Social Psych & Criminology
Francisco Saldana, fjsaldana22sp@ollusa.edu
Our Lady of the Lake University, with Dr. Hawley-Bernardez
Social Work
Recidivism: What are the Hispanic Male Experiences
In the United States, 600,000 inmates are released back into society with majority being released to parole or some type of supervised probation (Incarceration & Reentry. 2023.ASPE. Retrieved April 11, 2023, from https://aspe.hhs.gov/topics/human-services/incarcerationreentry0#:~:text=At%20any%20one%20time%2C%20nearly%206.9%20million%20people,individuals%20are%20released%20from%20state%20and%20federal%20prisons). This research is aimed better understanding the lived experiences of Hispanic men in Texas who have been processed by the criminal justice system. This research looks at recidivism and approaches that are being used by the criminal justice system and if this is consistent with the experiences of Hispanic men in Texas. Understanding the experiences of Hispanic men who are 18 years or older, who have served in jail or prison for more than 30 days, and who have offenses related to violence, drugs or theft will guide social workers in making programming that is framed around pathways that work for this population. This research is aimed to help understand that narrative of Hispanic men in Bexar County have lived experiences from exiting the criminal justice system and, to see what solutions they to offer based on their experiences. Their experiences can help guide or create ideas and programs to help others stop reoffending to ultimately reduce recidivism within the community of Bexar County and other counties in Texas. By using a qualitative research approach, the researcher will look for patterns and themes from the data collected.
Jordan Bridges, Jbridges@mail.snu.edu
Southern Nazarene University, with Dr. Anthony Rodin
Pre-Law & Criminal Justice
Oklahoma County Jail Death and Overcrowding; An Issue Surrounding Mass Incarceration
The Oklahoma County jail in Oklahoma City has a long and troubling history. The current issues plaguing the jail are understaffing, flooding, overcrowding, and an inability to service the medical needs of inmates. This has led to numerous deaths in the prison with 16 reported in 2022 alone. These issues are a byproduct of mass incarceration as a whole. While the county recently approved a bond for a new jail, a new building is just a short term solution. These issues within the jail are more prevalent than assigning a short term solution, like building a bigger jail, to the long standing problem of mass incarceration which only furthers prison overpopulation and deaths. To truly deal with the numerous issues plaguing the jail, potential solution oriented ideas of decreasing incarceration rates will be discussed. These solutions will make the Oklahoma carceral system a safer environment for those inside like those incarcerated and the staff. The rates at which the United States incarcerates individuals does a disservice to the goal of incarceration which is to decrease recidivism. Therefore, Oklahoma county needs to reallocate resources to bringing about jail reform policies other than making our county jail problem an issue of structure. My research will show that Oklahoma county building a bigger jail will not fix the overpopulation issue and the deaths that are taking place, however, addressing the fundamental issue of mass incarceration and jail reform will.
Tristain Lewis, tlewis1031@mail.snu.edu
Southern Nazarene University, with Dr. Scott Drabenstot
Psychology
Intersectional Marginalized Identity
It is crucial for students, especially minority students, to have a sense of belonging at their university. Students do not find belonging at universities, the result of this dilemma is transfer rates increasing and student retention decreasing. This paper evaluates the influence that affinity and/or race groups have on belonging and hope for minority college students at a Predominantly White Institution (PWI). Using the twin lenses of intersectionality and Relational Cultural Theory we test the hypothesis that affinity groups based upon race or gender will allow for all of a student’s identities to be embraced and accepted. Participants, at a small PWI, were assessed for belonging, trait hope, and demographics as a part of a larger study on hope. While the difference did not attain statistical significance, there is a trend toward difference. The results also indicated that, for the sample studied, individuals who are in affinity groups report lower levels of belonging. This suggests that individuals who are experiencing a lack of belonging may be seeking out gender or race/ethnicity-segregated groups to increase their sense of belonging at PWIs.