Exam 3: Corrections and the Courts

An intriguing development in corrections that has Eighth Amendment implications is the effort of some states to reinstitute what?

Courts have declared that the First Amendment does not extend to religions that mock established institutions, are "obvious shams," or whose members lack religious sincerity.

Inmates are not entitled to due process protections in matters regarding which of the following?

Ethics Focus: "It's a Matter of Paperwork" An inmate named Billy was sexually assaulted over a month ago. He is having difficulty filling out the grievance paperwork claiming that the guard on duty that night ignored his calls for help. The prisoner only has a tenth-grade education. He has asked you for some help in filling out the forms. Your supervisor has told you in the past not to help inmates with their paperwork. According to the Department of Corrections rules, if inmates do not meet the filing deadlines, then the matter will be dropped. The courts are very technical about such deadlines and will not hear any appeals after a deadline has been missed. Your feel sorry for the inmate. He is not that strong and has a difficult time defending himself. You know the guard in question, and he does not always do everything he should. The guard claims that he did what he could and followed institutional guidelines. You were not present that night, though, so you do not know exactly what happened. -What would you ultimately do? Explain your answer.

Do you think inmates involved in prison disciplinary actions deserve the same due process considerations that defendants receive before sentence? Why or why not?

In which Supreme Court case was it ruled that inmates cannot be denied the opportunity to practice an unconventional American religion (Buddhism, in this case) when other inmates are given the chance to pursue conventional faiths?

__________ are perhaps the most frequently contested and litigated area in prison.

Which Supreme Court case concluded that the discretionary (as opposed to mandatory) use of administrative segregation with inmates does not create a liberty interest, even though such segregation may entail many more restrictions on inmate freedoms?

The reality is that many incarcerated persons file suits.

How have the courts chosen to regulate prison censorship? Describe the court decisions that have affected this issue and tell whether you agree or disagree with the courts.

Due to landmark cases and media popularization, the vast majority of inmate suits were successful during the hands-on period.

Estelle v. Gamble (1976) was the first landmark Eighth Amendment case to come from a prison setting concerning what?

According to Ruffin v. Commonwealth (1871), prisoners, as a consequence of their crimes, are _______ of the state.

The top priority of prison officials is usually what?

Which of the following was not a restriction challenged in Overton v. Bazetta (2003)?

Ethics Focus: "It's a Matter of Paperwork" An inmate named Billy was sexually assaulted over a month ago. He is having difficulty filling out the grievance paperwork claiming that the guard on duty that night ignored his calls for help. The prisoner only has a tenth-grade education. He has asked you for some help in filling out the forms. Your supervisor has told you in the past not to help inmates with their paperwork. According to the Department of Corrections rules, if inmates do not meet the filing deadlines, then the matter will be dropped. The courts are very technical about such deadlines and will not hear any appeals after a deadline has been missed. Your feel sorry for the inmate. He is not that strong and has a difficult time defending himself. You know the guard in question, and he does not always do everything he should. The guard claims that he did what he could and followed institutional guidelines. You were not present that night, though, so you do not know exactly what happened. -What are the potential consequences of not helping the inmate fill out the grievance paperwork?

What rules govern whether conditions constitute cruel and unusual punishment? What sanctions do you believe to be cruel and unusual?

Bell v. Wolfish (1979), Rhodes v. Chapman (1981), and Brown v. Plata (2011) are all cases pertaining to what Eighth Amendment issue?

The Supreme Court has yet to make any firm ruling on the equal protection rights of _____________ inmates.

Pell v. Procunier and Saxbe v. Washington Post Co., which were both decided in 1974, were important rulings on what kind of issues?