D#8, HW#3

I didn't feel as bad about my WP#2 because I realized that a lot of people were having the same problems as me. My first WP was butchered in our reviews and I don't feel so much like a retard now. Not that anyone did anything bad or their writing project was bad, but that it made me realize that a lot of people from the class are doing the same things as me. I learned a lot about peoples topics just by reading their bibliography, so it's gotten me pumped to read their actual paper.

D#8, HW#2

I did my peer review on:

Paulette Estrada
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dd84xf2p_3f543t5&btr=EmailImport

with Tara Bates
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dc9sfb74_5cfpd7j

D#, HW#1

Chapter 5 in Everything's An Argument was kind of interesting. I've heard of pathos, ethos, and logos, but had never really known what they were. It's nice because like the Bedford Researcher, it gives you the format for writing and almost a step by step guide on how to write on how to write a analysis. I've never done an analysis before. It doesn't seem too much different from doing a proposal though. A lot of things seemed pretty common sense in chapter 6, such as warrants. It just seemed to give a format for writing statements and then supporting evidence. A Toulmin Argument looks like a lot of work. The outline shows 9 different things that should be in the argument. Chapter 8 was a little hard for me. I kind of understand what it's talking about. It seems so general though. Almost anything could be an argument of definition. I probably have about 10 of those a day just at work. It reminds me of the first chapter in this book where it was stating that anything could be argued on.

D#7, HW#5

Okay, so I finally got my draft done. It took a while, like always for me to do it. Now I can't post it in turnitin.com. I finished after midnight so when I went to post it in, of course it said I couldn't do it because it was past the due date. Oh, well. Guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens. Well, I'm going to bed. I have to wake up in about 4 hours so I need some shut eye.

D#7, HW#2

the Heather Morris
10/11/07

When there isn't enough evidence for investigators to come with a suspect, what do they do?There has recently been a new form of technology that investigators have been turning to, crimnal profiling. Unfortunately, due to fictional media the public now has a skewed view of what profilers do. Profilers seemed to have lost almost all credibility with the public because they just don't stack up to the misconception created by movies and novels. They have now voiced the opinion that profilers should not be used to aid in investigations. They feel that they tethe nd to lead investigators away from capturing a suspect. The question that is now being widely asked, "Should Criminal Profilers be used in criminal investigations?"
Here are a few sources that give information related to the subject:

http://www.angelfire.com/sc3/cjrp/criminalprofile.html
The information in this site is very refreshing. Most of the sites have seemed to be repetitive in their information. This site has given me new information that I haven't read on any other site. It explains lables given by profilers, their definitions, and even examples of personalities or traits of people related to specific labels. Like most other sites, this one is directed more at informing then giving or supporting an opinion.

Douglas, J. and Olshaker M. (2001) The Cases That Haunt Us: From Jack the Ripper to Jonbenet Ramsey, the FBI's Legendary Mindhunter Unravels the Mysteries That Won't Go Away. Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group

The interesting thing about this book is that it only discusses about eight or so real life cases of profiling. The author goes into detail about what techniques were used to identify a suspect, what forms of evidence are used to create a profile and much more. The author of this book is very much for the use of profilers. He used to be a profiler for the FBI and can even be said to be the man to bring profiling to the attention of the public.

http://www.corpus-delicti.com/prof_archives_media.html

This website is the largest source as of yet on the internet. It has links to multiple other websites for articles written on profilers in newspapers and magazines. Once properly researched, there should be numerous articles that can be used to support both the opposed and for sides.

http://www.criminalprofiling.ch/introduction.html

This website was made to specifically inform the general public. It gives an introduction and overview of profiling and the purposes. It has links to scientific articles, research links and also has briefing boards. This site also has links for students. There is a lot of good information given including cases and examples of profilers being used.

Glazer, S. (2003, October 31). Serial killers. CQ Researcher, 13, 917-940. Retrieved September 6, 2007, from CQ Researcher Online, http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2003103101

This source was the primary article that gives an opposing view to the use of profilers. I haven't really found any other source so far that gives an extremely strong view against profilers. It's very useful in the fact that it has a timeline from the start of profiling until now. It also gives examples of cases where a profile was inaccurate. This will be the most helpful when it comes to researching the opposing views.

