What Went Wrong

Profile of Husband Killer Kelly Gissendaner

Profile of Husband Killer Kelly Gissendaner Kelly Gissendaner received the death penalty after being convicted of being the mastermind behind the murder of her husband, Doug Gissendaner. Prosecutors said Gissendaner  convinced her then-lover, Greg Owens, to commit the murder. Doug Gissendaner Doug Gissendaner was born in December 1966 at Crawford Long Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. He was the oldest of three children and the only boy. His parents, Doug Sr. and Sue Gissendaner were devoted to their children and raised them to be respectful and responsible. The children grew up in a  happy,  close-knit family. However, unlike his siblings, Doug struggled in school, and it was discovered that he was dyslexic. When he finished high school in 1985, he had grown tired of constantly fighting to pass his grades and decided against his fathers wishes to go to college. Instead, he got a job working with his hands, which is where he always felt most comfortable. Greg Owen Greg Owen was born on March 17, 1971, in Clinton, Georgia. He was the second child of four born to parents Bruce and Myrtis Owen. Their third child, David, died from sudden infant death syndrome a few weeks after his birth in 1976. Greg grew up in a volatile  home filled with alcohol and violence. His parents were constantly moving from one town to another, putting the children in the position of always being newcomers. Friendless throughout much of their childhood, the Owen kids stuck closely together. Greg was a small child and easily intimidated. Belinda was a tough cookie that often stood up against those who  decided to bully  her younger and somewhat frail brother, including Bruce, their father, who violently lashed out at the children when he was drunk. For Greg, going to school was just another place to go to get picked on. He was a loner who struggled to keep his grades up. After managing to complete the eighth grade at age 14, he dropped out and went to work. Kelly Brookshire Kelly Brookshire was born in 1968 in rural Georgia. Her brother, Shane, was born a year later. Unlike the Gissendaners idyllic family, Kellys mother and father, Maxine and Larry Brookshire, liked to drink, do speed and fight. Their marriage ended after four years, partially due to Maxines infidelity. After the divorce, it took Maxine just eight days to marry her lover, Billy Wade. Maxines second marriage played out much the same as her first marriage. There was a lot of alcohol and a lot of fighting. Wade proved to be more  abusive  than Larry and would often lock the kids in their rooms while he beat on Maxine. He also released his ferocious temper onto the children. Throughout the years that Wade was around, he choked Kelly, and both he and Maxine would hit her with belts, flyswatters, their hand and whatever was within reach. But, for Kelly, it was the  mental abuse  that caused the deepest damage. Maxine was so busy dealing with her problems that she offered no support to Kelly when Wade constantly called her stupid and ugly and told her she was unwanted and unloved. As a result, Kelly had no self-esteem and often turned to the one place she could find pleasure; deep into her mind where fantasies of a better life gave her some joy. Abused children often find a feeling of safety at being at school, but for Kelly school was just another problem she could not solve. She was often tired and unable to concentrate and had a difficult time getting through grammar school. Unharmonious Reunion When Kelly was 10 she reunited with her birth father, Larry Brookshire, but the  reunion was a disappointment  to Kelly.  She hoped to establish a father-daughter relationship with Larry, but that did not happen. After his divorce to Maxine, he remarried and had a daughter. There was no attempt on his part to fit Kelly into his new world. New Kid on the Block At about the time that Kelly was entering high school, Maxine decided to divorce Wade and start fresh in a new town. She packed up the kids and moved to Winder, Georgia, a small town located 20 minutes from Athens and an hour from Atlanta. Being a new student in a small town where most of the children grew up knowing each other made it difficult for the six-foot tall Kelly to establish friendships. When other kids were cheering on their team at the high school football games, Kelly would be working the take-out window at the local McDonalds. Maxine had strict rules concerning Kellys social life. She was not allowed to bring friends home, especially boys, and she could not date. Tagged as a loner, Kellys  classmates had little to do with her  and often referred to her as trailer trash. Any friendships that did happen did not last long. That was until her senior year when she met Mitzi Smith. Seeing that Kelly appeared lonely, Mitzi reached out to her, and their friendship flourished. Pregnancy It was also during Kellys senior year that she became pregnant. She was able to hide it for several months, but into her sixth month, Mitzi along with the rest of the school could see that she was an expectant mother. She was subjected to more ridicule by her classmates, but Mitzi stood by her and helped her get through it. Throughout the  pregnancy, Kelly refused to give the name of the babys father. She told Mitzi it could have been either a student or another guy that she knew. Either way, she was not willing to tell the name. When Larry Brookshire found out about Kellys pregnancy he reconnected with her and the two decided that the child should have his last name. In June 1986, just two weeks after Kelly graduated  high school, her son Brandon Brookshire was born. Jeff Banks A few months after Brandon was born, Kelly began dating a boy she knew in high school, Jeff Banks. A few months later they were married. The marriage lasted just six months. It ended abruptly after Larry Brookshire went after Banks with a gun because he failed to pass Larry bread during a family dinner. Now a single mother, 19-year-old Kelly moved herself and her baby back into her mothers mobile home. For the next several  months, life for Kelly continued to be one dramatic episode after another. She was  arrested for shoplifting, physically abused by Larry, was unable to remain employed, and turned to alcohol as a way to  self-medicate. Doug and Kelly Doug Gissendaner and Kelly met in March 1989 through a mutual friend. Doug was instantly attracted to Kelly and the two began dating regularly. He also took an instant liking to Kellys son Brandon. That following September they married. Any reservations Dougs parents had about the marriage was quickly put to rest when they discovered that Kelly was four months pregnant on her wedding day. After the  wedding, Doug and Kelly both lost their jobs and moved in with Kellys mother. It was not long before the bickering and fighting that had plagued Kellys life started up again, only this time it included Doug. But his upbringing did not include knowing how to out scream another family member. He