Deck 13: Crime and Corrections Policy

Question 1

Which U.S.constitutional amendment prohibits "unreasonable" searches?

A) Fourth Amendment
B) Fourteenth Amendment
C) Twenty-Fourth Amendment
D) Second Amendment

Answer 1

A

Question 2

A misdemeanor has a fine of

A) $4,000 or less and the sentence is up to one year in county jail.
B) $10,000 or less and the sentence is up to one year in county jail.
C) $20,000 or less and the sentence is up to one year in county jail.
D) $50,000 or less and the sentence is up to one year in county jail.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

A major criticism of the grand jury is that it

A) only considers "true bills."
B) usually rules "no bill."
C) consists of more men than women.
D) usually hears only what the prosecutor chooses to let it hear.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Grand juries do not find people guilty of a crime but instead will

A) vote a "true bill."
B) usually rule "no bill."
C) vote with the prosecutor.
D) vote for a bill.

Question 5

Regarding the rules of community supervision (probation)requirements,what are the results of compliance versus violation?

A) A criminal in compliance will likely have his or her record expunged, while a criminal in violation will likely be given a harsher sentence in the future.
B) A criminal in compliance will likely receive an early release of up to one-third the term, while a criminal in violation may be sent to jail for the remainder of his or her sentence.
C) A criminal in compliance will likely receive monetary compensation for his or her time, while a criminal in violation may be sent to jail for the remainder of his or her sentence.
D) A criminal in compliance will likely receive an early release of up to two-thirds the term, while a criminal in violation may be sent to jail for the remainder of his or her sentence, with an additional amount of time added to his or her initial sentencing.

Question 6

Generally,community supervision can run up to ________ year(s)for misdemeanors and up to ________ years for felonies.

A) 1; 5
B) 2; 6
C) 2; 8
D) 2; 10

Question 7

In the state of Texas,what is the policy for felons' right to vote?

A) Felons are allowed to vote upon full discharge of their sentences.
B) Felons are allowed to vote upon full discharge of their sentences and completed community service.
C) Felons are allowed to vote only if their convictions involved crimes lesser than third-degree felonies.
D) Felons are allowed to vote only upon governor approval.

Question 8

Which of the following makes the decision to grant parole?

A) a judge
B) a district attorney
C) the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles
D) the Texas Board of Prison Release

Question 9

The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles makes recommendations about

A) federal prison sentences.
B) juvenile prisons.
C) probation.
D) clemency and parole.

Question 10

The most serious felony is ________,for which the penalty can be death or life imprisonment without parole.

A) aggravated assault
B) capital murder
C) aggravated kidnapping
D) aggravated sexual assault

Question 11

In a situation in which the defendant may have committed his or her first offense,the judge is more likely to issue a punishment of

A) probation.
B) community service.
C) temporary jail time.
D) incarceration.

Question 12

For probation,the defendant will meet certain requirements,which usually include

A) reporting to a probation officer on a regular basis.
B) holding a steady job.
C) paying fines or restitution.
D) All of these are correct.

Question 13

When a person is arrested for a felony or misdemeanor and jailed rather than ticketed,he or she will be arraigned before a judge.What happens next?

A) At the arraignment the charges will be explained, he or she will be reminded of the due process rights, and bail will be set.
B) At the arraignment the charges will be explained, bail will be set, and he or she will be reminded of the due process rights.
C) At the arraignment, a date will be determined for the judge to review the charges against the defendant and bail will be set.
D) A date will be determined for the judge to review the charges against the defendant, he or she will be reminded of the due process rights, and bail will be set.

Question 14

A serious criminal offense that subjects a person to state prison punishment is a(n)

A) felony.
B) indictment.
C) petty crime.
D) misdemeanor.

Question 15

The highest fine an individual can receive upon criminal sentencing is

A) $5,000.
B) $10,000.
C) $20,000.
D) $50,000.

Question 16

A person convicted of a third felony can be sentenced to life imprisonment based on

A) repeat felony offending.
B) the three strikes provision.
C) the writ of mandamus.
D) unpaid bail.

Question 17

Money that is provided by the defendant to ensure his or her appearance in court is referred to as

A) a court fee.
B) bail.
C) bounty.
D) defendant compensation.

Question 18

________ is a suspension of the jail or prison sentence with the understanding that the defendant will meet certain requirements that are imposed by the court.

A) Plea bargain
B) Probation
C) Parole
D) Misdemeanor

Question 19

If a person cannot provide bail on his or her own or cannot pay a bondsman,the accused can possibly be released

A) on 10 percent of bail amount.
B) on personal recognizance.
C) on collateral.
D) by a co-signer.

