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SOCIAL SCIENCES

EXCLUSION-SUICIDE-HATE-DIVERSITY-EXTREMISM-SOCIOLOGY-PSYCHOLOGY-INCLUSION-EQUITY-CULTURE

Prohibition of Menthol Cigarettes

By Donald S. Kenkel, Alan D. Mathios, Revathy Suryanarayana, Hua Wang, Sen Zeng, & Grace N. Phillips


 After more than a decade of public discussion, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed a prohibition on menthol cigarettes. Menthol cigarettes contain tobacco with natural menthol from mint or synthetic menthol added as a flavoring. Menthol and nonmenthol cigarettes contain similar amounts of nicotine and tar. A prohibition on menthol could have significant implications for public health policy. According to the FDA, almost 19 million people smoke menthol cigarettes, and if they continue to smoke, many of them will die from heart disease, lung cancer, or other smoking-related diseases. The FDA sees the prohibition of menthol cigarettes as a targeted step to prevent young people from smoking, help more current smokers quit, and address tobacco-related health disparities. However, there could be unintended consequences if illegal markets for menthol cigarettes emerge as a result of the prohibition. These illegal markets could not only undermine the intended goal of reducing smoking but also raise concerns about racial justice. Almost 85 percent of black smokers primarily use menthol cigarettes, compared with 30 percent of white smokers. The World Bank has cited a consensus estimate that 10 percent of global cigarette consumption comes from illegal trade, and a National Academy of Sciences study concludes that illicit sales make up between 8.5 percent and 21 percent of the total US cigarette market. In the United States, illicit cigarette sales reflect two significant forms of tax avoidance. First, smokers in states with high cigarette excise taxes purchase cigarettes in states with lower taxes or from Native American reservations that are exempt from state taxes. Second, smokers in some large cities purchase cigarettes from illegal retail or street markets, where most of the supply comes from jurisdictions with lower taxes. The existence of illegal cigarette markets has raised concerns that unequal enforcement will lead to racial injustice, especially after the death of Eric Garner, who was killed by police while being arrested for selling illegal single cigarettes. If a national prohibition of menthol is implemented, consumers will no longer be able to avoid the ban by purchasing cigarettes across state lines. The FDA, therefore, concluded in its preliminary regulatory impact analysis that the impact of menthol prohibition on the illicit   cigarette market would not be significant.  


Washington, DC: Cato Institute, 2024. 2p.

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Alignment Between Supervision Conditions and Risk and Needs in Iowa Parole:

By Julia Laskorunsky, Lily Hanrath, and Kelly Lyn Mitchell 

This research memo provides an overview of the findings from the examination of alignment between supervision conditions and risk and needs for individuals released on parole in Iowa. This work was done as part of the Aligning Supervision Conditions with Risk and Needs (ASCRN) project, which aims to identify opportunities for improving the effectiveness of parole by aligning conditions with individuals' criminogenic needs and risk level. The goal was to evaluate whether condition setting in Iowa reflected a Robina-developed model for setting conditions with Risk-Needs-Responsivity (RNR) principles, which includes incorporating risk level and using conditions to target criminogenic needs.1 In addition, this report summarizes the changes made by the Iowa Board of Parole to their conditions in 2023. The analysis in Iowa revealed several key findings: 1. The overwhelming majority of parole conditions given in Iowa are made up of standard conditions that are applied to all individuals on parole, regardless of their risk level. Standard conditions fail to reflect the variations in risk and needs among individuals, and they often do not provide targeted support for behavioral change. 2. In line with RNR principles, individuals with higher risk levels tend to receive a greater number of additional conditions in the regular parole group. However, this was not the case with the special sentence (i.e., sex offender supervision) parole group. 3. Though most individuals released on parole in Iowa had a risk assessment, the majority were not given a needs assessment. Thus, most individuals on parole had their conditions set without the consideration of their criminogenic needs in an actuarial format. 4. There is a lack of alignment between conditions and needs in certain areas, such as substance abuse, impulse control, problem-solving skills, and employment. Some individuals receive targeted conditions they don't need, according to their assessments, while others who show a high need in these areas don't receive the necessary targeted conditions. 5. A significant portion of revocations are due to technical violations of conditions rather than new criminal behavior. Based on these findings, recommendations are made to improve the alignment between supervision conditions and risk and needs factors. These recommendations include minimizing standard conditions, individualizing additional conditions based on criminogenic needs, utilizing evidence-based approaches to address needs, ensuring access to comprehensive needs assessment information for parole board members, and keeping conditions to the minimum necessary to ensure compliance and assist with rehabilitation. In 2023, partially as a result of our work together, the Iowa Board of Parole removed low-value conditions that did not assist with public safety and rehabilitation and shifted several targeting conditions from the standard conditions list to the special conditions list to allow for better individualization.  

