What do students really know about criminal justice?

This survey of three hundred and twenty undergraduate students attempted to determine their knowledge of crime and punishment in North Carolina. Respondents answered a series of open- and closed-ended questions regarding various legal topics, such as statutory rape and the legal ages for tobacco and alcohol use. The participants were also asked to list punishments for various offenses, such as possession of marijuana, driving while intoxicated, and rape. They were then asked to define certain legal terms such as larceny. The results indicated that most students were unable to provide correct corresponding punishments for many offenses. They were also unable to accurately define various legal terms, such as robbery or rape. The implications for stronger education in the area of criminal justice are discussed.     

Kenya: succession,customary law

This article seeks to explore the idea that a health care professional who becomes aware that a patient has a genetic linked disorder should in some circumstances owe a duty to inform blood relatives of that fact, and that failure to so inform should be redressed through the law of negligence. This is a contention which has appeared in medical literature ¹ 1 Lucassen, A. (2007), Should families own genetic information? Yes, BMJ, 335(July), p. 22. and been the subject of litigation in American jurisprudence. ² 2 Pate v Threlkel (1995) 661 S0 2d (SC Florida); Safer v Puck (1996) 677 2d 1188 (SC, NJ). Given that medical researchers have identified the genetic causes of many human diseases through more sophisticated methods of DNA sequencing, and have confirmed the hereditary nature of many of these conditions, the disclosure of screening results is a serious and contentious issue. This is particularly so given the increasing importance of preventative medicine as a means of dealing with disease. ³ 3 See Seigler, M. (1982) Confidentiality in medicine – a decrepit concept, N‐Engl J Med, 307, p. 1518, where he refers to medicine expanding ‘from a narrow, disease‐based model to a model that encompasses psychological, social and economic problems’. Also note the increasing emphasis now given to the prevention of diabetes and obesity through lifestyle education. The article suggests, by reference to ethical discourse, and particularly Levinas' theory on responsibility, ⁴ 4 See Levinas, E. (1961) Totality and Infinity, trans. A. Lingus 1969 (Pittsburgh: Duquesne University Press); Levinas, E. (1974) Otherwise Than Being, or Beyond Essence, trans. A. Lingus 1981 (The Hague: Martinus Mijhoff). that health professionals do owe a duty of care to a patient's relatives, but that this duty may be discharged in ways which do not necessarily involve the disclosure of the information to those parties, and that it is only in certain, specified circumstances that a duty to disclose the information exists.     

The Gender Paradox in Prison Suicide Rates

Few studies of prison suicide have focused on suicide among female inmates, and even fewer studies have provided comparisons of rates by gender. Using national data on U.S. prisons and suicide, this study examined the “gender paradox” in prison suicide rates by comparing suicide rates of female and male inmates and U.S. residents and then examined characteristics of prisons that reported suicides. Findings indicated that rates of suicide in prison were similar for female and male inmates, but rates were higher for female inmates and lower for male inmates compared to the respective rates for female and male U.S. residents. Prisons that reported female suicides evidenced significant differences in prison conditions, including higher assault rates and mental health service utilization, compared to prisons for males and female prisons without suicide. Implications of the findings for understanding the gender paradox and for prison suicide prevention are discussed.     

Family violence: Its relation to marital and parental satisfaction and family strengths

Previous research has shown the negative effects of violence on individual family members. However, a review of the literature reveals few studies that document the adverse effects of violence on family relationships. To assess these effects, 304 married parents anonymously completed a survey that included the following scales: conflict tactics, family strengths, marital satisfaction, and parent satisfaction. Results indicated significant decreases in perceived family strengths, marital satisfaction, and parent satisfaction as the use of physical violence among family members increased. These findings provide empirical support for the assumption that violence has a negative impact not only on individuals within a family but also on family relationships.     

The economic impacts of the tobacco settlement.

Recent litigation against the major tobacco companies culminated in a master settlement agreement (MSA) under which the participating companies agreed to compensate most states for Medicaid expenses. Here the terms of the settlement are outlined and its economic implications analyzed using data from Massachusetts. The financial compensation to Massachusetts (and other states) under the MSA is substantial. However, this compensation is dwarfed by the value of the health impacts induced by the settlement. Specifically, Medicaid spending will fall, but only by a modest amount. More importantly, the value of health benefits ($65 billion through 2025 in 1999 dollars) from increased longevity is an order of magnitude greater than any other impacts or payments. The net efficiency implications of the settlement turn mainly on a comparison of the value of these health benefits relative to a valuation of the foregone pleasure of smoking. To the extent that the value of the health benefits is not offset by the value of the pleasure foregone, the economic impacts of the MSA will include a share of these health benefits.     

Managing Complex Collaborative Projects: Lessons from the Development of a New Satellite

This paper examines the case of a Complex Product System (CoPS)—a new satellite—and the combination of international firms and agencies that contributed to its development. Despite many political, organisational and interpersonal tensions, divergent objectives and strategic misjudgements, the satellite was successfully launched in 2002. It was found that a number of factors contributed to the successful conclusion of the project, including the evolution of organisational structures between different actors as the project progressed, the use of a range of innovation management tools accompanied by personnel with significant discretion and judgement, and a unifying methodology for satellite production called the Small Satellite Philosophy (SSP), which helped provide an approach for its effective integration. The paper describes the satellite project and the problems of technology transfer it confronted, then examines whether the solutions adopted could be appropriate for other complex innovative projects, particularly those involving joint public–private investments. It also describes the interaction between development time, mission cost, risk and return in reduced resource CoPS. Although the satellite itself was a technical success, government policy objectives for the project were not realised and the paper considers mismatches between policy objectives and mechanisms in complex projects.     

Predictors of Positive Development in Emerging Adulthood

This article responds to recent calls for a focus on successful development in young people and examination of its developmental precursors, in order to identify potentially modifiable targets for interventions. The current study examined child and adolescent precursors of positive functioning in emerging adulthood, including individual characteristics, relationship factors, and connections to the community, using a multidimensional positive development measure at 19–20 years. The sample consisted of 511 males and 647 females who were participants in the Australian Temperament Project, a population based longitudinal study that has followed young people’s psychosocial adjustment from infancy to early adulthood. Higher levels of positive development in emerging adulthood were associated with stronger family and peer relationships, better adjustment to the school setting, higher family socioeconomic status, and better emotional control. Some significant gender differences were observed, with emotional control, family relationships, and community orientation all being stronger predictors of males’ than of females’ positive development. The findings provide possible targets for child and adolescent interventions to promote positive development in early adulthood.