Petherick, W. (2005) The Science of Criminal Profiling. Barnes & Noble Books.

This has been the primary source used so far. It goes into depth about not only profiling itself but all aspects affected by profiling. Without completly understanding the history of profiling, the techniques used and exactly what they do, an educated opinion can not be made as well as supported. A subject can't be written on and supported if the person writing about it doesn't know a thing about the subject. The author here doesn't really have an opinion on the subject. He just seems to want to inform his audience.

Cambell, J. and DeNevi, D. (2004) Profilers: Leading Investigators Take You Inside the Criminal Mind. Prometheus Books.

This book will most definitely be used to support evidence I give. It has a few chapters in the beginning that give a lot of fact and fiction information based on books, t.v., shows and media. It will be great to quote to help support any opionions for the positive side profiling. It also has profilers interviewing criminals such as Jeffery Dahmer.

Bennett, W. and Hess, K. (2006) Criminal Investigation. Wadsworth Publishing Company.

The best thing about this book is that unlike the ones previously mentioned, this one discusses investigative responsibilties and how they are carried out in certain types of investigations. This can be used to inform the audience of the procedures involved when investigating, how it supposed to be done, and how it is used in court.

All of these resources will be helpful in completing my final writing project, though some will be more helpful than others. Research has been done to try to get as equal information on both sides of the spectrum. Most of the sources have information on both which is very nice because it reduces having to research numerous sources.

D#6, HW#7

This deadline wasn't too hard to meet. It took a while to do it. I wasn't able to log into my blog. I don't know why but it just wouldn't let me. The assignments this week were really helpful in getting focus on the writing projects. The reading assignments helped me understand what things I need in my essay to help support my main statements. Chapter 16 put into perspective all the work I still need to do. I still need to do a lot of research in order to write a proper and accurate paper.

D#6, HW#6

Petherick, W. (2005) The Science of Criminal Profiling. Barnes & Nobles.

The book is on nothing but criminal profiling. It's very informative and extremely relevant to my essay. It has everything from the history to credibility of profilers in the courtroom. The author doesn't seem to have a stance. He seems to be more into informing his audience than trying to persuade them. The publisher is Barnes and Nobles. They are an extremely popular book store, but to be honest I didn't know they published their own books. The book was published in 2005, so it's still fairly new. There aren't too many copies available, but you can order them.

D#6, HW#5

Chapter 16 goes on to list forms of evidence and descriptions of each. How I interpreted it based on the fact that there is first hand evidence and second hand evidence is that you have to be somehow directly involved with your evidence. The evidence that would most contribute to my writing projects would probably be observations, interviews, online sources, and library sources. When I mention observations it doesn’t necessarily mean that I will be observing profilers, it is observing how the media (if there is anything related in the news at the moment) portrays profilers. Hopefully, I’ll be able to interview a profiler through my department. I would like to get their perspective on the negative media towards them since the Washington shootings. The online and library sources will be used to research information from past news stories and events involving profilers, as well as information on the profession itself.

D#6, HW#4

http://www.criminalprofiling.ch/introduction.html
I like this website because it was specifically made to inform the general public. It gives an introduction and overview of profiling and the purposes. It has links to scientific articles, research links and also has briefing boards. This site also has links for students. There is a lot of good information given including cases and examples of profilers being used.

http://www.angelfire.com/sc3/cjrp/criminalprofile.html
This site I actually enjoyed reading. It had so much different information than what I'd been reading. The internet sources were starting to get repetative. Everything I was reading was all the same, just worded differently. It has definitions of different types of evidence and characteristics that I haven't read in any other site or book.

The Cases That Haunt Us: From Jack the Ripper to Jonbenet Ramsey, the FBI's Legendary Mindhunter Unravels the Mysteries That Won't Go Away by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker
I haven't read the book, but reading the reviews and the despcription of the book makes me feel like this is the perfect book to use for my real life case examples. It also helps that one of the authors is believed to be one of the key guys to get criminal profiling started with the FBI.

