CSC students give papers at conference in Toronto
Chadron State College students presented five research papers at the annual meeting of the American Society of Criminology in Toronto in mid-November. That was nearly half of the papers given by undergraduate students at the conference, which drew more than 2,500 people from around the world.
This was the first year Chadron State students attended the conference. Dr. George Watson, professor of justice studies, said the trip was part of the department’s emphasis on accelerated learning opportunities that are promoting increased research and participation at professional meetings.
“The papers were well-written and well-received,” Watson said. “The studies the students conducted added to the body of knowledge in justice studies. It was a great experience for them.”
Much efforts went into preparing the papers. For instance, Seth Alberts of Palisade and Jack Sides of Hot Springs, S.D., surveyed more than 250 police officers on current issues confronting the criminal justice system such as the death penalty, the exclusionary rule, gun control, concealed weapon permits and the legalization of marijuana.
Similar questions were asked of more than 500 Nebraska attorneys during a survey conducted by Amanda Halderman of Custer, S.D., and Heather Messmer of Sturgis, S.D. Both surveys focused on attitudes on the basis of age, gender, number of years on the job, race and size of the communities where they live.
Another student, Erin Legerski of Rock Springs, Wyo., made an in-depth comparison of probation trends and practices in Nebraska and Wyoming. Her paper focused on budgets, case loads, adult supervision, juvenile supervision and offender population trends.
The paper prepared and given by Corey Wasserburger of Fort Worth, Texas, examined the Supreme Court decision of Roper vs. Simmons, which ended the juvenile death penalty in the United States. The paper focused on the historical background of the case with a comprehensive look at juvenile death penalty case law in state and federal courts. Wasserburger also examined the trends of juvenile death case law in other western industrialized nations.
Michele Meissner of Mountain View, Wyo., reviewed the development of the school resource officer program and surveyed Nebraska school systems to determine how many have implemented it. Meissner also looked at the training the officers received, policies that have been adopted, funding for the program and the communities’ responses to having the officers in the schools. In addition, she researched the size of the communities where the program is operating and the size of the law enforcement departments in those communities.
Watson said he believes Meissner’s study is the first that has been conducted on this topic in Nebraska.
Watson said during the conference in Toronto the students gained information they will add to their papers. In February, they will present the revised papers during an academic showcase that is being planned as part of Chadron State’s Vision 2011 initiative.
Other students attending the conference are Joel Christensen, Kimball; Tony Essay, Alliance; Jeri Loomis, Mullen; Abbey Slagle, Sargent; and Lindsey Sakos and Jason Thomas, Rapid City.
The students made the most of their time while they were in Toronto. Several of them visited a museum, went to a dinner theatre, attended an NBA basketball game and visited Niagara Falls, which is just 50 miles away. Each of them also attended receptions hosted by graduate schools.
Category: Campus News