just tried hard not to engage. The Army Wanting a steady income and benefits for his expectant wife, Doug decided to enlist in the Army. There he made a lot of friends and was well respected by his superiors. Being in the Army also allowed Doug enough money to send to Kelly to cover the bills, but Kelly spent the money on other things. When Dougs parents found out that the couples car was about to be  repossessed, they bailed Kelly out and paid the car notes. In August 1990, a month after their first child, Kayla, was born, Doug was shipped to Wiesbaden, Germany and Kelly and the children followed him the following month. Trouble between the two began almost immediately. When Doug was away on Army assignments for days and weeks at a time, Kelly would throw parties, and it was rumored that she was seeing other men. After several confrontations,  Kelly and the children returned to Georgia. When Doug returned home permanently in October 1991, life with Kelly was miserable. A month later Kelly decided to it was her turn to join the Army and Doug decided the marriage was over. They immediately filed for a separation and were finally divorced in May 1993. Doug Sr. and Sue Gissendaner breathed a sigh of relief. Kelly was nothing but trouble. They were glad she was out of their sons life for good. Jonathan Dakota Brookshire (Cody) Kelly and the Army did not get along. She figured her only way out was to get pregnant. By September she got her wish and was back home living with her mother. In November she gave birth to a boy she named Jonathan Dakota but called Cody. The boys father was an Army friend who had cancer and died months before the child was born. Once home Kelly began her usual job hopping and dating multiple men. One job that she landed was at the International Readers League of Atlanta. Her boss was Belinda Owens, and soon the two began socializing together and eventually became best friends. Belinda invited Kelly to her home one weekend, and she introduced her to her brother Owen. There was an immediate attraction between Kelly and Owen, and they became inseparable. A Bad Match Belinda kept a sharp eye over her brother as his relationship with Kelly grew. Things seemed to be great between them at first, but before long Kelly began throwing tantrums and fighting with Greg when he did not do what she wanted. Ultimately Belinda decided that Kelly was not a good match for her brother. She particularly did not like how  she bossed him around. When all of their  fighting  led to a breakup, Belinda felt relief. December 1994 In December 1994, Doug and Kelly rekindled their relationship. They began attending church and working on their poor financial situation. Dougs parents were upset about the reunion and when Doug asked them for money to buy a house they refused. They had already spent thousands of dollars bailing him out of the financial disaster that Kelly had created when they were married. But their opinion failed to sway Doug, and in May 1995 the two were remarried. Doug had his family back together. But by September they were once again separated and Kelly was back seeing Greg Owen. One More Time Whether it was Dougs strong desire to have a  family or his deep love for Kelly, no one can say for sure, but by the beginning of 1996,  Kelly had convinced him  once again to get back together. Doug made a full commitment to the marriage, and to give Kelly the one thing she had always dreamed of having, he got a high-interest loan and bought a small three-bedroom ranch house on Meadow Trace Drive, in a subdivision in Auburn, Georgia. There he did what subdivisions Dads do- he worked on the house, did the yard work, and played with the kids. Kelly, however, filled her spare time focused on something that had nothing to do with her family or her husband. She was back in the arms of Greg Owen. February 8, 1997 Doug and Kelly Gissendaner had been in their new house for three months. On Friday, February 7, Kelly decided to take the children to her mothers house because she was going out for the night with friends from work. Doug spent the evening working on a car over at a friends house. At around 10 p.m. he decided to call it a night and headed home. Saturday he was going to be busy doing some work for the church, and he wanted a good nights sleep. After dinner and an hour spent at a dance club, Kelly told her three friends that she wanted to go home. She said she felt like something bad was going to happen and headed home around midnight. The following morning when Kelly awoke, Doug was not there. She made some calls, including one to his parents, but he was nowhere to be found. By  mid-morning, a missing persons  report  had been filed at the police station. Initial Investigation The initial investigation into Doug Gissendaners whereabouts began on the same day that he was reported as missing. A search group was sent out along the route that he was most likely to have traveled the previous night and statements were taken from family and friends. Kelly Owens was one of the first to talk with the investigators. During that  meeting, she described her marriage to Doug as problem free. But interviews with family members and friends told a different story and one  name, in particular, kept surfacing - Greg Owen. Odd Behavior By Sunday, Dougs car had been located abandoned on a dirt road in Gwinnett County. It had been partially burned from the inside out. On the same day that the burned-out car was found, friends and family gathered in support at Doug Sr. and Sue Gissendaners house. Kelly had also been  there but decided to take the children to the circus. Dougs parents found her behavior as odd for a wife whose husband had just gone missing. The news about the car was not good, but there was still hope that Doug would be found, possibly hurt, but  hopefully not dead. But as more days went by the optimism began to fade. Kelly did a few television interviews and then went back to work the following Tuesday, just four days into the search for her husband. Twelve Days Later It took 12 days to find Doug Gissendaner. His body was discovered a mile from where his car had been found. What looked like a pile of trash ended up to be Doug, dead, on his knees, bent at the waist with his head and shoulders leaning forward and his forehead lying in the dirt. Wild animals had already had an opportunity to  do their damage to his face which was unrecognizable. An  autopsy and dental records  were  necessary to confirm that it was indeed Doug Gissendaner. According to the autopsy, Doug was stabbed four times in the scalp,  neck, and shoulder. Murder Investigation Now with a  murder investigation  to conduct, the list of people to be interviewed grew considerably, with more names added to the list daily. In the meantime, Kelly Gissendaner asked to meet with investigators again to clarify some of what she said  in  her initial statement. She admitted that the marriage had been rocky and during one of their splits, she had been involved with Greg Owen. She said that Greg Owen had threatened