COVID-19 and Policing: A Qualitative Study of Sheriff Departments in Rural Indiana

Q1 Social Sciences

Criminal Justice Review Pub Date : 2023-08-02 DOI:10.1177/07340168231190468

Christian W. Gallagher, A. Akgul, M. A. Sozer, Avdi S. Avdija, Samual J. Pickens

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The main objective of this research was to explore and analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on practices in law enforcement and jails, with a specific focus on sheriff departments serving in small, rural counties in the state of Indiana. This study identified and analyzed various issues and trends pertaining to COVID-19's effect upon jail and offender management, patrol and criminal investigation, personnel and offender safety, public service and expectations, courthouse trial and case management, and community trust in sheriff departments. Semi-structured interviews were employed with current sheriffs working in four different counties in Indiana in this qualitative research. The results showed that COVID-19 has brought to the forefront two major themes: (a) precautions taken by sheriff departments against COVID-19 and (b) changes in the way the criminal justice system works. Findings were further grouped into three categories according to each sheriff’s sentiments: negative (e.g., increase in expenses, loss of workforce, and mental health), positive (e.g., decrease in the workload and decrease in jail population), and mixed (e.g., precautions against COVID-19, changing crime patterns, and trust). The study concluded that COVID-19 caused a wave of change that sent ripples through these communities, the criminal justice system, and sheriff departments in particular.

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新冠肺炎与警务：印第安纳州农村治安部门的定性研究

本研究的主要目的是探索和分析新冠肺炎大流行对执法和监狱实践的影响，特别关注印第安纳州农村小县的治安部门。本研究确定并分析了与新冠肺炎对监狱和罪犯管理、巡逻和刑事调查、人员和罪犯安全、公共服务和期望、法院审判和案件管理以及社区对治安部门的信任的影响有关的各种问题和趋势。在这项定性研究中，对印第安纳州四个不同县的现任警长进行了半结构化访谈。研究结果表明，新冠肺炎突出了两大主题：（a）治安部门对新冠肺炎采取的预防措施和（b）刑事司法系统工作方式的变化。根据每个治安官的感受，调查结果进一步分为三类：负面（如费用增加、劳动力流失和心理健康）、正面（如工作量减少和监狱人口减少）和混合（如预防新冠肺炎、不断变化的犯罪模式和信任）。该研究得出的结论是，新冠肺炎引发了一波变化，在这些社区、刑事司法系统，尤其是治安部门掀起了涟漪。

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来源期刊

Criminal Justice Review Social Sciences-Law

CiteScore

2.30

自引率

0.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： Criminal Justice Review is a scholarly journal dedicated to presenting a broad perspective on criminal justice issues. It focuses on any aspect of crime and the justice system and can feature local, state, or national concerns. Both qualitative and quantitative pieces are encouraged, providing that they adhere to standards of quality scholarship. As a peer-reviewed journal, we encourage the submission of articles, research notes, commentaries, and comprehensive essays that focus on crime and broadly defined justice-related topics.