Georgetown University's undergraduate library recently streamlined off-campus access to its catalog and online resources for all members of the Georgetown community. Law faculty, students and staff have access to the vast majority of Lauinger's interdisciplinary databases to complement the law library's electronic resources. When using the Lauinger library catalog, make use of your MyAccount section of George to request books from the undergraduate library. By signing in with your NetID and password initially, you will only have to authenticate once to use the catalog and ebook resources from the main campus.

For off-campus acccess to Lauinger's electronic resources, beginning with this sign-on page also simplifies that process. Once signed on, Georgetown researchers can move across multiple databases without multiple sign-ons.

If you have any questions about any of Lauinger's resources or remote access, feel free to consult a reference librarian.

On January 30 the Law Library will host a symposium on the legal issues connected with big data collection, usage, and preservation. The library is blogging about the topic of the conference in anticipation of the event. Today we highlight the work of one of the conference presenters, Carole Roan Gresenz, an economist and professor at the Georgetown School of Nursing & Health Studies.

Dr. Gresenz recently co-authored a report which used a range of data sets to assess cancer related outcomes in the District of Columbia. Entitled "Monitoring Cancer Outcomes Across the Continuum," her work synthesizes and analyzes available data to document the capacity of the D.C. health care delivery system to provide cancer prevention and treatment services to those who are publicly insured.

The report also highlights gaps in data availability that limit understanding of cancer outcomes among District residents.  On Jan. 30 she will talk about data challenges for assessing health and health care in local communities and what the future of big data holds for better understanding and monitoring  community health.

Please register to join us on Wednesday, January 30 to learn more from her and other distinguished panelists and speakers from a variety of disciplines.

An excerpt from pages vii - viii of Professor Gresenz's report:

Perhaps as notable and important as the key findings summarized above are the gaps in available information regarding key elements of the cancer continuum. In what follows, we highlight important opportunities for data collection and analysis, noting the scarcity of information for describing outcomes for certain population subgroups, as well as current limitations of data for tracking historical and future trends in outcomes.

(1) More needs to be known about cancer treatment patterns and quality in the District.
More comprehensive data on treatment is needed to assess (a) the full range of treatment received by patients, (b) the degree to which treatment is in accordance with standards for quality of cancer care, and (c) variation in treatment patterns over time and across subgroups of interest.

(2) Regular, continued monitoring and timely reporting of cancer-related outcomes among District residents are essential, as is assuring validity and comprehensiveness of cancer registry data in the District.
Routine, consistent, and timely reporting of cancer-related outcomes in the District is essential to guide the efforts of government and nongovernmental entities working to reduce the burden of cancer in the District.

(3) Supplementary data would provide a more robust understanding of potential barriers to cancer screening.
Self-reports of cancer screening are subject to recall bias, as survey respondents, especially those who are black and Hispanic, tend to overreport screening (Rauscher, Johnson, et al., 2008). Therefore, it would be useful to supplement BRFSS data by exploring rates of screening developed from other data sources, such as claims data, and gleaning information from patient navigators in the Citywide Patient Navigation Network to identify barriers to screening among vulnerable populations.

(4) Opportunities exist to learn more about patient experiences across the continuum.
Although measuring patients’ experiences with cancer care is a critical component of overall quality assessment, to our knowledge, no systematically collected surveys are conducted with cancer patients in the District regarding their experiences with cancer care at any stage of the continuum. Administration of surveys of experiences with cancer treatment, survivorship, and end-of-life care could inform quality improvement or consumer choices between cancer treatment facilities.

(5) More information is needed on awareness and knowledge of cancer prevention and control among District residents.
Little empirical data are available regarding the degree to which District residents—overall, or by relevant geographic or sociodemographic subgroups—are aware of cancer risks, protective factors, or the benefits of early detection. The National Cancer Institute’s Health Information National Trends Survey surveys a nationally representative sample of American adults biennially regarding cancer awareness and communication and may present opportunities for identification of gaps in awareness and knowledge in the District.

(6) More attention needs to be given to understanding the regional burden of disease, patient flows across geographic borders, and regional capacity for cancer care.
Many cancers treated in the District are among non-District residents, suggesting the need for exploration of the key drivers of care-seeking across District boundaries and an assessment of health care capacity that encompasses the District and surrounding counties.

For the holiday break, the entire Georgetown Law Library will be closed December 24 and 25 as well as December 29 through January 1.  We open again for normal hours on Wednesday, January 2.

View the calendar page on our website for complete operating hours information.

There will be no reference services from December 24 until January 1.  Happy Holidays and safe travels.

Forget soda cans, noisy snacks, and aromatic carryout in the library – how about a late-night study buddy lighting up a stogie in the carrel behind you?

In 2012, it would be pretty much unthinkable (not to mention illegal*) to allow smoking anywhere inside the Georgetown Law Library. However, a new exhibit in the Williams Library highlights a time when cigarettes, pipes, and other types of tobacco were actually welcome within the library and Law Center, as elsewhere throughout society.

Stop by the Williams atrium display cases for some photos and facts that just might “blow” your mind. And remember, the only smoking allowed (and encouraged!) around here nowadays is of your exams – best of luck!

