Deck 11: Prisons and Jails

Question 1

Separate confinement is a nineteenth-century penitentiary system developed in New York in which inmates were kept in separate cells during the night but worked together in the daytime under a code of enforced silence.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Which of the following is true of New York's penitentiaries?

A) They imposed capital punishment on repeat offenders.
B) They required larger spaces to accommodate inmates than Pennsylvania's penitentiaries.
C) They were cheaper to build than Pennsylvania's penitentiaries.
D) They forced inmates to toil alone in their cells.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

At Auburn, the only contact inmates had with other human beings came in the form of religious instruction from a visiting clergyman or prison official.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

A case manager is the prison official who is ultimately responsible for the organization and performance of a correctional facility.

Question 5

Decreasing the rate of release of nonviolent offenders from prison increases the rate of decarceration.

Question 6

Which of the following is true of the Pennsylvania system of prison?

A) It is also called the congregate system.
B) It was based on the idea of corporal punishment.
C) It allowed inmates to eat, work, and pray together.
D) It was based on the idea of separate confinement.

Question 7

Unlike the Pennsylvania system of prison, the Auburn system:

A) was based on silence and labor.
B) required that inmates work and eat together.
C) was based on the idea of corporal punishment.
D) forced inmates to stay in their individual cells.

Question 8

Under the Pennsylvania system, inmates worked and ate together, with silence enforced by prison guards.

Question 9

Private corrections firms have an incentive to buy goods and services at the lowest possible price because of the profit motive.

Question 10

In the context of prison administration, classification of prisoners is not a one-time operation.

Question 11

Identify a true statement about New York's Elmira Reformatory.

A) It charged offenders with misdemeanors upon their entry.
B) It advocated the importance of corporal punishment to reduce crime rates.
C) It rewarded inmates who showed good behavior with early release.
D) It allowed inmates to move up to grade 3 for immediate release.

Question 12

Which of the following is true of William Penn's "Great Law"?

A) It imposed capital punishment on repeat offenders.
B) It imposed whipping or branding on felons before their release from prison.
C) It forbade the use of the death penalty under all circumstances.
D) It forbade the use of torture and mutilation as forms of punishment.

Question 13

In comparison to federal prisons, state prisons hold relatively few violent felons, because relatively few state laws involve violent crime.

Question 14

The problems of incarceration have a disproportionate impact on members of minority groups because of the rates of recidivism in U.S. prison populations.

Question 15

The _____ is a model of corrections in which the psychological and biological roots of an inmate's criminal behavior are identified and treated.

A) custodial model
B) medical model
C) due process model
D) crime control model

Question 16

Which of the following is a sanction that was generally imposed by English courts on convicted felons in the eighteenth century?

A) The felons were forced to join the clergy.
B) The felons were extradited.
C) The felons were whipped before release.
D) The felons were rehabilitated in halfway houses.

Question 17

In the traditional design of jails in the United States, jail cells are situated in a triangle so that a staff member in the center of the triangle has visual access to nearly all the cells.

Question 18

A(n) _____ is an early form of correctional facility that emphasized separating inmates from society and from each other.

A) penitentiary
B) oubliette
C) private prison
D) bridewell

Question 19

In the twentieth century, the Progressives:

A) advocated that criminal behavior was caused by political factors.
B) believed that a corrections system should have a goal of treatment.
C) trumpeted the due process model for prisons.
D) spread the idea of capital punishment.

Question 20

In the Elmira model, a grade 3 inmate:

A) was rewarded with an early release for exhibiting good behavior.
B) needed to behave properly for three months before he could return to grade 2.
C) had to complete work and school assignments for one month before moving to grade 1.
D) was lowered to grade 1 if he broke institutional rules.

Question 21

Roger created a fraudulent online shopping Web site for sports equipment. In order to make purchases on that Web site, customers had to submit their bank details. Roger did not deliver any products to customers and misused their bank details to transfer money to his own bank account. As a result of a lawsuit filed against him, Roger was sentenced to prison. In this scenario, Roger is most likely to be placed in a _____.

A) maximum-security prison
B) supermax prison
C) medium-security prison
D) minimum-security prison

Question 22

Which of the following is true of minimum-security prisons?

A) They mostly house nonviolent first-time offenders.
B) They have a low percentage of white-collar criminals.
C) They have armed guards for supervision.
D) They mostly operate in a state of perpetual lockdown.

