Criminal Justice Dissertation Ideas

[sanantone]

At the local CC I take classes at I have been in a few classes with some ex-cons and others who claim to be recovering addicts (or don't even claim to be recovering) who seem to be getting Pell Grant money. Do they not have to be honest on the Pell Grant application, or are there different rules in different states?

I looked it up to be sure. It looks like you only lose eligibility if you receive a drug conviction while receiving financial aid or submitting the FAFSA. If you enter a drug rehabilitation program or pass two unannounced drug tests by an approved drug rehabilitation program, you can regain eligibility.

https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/eligibility...onvictions

[cookderosa]

I need to get going on a dissertation proposal this summer, but I've been cycling through a lot of ideas. I'm trying to find something that hasn't been done before and will add some valuable knowledge to the field. Has anyone seen any interesting criminal justice problems that need investigating and won't cost a ton of money to research?

what kind of research are you thinking? Surveys or something else? My budget was about zero lol, but I created a database of original content. Though it was a ton of work, it was easy work- collect and enter- and then the analysis of my work was fun (lots of graphs and tables). Now, if I'm being honest, I think creating original content rocks because a) the pleasure of doing something for the first time b) your committee hasn't already spent their careers immersed in the topic - so they have a little bit of a learning curve.

You could quarry search terms and hit on the ones with the fewest returns - not sure what the CJ journals are or what search tool you have at your disposal, but I like the idea of exploring new areas too.

Good luck!!

[davewill]

Perhaps something on the use of encryption or other cybersecurity tools for criminal purposes? A look at the ways it has made law enforcement either harder or easier? A related topic would be the misuse of national security related data gathering for regular crime investigations. I remember the FBI having to admit the were using the Patriot Act without any real controls or accountability for how they were using it.

[cookderosa]

I looked it up to be sure. It looks like you only lose eligibility if you receive a drug conviction while receiving financial aid or submitting the FAFSA. If you enter a drug rehabilitation program or pass two unannounced drug tests by an approved drug rehabilitation program, you can regain eligibility.

https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/eligibility...onvictions

oh, there might be something... maybe it's already been done, but are there outcome reports about offender's educational attainment? I mean the overly obvious approach would be to cross the recidivism rates against educational attainment, but if that's already been done, you could look at other things. Even wondering if education obtained while incarcerated has a different recidivism rate than education obtained after release? What is the secret sauce that gets an offender up through a graduate degree?

You're good and making plans, I think you could craft a "best case scenario" - I'd fund that lol

[sanantone]

what kind of research are you thinking? Surveys or something else? My budget was about zero lol, but I created a database of original content. Though it was a ton of work, it was easy work- collect and enter- and then the analysis of my work was fun (lots of graphs and tables). Now, if I'm being honest, I think creating original content rocks because a) the pleasure of doing something for the first time b) your committee hasn't already spent their careers immersed in the topic - so they have a little bit of a learning curve.

You could quarry search terms and hit on the ones with the fewest returns - not sure what the CJ journals are or what search tool you have at your disposal, but I like the idea of exploring new areas too.

Good luck!!

My progress through my degree program doesn't match up with the typical deadlines for fellowship and research funding applications. All of the ones I've seen have application deadlines toward the end of fall or beginning of spring require that the student have all of the degree requirements met other than the dissertation. I'll be finishing my last elective this spring. The School of Criminal Justice does have the highest level account on Survey Monkey for students to use if I wanted to do online surveys. I think they may also be able to contribute a couple of hundred dollars for minor research expenses. I was looking at either doing a survey or experiment. Doing a quasi-experiment with secondary data seems boring, and I don't feel comfortable with doing a qualitative dissertation.

Perhaps something on the use of encryption or other cybersecurity tools for criminal purposes? A look at the ways it has made law enforcement either harder or easier? A related topic would be the misuse of national security related data gathering for regular crime investigations. I remember the FBI having to admit the were using the Patriot Act without any real controls or accountability for how they were using it.

I was looking at doing something related to cybersecurity or biology, but for sinister reasons. It's easier to impress people when they don't have a good understanding of what you're talking about. I have a little bit of advanced knowledge in IT and biology.

oh, there might be something... maybe it's already been done, but are there outcome reports about offender's educational attainment? I mean the overly obvious approach would be to cross the recidivism rates against educational attainment, but if that's already been done, you could look at other things. Even wondering if education obtained while incarcerated has a different recidivism rate than education obtained after release? What is the secret sauce that gets an offender up through a graduate degree?

You're good and making plans, I think you could craft a "best case scenario" - I'd fund that lol

They've studied recidivism by educational attainment and the effect of college programs in prison on recidivism rates. I don't know if they've studied college in prison vs. college after prison, but I know that finishing college is very difficult for ex-offenders to do once they're released. Most of them will end up in low-paying jobs with long hours and most will require tutoring or remedial courses.

[defscarlett]

What about a study on
* Amount of training that officers receive versus the occurrences of officer involved shootings by those officers
* Anything dealing with communications centers, there is nowhere near enough studies done on them so probably won't be limited

[High_Order1]

Go dig through the National Institute of Justice. Ton of potential there.