to kill Doug when he learned that they were back together and working on their marriage. When asked if she was still in contact with Owen, she said only once in awhile because he called her repeatedly. But all of her candor did little to persuade investigators that she was not somehow  involved in her husbands murder. In the meantime, during Dougs funeral, Kelly showed more bizarre behavior when she had family and friends wait for her arrival for over an hour from the funeral home where the memorial was  given to the cemetery where Doug was to be buried. They found out later that she had stopped for a bite to eat and to do some shopping at the Cracker Barrel. The Alibi As for Greg Owen, he gave detectives a solid alibi. His roommate confirmed what Gret told them, that he had been home the entire night that Doug went missing and had been picked up by a friend at 9 a.m. the following morning for work. The roommate later recanted his story and said Greg had left the apartment the night of the murder and he did not see him again until 8 a.m. the following morning. This was exactly what the detectives needed to get Greg Owen back in for questioning. Greg Owen Cracks With Owens alibi now busted into pieces, he was brought back in for more questioning. Investigator Doug Davis conducted a second interview with Greg on February 24, 1997. Detectives already strongly suspected that Kelly had first-hand knowledge about her husbands murder. Phone records showed that she and Greg Owens talked to each other 47 times during the days before Doug was murdered and, unlike what Kelly had told detectives about Owen constantly calling her, Kelly had initiated the calls 18 times. At  first, Owen refused to answer any questions, but when a  plea deal  was brought to the table stating that he would get life with parole after 25 years, rather than a possible death sentence if he testified against Kelly Gissendaner, he quickly agreed and began confessing to murdering Doug. He told detectives that Kelly planned it all. First, she wanted to make sure that Doug bought the house and that they had moved into for a while before he was killed. She also wanted to secure an alibi on the night of the murder. When Owen asked her why not just divorce Doug, Kelly said he would never leave her alone. He went on to explain that on the night of the murder Kelly picked him up at his apartment, drove to her house, let him inside and provided a nightstick and a knife for Owen to use to attack Doug. She instructed him to make it look like a robbery, then left and went out with her friends while Owen waited in the house for Doug to come home. He said that Doug entered the house around 11 p.m. and Owen  held the knife to his neck, and then made him drive to Luke Edwards Road which is where Kelly told him to go. He then made Doug walk up an embankment and into the woods where he told him to get down on his knees. He struck him over the head with the nightstick and stabbed him, took his wedding ring and a watch, then left him to bleed to death. Next, he drove around in Dougs car until he received a page from Kelly with a code that would indicate that the murder had taken place. She then met Owen at Luke Edwards Road and wanted to see for herself that Doug was dead so she climbed the embankment and viewed his body. Then, with kerosene which Kelly provided, they burned Dougs car. Afterward, they made calls from phone booths at around the same time; then she dropped him off at his home. At that  point, they agreed that they should not be seen together for a while. Kelly Gissendaner Is Arrested Detectives wasted no time in arresting Kelly for the murder of her husband. They went to her home on February 25, well after  midnight made the arrest and then searched the house. This time Kelly had a  new story to tell  to the police. She admitted that she saw Greg Owen the night that Doug was murdered. She went and picked him up after he called her and asked her to meet him and he told her what he did to Doug, and then threatened to do the same to her and her children if she went to the police. The detectives and prosecutor did not believe her story. Kelly Gissendaner was charged with murder, felony murder and possession of a knife during the commission of a felony. She continued to insist that she was  innocent and even turned down a  plea bargain  similar to what Greg Owen received. The Trial With no women on Georgias death row, seeking a death sentence if Gissendaner was found guilty was a risk for prosecutors, but one they decided to take. Kellys trial began on November 2, 1998. She faced a sequestered jury made up of ten women and two men. Television cameras were allowed in the courtroom. She would also be facing Doug Gissendaners father who was permitted to be in the courtroom after he gave his testimony, along with two key witnesses whose testimonies could send her straight to death row. The Witnesses Greg Owens was the states number one witness. Most of his testimony matched his confession although there were some changes. One significant difference referenced the time that Kelly showed up at the murder scene. During court  testimony, he said she was there right as he murdered Doug. He also testified that instead of them  burning Dougs car  together, she tossed a soda bottle of kerosene out of the window and he retrieved and burned the car alone. Next was Laura McDuffie, an inmate that Kelly confided in and who she asked for help in finding a witness who would take the fall for $10,000 and say that she was with Owen, not Kelly, on the night of the murder. She provided McDuffie with a map of her house and a handwritten script of what the witness should say. An expert witness testified that the script was written by Gissendaner. Other witnesses for the prosecution testified about Kellys coldness upon hearing that Doug had been found murdered and about her affair with Greg Owen. One of her closest friends, Pam, testified that after Kelly was arrested, she called Pam and told her that she killed Doug. She called her again and said that Greg Owen forced her to do it by threatening to kill herself and her children. Closing Arguments The prosecutor, George Hutchinson, and Gissendaners defense lawyer, Edwin Wilson, presented strong  closing arguments. The Defense Wilsons argument was that the state had failed to prove Kellys guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. He referred to parts of Greg Owens testimony as unbelievable, pointing out that it did not seem possible that Doug Gissendaner would not fight Owen who was considerably smaller in height and weight. Doug had combat training and had served in a combat theater in Desert Storm. He was trained in escape and evasion, yet he followed Owens instructions to go out the door of his house, and not only get in the car but unlock the passengers side of the car so that Owen could get in. He also found it hard to believe that he would willingly drive to a deserted road, get out of the car and wait while Owen got out on his side, then come around to him, leading him