Deck 16: Corrections: Sentencing, Imprisonment, and Alternatives

Question 1

A lot of prisoners come from disadvantaged backgrounds: approximately _____ of prisoners have at least one family member who has been incarcerated, and over _____ of prisoners have not completed high school.

A) 10%; 25%
B) 40%; 65%
C) 25%; 90%
D) 10%; 95%

Answer 1

40%; 65%

Question 2

Sentencing guidelines are intended to achieve all of the following goals, EXCEPT:

A) restrain judges' discretion.
B) reduce inequalities in sentencing.
C) increase the fairness of sentences.
D) increase the severity of sentences.

Answer 2

increase the severity of sentences.

Question 3

Studies find that there are several factors that lead to disparities in sentencing decisions. Which one of the following is NOT among these factors?

A) Male judges give significantly lighter sentences to women than to men.
B) For violent crimes, women receive shorter sentences than men.
C) African American male juveniles receive harsher sentences in politically conservative jurisdictions.
D) Young Hispanic men are least likely to be incarcerated for their crimes.

Answer 3

Young Hispanic men are least likely to be incarcerated for their crimes.

Question 4

In the case of _____, the Supreme Court abandoned the _____ of mandatory sentencing.

A) United States v. Booker (2005); rigidity
B) United States v. Booker (2005); flexibility
C) Procunier v. Martinez (1974); rigidity
D) Procunier v. Martinez (1974); flexibility

Question 5

It is estimated that about _____ of inmates suffer from a serious mental illness like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression. A decision on whether they receive treatment for it is typically made by the _____.

A) 14%; sentencing judge
B) 14%; prison warden
C) 92%; sentencing judge
D) 92%; prison warden

Question 6

The rate of imprisonment in the United States was _____ between 1972 and 2009, and then _____ since 2010.

A) increasing; started a slow decline
B) increasing; has been holding steady
C) declining; shot up tremendously
D) declining; has been holding steady

Question 7

A rather radical approach to sentencing guidelines involves mandatory, or determinate sentencing, which requires judges to:

A) implement the three-strikes laws.
B) hand down sentences within a prescribed range.
C) defer the sentencing decision to the jury.
D) consider the defendant's personal characteristics.

Question 8

Which of the four goals of imprisonment did the creators of early prisons in Pennsylvania and New York aspire to fulfill the most?

A) Incapacitation.
B) Deterrence.
C) Retribution.
D) Rehabilitation.

Question 9

According to the text, all of the following factors have contributed to the stunning rise of the prison population in the United States, EXCEPT:

A) war on drugs.
B) increased use of parole.
C) mandatory sentencing.
D) increased imprisonment of juveniles.

Question 10

There are stark racial disparities in incarceration. Young _____ have the highest incarceration rate of any racial/gender group. Overall, _____ represent only about 8% of the adult prison population in the United States.

A) white females; women
B) black females; men
C) white males; men
D) black males; women

Question 11

Sentencing is not necessarily clear-cut. According to the text, criminal behaviors that can be attributed to stable, controllable causes appear to receive the _____ punishment.

A) lightest
B) three-strikes
C) mandatory
D) harshest

Question 12

Imprisoning people is a huge expense for taxpayers. But even more importantly, studies find that serving time in prison has a _____ effect, which means that those who spend longer sentences in incarceration are _____ likely to reoffend.

A) deterrent; more
B) deterrent; less
C) criminogenic; more
D) criminogenic; less

Question 13

The largest single group of inmates in federal prisons, constituting almost half of all federal prisoners, consists of individuals who have been convicted of:

A) murder.
B) drug offenses.
C) bank robbery.
D) tax evasion.

Question 14

The restorative justice approach, which includes face-to-face meetings and discussions between victims and offenders, has been studied using strong research designs like randomized controlled trials. These research studies have shown that victims who participated in restorative justice conferences were _____ likely to experience the symptoms of PTSD, while offenders who participated in the conferences were _____ likely to reoffend.

A) more; more
B) more; less
C) less; less
D) less; more

Question 15

James was charged with committing a robbery with a group of his peers. He had never committed any crimes and was caught up in a situation that he could not see any way out of. The attributions that would represent the above scenario include_____ and _____.

A) internal causes; controllability
B) internal causes; stability
C) external causes; stability
D) external causes; uncontrollability

Question 16

When comparing countries in terms of the percentage of their populations incarcerated in jails and prisons, the following statement is true:

A) The United States is on par with other developed democracies in incarceration rates.
B) Denmark far outpaces other developed nations' incarceration rates.
C) No Western democracy even approaches the United States's high rates of incarceration.
D) Russia is the most punitive country in the world as it incarcerates the highest percentage of its citizens.