Unfortunately, I'm still unable to use my MCC account to get into the library database so I just used three sites for my bibliography.

D#6, HW#3

When writing my research proposal I did a lot of things differently. A lot of people said that I didn't really have a voice in my paper and that you couldn't tell what side I was on or what my views were. So, when I was revising my paper I worked pretty hard to incorporate my personality and my opinion on the subject. I found that when writing my papers it is much easier for me to write out a list of ideas or points I want to write on, where I want to put them and from there adding more writing more details along with giving supporting evidence. I think from now on when I write my papers I'll stick to this technique. I think the main thing I'm really concerned about when writing this is getting ahold of people to interview. I've read plenty of websites and some books about profilers. I've got almost all of the history information down and most of the techinical terms and processes down. The only thing I can do is just call a bunch of people at the Phoenix Police Department and hope to get someone who can help me.

D#6, HW#2

Everyday we turn the TV on, switch the channel to the news and immediately hear about horrifying crimes such as a child being beaten, a string of women being raped, or an entire family being murdered in their home while sleeping. Most times investigators are fortunate enough to get fingerprints or other evidence that tells them who the murderer is, but they aren’t always that lucky. What do they do when there isn’t enough evidence to capture a suspect? Recently they’ve been turning to a new form of technology, criminal profiling.
Criminal profiling has just become a new topic of discussion. Unfortunately, profiling has not been getting the best reviews. After the release of the movie The Silence of the Lambs in 1991 the public now has a skewed view of what profilers really do. They have been portrayed to the public through fictional media as being dark, having the ability to get into the mind of a criminal, and having an almost psychic ability when naming a suspect. Though many believe this highly exaggerated description, it is far from the truth.
Due to this misconception, most have now made it widely known that they feel profilers have no place aiding investigators in unsolved criminal cases. It is felt by many that criminal profilers do not help, but instead tend to divert investigators from processing a true suspect and ultimately leading them on a wild goose chase. The Washington Shooters case in the late 90’s had only reinforced this to the public when an inaccurate profile had been created and then used to identify a suspect. Since then it has been hard for profilers to rebuild a credible status.
Because of recent events people are now asking, “Should Criminal Profilers be used in criminal investigations?” There have been some very bad incidents where a profile has either been inaccurate or misconstrued and has left a dark shadow of doubt on the use of profilers. If only the public was properly informed of what profiling really entails, they would not be as judgmental about the use of profilers.
In order for people to understand how profiling really works research needs to be done on the process of creating a profile, what the information in a profile really means, and how that information really aids investigators. To properly convince people of the credibility of profilers, interviews from a profiler and a department that uses profilers need to be added to help support any information given. It would also be helpful to include examples of cases where a suspect was correctly identified from the use of a profile.
There are certain limitations to obtaining supporting evidence needed due to there being a minimal amount of people to possibly interview. Fortunately, working in a department of law enforcement is beneficial when it comes to contacting someone in a police station. As far as interviewing a profiler, there is no certainty that there will be someone to interview. A majority of the information that will be used to complete the final essay will be from books, online sources, newspaper articles, and hopefully from people within the law enforcement agencies.

D#6, HW#1

In chapter 4 it goes into discussion about facts and supporting evidence. Most of this I already knew. I understand that hard evidence is going to be much more believable than reasoning. I also knew what forms of supporting evidence you can get and how accurate or believable they would be, such as experiments and interviews. There were some forms of supporting evidence I’ve seen before but didn’t know that it was supporting evidence, for example precedent. Chapter 16 seemed to be common knowledge. The types of evidence that they gave you were ones you learn about when you’re in high school. What I didn’t know though was that online sources and library sources were second hand evidence and research. I didn’t know there was primary and secondary evidence. Chapter 19 was helpful in narrowing down what resources I would like to use. I didn’t know that some resources wouldn’t be credible to use in an essay. I thought almost everything you read or found about a subject could be used. After reading the chapter I’ve realized that not everything written on a subject is good information.