up a hill, into the woods, without once trying to make a run for it or fight for his life. He also pointed out that Greg received a life sentence with the possibility of parole only if he agreed to testify against Gissendaner. He attempted to discredit the testimony of Laura McDuffie, describing her as a hardcore criminal that would do anything to scratch off some of her prison time. And as for Kellys friend, Pam, who testified that the day that Kelly was arrested that she called Pam and told her, I did it, he said she simply did not hear Kelly properly. The Prosecution During Hutchinsons closing argument, he  quickly  pointed out that no one can say what was going through Doug Gissendaner mind when he encountered Owen with a knife inside his home. But the point was that Doug was dead, regardless of the exact chain of events that led to it. As to the attempt to discredit Pams testimony, Hutchinson said Wilson was reinventing and mischaracterizing evidence. And about the credibility of Laura McDuffie, Hutchinson pointed out that what she testified about did not really matter. The evidence was all that the jury needed. The script that handwriting experts testified was written by Kelly and the detailed drawing of the interior of her house backed up the testimony. He referenced the 47 phone calls between Kelly and Greg that took place days before the murder and how that exchange suddenly stopped  afterward, asking the question as to why would that pattern of activity suddenly stop? The Verdict and Sentence In the end, it took the jury two short hours to return a verdict of guilty. During the penalty phase of the trial both sides fought hard, but again, after two hours the jury had made their decision: The state of Georgia versus Kelly Renee Gissendaner, verdict as to sentencing, we the jury find beyond a reasonable doubt that statutory aggravating circumstances do exist in this case. We the jury  fix the sentence of death... Since her conviction, Gissendaner has been incarcerated at Arrendale State Prison, where she is isolated since she is the only woman out of 84 death row inmates. Execution Scheduled Kelly Gissendaner was scheduled to die by lethal injection on February 25, 2015. However, the execution was postponed to March 2, 2015, due to bad weather conditions. Gissendaner exhausted all her appeals which included a 53-page application for clemency with testimonials from a former prison warden, members of the clergy and friends and family. The victims father, Doug Gissendaner, has fought equally hard to make certain that his  ex- daughter-in-laws  sentence is carried out. A statement released by the Gissendaner family after the appeal for clemency was rejected read: â€Å"This has been a long, hard, heartbreaking road for us. Now that this chapter in this nightmare is over, Doug would want us and all of the people who loved him to find peace, to remember all the happy times and cherish memories we have of him. We should all strive every day to be the kind of person he was. Never forget him. Gissendaner Executed September 29, 2015 After multiple eleventh-hour appeals and delays, Kelly Renee Gissendaner, Georgias only woman on death row, was executed by lethal injection, prison officials said. Scheduled to die at 7 p.m. Tuesday, she died by injection of  pentobarbital  at 12:21 a.m. Wednesday. The U.S. Supreme Court denied stays of execution three times Tuesday, Georgias state Supreme Court denied a stay and the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles declined to grant her clemency following a hearing at which Gissendaners supporters offered new testimony. Even Pope Francis became involved in the case, requesting mercy for the woman who conspired with her adulterous lover to stab her husband to death in February 1997. Gissendaner was the first woman executed in Georgia in 70 years. Footnotes: The murder occurred on February 7, 1997. Gissendaner was indicted on April 30, 1997, by the Gwinnett County Grand Jury for malice murder and felony murder. The State filed written  notice  of its intent to seek the death penalty on May 6, 1997. Gissendaners trial began on November 2, 1998, and the jury found her guilty of malice murder and felony murder on November 18, 1998. The felony murder conviction was vacated by operation of law. Malcolm v. State, 263 Ga. 369(4), 434 S.E.2d 479 (1993); ?OCGA  § 16-1-7. On November 19, 1998, the jury fixed Gissendaners sentence at death. Gissendaner filed a motion for a new trial on December 16, 1998, which she amended on August 18, 1999, and which was denied on August 27, 1999. Gissendaner filed a notice of appeal on September 24, 1999. This appeal was docketed on November 9, 1999, and orally argued on February 29, 2000. The Supreme Court turned down her appeal on July 5, 2000. The State Board of Pardons and Paroles rejected Gissendaners appeal for clemency on February 25, 2015.

Women & Narrative Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

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Classical Theory Pertains To Crime Prevention

Classical Theory Pertains To Crime Prevention The classical school of criminology is a group of thinkers of crime and punishment in the 18th century. The most prominent members, such as Cesare Beccaria, shared the idea that criminal behavior could be understood and controlled. The classical theory insisted that individuals are rational beings who pursue their own interests, trying to maximize their pleasure and minimize their pain. The following manuscript will cover three key concepts the origins of classical thought, popular forerunner of classical thought, Cesare Beccaria, and how the classical theory pertains to crime prevention. Lastly, the educational material will show that crime is caused by natural forces and the absence of effective punishment allows it to continue. With clearly defined laws, public punishment, and the elimination of judicial discretion crime can be prevented by deterrence. Crimes and Punishment: How the Classical Theory Pertains to Crime Prevention Criminology has six theoretical developments in its discipline. This essay will look into the classical school theory. The classical school of criminology has many parts such as the major principles of the classical school, forerunners of classical thought, and policy implications of the classical school. First, I will define classical theory as well as summarize the origins of classical thought. Next, I will explore one of the most popular forerunners of classical thought, Cesare Beccaria. Lastly, I will discuss how the classical theory pertains to crime prevention as well as how deterrence plays apart. Literature Review To properly compose a manuscript on how the classical theory pertains to crime prevention, classical theorist Beccarias work had to be examined. Many of the reforms that occurred in the 18th century can be ascribed to Beccaria (Newman Marongiu, 1990). Beccaria (1983), discussed that the more promptly the punishment follows the crime the more useful it will be. Martin, Mutchnick, and Austin (1990), states that the classical and neoclassical thought represents more a philosophy of justice than it does a theory of crime causation. Cohen and Felson (1979), suggested that lifestyles contribute significantly to both the volume and the type of crime found in any society. Thus, Reed and Yeager (1996), examined Gottfredson and Hirshis theory of crime, with particular respect to its applicability to organizational offending. Moriarty and Williams (1996), discussed the individual choice and a relative disregard for the role of social factors in crime causation, such as poverty, poor home environment, and inadequate socialization. Rational choice theory seems to assume that everyone is equally capable of making a rational decision; however, it depends on the personality of the individual (Tunnell, 1990). In dealing with punishment and how it deters crime it was necessary to look at studies. Although one might expect study results to show that the death penalty deters crime; however, it was found that the rates of murder committed between states that have eliminated the death penalty and those that retain it had little variation (Bailey, 1979). Sitze (2009), discusses how capital punishment presents a problem for the philosophy of law. Also, Sitze expands on Beccaria thought of how the death penalty is bad economy of power. Discussion Classical Theory The classical theory dominated crime theory during the late 1700s and the 1800s. The essential ideas of classical theory include individuals are rational beings who pursue their own interest, trying to maximize their pleasure and minimize their pain. Unless they are deterred by the threat of swift, certain, and appropriately severe punishments, they may commit crimes in their pursuit of self-interest (Martinetal, 1990). Classical theory argues that crime is caused by natural forces or forces of this world, such as the absence of effective punishments. Classical theory was developed in reaction to the harsh, corrupt, and often arbitrary nature of the legal system in the 1700s (Vold et al., 2002). Classical theorists were mainly interested in critiquing this system and offering proposals for its reform, but embedded in their arguments is a theory of criminal behavior. The circumstances of some individuals, then, may lead them to evaluate the potential pains of punishment and pleasures of crime differently than other individuals. Poor people, for example, may be less deterred by the pains of punishment and more attracted by the pleasures of crime (Beccaria, 1983). Classical theory assumes that people are rational and engage in crime to minimize their pain and maximize their pleasure. Some criminologists, however, argue that many offenders are not rational and that crime is not in their self-interest. Rather, they engage in crime because of forces beyond their control and they often suffer greatly because of their behavior (Vold et al., 2002). Classical theorists state that whether people engage in crime is largely dependent on the swiftness, certainty, and appropriateness of the punishments they face. Cesare Beccaria Cesare Beccaria was an 18th century Italian nobleman and economist. Beccaria was considered to most the father of Criminology. Because of Beccarias work he was the most important figure head of what is known as the Classical Theory. The 18th century was times in history were severe and often extreme punishment was enforced for crimes committed. During such a time in history Beccaria offered the theory of utility. Beccaria examined the causes of delinquent and criminal behavior, and by doing so was able to scientifically determine what causes such deviant behavior. Beccaria rejected the theories of the European Enlightenment which characterized the deviant behavior under the theories of naturalism and even demonology. Beccaria wanted to pass on the philosophy of the Age of Enlightenment, by doing so these new theories passed on rationalism and humanitarianism (Martin et al., 1990). Beccaria set out to make punishment for committing crimes rational. He believed that there should be a hierarchy of punishment a scale determining what punishments is suitable for the behavior and/or intent. The scale of punishment would have set punishments for repeat offenders as well as for the more serious crimes. This would change how the death penalty was imposed. The scale of punishment, Beccaria was working on, would only impose the death penalty depending on the severity of the crime and not the act or acts of committing or involvement. Beccaria also believed that judges had to broad of discretion on which punishment to impose on what act of deviant behavior. Therefore, Beccaria favored specific punishments fitting each crime. He published an historic piece, An Essay on Crimes and Punishment, in 1764, to communicate his observations on the laws and justice system of his time. In the Essay, Beccaria distilled the notion of the social contract into the idea that laws are the c onditions under which independent and isolated men united to form a society. (Beccaria, 1983) Crime Preventions and Deterrence Deterrence theory most fully reflects the ideas of classical theory. Deterrence theorists argue that people are rational and pursue their own interests, attempting to maximize their pleasure and minimize their pain. They choose to engage in crime if they believe it is to their advantage. The best way to prevent crime, therefore, is through punishments that are swift, certain, and appropriately severe. Deterrence theorists, like classical theorists, focus primarily on the impact of official punishments on crime. Deterrence occurs when someone refrains from committing a crime because he or she fears the certainty, swiftness, and/or severity of formal legal punishment (Paternoster Bachman, 2001). Deterrence theory makes a distinction between two types of deterrence; specific and general. Specific deterrence refers to the idea that punishment reduces the crime of those specific people who are punished. So, punishing someone for a crime should reduce the likelihood of further crime by that person. Studies on general deterrence ask whether punishment deters crime among people in the general population. It has been argued that punishment may deter crime among those who are not punished. Therefore, deterrence through punishment is an effective way to prevent crime (Paternoster Piquero, 1995). Conclusion Throughout the essay classical theory, Cesare Beccaria, and deterrence has been explored in relation with one another. The manuscript disclosed that individuals are rational beings who pursue their own interests, trying to maximize their pleasure and minimize their pain. Classical theorist Cesare Beccaria determined that if the justice system reformed such as using rational penalties for crimes committed then such behavior could be deterred. The deterrence theory proved that people do refrain from committing crimes because of the fear of punishment. Therefore, the deterrence theory most fully reflects the ideas of classical theory.