Question 17

Criminal behaviors that are attributed to _____ causes evoke the strongest punitive response.

A) internal, controllable, and stable
B) external, less controllable, and stable
C) external, controllable, and unstable
D) internal, less controllable, and unstable

Question 18

Crime rates have been _____ for the last 25+ years. At the same time, the rate of incarceration in the United States is _____ that of other developed democracies.

A) falling; much lower than
B) rising; getting close to
C) rising; much lower than
D) falling; still several times higher than

Question 19

Sentencing decisions are based on the crime and also take into consideration the attributions of the criminal. One question that is sometimes asked during sentencing hearings is whether the personality of the criminal has an influence on his or her criminal behavior. According to the text, what is being assessed is referred to as:

A) internal causes.
B) external causes.
C) controllability.
D) achievability.

Question 20

When an inmate is released from prison before his or her entire sentence has been served, to remain under the supervision of an officer in the community, this is called:

A) restitution.
B) parole.
C) suspended sentence.
D) general deterrence.

Question 21

Three-strikes laws are a version of _____. Three-strikes laws mean that repeat offenders receive a(n) _____.

A) sentencing guidelines; extended or life sentence when convicted of a third felony
B) sentencing guidelines; triple sentence for their most recent offense
C) mandatory sentencing; extended or life sentence when convicted of a third felony
D) mandatory sentencing; triple sentence for their most recent offense

Question 22

According to the text, a majority of prisoners held in supermax prisons:

A) are dangerous to self or others.
B) will be released into free society.
C) file lawsuits against prison officials.
D) are assaulted by their fellow inmates.

Question 23

According to the text, _____ are the single largest group of inmates in federal prisons.

A) murderers
B) violent offenders
C) corporate criminals
D) drug offenders

Question 24

Some studies have found that judges are susceptible to making _____ sentencing decisions based on the convicted person's race, age, and gender, which is an evidence of _____.

A) different; biases
B) different; fairness
C) mandatory; biases
D) mandatory; discretion

Question 25

Kelvin was released from prison before his entire sentence was served. However, he has to be supervised by an officer for several months. This situation is commonly referred to as:

A) parole.
B) probation.
C) rehabilitation.
D) treatment.

Question 26

According to the text, three-strikes laws have been criticized for all of the following, EXCEPT:

A) three-strikes laws make the public angry about harsh and expensive punishments.
B) there are much cheaper and equally effective alternatives than long imprisonment.
C) three-strikes laws have been applied to relatively minor, nonviolent third offenses.
D) longer prison sentences are handed down to offenders who are "aging out" of crime.

Question 27

Janine was convicted of a felony, as was Troy. Both defendants were convicted of the same crime and under similar situations. According to the text, Janine is likely to receive _____ Troy because Janine is a female.

A) a harsher sentence than
B) the same sentence as
C) a lighter sentence than
D) There are no clear data on sentencing disparities based on gender.

Question 28

According to the text, a comprehensive study of juveniles sentenced to life in prison has found all of the following, EXCEPT:

A) Life sentences were most likely for African American juveniles.
B) Life sentences were most likely for mentally disturbed juveniles.
C) Life sentences were most likely when the judge was elected rather than appointed.
D) Life sentences were most likely in politically conservative jurisdictions.

Question 29

The requirement that criminals receive an extended or life sentence when convicted of a third felony is commonly called the:

A) repeat-offender guideline.
B) career-criminal sentencing rule.
C) three-time loser rule.
D) three-strikes laws.

Question 30

Based on a large study of federal sentencing, all of the following categories of people have been found to get harsher sentences, EXCEPT:

A) Hispanics.
B) African Americans.
C) males.
D) older defendants.

Question 31

When the sentencing is decided, a defendant who may have some Level of Difficulty with making good decisions as a result of a mental defect may evoke _____ from judges or juries.

A) ill will
B) sympathy
C) anger
D) disbelief

Question 32

Containing criminals to render them unable to harm others outside of the prison is referred to as:

A) specific deterrence.
B) incapacitation.
C) retribution.
D) general deterrence.

Question 33

For drug and property crimes, gender seems to play a role in sentencing. Females are _____ likely to be sentenced to prison terms. If they do receive a prison sentence, it is _____ than what males received for similar crimes.

A) more; longer
B) more; shorter
C) less; longer
D) less; shorter

Question 34

Sentencing guidelines are supposed to assist judges in making _____ sentencing decisions. Examples of factors that affect sentencing according to the guidelines noted in the text include _____.