D#4HW#3 WP#1

Heather Morris
Research Proposal
D#4HW#3

No sooner did Criminal Profilers become known to the public did they become under scrutiney. There have now been questions as to whether profilers are contributors in investigations or just leading investigors farther away from their suspect. Although, it is widely believed that profilers are meant to take evidence and determine the psychological make up as well as physical characteristics of a suspect and be able to tell an investigator who committed the crime, it is far from true. Due to wide misconceptions of what criminal profilers job pretain to, the question that needs to be answered is "How do Criminal Profilers really contribute to criminal investigations?".

I will hopefully be entering this field after completing school and my interests lie strong with this subject. I know most about this field due to my research and the fact that I work alongside many officers who deal with profilers. I believe it is interesting to watch a person take evidence from a crime scene and come up with a generalized profile of a criminals behavior and possible physical characteristics. Media tends to criticize profilers because they feel that the work they produce is all guess work and is not contributing to investigations. However, if researched further a profilers created M.O. does usually give specific physical characteristics as much as it does the behavior of the criminal that can help detectives determine the offenders next move.

My research will focus on informing others on what profilers jobs include when involved in a case and how that helps detectives with their investigators. My audience will be law enforcement agencies who don't know much about profilers as well as the media and others who aren't aware of the contributions made by profilers. The purpose of conducting this research is to inform people who are ignorant to the job descriptions of Criminal Profilers.

My research plan includes using library databases, recent books written on the subject, as well as websites found on the internet including the FBI's behavioral unit site. I also intend on talking to at least one profiler through the Phoenix Police Department to get their opinions on the criticism.

My time line basically includes writing my research proposal on time as well as trying to get all the information needed to do my assignment the week before due in order to have my final paper put together in a decent amount of time to proof read and make any necessary revisions. I will also need to constantly stay on top of my assignments regardless of how hard that may be, because in the long run it will make things much easier for me.

D#4, HW#1 Reading Reflection

Okay, so it's been really hard for me to get on here and do these homework assignments. I read Chapter 9: Evaluate Sources and it was really helpful. I didn't really know how to evaluate a source until I read this chapter. I usually just put in my paper what I felt was relevant to what I was writing about without actually taking the time to determine whether it was relevant to my specific audience. The checklist on page 128 was great in that it gave me the questions I needed to ask myself when determining how reliable the source is and whether the information on the site can support my arguements . Chapter 5 was a big help because I'm extremely computer illiterate and have never done a search on a library catalog before. I know, almost everyone has used one. I honestly haven't though. I usually just ask the librarian for what I'm looking for. I haven't used anything online to search for what I need, so it was really great to read how to search by different keywords and fields.

Deadline #2, HW #7

This weeks work was a lot to do, I'm not even kidding. I'm so gonna have to start breaking this stuff up throughout the week. I've worked non-stop on this for the last four hours. I do have to say that a lot of the work I did helped me better my writing skills. I learned more about putting a paper together than all the years before attending middle school, high school and my one measly year of college. I realized there's a lot more to a paper than just actually writing. You have to research, decide a topic and that's not just going "oh, I'm going to write on this" and bam it comes easy. I've learned that just because a subject seems easy to write on it doesn't necessarily mean it is. There may not be much information to do research on or have examples to back up what you're saying. Reading my classmates material helped me out a bunch, especially when I didn't know how to start off. I know reading them did help me out a lot because if I didn't have their work to use as a guideline I would have been at this for hours (not like I haven't been already, but you get my point).

I replied to:

Tara
http://tmbates1.blogspot.com/2007/09/deadline-2-reflect-on-my-topic.html

Courtney
http://courtsblog22.blogspot.com/2007/09/d2-hw4-narrowed-topic.html

Justin
http://winterjustin88.blogspot.com/2007/09/deadline-2-hw-5-reflect-narrow-topic.html

Kathy
http://laceyariz.blogspot.com/2007/09/d2hw5-topic-reflection.html

Alex W.
http://teufelheunden.blogspot.com/2007/09/deadline2-research-topic.html

Deadline #2, HW #6

http://www.mtholyoke.edu/~mlyount/MySites/ForensicPsychology/CriminalProfiling.html

I think this website is going to help a lot due to the fact it has the definition of Criminal Profiling, why it works and how it works, the methods and so much more. It also includes links to other sites that give a more in depth explanation of the methods and who created them. I'll probably use this often as a reference for any information I need to check on quickly.

http://www.corpus-delicti.com/prof_archives_media.html

This site lists Criminal profilers in the media. It has articles of investigations profilers have been involved in, and what they did as far as helping with a case. It also gives an example of when Criminal Profilers were first introduced to the public via the movie Silence of the Lambs in 1991. The media articles will help to give evidence to points I make throughout my paper.