Exploring Suicide Essay -- Papers Death Depression Killing Essays Life

Exploring Suicide The natural end of every human life is death. Some people, for reasons that have never been fully understood, choose to end their own lives. This is called suicide, which means literally ?self-killing?. For all the uncertainty that has surrounded the phenomenon of suicide, this assessment of the problem is probably as accurate as any. The individual seemingly hopeless conflict with the world, decides to end his or her existence in what amounts to a final assault against a society that can no longer be tolerated. In so doing, the person tries to obtain a final revenge on everything and everyone that has caused their feelings of depression. Attempts at suicide, and suicidal thoughts of feelings are usually symptom indicating that a person isn?t coping, often as a result of some event or series of events that they personally find overwhelmingly traumatic or distressing. In many cases, the events in question will pass, their impact can be mitigated, or their overwhelming nature will gradually fade if the person is able to make constructive choices about dealing with the crisis when person is able to make constructive choices about dealing with the crisis when it is at its worst. Suicide is intentional self-inflicted acts that end in death. A self-destruction Suicide is the act or an instance of intentionally killing oneself. Suicide is applied to all cases of death resulting directly or indirectly from a positive or negative act of the victim himself, which he knows will produce this result. Suicide is a rarely ever a spur of the moment thing. The Susceptibility to suicide is lowest among those who have strong community ties. Today people continue to commit suicide for a variety of reasons: Love, insanity an... ...?s conditions have added a host of other complications. The most important way to prevent suicide is to talk. Bibliography: Brown, A. (1996, winter) Mood disorders in children and adolescents. NARSAD ResearchNewsletter (Internet) Available: http://mhsource.com/advocacy/narsad/childhood.html Suicide Frequently asked questions: Available: ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/suicide/resources ?Euthanasia? Microsoft Encarta 98 Encyclopedia 1993-1994 Microsoft Corp. ?A Rational Approach to Rational Suicide? Joseph Richman, Ph.D. Suicide and Life-Threating Behavior, Vol 22, 1992. The American Association of Suicidology. ?Grolier Encyclopedia? Concise Encyclopedia of Psychology, 2nd ed., Depressive Disorders: Facts, Theories, and Treatments Methods (Wiley, 1990) Compton?s Encyclopedia Online v3.0 1998 The Learning Company, Inc.

Decision-Making Approaches Essay

There are many decision-making approaches and they all depend on the situation that the decision maker(s) is in. In the second case where there are infection cases in a certain hospital, the duty of the administration is to make a decision that makes sure the problem subsides. One of the main approaches that the management can use in such a case is the vision-led approach. The vision of a company is one of the best tools to show what the organization stands for. The vision also shows the core values of the hospital. If one of the nurses does not act according to the core values of the organization, they ought to take action. This approach involves the administration calling the nurses and pointing out the issues. The organization then relays the mission, vision and core values of the hospital and acts according to what they stipulate (Jones & Beck, 1996). The second approach is the consensus-led decision approach. In this method, the stakeholders, management and nurses sit down and look for ways to come up with solutions. In this kind of approach, every person has a chance to propose solutions and they all take votes to choose the most viable one. Explain why this decision is better made by a group rather than by an individual. A decision is best made by a group than an individual because the group raises issues that the individuals may not have known. The group also feels involved and they make sure that they implement the proposed solution. This approach makes sure that there is a collaboration from all the members of the hospital. In this style of decision-making, the nurses and workers also get to know the gravity of the situation and they are involved. The workers also give information on what is happening in the departments. Discuss the  advantages and disadvantages of the group decision-making process for this scenario. Consensus or collaborative decision-making has many advantages and they are the reason why it is the best approach in this scenario (Chong & Benli, 2005). A consensus group is a stronger than a group of one because it is committed to finding concrete solutions. When people come together with one mission, they do better than an individual. In a consensus group, the hospital has more information, ideas and suggestions. Some of the ideas are viable and they are ideas that people can follow and live with. A group comes up with creative solutions. For example, in this scenario, the administration may have the idea of getting rid of some nurses while there may be better ideas like increasing cleanliness and sanitation. Consensus is amicable and it makes people like they are part of a team. When people feel valuable and part of a group, they make sure that they work hard to fulfill the things that the group set put to do. This decision-making approach is applicable to many types of situations (Yearwood & Stranieri, 2012). In conclusion, the disadvantage of consensus is that it takes a lot of time. If a person or group is trying to make a hasty decision, this is not the best approach because it involves gathering everybody, listening to opinions and then voting for the best decisions. If there are two great ideas, it takes time to decide what the better ideas is. This method does not work for large numbers of people. There is the likelihood of many people disagreeing with the decision. References Chong, P., & Benli, Ãâ€". (2005). Consensus in team decision making involving resource allocation. Management Decision, 43(9), 1147-1160. Doi: 10.1108/00251740510626245 Jones, R., & Beck, S. (1996). Decision-making in nursing. Albany: Delmar Publishers. Yearwood, J., & Stranieri, A. (2012). Approaches for community decision-making and collective reasoning. Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference.

