http://www.merlot.org:80/merlot/ A search of MERLOT materials Copyright 1997-2013 MERLOT. All rights reserved. Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:49:22 PDT Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:49:22 PDT http://www.merlot.org:80/merlot/images/merlot.gif http://www.merlot.org:80/merlot/ 44 34 http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=360180 This site, from Frontline, deals with the insanity defense in trials. In the overview, it presents several topics such as FAQs about the insanity defense, notorious insanity cases, state insanity defense laws, and mental health courts. It then presents the story of Ralph Tortorici who is mentally ill and took classmates hostage. There are also links to statistics on the mentally ill who are imprisoned and interviews with a variety of individuals. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=85585 Witness to an Execution tells the stories of the men and women involved with the execution of deathrow inmates at the Walls Unit in Huntsville, Texas. The voices in Witness to an Execution tell a rare story. Major Kenneth Dean, a member of the "tie-down" team, describes the act of walking an inmate from his cell to the death chamber. Jim Brazzil, a death house chaplain who has witnessed 114 executions, remembers inmates' last words to him. Former corrections officer Fred Allen discusses his own mental breakdown, caused, he says, by participating in one too many executions. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=277777 FRONTLINE's documentary, "The Execution," examines capital punishment through the life and crimes of self-confessed double murderer Clifford Boggess. He was executed by lethal injection in Texas in June 1998 after spending almost ten years on death row. The site explains the situation and provides some video clips as well as other resources. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=277785 The Sentencing Project works for the reform of unfair and ineffective criminal justice policies and promotes alternatives to incarceration. Separate sections are found for: Sentencing Policy, Incarceration, Felony Disenfranchisement, Drug Policy, Women in the Justice System, and Collateral Consequences. Current articles may be found as well as statistics and publications. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=297496 This is an article that originally appeared in an FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin. The article concerns a major problem encountered by crime scene investigators: crime scene contamination by curious officers, detectives, and supervisors. There are some guidelines offered to help circumvent the problem. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=87207 The American Probation and Parole Association, which administers the National Youth Court Center, developed Peer Justice and Youth Empowerment: An Implementation Guide for Youth Courts to provide program organizers with baseline information on developing, implementing, and enhancing teen court programs within their jurisdictions. Rather than endorsing one particular model of teen court, this manual provides program organizers and potential stakeholders with a general overview of issues to consider and guides them through a decision making process for the implementation of a teen court program that fits local needs. Sample forms and other helpful resources are also included as supplementary materials. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=297499 The protection of the scene begins with the arrival of the first police officer at the scene and ends when the scene is released from police custody. This short article describes the importance of keeping pertinent evidence uncontaminated until it can be recorded and collected. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=297516 This is an online book that provides case studies for lethal school violence as well as some guidelines for understanding and preventing it. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=297513 This is the amazing story of the 1960s Conservative Vice Lords and one of greatest, and most tragic, missed opportunities in the history of Chicago. You can take a tour of the history of Lawndale and the transformation of the CVL and learn how street kids can tun their lives around and work to save their community. There is also a link to a 15 minute special from the History Channel. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=81274 The New Millennium and the Next Bottom Line asks ’Can business meet new social, environmental, and financial expectations and still win?’ This supplement appeared in the May 3, 1999 issue of Business Week but is hosted in full text on the World Resources Institute Web site. There are essays, case studies and strategies which look at of technological, economic, social and environmental challenges.  NOTE: You will need to page down to the bottom to access the pdf file.