Remembering MLK's assassination: Calming a city amid chaos

MLK’s Assassination: Calming a City Amid Chaos

Posted on April 2, 2018 by Leslie Wells

Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy meet 22 June 1963 Civil Rights Leaders meet with the Vice President, Attorney General, and other officials. White House. Please credit "Abbie Rowe, National Park Service/John Fitzgerald Kennedy Library, Boston". — June 1963 Civil Rights Leaders meet with the Vice President, Attorney General, and other officials. White House. Photo credit: Abbie Rowe, National Park Service/John Fitzgerald Kennedy Library, Boston.

“I have some very sad news for all of you, sad news for all of our fellow citizens, and people who love peace all over the world, and that is that Martin Luther King was shot and was killed tonight in Memphis, Tennessee.” – Robert F. Kennedy, April 4, 1968

Fifty years ago, news of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination shook an already divided nation, sparking riots, fires, and violence in more than a hundred cities across the country.

But not in Indianapolis.

“It could’ve been a really bad situation,” recalls SPEA lecturer Bill Foley. “A crowd is one step away from a mob.”

(more…)

PPI Researchers Evaluate Indianapolis’ Mobile Crisis Assistance Team

Posted on March 27, 2018 by Leslie Wells

Policy Brief: Staci Rising Paquet
Study Authors: Katie Bailey, Program Analyst, IU Public Policy Institute, and Brad Ray, Director of the Center for Criminal Justice Research

Download the full report here

The City of Indianapolis has made strides in addressing the high rates of involvement of people with mental health and drug issues in the criminal justice system, a phenomenon spanning the country. A pilot program in the IMPD East District uniquely combines police, paramedics and behavioral health specialists to act as first-responders to any emergency calls related to mental health or substance use in the district. Researchers from the Center for Criminal Justice Research at the Indiana University Public Policy Institute (PPI) collected and analyzed data on the first five months of this program’s pilot operation.

“While initial findings show positive feedback for the MCAT pilot program, more research is needed to fully understand the effectiveness of the program,” says Tom Guevara, director of the Indiana University Public Policy Institute. “There’s no question that leading-edge programs like MCAT can have a tremendously positive impact on our city as a whole. We found, however, that a lack of outpatient treatment options and other barriers to expanding the program must be addressed in order to maximize the impact of the MCAT helping to address serious mental illness and substance abuse problems for Indianapolis.”

(more…)

Top 100 Award: Q & A with Justin Weisenbach

Posted on March 26, 2018 by Leslie Wells

Justin Weisenbach ears IUPUI Top 100 Award

Justin Weisenbach is on track to graduate with a management degree from SPEA. He says he was surprised and excited to learn he had been selected as one of IUPUI’s Top 100 students. Each year, the IUPUI Office of Alumni Relations honors 100 outstanding undergraduate students. These students have a record of demonstrating academic excellence, campus leadership, and community engagement. Weisenbach and two other SPEA students will be honored at this year’s Top 100 Award Dinner on April 13.

1) Why did you choose to attend SPEA Indy?
When I visited IUPUI during my senior year in high school, I quickly realized it was the school I wanted to attend. I decided to continue my education in SPEA after participating in the school’s JagDay event. I have also always had an interest in helping the community, and chose SPEA for its public and nonprofit management degree. The campus atmosphere and the enthusiasm of everyone I met during the visit made my decision very easy.

2) What has been one of your most memorable projects in SPEA?
During my first semester, I was in SPEA V-100 and participated in Toastmasters at the Indianapolis Reentry Facility (IREF). This course allowed me to interact with IREF residents, hear their experiences and improve my public speaking skills.

3) What advice would you have for students just starting out in SPEA?
I would encourage students to get involved with campus activities and the community around IUPUI through opportunities such as SPEA Ambassadors and SPEA Student Council. I also was a Sam H. Jones Service Corps Scholar, which allowed me many opportunities to volunteer at community events.

4) What are your plans for after graduation?
In addition to my SPEA management degree, I also am pursuing a degree in museum studies at IUPUI. I hope to use the combination of these to begin a career at a museum. It has always been my dream to work in a museum setting and to help the public better connect and understand their own history.

Women in Leadership: Training the next generation of managers

Posted on March 18, 2018 by Leslie Wells

The rise of the #MeToo movement, wage gap issue, and paid-family leave debate have sparked a shift in workplace management discussion. Marshawn Wolley, SPEA’s director of community engagement and strategic initiatives, uses recent headlines to help the next generation of leaders examine how to effectively manage diversity, including the role of supporting women in the workplace.

Through SPEA’s Managing Workforce Diversity course (V443), management majors and other students learn how to appreciate differences among employees and incorporate an understanding of workforce diversity into their management style.

“If you’re leading an organization that serves a diverse population, you absolutely need women in leadership,” Wolley says. “They’re going to have sensitivities to issues that men may not have.”

(more…)

“This was my Damascus Road”

Posted on March 12, 2018 by Leslie Wells

Students in J331 Corrections course visit the Indiana Women's Prison — Students in J331 Corrections course visit the Indiana Women’s Prison

On a misty Friday afternoon, students in Robert Bingham’s J331 Corrections course gather outside the Indiana Women’s Prison. They’ve traded their normal classroom for a unique behind-the-scenes look at the prison, its programs, and a rare opportunity to talk to inmates.

“These lessons can’t be taught through a book or a lecture,” Bingham says. “Students have to experience this first-hand.”

They walk through a high-security metal door into the visitation room. Michelle Waire, a criminal justice major, and Matthew Behrmann, a public safety management major, aren’t sure what to expect. They both hope to walk away with better insight into the criminal justice system.

(more…)

Policy Brief: Staci Rising Paquet Study Authors: Katie Bailey, Program Analyst, IU Public Policy Institute, and Brad Ray, Director of the Center for Criminal Justice Research

Policy Brief: Staci Rising Paquet
Study Authors: Katie Bailey, Program Analyst, IU Public Policy Institute, and Brad Ray, Director of the Center for Criminal Justice Research