not only preventing in the short run disorders but also building the long run moral, healthy, and well developed people who can over come challenges in life and enjoy the good life (Albee 1996; Cowen 1994,1998; Durlak 1997;Elias 19995) Catalano, Berglund, Ryan, Lonczak, and Hawkins (1999) noted that problem behaviours are tracked more often than positive ones and, while an increasing number of positive youth development interventions are choosing to measure both, this is still far from being the standard in the field. The Positive Youth Development approach suggests that adolescents are resources to be developed, and not as problems to be managed (Roth Brooks-Gunn, 2003a,b). It builds on the idea of resilience and protective factors; suggesting that adolescents have the personal strength and resilience to help them avoid problems such as alcohol, drugs, and school violence (Luthar, Cicchetti, Curtis, 2000). People are pleased when intervention programs reduce the rates of drug abuse or teenage crime. However there are few positive indicators to which people may point to reflect the desirable, healthy, and valued behaviours among their children and adolescents (Lerner, 2004). Replacing the deficit view of adolescence, the PYD model regards adolescents as having strengths. The PYD model suggests that increases in well-being and thriving are possible for young adolescence through aligning the strengths of adolescents with developmental assets present in their social and physical ecology (Lerner, 2005). Earlier prevention programs only focused on the reduction of the influence of well-established risk factors for the development of problem behaviours. The health and well-being of adolescents require as much attention to promoting developmental strengths as to directly combating risk, environmental threats, and social dysfunctions that obstruct human development (Benson, 2006). These two approaches ought to be complementary and in balance. Positive Youth Development Enhances the Well Being of Young People Positive Youth development program strive to build strengths, competence, and positive qualities in children (Catalano et al., 2002). Earlier prevention programs only focused on the reduction of the influence of well- established risk factors for the development of problem behaviours. The Positive Youth Development approach focuses on lowering the impact of developmental risks and increasing the influence of protective factors. Protective factors are targeted by prevention strategies aimed at influencing a wide range of different problem behaviour being developed ( Jessor, 1995). School based substance prevention programs can be effective in reducing consumption rates of substance during adolescences (Tobler et al., 2000). Such programs employ interactive teaching methods, thus providing contact and communication opportunities between students, encouraging refusal skills, allowing feedback to be received in a non-threatening climate, and enabling students to practice acquired skills. Along with the interactive teaching approach, PYD prevention programs promote resistance, assertiveness, communication, and problem solving skills against social pressure (WHO, 1997). The characteristics for effective prevention programs against adolescent substance misuse can best be reflected in life skills programs implemented within school or community setting ( Tobler Stratton, 1997) The life skill program can help adolescents through; Enhancing a Sense of Personal Safety Adolescents need to have a sense of physical and emotional security, they need to feel that adults will protect them from any emotional or physical harm. It is important for adolescents to feel less apprehensive of negative outcomes when failing to achieve certain goals, thus adolescents need to be encouraged to take positive risks Youth at a program feel as though the adults there will protect them from any physical harm. Young people who are encouraged to take positive risks without negative consequences for their mistakes become less fearful of failure and more likely to pursue stretch goals, objectives they might once have rejected as out of their reach (Seligman, 2002). Encouraging Relationship Building Adolescents need many supportive relationships to help them navigate their adolescence. They need guidance from adults as well as emotional and practical support from their peers. Research has identified these adult-child and peer relationships as the key to helping young people overcome the obstacles of adolescence and adolescence relationships (Lerner, 2004). Fostering Meaningful Youth Participation Simple participation is not enough to promote positive youth development: youth must have an active role in shaping the program. They must have the opportunity to practice and develop leadership skills by planning projects, initiatives, and activities (ODonnell et al., 1995).Giving youth a meaningful role in the program will heighten their sense of belonging to the program, fostering deeper relationships with the adult staff and other youth participants (Park, 2004). Providing Opportunities for Community Involvement Young people are often looking for a sense of purpose. Creating opportunities for young people to become involved in the