Minneapolis: Robina Institute of Criminal Law and Criminal Justice , 2024. 32p.

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Understanding How Supervision Conditions are Set for People on Parole and Probation

By Kelly Lyn Mitchell and Ebony L. Ruhland 

Study Purpose This report is one in a series of reports for the Aligning Supervision Conditions with Risk and Needs (ASCRN) project, the goal of which was to reduce probation and parole revocations and reorient community supervision toward promoting success by changing the way probation and parole conditions are imposed. The hypothesis for this project was that if probation and parole conditions targeted individuals’ criminogenic needs and were based upon risk level, individuals on supervision would be more successful.1 To learn about the condition-setting process for probation and parole, we worked with three sites: the Iowa Board of Parole, the Connecticut Board of Pardons and Paroles, and the Kansas Department of Corrections and Johnson County Court Services. This report sets forth our findings across all three sites. Conclusions 1. Parole Boards and Judges Played a Less Significant Role in Setting Conditions Than Expected As we started this project, our hypothesis was that parole boards and judges would be key actors in setting conditions. However, this proved not to be the case in the three sites included in this study. The parole boards relied heavily on standard conditions, so most parole conditions were passively rather than actively imposed. The judges relied on plea negotiations, which are initiated by prosecutors; therefore, prosecutors rather than judges played a key role in setting probation conditions. 2. Most Conditions are Set by Rote In both Connecticut and Iowa, the parole boards relied heavily on standard conditions, which were imposed automatically. Moreover, standard conditions made up the majority of conditions imposed; therefore, most parole conditions were set by rote rather than being individualized to the person being granted parole. In the Kansas probation site, most interviewees described standard conditions as the conditions that are fre quently imposed based on offense type or routine. Kansas has a unique law allowing any conditions to be adjusted by the judge, and there was evidence that this authority was sometimes used. But the overall driving factor in setting conditions appeared to be routine, indicating that conditions are not individualized to the person. 3. Conditions Reassure Authorities When Making Decisions that Involve Risk Interviewees across all three sites, in the contexts of parole and probation, saw supervision conditions as a way to mitigate the risk of reoffense and reassure themselves that they were making good decisions. Within the context of the parole release decision, parole board members felt pressure to make good release decisions. Conditions helped to bolster parole board members’ confidence that they were making good release decisions by placing additional restrictions and limits on parolees’ behavior. Within the context of plea negotiations, prosecutors were seeking to resolve the case, but in a way that imposed adequate punishment and accountability for the offense. In cases where probation seems riskier than incarceration, including conditions as part of the plea negotiation helps reassure prosecutors by placing limits or requirements on the person’s behavior. 4. Parole Boards, Prosecutors, and Judges Lacked a Feedback Loop for Understanding the Effects of Their Decisions Though everyone that participated in the interviews for this project had clear ideas about what they perceived conditions should do, most had little to no idea if the conditions they imposed or recommended actually accomplished those purposes. Instead, interviewees in every jurisdiction indicated that they lacked a feedback mechanism to understand whether parole or probation has positive or negative effects, or more specifically, whether the conditions they imposed had such effects. Because these individuals did not receive any feedback, there was nothing to challenge or inform their professional judgment about which conditions to impose in different situations. Thus, as noted in the second finding, conditions continue to be assigned by routine, with little attention being paid to whether they are effective. 