Specific thought: Look at how societal pressure has evolved law enforcement's use of force continuum. Look at how race has altered law enforcement response. State specific - How is law enforced in a predominately democratic urban hub, versus a republican one; like houston vs ft. worth. Survey small cities, and contrast how influx of immigrants affect the availability of social services for nonimmigrants.

Ton of stuff...

I still think looking at a virtual community operated under a comprehensive code of ethics, versus one of strict law would be interesting to play out...

[sanantone]

What about a study on
* Amount of training that officers receive versus the occurrences of officer involved shootings by those officers
* Anything dealing with communications centers, there is nowhere near enough studies done on them so probably won't be limited

Yeah, there's almost no research on law enforcement dispatchers or animal control Officers.

Go dig through the National Institute of Justice. Ton of potential there.

Specific thought: Look at how societal pressure has evolved law enforcement's use of force continuum. Look at how race has altered law enforcement response. State specific - How is law enforced in a predominately democratic urban hub, versus a republican one; like houston vs ft. worth. Survey small cities, and contrast how influx of immigrants affect the availability of social services for nonimmigrants.

Ton of stuff...

I still think looking at a virtual community operated under a comprehensive code of ethics, versus one of strict law would be interesting to play out...

Thanks for the NIJ recommendation. I'm not going to do anything political such as Democrats vs Republicans. As someone who has worked for sheriff's departments and is a black woman who has been racially profiled, I have a different perspective on things than most people in law enforcement on some things and minorities on other things. I know why both sides feel certain ways, but both are wrong and right in different areas. Access to social services is not related to CJ in and of itself.

[High_Order1]

I know why both sides feel certain ways, but both are wrong and right in different areas.

Then, you should do something that plays to your strengths.

Access to social services is not related to CJ in and of itself.

Unless I am misunderstanding the term, I am going to have to disagree with you there. For instance, in my state, quite a bit of money is spent on reducing recidivism via inmate education and placement services. I disagree that this should be in the purview of a law enforcement agency to run, but that's how it is done here.

Also, consider legal aid and public defender services. Both are a social service provided to the community. Both fall under the provenance of the court system.

Another thought, but I think you've demonstrated you hold no interest in edgy or provocative subjects, but I personally feel that alcoholism is a cottage industry here. You take a group that historically have no money, and no support, and run them through a meatgrinder that really doesn't lend itself well to reducing their urge to self medicate via beeeers. They pay the court. They pay the jail. They pay a private counseling service. They pay a probation officer. They lost their car. Because they went to jail, they lost their job.

*NOT* saying I'm soft on drunks. I had one of the highest conviction rates in my jurisdiction. I'm saying the area might be ripe for some groundbreaking research into, I dunno, something new that might adequately punish a person while at the same time not stand on their neck.

I got ideas. I just don't know what would be worthy of a doctorate review board.

Also, I will say, I have Federal friends in Texas that say there are state jobs that won't even accept a criminal justice degree, so I am intrigued by the notion you will be a doctor in it... :patriot:

[sanantone]

Then, you should do something that plays to your strengths.



Unless I am misunderstanding the term, I am going to have to disagree with you there. For instance, in my state, quite a bit of money is spent on reducing recidivism via inmate education and placement services. I disagree that this should be in the purview of a law enforcement agency to run, but that's how it is done here.

Also, consider legal aid and public defender services. Both are a social service provided to the community. Both fall under the provenance of the court system.

Another thought, but I think you've demonstrated you hold no interest in edgy or provocative subjects, but I personally feel that alcoholism is a cottage industry here. You take a group that historically have no money, and no support, and run them through a meatgrinder that really doesn't lend itself well to reducing their urge to self medicate via beeeers. They pay the court. They pay the jail. They pay a private counseling service. They pay a probation officer. They lost their car. Because they went to jail, they lost their job.

*NOT* saying I'm soft on drunks. I had one of the highest conviction rates in my jurisdiction. I'm saying the area might be ripe for some groundbreaking research into, I dunno, something new that might adequately punish a person while at the same time not stand on their neck.

I got ideas. I just don't know what would be worthy of a doctorate review board.

Also, I will say, I have Federal friends in Texas that say there are state jobs that won't even accept a criminal justice degree, so I am intrigued by the notion you will be a doctor in it... :patriot:

Social services is related to CJ when it is related to CJ. Social services being offered to immigrants vs nonimmigrants is not related to CJ. I'm not trying to avoid edgy and provocative subjects. I have no interest in doing research that pits one political party against another. I have no interest in doing research that tries to further some kind of partisan political agenda.

As far as state jobs that won't accept a CJ degree, different positions require different degrees. You're not likely to get an IT job with the state government with a CJ degree. You aren't likely to get it with an English degree either. On the other hand, you aren't going to get a caseworker position with the Texas Juvenile Justice Department with an IT degree. CJ degrees are listed as preferred or required for many positions in social service, court, and corrections agencies. The Texas Department of Public Safety regularly lists positions that prefer or require a CJ degree among a list of other related degrees. The same applies to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and the Governor's Office.