How Should Forensic Anthropologists Correct National Weather Service Temperature Data for Use in Estimating the Postmortem Interval?

This study examines the correlation between site‐specific and retrospectively collected temperature data from the National Weather Service (NWS) over an extended time period. Using iButtonLink thermochrons (model DS1921G), hourly temperature readings were collected at 15 sites (1 validation; 14 experimental) from December 2010 to January 2012. Comparison between the site‐specific temperature data and data retrieved from an official reporter of NWS temperature data shows statistically significant differences between the two in 71.4% (10/14) of cases. The difference ranged between 0.04 and 2.81°C. Examination of both regression and simple adjustment of the mean difference over extended periods (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, & 9 months) suggests that on the timescale typical in forensic anthropology cases neither method of correction is consistent or reliable and that forensic anthropologists would be better suited using uncorrected NWS temperature data when the postmortem interval is extended.     

EDUCANDO A LA FAMILIA LATINA

This article addresses the issue of parent education programs and how they are currently unsuitable for the Latino community. It will discuss the current trend in existing programs, as well as problems that might arise in trying to serve a Latino clientele. In particular, this article looks at the Parents Apart program currently used in Massachusetts. It will explore some possible solutions and ideas for adapting it, as well as other parent education programs, to better serve the needs of the Latino community.     

Who Does It Better? Comparing Immigration Detention Facility Performance in an Intergovernmental and Intersectoral Context

Contracting for prison services has been a topic of discussion for decades. Absent from this discussion is the relationship between contracting for immigration detention and confinement quality, a topic that has gained relevance as the detained immigrant population recently surpassed 440,000 per year. Detaining immigrants presents unique challenges because of detainee characteristics, the performance standards governing facilities, and the intersectoral and intergovernmental arrangements used to manage detention facilities. This research conducts the first-known large-N study that evaluates the confinement quality of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's detention facilities to determine the effect, if any, of contracting on performance. The findings suggest that all detention facilities have deficiencies that threaten the well-being of detained immigrants, but, broadly, privately contracted detention facility environments are less safe and secure than their public counterparts. The authors use contracting theory to explain why this performance disparity might exist and conclude with a discussion of the practical implications of this research.     

Escala de Abuso Economico: Validating the Scale of Economic Abuse-12 (SEA-12) in Spanish

Journal of Family Violence - Language is a key consideration in the development of culturally-responsive interventions for survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV), and this includes not only...