A) consistent; prior criminal record and the severity of the current crime
B) consistent; the severity of the current crime and the offender's personal characteristics
C) lenient; prior criminal record and the severity of the current crime
D) difficult; the severity of the current crime and the offender's personal characteristics

Question 35

All of the following statements are true about solitary confinement, EXCEPT:

A) Prisoners are often put into solitary confinement for breaking prison rules.
B) Over time, inmates held in solitary confinement develop serious mental illness.
C) Supermax prisons are essentially a form of solitary confinement.
D) Prisoners are never released from supermax prisons directly into free society.

Question 36

Prisons generally hold criminals:

A) for long periods of time.
B) for short periods of time.
C) until they receive a hearing.
D) while they await trial.

Question 37

In cases of violent crimes, men and women appear to be equally likely to be sent to prison. However, research indicates that men receive _____ sentences.

A) substantially shorter
B) slightly shorter
C) substantially longer
D) slightly longer

Question 38

Determinate sentencing means that judges are _____, if a defendant is found guilty of a particular crime.

A) encouraged to hand down a sentence within a prescribed range
B) required to hand down a sentence within a prescribed range
C) required to defer the sentencing decision to the jury
D) encouraged to hand down harsher sentences when it is appropriate

Question 39

The sentencing guidelines, though based on good intentions, turned out to be unnecessarily _____. In the 2005 Booker decision, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the sentencing guidelines should become _____.

A) flexible; advisory rather than mandatory
B) flexible; mandatory rather than advisory
C) rigid; advisory rather than mandatory
D) rigid; mandatory rather than advisory

Question 40

The criminal justice system uses two primary methods to hold people. One such placement is jails, where people are held short-term. All of the following statements are true about jails, EXCEPT:

A) Potentially dangerous offenders are held in jail until trial, for the sake of public safety.
B) Nonviolent criminals are held in jail until trial, to prevent them from fleeing.
C) People convicted of misdemeanors serve out their short sentences in jails.
D) People convicted of white-collar crimes serve out their sentences in jails.

Question 41

One way that criminals were punished in the American colonies was through _____, which included being placed into stocks.

A) imprisonment
B) work release
C) public shaming
D) probation

Question 42

It was not until the _____ that prisons began to reflect the influence of medicine and social sciences.

A) 1700s
B) 1800s
C) 1900s
D) 2000s

Question 43

In the middle of the 20th century, with _____ as the chief justice of the Supreme Court, civil liberties were expanded to include society's least powerful groups: prison inmates, racial minorities, women, and children.

A) Warren Buffet
B) Earl Warren
C) Antonin Scalia
D) Oliver Stone

Question 44

Several major studies have determined that about 14% of the prison population suffer from a serious mental illness. Whether a prisoner receives treatment for a mental disorder is at the discretion of:

A) prison doctors.
B) the sentencing judge.
C) the jury.
D) prison wardens.

Question 45

Since the early 1990s, the United States has experienced a dramatic drop in both violent and property crimes. Despite this drop:

A) our high rate of incarceration persists.
B) no prisoners were released since then.
C) all U.S. prisons are still overcrowded.
D) the U.S. has been building new prisons at an increasing rate.

Question 46

The prison population is highly racially disproportionate to the general population. _____ males have a 29% chance of serving at least 1 year in prison or jail during their lifetime, whereas the same chance for white males is about 5%. The prison population is also highly disproportionate to the general population in terms of gender distribution. Nearly 93% of prisoners in state and federal prisons are _____.

A) Black; women
B) Black; men
C) Asian; women
D) Asian; men

Question 47

Several factors have been boosting prison populations across the United States. Which one of the following factors is not among them?

A) Increased imprisonment of juveniles.
B) War on drugs.
C) Mandatory sentencing and three-strikes laws.
D) Increased use of alternatives to incarceration.

Question 48

The most future-oriented goal of imprisonment is _____ since almost all prisoners will be released back into free society and will need help becoming law-abiding citizens.

A) deterrence
B) incapacitation
C) rehabilitation
D) retribution

Question 49

After the American Revolution, a movement to change how criminals were punished began, in an attempt to move away from laws that had been established in England. Instead of beating and killing, the new country decided to rely on:

A) incarceration.
B) public shaming.
C) electric shock.
D) hanging.

Question 50

Prisons were formed to change criminals into productive members of society. However, this goal is at odds with the other goals of imprisonment, such as retribution and incapacitation. According to the text, failure to improve the social skills of criminals, as well as the generally unpleasant nature of prisons, often leaves ex-convicts:

A) ill trained but less violent.
B) more able to exercise self-control.
C) more sedate and thoughtful.
D) angrier and more aggressive.