Recommendations 1. Authorities that Set Supervision Conditions Should Review Existing Research on Supervision Conditions and Create Demand for Expanded Research As noted above, the authorities in the three sites we studied had no idea whether parole or probation has positive or negative effects, or more specifically, whether the conditions they imposed had such effects. The fact is, there is very little research on the effectiveness of specific parole and probation conditions. Though there have been some efforts to catalogue the research that does exist,2 efforts are only now beginning to make this information broadly available in the criminal justice field. To advance the effectiveness of parole and probation it is important that the authorities who set supervision conditions seek out and review existing research. Equally important is for more research to be done to guide decision makers so their practices can be more effective at promoting behavioral change to increase success and reduce recidivism. Parole boards, judges, and prosecutors can create demand for such research by insisting that their practices be evidence-based, seeking funding for research and evaluation, and partnering with researchers to test the effectiveness of their conditions. 2. Individualize Condition Setting Probation and parole are periods of community supervision during which individuals are subject to supervision conditions, which are requirements they must complete or follow. As shown in this report, most conditions are set by routine rather than being individualized to the needs of the individual. Interviewees utilized many different types of information to assist them in condition setting, and there was little consistency in their approach. The standard conditions also largely drove how interviewees set conditions, and thus were broad in scope rather than targeting individuals’ risks. However, conditions have the potential to be more effective if they are individualized to meet the needs of the individual. Conditions can serve as a mechanism for targeting a person’s criminogenic needs (factors that lead to criminal offending that can be changed with intervention) and promoting behavioral change to reduce reoffending. One way to accomplish this is to utilize risk-and-needs assessment tools to identify a person’s criminogenic needs, and to impose conditions that provide programming to target and address those needs.3 This method has greater potential to reduce an individual’s risk of reoffending than imposing a long list of conditions to reassure decisionmakers that they are making the right decision because it is aimed at addressing the behavior that places a person at a higher risk to reoffend. However, it is critical to provide adequate training to assist judges and parole boards in understanding how to translate assessment results to aid in condition setting and to evaluate the approach. 3. Establish a Feedback Loop Sentencing and parole release are decision points that may involve some risk. There is a risk that the person will reoffend. Authorities might be more confident in their decisions if they received regular feedback about outcomes, such as how the person did on supervision and what conditions helped them. Frequently, the authorities that set conditions only saw the failures—that is, those individuals who were returned for violations or reoffense. Regular information about the success of individuals on parole and probation, as well as more detail about the reasons other individuals failed parole and probation, could engender more confidence in their decision making, and potentially reduce their reliance on a multitude of rote supervision conditions. 

Minneapolis; Robina Institute of Criminal Law and Criminal Justice , 2024.  43p.

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RACE AND SOCIETY

Kenneth Little

● This book emphasizes that history and social context are more influential than biological race in shaping cultural differences and racial attitudes. Racial prejudice is not innate but learned through socialization, often during early childhood.

● Global Examples: The book provides case studies from various countries, including South Africa, Brazil, Hawaii, and the United States, to illustrate different racial dynamics and policies.

● References: The document includes numerous references to works by various authors on race and society, providing a comprehensive bibliography for further reading.

UNESCO. 1958. 54Pp.

How Do Overconfidence and Other Behavioral Biases Affect Gun Ownership and Safety?

 By Fernando G. Cafferata, Patricio Domínguez, and Carlos Scartascini.

Amidst increasing gun violence and debates around gun control, understanding the psychological factors influencing gun ownership is crucial. Countries in the Americas differ significantly in terms of gun violence rates, gun control laws, and cultural attitudes towards firearms, providing a varied setting for exploring how individual biases interact with societal norms and regulatory frameworks to influence 

This study probes the intersection of overcon f idence—a cognitive bias where individuals overestimate their knowledge or capabilities— and attitudes towards gun ownership and use. A novel online survey of over 7,000 individuals in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and the United States was undertaken to measure overconfidence using both overestimation and overplacement indices, comparing subjects’ perceived abilities against actual performance and societal averages. The survey probed respondents' stances on who should carry weapons and their likely reactions in various crime scenarios, offering insights into the psychological factors influencing gun-related attitudes and preferences. 

The results indicate a strong correlation between overconfidence and the propensity to accept and use guns. Overconfidence, quantified through overestimation and overplacement, was found to be significantly associated with a greater likelihood of endorsing gun ownership and carrying. Statistically, an increase in over confidence indices corresponded to heightened approval for weapon carrying among different societal roles, including police, private guards, and ordinary citizens. As shown in the figure, an increase of one standard deviation on the overestimation index is associated with an average increase of between 0.03 and 0.06 standard deviations in the four outcome variables related to weapons carrying (police, security guards, citizens at home, and citizens in the street). These increments are all statistically significant. In other words, the higher a person overestimates his or her performance in answering general knowledge questions, the more he or she agrees that police, private guards, and citizens should carry weapons. Similarly, the principal component of overplacement is always positively correlated and statistically significant. A one standard deviation increase in overplacement increases between 0.04 and 0.07 standard deviations in all four outcome variables related to carrying weapons. This means that people who overplace themselves are more prone to accept gun own ership and carrying. The analysis additionally revealed that individu als with higher overconfidence are more inclined to declare that they would use guns when con fronting criminals and more likely to resist bur glary or robbery attempts. The findings under score that overconfidence is not just a personal Trait but significantly shapes societal attitudes to wards gun handling, ownership, and usage. This behavioral trait’s correlation with gun-related attitudes suggests that overconfidence could lead to preferences for less regulation and great er gun prevalence, potentially impacting public safety and legislative processes. The study’s ro bust results held across various analytical specifi cations, highlighting the strong predictive pow er of overconfidence on gun preferences.       