*D.C. Code § 7-1703(4) (2001).

Last night the Friends of the Law Library, the Georgetown chapter of the National Lawyers’ Guild, the Georgetown Criminal Law Association, Georgetown Human Rights Action–Amnesty International, and Human Rights First hosted a screening of the film The House I Live In along with lively a Q & A with filmmaker Eugene Jarecki.

As a follow-up, here is a bibliography of related resources.

Reviews for The House I Live In:

• Miami Herald
• Boston Globe
• San Francisco Chronicle
• Los Angeles Times

Films:

• The War on Drugs (Parallel Universe 2007).
• Traffic (USA Films 2000).

News Articles:

• Eugene Jarecki, Voting Out the Drug War, The Nation, Dec. 3, 2012.
• Jack Leonard & Maura Dolan, Softer 3-strikes Law Has Defense Lawyers Preparing Case Reviews, L.A. Times, Nov. 8, 2012.
• John Schwartz, Thousands of Prison Terms in Crack Cases Could Be Eased, N.Y. Times, June 30, 2011.

Law Review Articles & Book Chapters:

• (GULC) Sara Sun Beale, The Story of Ewing v. California: Three Strikes Laws and the Limits of the Eighth Amendment Proportionality Review, in Criminal Law Stories (Donna Coker & Robert Weisburg, eds., 2012).
• Nancy Gertner, On Competence, Legitimacy, and Proportionality, 160 U. Pa. L. Rev. 1585 (2012).
• Stephen Hunter et al., New Jersey’s Drug Courts: A Fundamental Shift from the War on Drugs to a Public Health Approach for Drug Addiction and Drug-Related Crime, 64 Rutgers L. Rev. 795 (2012).
• Jelani Jefferson Exum, Sentencing, Drugs, and Prisons: A Lesson from Ohio, 42 U. Toledo L. Rev. 881 (2011).
• Patrice A. Fulcher, Hustle and Flow: Prison Privatization Fueling the Prison Industrial Complex, 51 Washburn L.J. 589 (2012).

Non-Law Scholarship:

• Mona Lynch, Theorizing the Role of the ‘War on Drugs’ in US Punishment, 16(2) Theoretical Criminology 175 (2012).
• Elsa Y. Chen, Impacts of “Three Strikes and You’re Out” on Crime Trends in California and throughout the United States, 24(4) J. Contemp. Crim. Just. 345 (2008).
• John L. Worrall, The Effect of Three-Strikes Legislation on Serious Crime in California, 32(4) J. Crim. Just. 283 (2004).
• Jeffrey L. Johnson & Michelle A. Saint-Germain, Officer Down: Implications of Three Strikes for Public Safety, 16(4) Crim. Just. Pol’y Rev. 443 (2005).

Foreign Scholarship:

• (UK) Zena Smith & Judith Gowland, Drug Sentencing: What’s the Deal? The New Sentencing Regime for Drug Offences, 76(5) J. Crim. L. 389 (2012).
• (S. Korea) Lee Minsk et al, Drug Sentencing in South Korea: The Influence of Case-Processing and Social Status Factors in an Ethnically Homogeneous Context, 27(3) J. Contemp. Crim. Just. 347 (2011).
• (Canada) Benedikt Fischer et al, Compulsory Drug Treatment in Canada: Historical Origins and Recent Developments, 8(2) Eur. Addiction Research 61 (2002).
• (Australia) Catherine Spooner et al., An Overview of Diversion Strategies for Australian Drug-Related Offenders, 20(3) Drug & Alcohol Rev. 281 (2001).

Books:

• Douglas W. Kieso, Unjust Sentencing and the California Three Strikes Law (2005).
• Samuel Walker, Sense and Nonsense about Drugs, Crimes, and Communities (7th ed. 2011).
• Charles F. Levinthal, Drugs, Society, and Criminal Justice, (3d ed. 2012).
• Joan Petersilia & Kevin R. Reitz, The Oxford Handbook of Sentencing and Corrections (2012).

Please join the Friends of the Law Library, the Georgetown chapter of the National Lawyers’ Guild, the Georgetown Criminal Law Association, Georgetown Human Rights Action–Amnesty International, and Human Rights First in welcoming acclaimed filmmaker Eugene Jarecki to Georgetown Law for a screening of his film, The House I Live In, at the latest co-sponsored Law at the Movies event:

     Movie: The House I Live In (2012)
     Date: Tuesday, December 4, 2012
     Time: 6:30pm (refreshments & seating), showtime 7:00pm
     Location: Hart Auditorium, Georgetown University Law Center

Winner of the 2012 Sundance Grand Jury Prize, The House I Live In is a gripping documentary on America’s criminal justice system, examining the politics behind U.S. drug laws, their impact upon race and class dynamics, and the unexpected toll society has paid for the War on Drugs.

After the screening, stay for a discussion of the film and issues it presents with director Eugene Jarecki. A reception will follow.

View the film's official trailer and RSVP on the Human Rights First website. To learn more about the Friends of the Georgetown Law Library program and the benefits of becoming a member, please visit www.law.georgetown.edu/library/visitors/friends.

