During the last third of the 20th century, dramatic changes in regard to the treatment of people with mental illnesses occurred. In particular, the development of antipsychotic medications meant that many people, particularly with psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, who had formerly been untreatable, were now able to receive medical treatment that
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 30,000 people die by suicide in the United States each year. The topic of suicide by law enforcement officers prompts controversy among those in the mental health and law enforcement communities, as questions of cause and influence come into play. Some experts claim that a breakdown
Terrorism has quickly emerged as a primary problem for law enforcement administrators and personnel working at both the federal and local levels. The frightening reality of homegrown terror became clear after the 1995 bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. The subsequent and stunningly successful attacks on the World Trade Center and the
Although unionization of police officers is not universal in the United States, all major agencies have either a formal labor organization or a professional association that functions as a labor organization. The right to collective bargaining varies state by state. Collective bargaining is authorized by almost all states in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, and Far
Tribal police are the primary law enforcement agencies on Native American Indian (hereafter, Indian) reservations. Historically, enforcement of tribal law has rested with the Tribal Council’s appointee. Using the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, located in southwest Colorado, as one example, the War Sub-Chief was primarily responsible for enforcement of the laws of the tribe (Abril
Historically, school crimes generated very little interest among policymakers until the late 1980s and early 1990s, when a rash of school shootings and the ushering in of crack cocaine afflicted schools across the United States. In fact, during the past decade, more than 300 school-associated violent deaths occurred on or near school campuses in America.
On May 6, 2008, in the largest drug operation on a college campus in U.S. history, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced that after a six-month-long undercover investigation on the campus of San Diego State University (SDSU)–one of the largest schools in California’s state university system, with approximately 34,000 students–96 people had been arrested, including
Police officers perform many duties relating to public safety. Their responsibilities include not only preserving the peace, preventing criminal acts, enforcing the law, investigating crimes, and arresting those who violate the law but also directing traffic, community relations work, and controlling crowds at public events. Police officers are employed at the federal, state, county, and
This article explores the intricate relationship between race and police use of force within the context of the United States criminal justice process. Beginning with an overview of the criminal justice system, the article delves into the significance of police use of force, emphasizing the nuanced interplay between race and policing. The factors influencing police
Police serve as government’s front-line service providers for victims of domestic violence (Friday, Metzgar, and Walters 1991). While some law enforcement officers effectively respond to domestic violence (Younglove, Kerr, and Vitello 2002), other police have been slow to appropriately enforce restraining orders, make mandatory arrests, be sensitive to victims’ needs, and refer victims to social