Question 51

Sam has been in prison before and, after his release, he promised to himself that he would never do anything that can land him in prison again. This illustrates one of the goals of imprisonment called:

A) specific deterrence.
B) incapacitation.
C) retribution.
D) general deterrence.

Question 52

Several U.S. states have very high incarceration rates. Which one is not among them?

A) Mississippi
B) Louisiana
C) New York
D) Texas

Question 53

Early in the history of America, crimes ran the gamut in terms of transgressions. In addition to the more serious crimes of assault, rape, and murder, certain moral transgressions used to be punishable by law. The criminalized moral transgressions included all of the following, EXCEPT:

A) witchcraft.
B) laziness.
C) adultery.
D) blasphemy.

Question 54

Since the 1980s, the United States has incarcerated people at a rate approximately _____ than that of other industrialized nations.

A) 50% lower
B) 10% lower
C) 50% higher
D) five times higher

Question 55

The United States currently incarcerates a _____ for a _____ any other industrialized democracy in the world.

A) larger percentage of individuals; longer period of time than
B) larger percentage of individuals but; shorter period of time than
C) smaller percentage of individuals; period approximately similar to that of
D) smaller percentage of individuals; much shorter period of time than

Question 56

During the 1820s, prisons in Pennsylvania and New York were designed to be rehabilitative in nature. Rehabilitation was supposed to be achieved by _____ and _____.

A) reading the Bible; doing groups exercises to music
B) maintaining strict routines; spending most of the time alone and silent
C) encouraging family visits; interactions with other inmates
D) prisoners talking to each other; leading group prayers

Question 57

In the early 1800s, a move away from attributing a religious cause to criminal behavior, such as individuals _____, occurred. The more secular approach recognized that the cause might _____.

A) choosing unwisely; reside with society as well
B) choosing unwisely; be innate
C) being born evil; reside with society as well
D) being born evil; be related to poor individual choices

Question 58

It has been estimated that approximately _____ of prisoners have at least one other family member who has been incarcerated. More than _____ of prisoners have not completed high school.

A) 1%; half
B) 1%; a quarter
C) 40%; half
D) 40%; 10%

Question 59

One of the main problems with the new prisons in the United States in the mid-1800s was that, in addition to being expensive and impractical, the extreme isolation often caused prisoners to become:

A) insane.
B) talkative.
C) violent.
D) mute.

Question 60

In the mid-1800s, U.S. prisons were holding a large number of recent immigrants. Among them, there was a disproportionate number of _____ immigrants. One reason that these inmates did not have much sympathy from the general population was the common bigotry, or a belief that these immigrants were _____.

A) South American; provided with superior living conditions
B) South American; morally and intellectually inferior
C) Irish; provided with superior living conditions
D) Irish; morally and intellectually inferior

Question 61

If a judge thinks that imprisonment is too harsh of a sentence for a certain offender, while probation is not structured enough, the offender can be sentenced to:

A) pay a restitution.
B) parole.
C) a half-way house.
D) a psychiatric facility.

Question 62

The assimilation of new inmates into the values system, norms, and language of prison is referred to as:

A) prisonization.
B) deinstitutionalization effect.
C) incarceration manner.
D) integrating into the system.

Question 63

Studies show that prisons may have a(n) _____ effect. When comparable groups of offenders are tracked, those sentenced to prison are _____ likely to recidivate than those sentenced to probation.

A) criminogenic; more
B) taming; less
C) null; no more or less
D) uncertain; sometimes more and sometimes less

Question 64

There are several alternatives to incarceration such as restitution, probation, house arrest, residential community corrections centers, among other options. All of the following statements are true about alternatives to incarceration, EXCEPT:

A) Alternatives are much cheaper for the taxpayers than incarceration.
B) Imprisonment may make offenders more likely to commit crimes.
C) Alternatives help first-time and minor offenders to avoid the stigma of imprisonment.
D) Alternatives to incarceration are more traumatizing than imprisonment.

Question 65

What was the goal of determinate sentencing and how does it work? What are the main problems with mandatory sentencing in general and with one of its versions-three-strikes laws-in particular? Are federal mandatory sentencing laws still in force?

Question 66

Discuss three alternatives to prison (you choose which ones to focus on). What are their advantages compared to incarceration?

Question 67

Describe the four goals of imprisonment and illustrate with examples. Do longer prison sentences reduce recidivism? How is this related to the goals of punishment?