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JDB_Dissertation_4.9.19_Final.pdf (1.48 MB)

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

Living with Warrants: Life under the Sword of Damocles

Duda-Banwar, Janelle
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1554821330974267

Abstract Details

2019, Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, Social Welfare.
Most criminal justice processing is for low-level offenses, not serious, violent offenses. Yet, few studies have examined local criminal justice processing practices and how these affect lives. Bench warrants, issued for non-compliance with court orders, not for threats to community safety, disrupt lives. This study utilized Strauss and Corbin’s grounded theory approach to understand how individuals manage low-level fugitive status, defined as having a bench warrant. Twenty-six in-depth interviews were conducted with individuals with current bench warrants and trusted individuals. Eleven interviews with criminal justice professionals were conducted to understand bench warrant issuance practice. The results reveal a core category of risk calculation. Seven additional categories emerged as critical to managing this status: strategies to evade arrest, create power, emotional distress, distrust of the justice system, escalation, surrender planning, and warrant resolution. The results indicate that bench warrants have longstanding impacts on individuals, often pushing them to detach from society, missing out on crucial resources and support. The study provides an empirical foundation for management of low-level fugitive status. Implications for social work practice, policy, and research include outreach with this vulnerable population, policies for ability to pay hearings, and exploring the proposed model in more depth.
Daniel Flannery (Committee Chair)
Kathleen Farkas (Committee Member)
Mark Singer (Committee Member)
Adam Perzynski (Committee Member)
Irshad Altheimer (Committee Member)
205 p.
Criminology; Social Research; Social Work; Sociology
Warrants; Bench Warrants; Court System; Courts; Misdemeanors; Crime; Social Welfare; Fines and Fees

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Duda-Banwar, J. (2019). Living with Warrants: Life under the Sword of Damocles [Doctoral dissertation, Case Western Reserve University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1554821330974267

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Duda-Banwar, Janelle . Living with Warrants: Life under the Sword of Damocles . 2019. Case Western Reserve University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1554821330974267.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Duda-Banwar, Janelle . "Living with Warrants: Life under the Sword of Damocles ." Doctoral dissertation, Case Western Reserve University, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1554821330974267

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

case1554821330974267
351
© 2019, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Case Western Reserve University School of Graduate Studies and OhioLINK.