Local Autonomy and Groundwater District Formation in High-Plains West Texas

In response to pressure from declining underground water reservesand state government demands, West Texas agriculture is organizingunder local groundwater conservation districts. The districtsuse persuasion, education, and access to low-interest loansand grants to encourage water conservation. Little regulatoryauthority is vested in district managers and, outside of statefunds to subsidize irrigation technology, the state has limitedinfluence. This article narrates the creation and operationsof West Texas groundwater districts and analyzes the reasonsfor a recent increase in district organizing as well as theirsuccess in acquiring state funds for conservation.     

Is less better?: Boot camp, regular probation and rearrest in North Carolina

Using official data, 331 boot camp participants and a stratified random sample of 369 regular probationers were tracked for rearrests over a threeyear period. Chisquare tests and logistic regression analysis indicate that participation in boot camp was significantly associated with rearrest for drug offenses, offenses categorized as “other,” and all types of offenses combined. Contrary to most prior research, which suggests that boot camp participation has no effect on subsequent criminal behavior, the results in this study indicate that participation in the boot camp program had a detrimental effect on its participants.