Papers by Scott Maggard
Journal of Drug Issues, Aug 2, 2016
American attitudes toward marijuana have varied greatly from the time it was criminalized in the ... more American attitudes toward marijuana have varied greatly from the time it was criminalized in the 1930’s through the present day, and public opinion favoring the legalization of marijuana has steadily risen since 1990. It is generally well accepted that the media played a large role in shaping not only marijuana laws, but the general public’s attitudes toward marijuana. As such, this study utilized General Social Survey data to examine the relationship between media exposure and attitudes toward the legalization of marijuana from 1975 through 2012, 1975 through 1990, and 1991 through 2012. The findings indicate that while media exposure was not significantly related to attitudes about marijuana legalization from 1975 through 1990, both television and newspaper exposure had a significant positive relationship with favor toward the legalization of marijuana from 1991 through 2012.
The Social Science Journal, 2012
Studying attitudes toward capital punishment has been a topic of interest for decades. Indeed, it... more Studying attitudes toward capital punishment has been a topic of interest for decades. Indeed, it is often the subject of Gallup polls, political commentary, and social science research. Research indicates that attitudes vary by demographic factors, educational influences, and neighborhood crime rates. Building on prior research, the current study examined death penalty attitudes among 599 college students and 213 residents from high crime and low crime neighborhoods. In particular, the research investigated differences between how students and residents view the death penalty as no research to date has analyzed this issue. The authors also analyzed how different populations perceived the impact of race on the administration of the death penalty. Results suggested that demographics, especially race, have the strongest impact on death penalty attitudes, but that there are few differences between students and residents and those living in high and low crime neighborhoods.
Social Forces, 2001
Social Forces Copyright © 2001 The University of North Carolina Press. All rights reserved. Socia... more Social Forces Copyright © 2001 The University of North Carolina Press. All rights reserved. Social Forces 80.2 (2001) 736-737, ...
International Criminal Law Review, 2012
ABSTRACT This article provides an overview of post-conflict justice (PCJ) as well as a detailed a... more ABSTRACT This article provides an overview of post-conflict justice (PCJ) as well as a detailed analysis of factors that impede or facilitate the implementation of mechanisms to address the atrocities of a conflict. Grounded in an extensive new dataset, developed over the past three years, covering all conflicts in Africa between 1946 and 2009, we extend previous research by including empirical testing of previously untested assumptions and variables impacting PCJ, most notably, the role of power, politics, economics, and geo-strategic interests at the state and international political levels as well as combining previously tested variables amongst and between each other. Further, the aspects of PCJ, including conflicts where mechanisms were not deployed are included in the analysis along with those coded as symbolic in nature. We conclude by discussing the pragmatic issues associated with testing the concept of realpolitik and policy implications based on our analysis.
The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) seeks to reduce... more The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) seeks to reduce the reliance on pre-dispositional detention. While anecdotal evidence indicates that the program has enjoyed some success in reducing detention populations, no controlled study has assessed the efficacy of the program. The current study investigated the impact of JDAI following its adoption in one Virginia juvenile court. Specifically, using data on all juveniles referred to intake over a seven-year period, the research analyzed predictors of detention and length of stay before and after JDAI. Results indicate that after the implementation of JDAI, greater emphasis was placed on legal factors including offense seriousness and prior record, though the increased emphasis was greater for non-whites than for white youth. Additionally, results suggest that after JDAI’s adoption, older non-white youth were more likely to receive secure detention while non-white females received some degree of leniency compared to non-white males.
The current study investigated the impact of race and gender on the likelihood of receiving pre-d... more The current study investigated the impact of race and gender on the likelihood of receiving pre-dispositional secure detention, release, or a detention alternative with data from one juvenile court in Virginia. Guided by intersectionality theory, the research also analyzed the joint impact of being nonwhite and female on the pre-dispositional detention outcome. Findings indicate that race was not a significant predictor of the detention decision, but females were treated with more leniency compared to males. The interaction of race and gender was not found to significantly predict the detention decision. Relevant policy implications are discussed as well as limitations and directions for future research.
Sociological Spectrum, 2010
Journal of Drug Issues, 2009
__________ Karen F. Parker is professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at th... more __________ Karen F. Parker is professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at the University of Delaware. Her current research interests include exploring the influence of theoretical constructs associated with labor markets and structural disadvantage on urban violence, examining the contextual and spatial dynamics of crime and violence in urban communities, and incorporating change models into the study of disaggregated homicide rates at the city level. Her recent book, Unequal Crime Decline: Theorizing Race, Urban Inequality and Criminal Violence, incorporates racial stratification theories and labor market outcomes into the current debate about the crime drop.
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 2007
Since crack cocaine first appeared on the streets of the United States, the criminal justice syst... more Since crack cocaine first appeared on the streets of the United States, the criminal justice system has been overwhelmed with poor, minority drug offenders. This situation can be attributed in part to the existence of mandatory minimum sentences that treat violations associated with crack cocaine more harshly than those associated with powder cocaine. Using data from New York City, the present study uses Black's theory of law to help understand discrepancies in crack and cocaine dispositions. Results show mixed support for Black's propositions. Racial minorities are more likely to be charged with a felony and receive longer prison sentences compared to Whites. Implications of the study and directions for future research are discussed.
Crime & Delinquency, 2005
Studies examining the structural correlates of urban crime have generated a large body of researc... more Studies examining the structural correlates of urban crime have generated a large body of research; however, few studies have linked the structural conditions to race-specific drug arrests. In this study, the authors examine the impact of urban disadvantage, social disorganization, and racial threat indicators on the rise in race-specific drug arrests from 1980 to 1990. They find these theoretical perspectives contribute to an understanding of the change in race-specific drug arrests. Findings indicate that shifts in the urban economy significantly affected Black drug arrests, while having no effect on the change in White drug arrests. In addition, the shift away from manufacturing jobs significantly affected Black arrests for drug possession. Consistent with the theory, social disorganization measures proved equally significant for Whites and Blacks, whereas mixed support was found for racial threat arguments. The importance of a theoretically grounded exploration into the rise in racial disparities in drug arrests is highlighted.
Conference Presentations by Scott Maggard
American attitudes toward marijuana have varied greatly from the time it was criminalized in the ... more American attitudes toward marijuana have varied greatly from the time it was criminalized in the 1930’s until 2012, and public opinion favoring the legalization of marijuana has steadily risen since 1990. Since the media is purported to have had an impact on the legislation rather than objective risk factors, it is possible that the marijuana epidemic could be the result of a socially constructed panic. As such, this study utilized General Social Survey data to examine the relationship between media exposure and attitudes toward the legalization of marijuana from 1975 through 2012, 1975 through 1990, and 1991 through 2012. The findings indicate that while media exposure was not significantly related to attitudes about marijuana legalization from 1975 through 1990, both television and newspaper exposure had a significant positive relationship with favor toward the legalization of marijuana from 1991 through 2012.
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Papers by Scott Maggard
Conference Presentations by Scott Maggard