Question 23

Which of the following is a similarity between the management structures of police departments and prisons?

A) Both are managed by wardens.
B) Both have a continuity of purpose.
C) Both rely on a hierarchical chain of command.
D) Both require employees to work toward a common goal.

Question 24

As a result of the classification process, the security designation given to new inmates is known as _____.

A) custody level
B) severity level
C) security level
D) crime level

Question 25

Which of the following is a criterion used by prison administrators for classification of an inmate?

A) The prison gang with which the convict is associated
B) The length of the prison sentence
C) The amount of restitution to be paid by the convict
D) The risk of future criminal or violent conduct

Question 26

Identify a method used by decarceration policies to reduce the number of offenders in prison.

A) Decreasing the probability that nonviolent offenders will be sentenced to prison
B) Decreasing the rate of release of nonviolent offenders from prison
C) Increasing the rate and term of imprisonment for probation and parole violators
D) Increasing the stringency of sentencing laws

Question 27

Identify a factor driving federal prison population growth.

A) An increase in inmates sentenced for immigration violations
B) The prohibition of double jeopardy for white-collar criminals
C) A laxity in sentencing guidelines in all courts
D) The absence of racial profiling in employment procedures

Question 28

Which of the following best describes the reintegration model of prison?

A) It provides a training ground for inmates to prepare for existence in the community.
B) It stresses the ideals of individualized treatment for inmates.
C) It minimizes the responsibility of prisoners so that they have time to contemplate their wrongdoings.
D) It assumes that prisoners are incarcerated for reasons of incapacitation, deterrence, and retribution.

Question 29

Which of the following is true of supermax prisons?

A) Supermax inmates are confined to two-person cells.
B) Supermax inmates are usually given all basic amenities and treatments.
C) Supermax prisons mostly operate in a state of perpetual lockdown.
D) Supermax prisons are based on the concept of the Auburn system.

Question 30

A(n) _____ is a disciplinary action taken by prison officials in which all inmates are ordered to their quarters and nonessential prison activities are suspended.

A) revocation
B) suspension
C) lockdown
D) extradition

Question 31

Barry, a penologist, conducts a national survey to study the American prison population trends in the recent past. He observes a significant drop in the country's crime rates. Which of the following reasons is most likely to explain his observation?

A) America's high rate of recidivism
B) The repealing of the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution
C) America's high rate of incarceration
D) The laxity in sentencing guidelines of the U.S. Supreme Court

Question 32

Private prisons can often be run more cheaply and efficiently than public prisons because:

A) their nonunionized staffs receive lower levels of health-care insurance.
B) they are part of the government bureaucracy.
C) they have lower incidences of recidivism and revocation.
D) their nonunionized staffs contend with massive amount of paperwork.

Question 33

According to political scientist John DiIulio, order can be defined as:

A) the presence of basic amenities that make life livable.
B) the absence of misconduct such as murder, assault, and rape.
C) the incorporation of programs designed to improve an inmate's prospects on release.
D) the division of labor among custodial employees in prisons.

Question 34

Which of the following is true of the classification process of inmates during the course of their incarceration?

A) The classification process is completed over a period of three to four months.
B) Following the classification process, an inmate is assigned a custody level.
C) An inmate is classified according to his or her ethnic background.
D) Classification is a one-time operation.

Question 35

According to political scientist John DiIulio, which of the following is true of the services offered in correctional facilities?

A) They promote the formation of prison gangs.
B) They reduce the odds that inmates will commit crimes after release.
C) They give convicts ample time to contemplate their wrongdoings.
D) They work best under an authoritarian management structure.

Question 36

Compared to maximum-security prisons, medium-security prisons:

A) allow for more contact between inmates.
B) have higher levels of surveillance.
C) have higher concrete walls to prevent inmates from escaping.
D) house more inmates who are considered dangerous to others.

Question 37

An increase in the rate of release of nonviolent offenders from prison leads to an increase in:

A) revocation.
B) incarceration.
C) extradition.
D) decarceration.

Question 38

Which of the following is a negative consequence of America's high rate of incarceration?

A) Increased rate of extradition of dangerous convicts
B) A rise in recidivism
C) Increased incidence of teenage pregnancy
D) A rise in capital punishment

Question 39

Which of the following is a measure that has significantly increased the length of prison terms in the United States?

