Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This paper examines the formation of a cross-movement coalition between elements of the labor and environmental movements in New Jersey. We explain the successful formation and initial political campaign of the New Jersey Work Environment Council by using Croteau and Hicks’ concept of the frame pyramid, which we expand upon. The frame pyramid offers several important insights into the active role coalition actors play in the construction of a common identity uniting union and environmental activists. Due to the progressive nature of key elements of both movements in New Jersey, coalition actors are able to construct a frame pyramid based on the identities of organizations outside the mainstream movements. Using qualitative data gathered from interviews, observations, and document analyses of two major campaigns, we argue that the coalition frame pyramid allowed new political opportunities to be created, leading to the establishment of the most sweeping right-to-know laws in the United States. We conclude with an analysis of a failed coalition campaign where an additional layer of the frame pyramid resonated with coalition members, but failed to contribute to the ultimate success of the right-to-act campaign.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This research reports trends in the nature and extent of bias in traffic stops reported by the New Jersey State Police following the implementation of a consent decree and the operation of an independent monitor. Comparisons are made with reports of New Jersey State Police traffic stops prior to the initiation of the decree. These comparison are used to assess the impact of judicial interventions on biased based policing and the relevance of data collection and analysis on police practices.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Since the development of bias crime legislation over the past two decades, scholars have debated the merits of the legislation and questioned its enforcement. In light of such concerns, the current study examines a random sample of bias motivated cases that reached the bias crime unit of a New Jersey prosecutor’s office from 2001-2004. The study compares characteristics of bias motivated cases that were declined or investigated, including type of bias motivation, type of offense, and race of offender/victim.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: The New Jersey Department of Corrections maintains a unique position in that it is fundamentally adversarial- it simultaneously offers both punishment and rehabilitation to its offenders. By mere virtue of its existence, the NJDOC provides visible punishment to its offenders. To date, the commitment to rehabilitative programs has been somewhat more nebulous and imperceptible. In an effort to combat this invisibility and remain consistent with its dedication to improving the quality of life in New Jersey, the New Jersey Department of Corrections has made a noteworthy commitment to educating its offenders. The New Jersey Department of Correction recently conducted an outcome analysis of inmates who participated in the General Educational Development program (GED) and a matched sample of inmates who did not participate in the GED program. The goal of this project was to answer the often debated and highly controversial question, “Does correctional education have an impact on rates of recidivism?” Eleven predictors of recidivism were identified through literature reviews, and both groups of the 300 included inmates were hand-matched on these variables. This study found that New Jersey inmates who participated and graduated from the GED program during the years 1999 and 2000 demonstrated significantly lower levels of re-offending than inmates who did not participate in the GED program during the same time period. The decreased level of re-offending was consistent across re-arrest rates, re-conviction rates and re-incarceration rates.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Parole populations have increased by nearly twenty percent in the last decade, and by 2007, 800,000 individuals were under parole supervision. In any given year approximately 40 percent of parolees are re-incarcerated, and two-thirds of those revocations occur because of technical violations of parole conditions. The high revocation rates – particularly for technical violations – raise serious questions about the current philosophy, organization and effectiveness of parole. With these questions as a backdrop, this paper examines the Halfway Back program in New Jersey, a residential alternative to incarceration for technical parole violators. The paper compares recidivism and other outcomes among random samples of program participants and non-participants, matched using group-based trajectory modeling and propensity scores. The paper concludes with a discussion of implications of the findings for parole policy and practice.