Question 20

________ are less serious crimes.

A) Felonies
B) Juvenile crimes
C) Misdemeanors
D) Aggravated assaults

Question 21

For which type of offense are Texas prison inmates least likely to be imprisoned?

A) prostitution
B) drug
C) property
D) misdemeanor

Question 22

The Ruiz case was a class-action suit on behalf of inmates that began in 1972,and it focused on issues of

A) security and supervision.
B) health care.
C) discipline and access to the courts.
D) All of these are correct.

Question 23

A(n)________ is a lawyer who is appointed by a judge to represent an individual who can't afford legal representation.

A) assigned counsel
B) public defender
C) prosecutor
D) county attorney

Question 24

In the past 20 years,the costs of prison construction and maintenance have risen from approximately ________ to approximately ________.

A) $147 million; $3 billion
B) $147 million; $900 million
C) $1 billion; $5 billion
D) $609 million; $1.5 billion

Question 25

What is one of the biggest issues in regard to perpetuating criminal activities in Texas?

A) The requirements placed on offenders are not difficult enough and can result in a lack of respect for the system.
B) The requirements placed on offenders allow for excessive interaction with fellow criminals, continuing the cycle of negative contacts.
C) The requirements placed on offenders are so difficult to comply with that offenders will likely disregard the requirements and hope to not get caught.
D) The structure of the criminal system allows for too many appeals and therefore encourages offenders to violate requirements.

Question 26

The scandals and abuses of the Texas prison system led to the creation of a

A) Joint Committee on Prison Reform.
B) Blue Ribbon Committee on Prison Reform.
C) state prison board.
D) general prison manager position.

Question 27

Individuals who cannot afford an attorney have a constitutional right to have one appointed to them.Which Supreme Court case was instrumental in guaranteeing this right?

A) Ruiz v. Estelle
B) Gideon v. Wainwright
C) Miranda v. Arizona
D) Betts v. Brady

Question 28

A grand jury consists of how many individuals to possibly hear a case?

A) 10-15
B) 12
C) 15-20
D) 20-30

Question 29

What are plea bargains used to do?

A) appeal convictions in municipal court to district court
B) appeal a decision of the Texas Supreme Court to the U.S. Supreme Court
C) clear a crowded district court docket by negotiating guilty pleas in criminal cases
D) negotiate whether a dispute goes to a criminal court or a civil court

Question 30

In Texas,felony juries are composed of ________ people and misdemeanor juries are composed of ________.

A) 9; 6
B) 12; 5
C) 12; 6
D) 6; 3

Question 31

For which type of offenses are Texas prison inmates most likely to be imprisoned?

A) property
B) drug
C) personal
D) violent

Question 32

Jurors determine a guilty verdict in criminal cases

A) with a unanimous vote.
B) by a majority vote.
C) by a hung jury, declaring a mistrial.
D) by deferring to the judge's decision.

Question 33

The most prison-prone group in society is between the ages of

A) 15 and 25.
B) 18 and 25.
C) 20 and 29.
D) 18 and 25.

Question 34

In Texas,the legal standard of proof "beyond a reasonable doubt" is used in which type(s)of cases?

A) felony
B) misdemeanor
C) civil
D) both felony and misdemeanor cases

Question 35

The ________ usually provides legal advice to the county commissioners.

A) county judge
B) district attorney
C) attorney general
D) county attorney

Question 36

A(n)________ is a common method prosecutors use to maintain high conviction rates.

A) bench trial
B) jury trial
C) plea bargain between the defendant and the state
D) indictment from a grand jury

Question 37

In the 1972 case of Ruiz v.Estelle,the U.S.federal court determined that

A) inmates' constitutionally guaranteed rights had been violated in Texas prisons.
B) inmates' treatment was ethical and appropriate based on the sentences.
C) inmates' case, based on crowding, security, supervision, and health care, had no basis and was thrown out of court.
D) inmates' treatment was to match the crimes they had committed, taking on a policy of "eye for an eye."

Question 38

Over 90 percent of Texas prisoners are male,and the average age of prisoners is only

A) 25.
B) 18.
C) 30.
D) 38.

Question 39

In 2014,prisoners were serving about ________ percent of their sentences before being released.

A) 31.1
B) 99.4
C) 58.1
D) 75.8

Question 40

Inmates at state jails served on average ________ percent of their sentences before being released.

A) 59.6
B) 99.4
C) 75.8
D) 61.1

Question 41

In cases where the prosecution believe it will be difficult to get a conviction,they might agree to a plea bargain allowing community supervision for a long period.

Question 42

Wrongfully convicted individuals in the state of Texas can receive a lump sum of ________ for each year they wrongfully served prison time,plus some additional yearly payments of up to ________ per year.