Obsessive love in Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Obsessive love in Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald In The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby is portrayed as a naive and heartbroken man who will do anything to revive his relationship with the love of his life; even if it means reliving the past. Gatsby is a victim to temptation, manipulation, society and obsessive love. However it is because of this obsessive and incessant love that the rest of his problems unfold. He is so blinded and determined to gain the approval of his former lover, he allows himself to be made a mockery by society.It is made clear that Gatsby moved to West Egg for the sole reason that the love of his life, Daisy Buchanan, lives with her husband Tom in a house within sight of Gatsby‚s mansion. ‚“I think he half expected her to wander into one of his parties, some night‚…but she never did‚” (Fitzgerald.4.84). As Daisy‚s friend Jordan explains the situation to the narrator and Daisy‚s cousin, Nick Carraway, she notes that although Gatsby threw countless parties that were no interest of him in hopes that Daisy would one day stumble in, she was clueless to how very close Jay Gatsby was to her.Two Wire haired Fox Terriers. Listed on Flickr as ...Gatsby lacked the courage to approach Daisy, even though he worked his life around his dream of seeing her again.Gatsby was referred to by the socialites as ‚“new money.‚” Living in West Egg was less respectable then living in East Egg. The social structure was not of much concern to Gatsby and he paid little attention to etiquette or class. His obsession with Daisy took top priority, and while his intentions were sincere, Gatsby put himself in positions to be made a fool. ‚“My God, I believe the man‚s coming‚…Doesn‚t he know she doesn‚t want him?‚”(Fitzgerald.6.109). When invited by the Sloanes, a wealthy couple from East Egg,

Ten Common Myths Regarding Teachers

Ten Common Myths Regarding Teachers Teaching is one of the most misunderstood professions. Many people do not understand the dedication and hard work that it takes to be a good teacher. The truth is that it is often a thankless profession. A significant portion of the parents and students that we work with on a regular basis do not respect or appreciate what we are trying to do for them. Teachers deserve to be respected more, but there is a stigma associated with the profession that will not go away any time soon. The following myths drive this stigma making this job even more difficult than it already is. Myth #1 – Teachers work from 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. The fact that people believe that teachers only work Monday-Friday from 8-3 is laughable. Most teachers arrive early, stay late, and often spend a few hours on the weekend working in their classrooms. Throughout the school year, they also sacrifice time at home for activities such as grading papers and preparing for the next day. They are always on the job. A recent article published by BBC news in England highlighted a survey asking their teachers how many hours they spend on the job. This survey compares favorably to the amount of time teachers in the United States spend working each week. The survey evaluated the time spent in the classroom and the time spent working at home. According to the survey, teachers worked between 55-63 hours per week depending on the level that they teach. Myth #2 – Teachers have the entire summer off work. Yearly teaching contracts typically range from 175-190 days depending on the number of professional development days required by the state. Teachers generally receive about 2 ½ months for summer vacation. This does not mean they are not working. Most teachers will attend at least one professional development workshop during the summer, and many attend more. They utilize the summer to plan for the next year, read up on the latest educational literature, and pour through new curriculum that they will be teaching when the New Year begins. Most teachers also start showing up weeks in advance of the required reporting time to start preparing for the new year. They may be away from their students, but much of the summer is dedicated to improving in the next year. Myth #3 – Teachers complain too often about their pay. Teachers feel underpaid because they are. According to the National Education Association, the average teacher salary in 2012-2013, in the United States, was $36,141. According to Forbes Magazine, 2013 graduates earning a bachelor’s degree would make an average of $45,000. Teachers with all ranges of experience make $9000 less a year on average than those beginning their career in another field. Many teachers have been forced to find part-time jobs in the evenings, on the weekends, and throughout the summer to supplement their income. Many states have beginning teacher salaries below the poverty level forcing those who have mouths to feed to get government assistance to survive. Myth #4 – Teachers want to eliminate standardized testing. Most teachers do not have an issue with standardized testing itself. Students have been taking standardized tests every year for several decades. Teachers have utilized testing data to drive classroom and individual instruction for years. Teachers appreciate having the data and apply it to their classroom. The high stakes testing era has changed a lot of the perception of standardized testing. Teacher evaluations, high school graduation, and student retention are just a few of the things that are now tied to these tests. Teachers have been forced to sacrifice creativity and to ignore teachable moments to ensure that they cover everything their students will see on these tests. They waste weeks and sometimes months of class time doing comprehension test prep activities to prepare their students. Teachers are not afraid of standardized testing itself, they are afraid of how the results are now used. Myth #5 – Teachers are opposed to the Common Core State Standards. Standards have been around for years. They will always exist in some form. They are blueprints for teachers based on grade level and subject matter. Teachers value standards because it gives them a central path to follow as they move from point A to point B. The Common Core State Standards are no different. They are another blueprint for teachers to follow. There are some subtle changes that many teachers would like to make, but they truly are not much different than what most states have been using for years. So what are teachers opposed to? They are opposed to the testing tied the Common Core. They already loathe the overemphasis on standardized testing and believe the Common Core will increase that emphasis even more. Myth #6 – Teachers only teach, because they cannot do anything else. Teachers are some of the smartest people I know. It is frustrating that there are people in the world that actually believe that teaching is an easy profession full of people that are incapable of doing anything else. Most become teachers because they love working with young people and want to make an impact. It takes an exceptional person and those who consider it glorified â€Å"babysitting† would be shocked if they shadowed a teacher for a few days. Many teachers could pursue other career paths with less stress and more money, but choose to stay in the profession because they want to be a difference maker. Myth #7 – Teachers are out to get my child. Most teachers are there because they genuinely care for their students. For the most part, they are not out to get a child. They have a certain set of rules and expectations that every student is expected to follow. The chances are decent that the child is the issue if you think the teacher is out to get them. No teacher is perfect. There may be times that we come down too hard on a student. This often results out of frustration when a student refuses to respect the rules of the classroom. However, this does not mean we are out to get them. It means that we care enough about them to correct the behavior before it becomes uncorrectable. Myth #8 – Teachers are responsible for my child’s education. Parents are any child’s greatest teacher. Teachers only spend a few hours each day over the course of a year with a child, but parents spend a lifetime. In reality, it takes a partnership between parents and teachers to maximize a student’s learning potential. Neither parents nor teachers can do it alone. Teachers want a healthy partnership with parents. They understand the value that parents bring. They are frustrated by parents who believe they have little to no role in their child’s education other than making them go to school. Parents should understand that they are limiting their child’s education when they do not get involved. Myth #9 – Teachers are continuously opposed to change. Most teachers embrace change when it is for the better. Education is a continuously changing field. Trends, technology, and new research are continuously evolving and teachers do a decent job of keeping up with those changes. What they fight against is bureaucratic policy that forces them to do more with less. In recent years, class sizes have increased, and school funding has decreased, but teachers are expected to produce greater results than at any time. Teachers want more than the status quo, but they want to be properly equipped to fight their battles successfully. Myth #10 – Teachers are not like real people. Students get used to seeing their teachers in â€Å"teacher mode† day in and day out. It is hard sometimes to think of them as real people who have lives outside of school. Teachers are often held to a higher moral standard. We are expected to behave a certain way at all times. However, we are very much real people. We have families. We have hobbies and interests. We have lives outside of school. We make mistakes. We laugh and tell jokes. We like to do the same things everyone else likes to do. We are teachers, but we are people too.