community, and for community members to interact with youth, is a powerful way to foster this sense of purpose (Larson, 2000). It is also a successful and innovative way of advancing community change. Life skills programs encourage a mutualism relationship between the youth of a community and the community as a whole. By engaging in dialogue and action together, youth can learn more about the community in which they live, giving them greater respect for it, and preparing them to become active and responsible citizens within it. At the same time, the community can overcome negative stereotypes about the young, and gain a greater understanding of the assets of the youth who live there. Positive Youth Development in relation to working with adolescents. PYD perspective presents a real shift in thinking of how we provide services for young people. It suggests that motivation results from using reinforcers effectively. Focusing on adolescents character strength and nurturing positive skills can actually increase intrinsic motivation and increases adolescents sense of autonomy, achievement, and the understanding of why we succeed and fail (Benson, 2006). Positive Youth development challenges communities to take a new look at its resources and how they can be used to support young people. Positive Youth Development perspective helps adolescents take responsibilities for their own learning by setting and monitoring goals, using positive personal skills, and employing effective strategies. In addition, teacher characteristics including personal teaching efficacy, modelling, caring, and high expectations together with classroom climate and instructional variables to enhance motivation. Motivation is increased when adolescents work in a safe and orderly environment, experience success, understand tasks and the reasons from them, and experience optimal challenge, Instructors can increase adolescents motivation by preparing attractive activities and tasks, involving the adolescents, personalising content, and providing informative feedback. Life is full of different stresses and risks. Neither society nor parents can completely protect children from them, it is the children who themselves have to meet these challenges (Lerner, 2000). However we can prepare them to overcome adversities in life and further more to thrive. By identifying important developmental strengths such as character strengths and life satisfaction by facilitating their development, and by strengthening and maintaining them, we can help youth achieve the healthy, happy, and good lives that they all deserve (Benson, 2006).

The Six Day War Essay -- Military History

The Six Day War Introduction History records the 1967 Arab-Israeli War (Six-Day War) as one of the most memorable on record. Israeli forces delivered a stunning defeat to a coalition of Arab forces that greatly outnumbered the much smaller Israeli force. Victory was made possible by the initial aerial attack launched by Israeli Air Forces. The elements of surprise, stealth, Operational Security (OPSEC), precision planning and flawless execution were essential to victory. The opening aerial offensive has been called â€Å"one of the most stunning successes in modern warfare† . This case study will review the history, preparation, execution, and lessons learned of this conflict. There is much profit for those who will study this war and consider the essential elements that made the impossible- possible. History The United Nations General Assembly voted for the establishment of an Israeli independent state on 29 November 1947. Independence was claimed on May 14th, 1948. Immediately, Arab nations were hostile towards the presence of a Jewish state. No peace was to be enjoyed. Arab legions surrounded Israeli camps and brutally attacked and slaughtered, even civilians. Uneasy relations continued and sporadic wars were to be required in order to preserve the Jewish state. In 1967, tensions were boiling; as another war was on the horizon. While the Jewish state was far out-numbered and surrounded by foes, the Jewish people were inspired to fight for their very survival. President Gamal Abdel Nasser, of Egypt, delivered unsettling, warmongering speeches that only served to further inspire the Israelis to fight with passion. â€Å"The Israelis had a courage and patriotism that made them try harder and more unselfishly† . The... ...ng design, which proved to be a detriment as they could easily be made unusable by a single bomb strike at the intersecting runways . In addition, nations invested in advanced technology, seeking better early warning radar systems. References Tucker, Spencer C., Battles that Changed History: An Encyclopedia of World Conflict, Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2011 Weller, Jae, Israeli Armor: Lessons From the Six-Day War, Military Review Vol.51, No.11, Nov 1971 Rabinovich, Abraham, First Strike, The Quarterly Journal of Military History, Vol.2, No.3, Spring 1990 In Search of Peace: Part One 1948-1967. DVD. Moriah Films, 1997 Against All Odds: Six-Day War & Raid on Entebbe. DVD. A&E Television Networks, 1996 Dogfights: No Room for Error. DVD. A&E Television Networks, 2007 Dogfights: The Complete Season One, Volume Four. DVD. A&E Television Networks, 2006