Prisons or Problem-Solving: Does the Public Support Specialty Courts?

ABSTRACT

Recently, “problem-solving” courts have been developed as an alternative to imprisonment. They are often called “specialty” courts because they process and divert into treatment programs offenders who are seen as different from the general criminal population, such as those with mental health or drug problems, those who are homeless or veterans, and those who engage in domestic violence. Based on a 2017 national survey of 1,000 respondents, the current study examines overall public support for rehabilitation as a goal of corrections and then focuses specifically on support for different types of specialty courts. The analysis reveals that the American public endorses not only the rehabilitative ideal but also the use of problem-solving courts. Further, with only minimal variation, strong support for these courts appears to exist regardless of political orientation and sociodemographic characteristics.     

Citizen aid,social media and brokerage after disaster

Abstract

In a crisis, aid providers deliver humanitarian relief across a hierarchy of organisations where influence and capacity map to their scale of operations. On the front lines of crises, ‘citizen aid’ is what small, local and informal groups offer to fellow citizens. These citizen aid groups are well-networked in place and tend to work through longstanding personal relationships. In the Philippines, citizen aid groups frequently support their activities by documenting their work with photos of beneficiaries to solicit donations from within the country and around the world across social media platforms. This paper builds on recent debates on brokerage through a case study of citizen aid in the relief effort after Typhoon Haiyan (2013–2017). Using this case-study approach, we demonstrate how social media has produced novel forms of brokerage shaped by circulating images online. This new kind of brokerage involves a layered network of brokers that both shapes citizen aid efforts and creates new channels for localising aid, enhancing the control of citizen groups in the Global South over aid.     

论我国征收立法中公共利益的规范模式

“公共利益”是启动征收程序的前提性要件。在公共利益的规范模式上,我国物权法应采折衷主义立法例,不应明文禁止商业征收,但应明文规定公共利益的决策和形成机制,并建立相应的行政和司法救济途经。     

建国初期陕西旧有学校的接管与改造

接管旧有的教育是中国新民主主义革命的一项重要任务。建国初期,陕西省完成了接管旧的公立学校、接收私立学校、接办教会学校,为建立陕西省社会主义的新教育奠定了基础。     

对新公共管理的几点反思

新公共管理是公共行政在新形势下的发展，它的一些理论和方法是值得我们借鉴的。但是，新公共管理是否能够成为一门独立的新学科，政府和政府官员是否是利己的，政府是否一定低效以及顾客导向等理论，是值得深入研究的。     

美国的公共服务改革及其启示

公共服务民营化是美国近年来公共服务改革的核心措施。从美国的经验来看,能否处理好民营化与竞争、民营化与社会公正、民营化与公众安全的关系,以及民营化与政府监管的关系直接关系到公共服务改革的成效。     

论过失危险行为应当犯罪化

传统的过失犯罪都是实害犯,而随着科技的迅猛发展和现代化器械的广泛应用,过失犯罪危险化已受到学者的关注,本文论证了过失危险行为犯罪化的理论基础不仅仅是主观过错,更在于其所具有的社会危害性;过失危险行为犯罪化的现实意义在于实现刑罚的目的。另外,过失危险行为犯罪化只应存在于危害公共安全的犯罪中,在设置刑罚时应遵循谦抑原则。     

刑事法治语境中的民愤与审判——在刑事法学与社会心理学的边缘处思考

在我国刑事司法实践中,民愤与审判之间一直存在着难以避免的紧张关系。民愤的发生发展有其独特的心理机制,而两面性则是其固有的基本属性。因此它对罪责刑相适应原则、对刑罚的道德目的和实用目的甚至对整个刑事法治的影响都是利弊同存的,简单地肯定或否定民愤在审判中的作用都是不足取的。理性的态度应当是审慎地进行制度上的设计与完善,以让民愤扬长避短,帮助实现审判的公正。     

论我国刑事自诉案件中的公诉救济

公诉救济是刑事自诉制度中的一个重要内容 ,目前我国关于这一内容的立法存在着一些缺陷 ,需要扩大自诉转为公诉的案件范围 ,规定自诉转为公诉的程序 ,同时加强对自诉程序的法律监督。     

略论公共选择理论对我国政府改革的启示

公共选择理论所倡导的经济人假定、弱政府模式以及公共物品的混合供给制对政府改革具有很强的启发意义.就我国而言,公务员单纯的道德人定位应当让位于经济人定位;强政府模式应当让位于弱政府模式;以政府为中心的公共物品的供给制应当让位于多元混合供给制.