Deadline #2, HW #5

My mother passed away when I was 14. It wasn't an accident or anything like that, she had actually taken her own life. There was no note and therefore no goodbye to any of us. Up until that point I had wanted to do nothing more than write. After she died the only thing I wanted to do was be a cop. The way I saw it was I had no closure to the experience I had. I wanted to be able to give that to others who had experienced loss similar to my own. The only thing I felt was close to what I had gone through was homicide. I at first wanted to work as a Homicide Detective, but after entering the world of law enforcement I decided that the hours put into the job as well as the years needed to even obtain that position weren't for me. Then I came across an article on Criminal Profilers and their contributions to investigations and I knew that's what I wanted to be. Everything I have read including what processes are used to determine a person's psychological makeup to the evidence used in solidifying that conclusion has only made me more determined to become a profiler. When researching recently I did find a website that really caught my attention. I had assumed, because I hadn't read anywhere else, that there was only one procedure for creating a profile when really there are two . One was created by the FBI's behavioral science unit called Crime Scene Analysis and the other Behavioral Evidence Analysis created by Brent Turvey. I really value the issues involving this topic because it's a newer way of attempting to understand killers and make it easier to lure them, give investigators and idea as to who could be the murderer as well as possibly bring the killer to custody.

Deadling #2, HW #4

I narrowed my topic down to Criminal Profilers and their impact on investigations involving serial killers. Methods I used in determining what topic to use were brainstorming, search and browse, and talking to others. I brainstormed by writing down ideas that popped into my head and which topics I had the most useful ideas. This narrowed it down to Criminal Profilers and Sexual Offenders. When it came to searching the internet and a few articles I found just as much information on one as I did the other. It basically came down to talking to a few of my co-workers on which I should write about. All of them basically said I should write on Criminal Profilers since this is my major and the fact that I couldn't write about Sexual Offenders in a manner that wasn't hateful and disgusted.

Deadline #2, HW #3

Glazer, S. (2003, October 31). Serial killers. CQ Researcher, 13, 917-940. Retrieved September 6, 2007, from CQ Researcher Online, http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2003103101.

Abstract
By Sarah Glazer

Do we know enough to catch them?

As the trials get under way for the two men accused in the 10 Washington-area sniper deaths last October, questions are being raised about our understanding of serial killers, and how many there are. Most research has focused on those who kill for sexual gratification. Far less is known about “spree killers,” as some have described the Washington snipers. Since the 1970s, the FBI has touted its criminal-profiling method for finding serial killers. But critics say profiles have little science behind them and can lead investigators astray. Modern DNA technology holds out promise for linking serial killers to crime scenes — and even stopping killers before they strike again. But civil rights lawyers are challenging the widespread sharing of suspects' DNA by law enforcement agencies as unconstitutional.

This is an interesting topic for me considering that I work with killers everyday as well as this is my desired major. I work in a maximum security and close custody jail with almost 2,000 inmates daily. On a regular basis I deal with the Baseline Rapist and the Mesa Serial Shooters. To see how they react and behave interests me more than anything. This can be narrowed by writing whether Criminal Profilers can contribute to the investigative process or not. I can further research this by methods in which profilers determine a killers psychological make up and how it can help in bringing a suspect into custody compared to physical evidence. Also, examples of trials in which a profiler was used and the outcome of their input can be used as support in my paper.


Jost, K. (1993, October 20). Science in the courtroom. CQ Researcher, 3, 913-936. Retrieved September 6, 2007, from CQ Researcher Online, http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre1993102201.

Abstract
By Kenneth Jost

Is scientific evidence being misused in lawsuits?