Action Learning and Governance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Action Learning and Governance - Essay Example He must be a person who can understand the need of the hour, possesses insight for the future, can plan rationally and can get the work done by the subordinates satisfactorily. He is no more an authoritative director who was supposed to give orders and merely direct subordinates as in the past. Today's fast growing world has new and revolutionary demands for leaders. A leader today has to be a charismatic being who does not shy away from doing work himself, rather enjoys putting valuable effort in the teamwork. Action Learning helps in producing such leaders. The practical approach of the Action Learning motivates the leaders to indulge in the work themselves to better perceive the situation. It makes them realize that they cannot win a war by standing on the edge. They will have to step into the arena to understand the demands of particular events and to decide and direct their subordinates accordingly. They will have to observe their own actions, analyze their motives and scrutiniz e their own experiences in order to find out the ways to improve their performances further. Thus, action learning teaches men to use their insight along with their knowledge and intelligence to perform better. And these very attributes have let Action Learning emerged as one of the most influential and valuable tools that is used worldwide for developing leaders nowadays. Now the question arises, which leadership style is to be followed that is most compatible with Action Learning (Gold, Thorpe, & Mumford, 2010). Let us first analyze the classical Leadership Styles offered by Kurt Lewin in 1939. According to Lewin, â€Å"there are three basic leadership styles: Authoritarian, Participative and Delegative†. The Authoritarian style asks the leaders to be autocratic and solely decide the course of action. Being the lone task master, such a leader shows less creativity and has to take the full accountability of entire group’s future prospects. Delegative style asks the le aders to let the workers do as they wish and offer no guidance. On the other hand, Participative style of leadership supports an environment with close collaboration of the leader and the workers. It is a productive situation where the actions are mutually analyzed and where the decisions are made together. The leader uses his intelligence and superior knowledge whereas the workers use their experience to find out the solution of every problem. Action learning only conforms to the Participative style of leadership to some extent unless the leader does not back away from the work himself and contributes his share willingly (Marquardt, 2004). . Today, there are numerous leadership styles in use that give rather detailed specifications of the duties and responsibilities of the leaders and the subordinates. One of these is Situational Leadership Style proposed in 1950 that supports the use of a style alterable according to the situation. The Emergent Style believes in the rise of a lead er from the subordinates who can comprehend their problems easily. The Transactional Style lays emphasis on the strict follow of the rules and regulations whereas the Transformational Style focuses the change in four variables: our self, others, groups and organizations. This style believes on the charisma of the workers and the vision of the leaders to be the road to success. Strategic leadership supports the notion of creating an atmosphere of competition among the subordinates to urge them to work harder. Team Leadership Style is a newly emerging style that lays stress on the importance of team work. 'Faceless Boss' is also a newly proposed style that diminishes the need of a prominent leader among a group to make the members feel comfortable in sharing their

Health Value Policy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Health Value Policy - Research Paper Example As per my spiritual beliefs I consider myself strictly accountable to the job, assigning authorities for any on job mishap. Nurses are in charge to carry out all critical operations during one’s treatment and therefore they are also accountable for the on job negligence. Healthcare policies of different institutions not only affect their performance but also influence healthcare providers working for that institution and the society at large. Therefore it is highly significant to formulate such policies which are beneficial for both the institution and the community. Cost, quality and social issues play a very crucial role when it comes to healthcare because ethical principles for nurses are basically judged on these three variables. For instance, justice, beneficence and autonomy (Gelling, 1999) are the most important ethical principles for me being a nurse. However, at times my ethical conduct is greatly challenged by the cost of treatment, the quality of management and exis ting social issues in a way that justice calls to maintain equal treatment opportunities for every individual (Butts, 2008) but cost of treatment does not always allow that. Similarly, autonomy affects the quality since I as a nurse want to extend my maximum skills and abilities towards the patients but on the other hand the healthcare policy might not permit me to do so. Social issues particularly those concerning the young generation affect my principle of beneficence because today people do not want to take medical help for their issues other than physical health (Butts, 2008). For instance, a number of young people who are severely affected by psychological diseases hardly go for medical facilitation. Maintaining justice at all levels of life was a part of my upbringing and now after entering into the nursing field I hold a more firm believe over it. This is because medical treatment should be same for all irrespective of race, color or status. Moreover, justice with the duties of a nurse is another important element which must be considered in order to benefit others. Non maleficence is my spiritual belief and I am sure that no religion in the world teaches to harm others especially nurses and doctors who are ethically, religiously and socially responsible to extend healthcare benefits. My personal experience says that nurses are by nature very dedicated to their jobs however, the society at large and healthcare policies in particular influence their performance. For instance, cost of treatment is a major concern for all the healthcare institutions which actually stops the employees from performing at their best. Hence it is highly significant to make such policies which do not discriminate between rich and poor. Apart from this, healthcare policy is also affected by the government regulations and political instability. Political representatives are solely responsible to grant maximum healthcare opportunities to the mass population, however at times diffe rent taxes and huge government shares reduce the healthcare chances for the disadvantaged group of the society (Butts, 2012). The most significant inconsistency that I have discovered in the healthcare policy and in my personal beliefs is the poor relationship between beneficence and cost of treatment.