Washington, DC: Inter-American Development Bank

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An Assessment of Washington State’s Reentry Community Services Program: Outcome Evaluation, Potential for Expansion, and Effective Components

Corey Whichard, Heather Grob, Paige Wanner, Nathan Adams

The Reentry Community Services Program (RCSP) provides support services for adults leaving prison who have complex mental illness and who pose a danger to themselves or others. Individuals are eligible to receive up to 60 months of mental health services and housing assistance.

In this second and final report, we describe our findings that RCSP is associated with positive outcomes for participants, as well as positive monetary benefits for participants and others in society. We also find that the monetary costs of RCSP are higher than the expected long-term benefits. We found no evidence for promising features to add to the program that might increase its effectiveness.

We evaluated the RCSP by examining differences in reentry outcomes for a group of program participants and a comparison group of similar non-participants. We found that program participation is associated with improved outcomes, primarily during the first 6-12 months after prison release. During this period, RCSP participants were more likely to experience positive outcomes (e.g., mental health treatment and receipt of financial assistance) and less likely to experience negative outcomes (e.g., recidivism and homeless shelter use).

We conducted a benefit-cost analysis and found that relative to the comparison group, the RCSP returns $0.57 per dollar spent. In other words, the cost of the RCSP exceeds the benefits we can estimate, in part because program success leads to increased state expenditures. We were unable to monetize a reduction in homeless shelter use. We found limited evidence that extension of the RCSP to other populations would result in net monetary benefits to society.

Finally, we explored which components of reentry programs in the research literature are linked to reduced recidivism and could be modified in the current RCSP. Among the analyzed components, only medication assistance, already available in the RCSP, was associated with reductions in recidivism

Olympia: Washington State Institute for Public Policy.2024. 76p.

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Changes to Washington State’s Juvenile Court and Juvenile Rehabilitation Jurisdiction: A Preliminary Analysis of “JR to 25”

By  Morgan Spangler, Paige Wanner, Nathan Adams, Curtis Mack, Katelyn Kelley 

  This report describes the initial implementation of a series of bills referred to as “JR to 25.” Among other things, these bills modified court jurisdiction and the location of confinement for juveniles convicted as adults in Washington State. We summarize the policy changes resulting from JR to 25 legislation, describe facility changes before and after the legislation took effect, provide preliminary analysis on data collected thus far, and estimate the fiscal impacts of the legislation. We find that individuals are engaged in more rehabilitative programming after the JR to 25 policy changes took effect. We also find an increase in behavior incidents and an increase in reports of room confinement and isolation after the policy changes. Part of the JR to 25 legislation included applying changes retroactively to populations in Juvenile Rehabilitation (JR) and the Department of Corrections (DOC) with qualifying offenses. This meant there was a small group of people in DOC facilities that were newly eligible to transfer back to JR custody. Our report includes a discussion of that process and summarizes racial demographic information of that eligible group along each stage of the process. Finally, we discuss the limitations to this report and outline a plan for the final report, due to the legislature in 2031.  

   Olympia: Washington State Institute for Public Policy. 2024. 36p.

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Enforcement of HIV Criminalization in Louisiana.

Secondary movements of asylum-seekers in the EU asylum

By Anja Radjenovic   

Secondary movements occur when refugees or asylum-seekers move from the country in which they first arrived, to seek protection or for permanent resettlement elsewhere. While most asylum-seekers seek protection in countries close to their countries of origin, some are compelled or choose to move onwards (often in an irregular manner) from or through countries in which they have already, or could have sought, international protection, to other countries, where they may request such protection. Many different factors may influence these movements and the decision to settle in a particular country. While asylum-seekers in the EU may have very legitimate reasons for seeking asylum in a Member State other that responsible for examining their asylum application, secondary movements are seen as a challenge for migration management in the EU. Although no genuine data are available that would provide reliable information about the scale of the phenomenon at the level of EU countries, some of the existing databases can give an indication of the travel routes relating to asylum-seekers' secondary movements. The aim of the common European asylum system's current instruments has been to limit secondary movements of applicants for international protection between EU Member States. However, the increased inflow of asylum-seekers to Europe in the past decade has shown that the system has been unable to discourage secondary movements. For this purpose, among others, in 2016 and 2020 the European Commission proposed a comprehensive reform in order to harmonise asylum rules and introduce a range of new measures on asylum policy that would address such movements


Brussels: EPRS_BRI(2024)762326_EN.pdf (europa.eu) 2024. 10p.