Partying to Beat the Band: Georgetown Law's First Student Picnic, October 1960

Today (11/14) at 3:30, stop by the Sport & Fitness lobby for Wednesday Wind Down, sponsored by Georgetown Law Library in celebration of our 125th anniversary. We'll have plenty of food and drinks (even birthday cake!) so be sure to join in! All students, staff, and faculty are welcome.

Thanks to all who were part of the great turnout for Monday’s special screening of The Dhamma Brothers in Hart Auditorium, co-sponsored by the Friends of Georgetown Law Library, Contemplative Law Society, and Lawyers in Balance. What an inspirational, thought-provoking film.

In the panel discussion that followed, Professors Gretchen Rohr and Jane Aiken addressed a range of ideas and questions on mindfulness, meditation, and alternative methods for criminal corrections and rehabilitation. I was fortunate to moderate the talk, and as a result of several audience requests and my own new interest in the topic, I’ve compiled a brief bibliography of resources that I hope you’ll find helpful as starting points for researching the facts and themes presented in the film and our discussion.

Please contact me (Andrew) or my colleagues in the Library with any questions at libref@law.georgetown.edu.

Books:

• Charles N. Alexander et al., Transcendental Meditation in Criminal Rehabilitation and Crime Prevention (2007) (preview on Google Books).
• Bo Lozoff, We’re All Doing Time: A Guide for Getting Free (1985).
• Fleet Maull & Dharma Prison Network, Dharma in Hell: The Prison Writings of Fleet Maull (2005).

Films:

• Changing from the Inside (University of California, 1998) (preview at Dhamma.org).
• Doing Time, Doing Vipassana (Karuna Films 1997) (watch on YouTube).

Articles:

• Mark A. Hawkins et al., Re-enlivening and Fulfilling the Criminal Justice Rehabilitative Ideal through the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi Programs: Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Prevention, 17 J. Soc. Behavior & Personality 443 (2005).
• David L. Magill, Cost Savings from Teaching the Transcendental Meditation Program in Prisons, 36 J. Offender Rehab. 319 (2003).
• Rose Parks & Charlotte Bilby, The Courage to Create: The Role of Artistic and Spiritual Activities in Prisons, 49 How. J. Crim. Just. 97 (2010).
• Richard Quinney, The Life Inside: Abolishing the Prison, 9 Contemp. Just. Rev. 269 (2006).
• Maxwell Rainforth et al., Effects of the Transcendental Meditation Program on Recidivism Among Former Inmates of Folsom Prison: Survival Analysis of 15-Year Follow-Up Data, 36 J. Offender Rehab. 181 (2003).
• Lila Rucker, Yoga and Restorative Justice in Prison: An Experience of "Response-Ability to Harms", 8 Contemp. Just. Rev. 107 (2005).

Government Publications:

• U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Enforcing Religious Freedom in Prison (2008).

News:

• Lydia Polgreen, Rehabilitation Comes to a Prison and to Its Inmates, N.Y. Times, July 18, 2011.

Organizations and Other Resources:

• Barre Center for Buddhists Studies, www.bcbsdharma.org.
• Center for Contemplative Mind in Society, www.contemplativemind.org.
• Center for Mindfulness & Justice, www.mindfulnessandjustice.org (focusing on criminal justice professionals).
• Insight Meditation Society, www.dharma.org (meditation retreat organization).
• Insight Prison Project, www.insightprisonproject.org (San Quentin State Prison, CA).
• Mind Body Awareness Project, www.mbaproject.org (focusing on incarcerated youth).
• Prison-Ashram Project, www.humankindness.org/prisonashramproject.html.
• Prison Mindfulness Institute, www.prisonmindfulness.org.
• The Vipassana Fellowship, www.vipassana.com (online meditiation courses and support).

The Friends of the Law Library, in conjunction with the Contemplative Law Society and Lawyers in Balance invite you to a screening of The Dhamma Brothers, the latest event in the Library’s Law at the Movies series:

Movie: The Dhamma Brothers (2007)
Date: Monday, November 12, 2012
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Location: Hart Auditorium

The Dhamma Brothers (2007) documents the impact of eastern meditation as a means of rehabilitation at an Alabama state prison, illustrating meditation’s transformative power in even the most oppressive conditions and provoking thought about whether justice or society is duly served by our current correctional methods.

After the film, a discussion of the lessons and ideas it presents will be led by members of Georgetown Law’s faculty and organizations, including:

• Jane Aiken, Dean of Clinical Programs & Director of the Community Justice Project Clinic
• Gretchen Rohr, Project Director for the DC Jail Advocacy Project
• Andrew Christensen, Reference Librarian, Georgetown Law Library

To learn more about the Friends of the Georgetown Law Library program and the benefits of becoming a member, please visit www.law.georgetown.edu/library/visitors/friends.

Due to inclement weather, Big Data and Big Challenges for Law and Legal Information: Georgetown Law Library - A Symposium in Celebration of 125 Years will not take place on Monday, October 29. Please check the Georgetown Law Library blog and the symposium webpage in the days to come for any information on a rescheduled event.