A) Mandatory Miranda rights
B) Mandatory maximum sentences
C) Stringent decarceration policies
D) Truth-in-sentencing laws

Question 40

Identify a true statement about maximum-security prisons.

A) They are designed and organized to discipline dangerous felons.
B) They are based on the concept of the Pennsylvania system.
C) They house about a quarter of the country's prisoners.
D) They are small and hold less than five hundred inmates.

Question 41

_________ are statistical methods that help in decarceration.
A. Attendance strategies
B. Witness-based strategies
C. Evidence-based strategies
D. Configurational strategies ​

Question 42

The daily cost of housing and feeding each inmate is met with the help of a _________ followed in many jails.
A. fee system
B. penitentiary system
C. congregate system
D. three-grade system

Question 43

Prisons reserved for the "worst of the worst" of America's corrections population are known as _________.
A. maximum-security prisons
B. supermax prisons
C. minimum-security prisons
D. medium-security prisons ​

Question 44

Which of the following is a reason for privatization of American prisons?

A) Increased rates of decarceration
B) Severe social repercussions for communities
C) Overcrowding of corrections facilities
D) Significant decline in crime rates

Question 45

Explain the concept and design of new-generation jails.

Question 46

Explain the consequences of America's high rates of incarceration.

Question 47

Discuss the arguments against privatization of prisons.

Question 48

Identify a reality of jails acknowledged by time served.

A) A jail can provide extensive treatment facilities to federal convicts.
B) A jail has enough space to accommodate new offenders.
C) A jail term can serve no purpose except to punish a wrongdoer.
D) A jail term can rehabilitate a wrongdoer.

Question 49

Compare the Pennsylvania system with the New York system of prisons.

Question 50

Which of the following reasons explains why the private prison industry will continue to play an important role in American corrections?

A) There has been an increase in the incidences of recidivism across the United States.
B) As private prisons do not have a profit motive, they have no incentive to buy goods and services.
C) Private corrections firms are part of the government bureaucracy and provide assistance to government organizations in dealing with massive amount of paperwork related to prison administration.
D) The federal government houses many violators of immigration laws in thirteen privately operated "Criminal Alien Requirement" correctional facilities across the country.

Question 51

Which of the following is true of pretrial detainees?

A) They are individuals who are unable to post bail after arrest.
B) They are guilty until proven innocent.
C) They are given additional privileges over sentenced jail inmates.
D) They are denied the recourse of rehabilitation.

Question 52

Discuss the factors influencing the growth of the American prison population.

Question 53

The length of time a convict has spent in detention waiting for trial is known as _________.
A. time lag
B. time filler
C. time served
D. time shared

Question 54

Critics argue that private prisons are:

A) unable to provide enhanced services.
B) incapable of high levels of surveillance.
C) responsible for increased rates of extradition.
D) inherently unjust despite being cost-effective.

Question 55

Identify a true statement about the fee system prevalent in jails.

A) It prevents conflicts between government agencies.
B) It allows pretrial detainees to post bail after their arrest.
C) It involves reimbursement by a government agency.
D) It allows state governments to avoid payments to sheriffs.

Question 56

Theoretically, jail officials who have constant contact with inmates will be able to:

A) provide psychological help to inmates.
B) end recidivism following the release of inmates.
C) recognize danger signs from individual inmates.
D) rehabilitate inmates.

Question 57

Which of the following is true of a new-generation jail?

A) It uses a direct supervision approach.
B) It has cells located along a straight corridor.
C) It resembles the Elmira Reformatory.
D) It restricts interaction between inmates and jailers.

Question 58

A(n) _____ is a process of prison and jail administration in which correctional officers are in continuous visual contact with inmates during the day.

A) operant conditioning approach
B) participatory approach
C) rehabilitation approach
D) direct supervision approach

Question 59

Decreasing the rate of imprisonment for probation violators leads to _________.
A. decarceration
B. revocation
C. recidivism
D. reincarceration

Question 60

Which of the following is a difference between prisons and jails?

A) Unlike prisons, jails offer a wide variety of rehabilitation and educational programs for inmates.
B) Unlike prisons, jails hold offenders who have committed misdemeanors.
C) Unlike prisons, jails are operated by the federal and state governments.
D) Unlike prisons, jails house people convicted of felonies for lengthy periods of time.