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Mental Health Among Sexual and Gender Minority Youth Incarcerated in Juvenile Corrections

By Kirsty A. Clark, Tyler D. Harvey, Jaclyn M.W. Hughto, Ilan H. Meyer

OBJECTIVES: This study examined differences by sexual and gender minority (SGM) and abstract incarceration statuses in mental health indicators among youth. METHODS: Population-based, cross-sectional data are from the 2019 Minnesota Student Survey (N 5 72 324) and includes public school students (Mage 5 15.49) and youth incarcerated in juvenile correctional facilities (Mage 5 15.48). We categorized youth into 4 groups: (1) non-SGM youth in public schools, (2) non-SGM youth in correctional facilities, (3) SGM youth in public schools, and (4) SGM youth in correctional facilities. Multivariable regression models assessed associations among SGM and incarceration statuses and mental health indicators after controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and exposure to adverse childhood experiences. RESULTS: More youth in juvenile correctional facilities identified as SGM (28.8%) compared with youth in public schools (20.4%, P 5 .002). SGM youth in correctional facilities reported a higher prevalence of suicidal ideation (42.2%), suicide attempt (37.5%), and self-harm (57.8%) compared with all other groups. Depressive symptom severity was similarly elevated among SGM youth in correctional facilities and SGM youth in public schools. SGM youth in correctional facilities, compared with non-SGM youth in public schools, demonstrated elevated odds of suicide ideation (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 5 2.2, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 5 1.3–3.9), suicide attempt (aOR 5 6.3, 95% CI 5 3.6–10.9), and self-harm (aOR 5 3.6, 95% CI5 2.1–6.3). CONCLUSIONS: Incarcerated SGM youth disproportionately experience negative mental health indicators. Findings suggest that tailored, intersectional, and responsive mental health interventions are needed to support incarcerated SGM youth. 

Pediatrics, Volume 150, Issue 6

December 2022

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Election Policy Fundamentals: The Secret Ballot [July 5, 2024]

SHANTON, KAREN L.; WOLANIN, TYLER L.

From the document: "Provisions for a secret ballot appear in all states' laws or constitutions [hyperlink]. Consensus that the ballot should be secret--that voters should not be able to be linked to their selections--is a somewhat recent development in American history. How to preserve ballot secrecy and balance it against other election objectives like promoting transparency, protecting against fraud, and ensuring accessibility for all eligible voters is also an ongoing issue, featuring in current election policy debates."

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE. 5 JUL, 2024 4p.

Tibet on Fire : Self Immolations Against Chinese Rule

By Tsering Woeser

Context of Self-Immolations: The book discusses the wave of self-immolations in Tibet as a form of protest against Chinese rule, with no tradition of such acts in Tibetan history.

Tapey's Act: The first recorded self-immolation was by a monk named Tapey in 2009, which marked the beginning of a series of similar protests.

Political Significance: Self-immolations are not seen as acts of despair but as sacrifices for a greater cause, aiming to press for political change.

International Attention: These acts have drawn global attention to the situation in Tibet, highlighting the struggle for human rights and autonomy.

This section provides an overview of the motivations and implications of self-immolations in Tibet.

Verso Books, 2016, 114 pages

Suicide Intervention in the Schools

By Scott Poland

Importance of Training: School personnel, especially counselors, need proper training to effectively handle suicidal students and understand the warning signs.

Administrative Support: Gaining support from top administrators is crucial for implementing a successful suicide intervention program.

Family Involvement: Notifying and involving parents is essential when dealing with suicidal students.

Confidentiality: While students expect confidentiality, it must be broken if a student's welfare is at risk

Guilford Press, 1989, 213 pages

Suicide in the Middle Ages

By Alexander Murray

Historical Context: The book exploressuicide in medieval Europe,focusing on the period from the millennium to 1500.

Three-Part Structure: The book is divided into three parts:The Violent against Themselves, The Curse on Self-Murder, and The Mapping of Mental Desolation.

Sources and Evidence: The author uses a wide range of sources, including legal records, chronicles, and religious texts, to examine attitudes and cases of suicide.

Limitations and Scope: The study is limited to medieval Europe, excluding earlier periods and certain groups like the Cathars and Jews.