A) $50,000; $50,000
B) $75,000; $100,000
C) $80,000; $80,000
D) $80,000; $100,000

Question 43

People serving time for capital crimes are eligible for parole.

Question 44

The major criticism of the grand jury is that it usually hears only what the prosecutor chooses to let it hear.

Question 45

Grand juries do rule on the guilt or innocence of the accused.

Question 46

The Michael Morton Act established a uniform policy for district attorneys to make material that can help defendants' cases available to defense attorneys.

Question 47

What percentage of Texas prison inmates have been convicted of drug offenses?

A) 6 percent
B) 15 percent
C) 14 percent
D) 28 percent

Question 48

Which of the following is NOT a controversy that has led to questioning the integrity of the Texas criminal justice system?

A) the false drug arrests in Tulia
B) the false witness case in Burleson County
C) the Houston Crime Lab scandal
D) the University of Texas corruption scandal

Question 49

Misdemeanor crimes can only result in a fine of up to $4,000 and a sentence of over one year in jail.

Question 50

What is the process for granting clemency in Texas?

A) The governor has complete control of whether to grant clemency.
B) The governor must follow the recommendations of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles.
C) The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles makes a unilateral collective decision.
D) There is no procedure for clemency in Texas.

Question 51

Which of the following best describes capital punishment in Texas?

A) The number of prisoners executed in Texas has been slowly decreasing since the 1970s.
B) Texas has both the highest rate of executions and the highest rate of successful death sentence appeals in the nation.
C) Texas executes more individuals than any other state and has a statistically low rate of successfully appealed capital cases.
D) The number of executions in Texas is double the number of executions in every other state combined.

Question 52

A second-degree felony can be punishable by 2 to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $20,000.

Question 53

All of the following reasons listed make adjustment to life outside prison an extremely difficult experience EXCEPT

A) lack of employment.
B) length of time in prison.
C) family members either moved on or died.
D) a lack of economic incentive to hire parolees.

Question 54

Which of the following is NOT a reason that an individual can be given the death penalty in Texas?

A) murder for hire
B) murder during the commission of an aggravated rape
C) murder of a child under the age of 12
D) murder of a public safety officer, fireman, or correctional employee

Question 55

What is the average amount of time an inmate spends on death row in Texas before execution?

A) 5.23 years
B) 10.87 years
C) 18.37 years
D) 22.45 years

Question 56

Plea bargains are NOT often used in Texas criminal trials.

Question 57

Which of the following is NOT an explanation for why Texas has one of the most controversial death penalty systems in the United States?

A) The court of criminal appeals has overturned no death penalty cases.
B) The court-appointed lawyers the state provides for defendants have often been subpar.
C) There are racial and ethnic disparities in who receives the death penalty and who does not.
D) Since 1977, the electric chair has been the means for execution in Texas.

Question 58

The most important actors in the Texas criminal justice system is the Federal Government.

Question 59

In the state of Texas,which race/ethnicity is most likely to be on death row today?

A) Caucasian
B) African American
C) Hispanic
D) Asian American

Question 60

In the Texas criminal justice system,crimes are classified as felonies or misdemeanors.

Question 61

The integrity of the Texas judicial system has been called into question many times.Explain what events have caused it to be called into question.Discuss the outcome of the situations and what the state of Texas is doing to combat future accusations.

Question 62

The governor can alter a prisoner's sentence without the majority support of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles.

Question 63

What are the steps after a person is arrested? Do you believe the criminal justice system creates criminals? Explain the process of how an accused person obtains a criminal defense.What are the concerns with a court-appointed attorney?

Question 64

Discuss the options a judge and prosecutor may have when addressing a criminal case.Review the levels of criminal charges and the possibility of a plea bargain and probation.Based on this knowledge,how "tough" is the Texas system?

Question 65

Explain and discuss Texas's correctional system.What is the history of the system? What presents hurdles to an effective system? Can Texas prisons ever be considered the best in the nation?

Question 66

The average time spent on death row prior to execution is 10.87 years.

Question 67

Prior to 1910,Texas prisons were leased to railroads,planters,and others who provided them with food and clothing and paid a stipend to the state.

Question 68

The governor of Texas is unable to grant clemency to death-row inmates without the recommendation of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles.

Question 69

Texas has one of the most generous compensation systems in the nation for the wrongfully convicted.

Question 70

One of the most controversial judicial issues in Texas is the death penalty.Explain some of the reasons for the controversy.How does race play a role in the controversy? What role does the court of criminal appeals play? What is the process by which clemencies are offered?

Question 71

Explain the implications of court-ordered prison reforms on the criminal justice system in Texas and the state's large number of executions.Which court case precipitated the prison reform?

Question 72

Texas leads the nation in the number of state-sanctioned executions.