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CONTENTS 2 Welcome to Justice, Law and Society Bill Davies and Richard Bennett
LIBERTY AND SECURITY
A NOTE FROM THE CHAIR OF JUSTICE, LAW & SOCIETY
Editors Jon Gould Margaret Weekes Managing Editor J. David Bowser Creative Mark Coleman Contributing Writers Richard Bennett J. David Bowser Fiona Brookman Bill Davies Robert Johnson Edward Maguire Sarah McIntosh April Thompson Cover Photographer Adam Fleddermann Contributing Photographers Michael Baney Fiona Brookman Sarah McIntosh
Liberty and Security is published by the Department of Justice, Law and Society. SPA: Justice, Law/Society School of Public Affairs American University 4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington, DC 20016-8043 (202) 885-2948 djls@american.edu
On behalf of the Department of Justice, Law and Society (JLS) at American University, I am pleased to present Liberty and Security, a magazine that showcases the activities and achievements of our students, faculty, and alumni. JLS is home to some of the nation’s leading scholars in the fields of criminology, legal studies, and national security policy. Our faculty and students focus their research on a variety of timely and important issues, including crime, human rights, civil liberties, terrorism and political violence, policing, punishment, and constitutional law, to name just a few. Our mission is to educate students and conduct research on the nexus between the theoretical and the applied in the development of policy, the implementation of practice, and the advancement of scholarship. Our graduates have gone on to successful positions in academia, government, and nongovernmental organizations. In addition, our faculty have been recognized for their accomplishments with a variety of awards, honors, and grants; invitations to speak at national and international conferences; and service on prestigious editorial and advisory boards. JLS is at an exciting point in its history. Beginning in January 2014, the department will change its name to Justice, Law and Criminology (JLC), to better reflect the breadth of our teaching and research. We will still be offering the same great classes we always have, and conducting important, high impact research of use to academicians, policymakers, and practitioners. Our new name will better represent that work. Liberty and Security also demonstrates the diversity of our activities. In this issue you’ll read about JLS professors Richard Bennett and Ed Maguire, who are active in addressing gangs and gang violence in the Caribbean; Professor Daniel Dreisbach, who studies Thomas Jefferson’s writings on the separation between church and state; JLS alumnus Adam Lankford, who has just published a new book on terrorists and martyrdom; and JLS’s undergraduate mock trial team, which in a short time has made a national name for itself. All of this plus news on JLS honors and scholarships and an excerpt from the work of Professor Robert Johnson await you in this issue. We hope that Liberty and Security will offer readers a brief glimpse into life here in American University’s Department of Justice, Law and Society and provide a transition to our new name. We aim to be rigorous, relevant, and connected – and we welcome you to connect with our community.
Sincerely,
Dear Alumni, We want to hear from you. Please take a moment to register your contact information and send us updates on your recent activity so we can acknowledge you in future mailings. You can provide this and any additional information to our departmental email at JLS@american.edu. Sincerely, The Department of Justice, Law & Society
Jon Gould Professor and Chair Department of Justice, Law and Society
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3 Gang Violence and Policing in the Caribbean Edward Maguire and David Bowser
4 Homicide in the US: A Research Brief for American University
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Fiona Brookman
6 Biography of a Metaphor: A Researcher Journeys Through the History of Jefferson's “Separation Between Church and State” April Thompson
8 Well Ordered in the Court: Student Reflections on the AU Mock Trial Team Sarah McIntosh
11 Poetry Exerpts >> Life Sentences >> Burnt Offerings Robert Johnson
12 Reconsidering Terrorism: Adam Lankford Visits AU to Discuss his Book on Martyrdom J. David Bowser
14 Justice, Law & Society Awards, Honors and Scholarships
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