Date of Award
2-2-2006
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Sociology
First Advisor
Denise Donnelly - Chair
Second Advisor
Ralph LaRossa
Third Advisor
Elizabeth Beck
Abstract
Increasingly individuals are coming into contact with the criminal justice system. For millions of Americans this contact is mediated by the victimization or offense of a loved one. This study focused on exploring what the family members of victims and offenders identify as their needs and concerns in relation to the criminal justice system, assessing if the system is effective in addressing these needs and concerns, and understanding how these families' lives are shaped by interaction with the system. Grounded theory method was used to analyze the narratives posted on two on-line message boards, one for victims' families and one for offenders' families. The results from this study suggest that both groups express the same frustrations and concerns about the criminal justice system, and that both groups develop similar coping strategies to assist them in negotiating the system after initial incarceration or victimization.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.57709/1062346
Recommended Citation
Bertollini, Cara-Vanessa Hadassah, ""I Know What You Are Going Through": The Impact of Negotiating the Criminal Justice System on the Well Being of Family Members of Homicide Victims and Criminal Offenders.." Thesis, Georgia State University, 2006.
doi: https://doi.org/10.57709/1062346