Oxford University Press, 1998, 485 pages

Suicide in Victorian and Edwardian England

By Olive Anderson

Historical Context: The book explores the history of suicide in Victorian and Edwardian England, focusing on statistical data, personal experiences, societal attitudes, and prevention efforts.

Statistical Analysis: It examines the processes behind official suicide statistics, highlighting the variability in data collection and the challenges in interpreting these statistics accurately.

Personal Experiences: The book delves into individual case histories,particularly through coroners' records, to understand the personal andsocial contexts of suicide during this period.

Societal Attitudes and Prevention: It discusses the societal attitudes towards suicide and the various efforts made by authorities and individuals to prevent it, including legal, medical, and philanthropic interventions.

Clarendon Press, 1987, 475 pages

Rebellion, Popular Protest and the Social Order in Early Modern England

Edited by Paul Slack

Recurring Themes: The document explores popular protest and rebellion in early modern England, focusing on social, economic, and cultural changes.

Historical Analysis: It includes reappraisals of significant rebellions like the Pilgrimage of Grace and Kett's Rebellion, highlighting local grievances and loyalties.

Youth Involvement: The role of youth groups and apprentices in protests and their impact on political and social movements is examined.

Elite Influence: The document discusses the interaction between elite and popular attitudes, noting how political disputes and elite involvement influenced rebellions.

Cambridge University Press, 1984, 339 pages

Racism Explained to My Daughter

By Tahar Ben Jelloun

This book provides a comprehensive understanding of racism, its effects, and the significance of education and representation in addressing racial issues. Racism involves mistrust or disdain towards people with different physical and cultural characteristics. It is not inherent but learned through societal influences. The book emphasizes the importance of educating children about racism, as they can be more receptive to learning and changing attitudes than adults. Contributors share personal stories, reflecting on how racism has affected their lives and the lives of their children, highlighting the need for ongoing dialogue and education. Finally, the book discusses the evolving representation of diverse groups in media and the importance of inclusive imagery to combat racism.

New Press, 1999, 207 pages

Baptism by Fire - Eight Presidents who Took Office in Times of Crisis

By Mark K. Updegrove

Presidential Crises: The book discusses eight U.S. presidents who took office during times of crisis, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and John F. Kennedy.

Leadership Qualities: It highlights the unique leadership qualities anddecisions these presidents made to navigate their respective crises.

Historical Context: Provides historical context for each president's term, detailing the specific challenges they faced and how they addressed them.

Acknowledgments: The author expresses gratitude to various individuals and institutions that contributed to the creation of the book.

Macmillan, 2009, 292 pages

The Burning of Bridget Cleary

By Angela Bourke

Historical Context: The book details the harsh winter of 1894/95 inIreland, which led to economic hardship and unemployment amongagricultural laborers.

Bridget Cleary's Illness: Bridget Cleary fell ill in early March 1895, leading to a series of events involving traditional herbal treatments and beliefs in fairies.

Tragic Outcome: Bridget was burned to death by her husband, Michael Cleary, who believed she was a fairy changeling. Her body was discovered on March 22, 1895.

Legal Proceedings: The document outlines the subsequent legal actions, including the inquest, trial, and imprisonment of those involved in Bridget's death.

Pimlico, 1999, 279 pages

The Colour of their Skin

By Vernon Bartlett

This book discusses the economic and social aspects of racial prejudices, highlighting that they often stem from deep-seated biases rather than factual differences between races. It emphasizes the 'colour problem' as a significant global issue, with economic disparity and historical domination by whites being central themes. The text delves into the complexities of apartheid in South Africa, exploring the country's unique racial dynamics and the search for solutions. It also touches upon the challenges of immigration in Britain, including public attitudes towards immigrants and the impact on social services.

Chatto & Windus, 1969, 211 pages

Geisha Harlot Strangler Star

By William Johnston

Abe Sada's Story: The book explores the life of Abe Sada, a woman who transitioned from being a geisha to a prostitute and later committed a notorious murder in 1936, which made her an infamous figure in Japan.

Cultural Context: It delves into the cultural, social, and historical context of Japan during the early 20th century, highlighting the intersection of traditional and modern sexual values.

Gender and Sexuality: The narrative examines the boundaries of sexualmorality, gender roles, and the changing perceptions of love andsexuality in modern Japan.

Primary Sources: The book includes translations of Abe Sada's police interrogations and investigation reports, providing a detailed account of her life and the crime she committed.

Columbia University Press, 2005, 245 pages