Scientific disputes are being conducted today not just in laboratories and academic journals but in courtrooms, too. Judges and juries are being asked to decide unresolved scientific questions in a growing number of high-stakes lawsuits involving drugs, toxic chemicals and industrial processes. Plaintiffs in these cases have argued that high-power electric lines cause cancer, industrial chemicals damage the immune system and a drug once used for morning sickness causes birth defects. Business groups, legal critics and many scientists have sharply disputed the scientific basis for the claims. They complain that judges have been too lax in permitting what they call “junk science” to be used in the courtroom. Plaintiff and consumer groups, however, say that when scientists disagree, the legal disputes must be settled by the courts, not by scientists.

I thought this would be an interesting topic to write on because it contrasts my first topic on Criminal Profiling. It talks about physical evidence and lack thereof used in court to determine guilt or fault in cases. The outline of this article talked about using DNA as evidence as well as scientific findings including causes of cancer such as radiation. This article for some reason made me think of the frivolous lawsuits such as ones filed against McDonald's and Burger King. I'd be interested to read articles involving the courts opinions and processes in determining whether a business or corporation is at fault for possible medical conditions.

Glazer, S. (1996, January 12). Punishing sex offenders. CQ Researcher, 6, 25-48. Retrieved September 6, 2007, from CQ Researcher Online, http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre1996011201.

Abstract
By Sarah Glazer

Will the courts overturn tough new laws?

Violent assaults on children in several highly publicized incidents have spurred states to pass new laws cracking down on sex offenders. A majority of states now notify residents of communities where a sex offender has been released. Some detain especially dangerous sex criminals for an indefinite term of mental treatment once their sentences expire. These laws are being challenged in the courts by those who charge they punish individuals for the same crime twice. Moreover, some treatment experts say the laws are based on a misconception about who commits sex crimes. Most convicted sex offenders are relatives or friends of their victims. With therapy, many can learn to control their sexual obsessions, some clinicians maintain. But the mental health profession remains divided over whether rehabilitation works.

This caught my attention because yet again I deal with sex offenders daily. I see how they act towards female officers compared to males as well as hear murmured comments made that are of sexual nature. I do not believe that most of these men and women can be rehabilitated. I believe it is their nature and upbringing and that it cannot be broken. I'm interested to see why people believe that rehabilitation can work and what forms of rehabilitation are used to cure these people of their sexual urges and nature. Based on what I find when researching I can possibly write about my opposing opinion to rehabilitation or if finding they have changed my mind with evidence I can write why I agree with them.

Deadline #2, HW #2

I replied to Courtney's blog

http://courtsblog22.blogspot.com/2007/08/deadline-1-hw8-help.html

Deadline #2, HW#1 Reading Reflection

I really enjoyed reading The Bedford Researcher. When I first read our homework assignments I nearly collapsed. I couldn't believe all I had to do. I thought it was going to be impossible for me. As I started reading, all of the information seemed to have easy concepts. Most of the things I read I've learned in high school and really put me at ease. One thing that was really helpful was the research log. I'm using a notebook now to write bits and pieces of information I need. Another thing that was helpful was the MLA style shown in chapter 18. It's been a while since I took English 101 and it was nice to have a reminder on how to format. Chapter 5c was useful in the fact that I had such a close minded idea on how to research. I've read newsgroups and web discussions, but until reading that chapter I would never have thought of using them in a writing assignment as sources. Everything's an Argument was a little bit hard to read. It wasn't hard as in actually reading it, but it was basically saying exactly what the title says. I didn't realize there were so many forms of arguing. If I had known that I might have used some of them growing up with my dad. I'm sure I have and just didn't know it was arguing. I think that for right now I'm okay in my reading assignments. It seemed overwhelming at first, but now everything seems tolerable.

deadline#1, HW8, Help

Okay, so I'm really computer illiterate. I think I'm starting to get the hang of all the websites though. Took me a while to get used to it all to be honest. I'm usually an e-mail and get off kind of girl, straight to the point if you know what I mean. I'll be fine, no worries.

Me

I guess what I want to major in is criminal psychology. I want to also get a certification in Crime Scene Investigations. I already work in law enforcement but it's only in the detention field. I work full time and am now attending school full time.