Deck 11: Prisons and Jails

Question 1

Identify a true statement about the prisons of eighteenth-century England.

A) They were the primary instruments of punishments.
B) They were more likely than their American counterparts to use corporal correction.
C) They were mainly used to hold debtors.
D) They held pretrial detainees who were guilty of committing misdemeanors.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

In the context of political scientist John DiIulio's beliefs about prison management, which of the following is an advantage of the services offered in correctional facilities?

A) They help maintain a continuity of purpose within the facilities.
B) They reduce the chances that inmates will commit crimes after release.
C) They give convicts ample time to contemplate their wrongdoings.
D) They help protect incarcerated people from disorders.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

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

A) Both focus on limiting the direct control that managers have over their subordinates.
B) Both aim toward reducing personal responsibility.
C) Both rely on a hierarchical chain of command.
D) Both have a continuity of purpose.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The term _____ refers to an early form of correctional facility that emphasized separating inmates from society and from each other.

A) penitentiary
B) oubliette
C) private prison
D) halfway house

Question 5

Which of the following statements is true of 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 advocates giving less responsibilities to 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 6

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 assignments for one month before he could move to grade 1.
D) was lowered to grade 1 if he broke institutional rules.

Question 7

Unlike the criminal code adopted by the correctional system in the American colonies, William Penn's "Great Law" required that felons:

A) receive a whipping or a branding before being released.
B) be released only after receiving a religious pardon.
C) be awarded the death penalty.
D) pay restitution of property or goods to their victims.

Question 8

In the twentieth century, the Progressives:

A) advocated that criminal behavior was caused solely by political factors.
B) believed that a corrections system should have a goal of treatment.
C) were against the idea of using a medical model for prisons.
D) advocated the need for capital punishment.

Question 9

In the context of the models of prison organization, which of the following is true of the custodial model?

A) Inmates' daily routines are highly controlled.
B) It stresses the ideals of individualized treatment for inmates.
C) Security concerns are secondary to the well-being of inmates.
D) It offers halfway houses and work programs to help reintegrate inmates into society.

Question 10

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

A) It placed its inmates in solitary confinement.
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 required inmates to move up to grade 3 for release.

Question 11

Following 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 12

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 13

Unlike the Pennsylvania system of prison, _____.

A) the Auburn system was based on silence and labor
B) inmates in the Auburn system worked and ate together
C) the Auburn system was based on the idea of corporal punishment
D) inmates in the Auburn system were placed in solitary confinement

Question 14

In the context of models of prison organization, identify a true statement about the rehabilitation model.

A) It stresses primarily on security and discipline within a correctional facility.
B) It offers a number of treatment programs to prisoners to help them change their antisocial behavior.
C) It assumes that prisoners are incarcerated for reasons of incapacitation, deterrence, and retribution.
D) It provides a training ground for inmates to prepare for existence in the community.

Question 15

Which of the following is a criterion used by prison administrators for the 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 16

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

A) It imposed capital punishment on repeat offenders.
B) It mandated the branding of felons before their release from prison.
C) It was adopted by all the states of America except Pennsylvania.
D) It forbade the use of torture and mutilation as forms of punishment.

Question 17

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 18

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

A) They imposed capital punishment on repeat offenders.
B) They required more spaces than Pennsylvania's penitentiaries.
C) They were cheaper to build than Pennsylvania's penitentiaries.
D) They were built to ensure that inmates toiled alone in their cells.

Question 19

In the eighteenth century, which of the following sanctions was generally imposed by English courts on convicted felons?

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 20

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

A) It mandated the branding of inmates before their release.
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 21

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 22

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

A) Improved security for inmates
B) Higher corrections budgets for states
C) The overcrowding of corrections facilities
D) The significant decline in crime rates

Question 23

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

A) They mostly house first-time offenders who are nonviolent.
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 24

Which of the following is true of supermax prisons?

A) Supermax inmates are allowed out of their cells for no more than twenty minutes a day.
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 25

Roger, a 30-year-old man, created a fraudulent retail website on which customers could purchase sports equipment. Before making any purchases on the website, customers had to first submit their bank account details. Roger misused the bank details provided by his customers to transfer large sums of money to his own account. As a result, a lawsuit was filed against him, and 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) geriatric prison
D) minimum-security prison

Question 26

Decreasing the rate of imprisonment for probation violators leads to an increase in _____.

A) decarceration
B) revocation
C) intake
D) extradition

Question 27

Some critics see private prisons as inherently unjust because:

A) private prisons are part of the government bureaucracy.
B) government parole boards have no say in an inmate's release from a private correction facility.
C) they believe that private prisons are not as cost-effective as state prisons.
D) they believe that only the government has the authority to punish wrongdoers.

Question 28

In the context of decarceration, which of the following strategies has California been implementing since the early 2000s to reduce the state's prison inmate population?

A) An emergent strategy
B) An acquisition strategy
C) A realignment strategy
D) A portfolio strategy

Question 29

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) Reducing the number of parole and probation releases
C) Increasing the duration between the arrest and the detention hearing
D) Increasing the stringency of sentencing laws

Question 30

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

A) their nonunionized staffs receive lower levels of healthcare insurance.
B) they are part of the government bureaucracy.
C) they pay significantly lower base salaries to their staffs.
D) their nonunionized staffs contend with massive amount of paperwork.

Question 31

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) provide more restrictive living quarters.

Question 32

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

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

Question 33

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 34

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 restitution policies
C) Stringent decarceration policies
D) Truth-in-sentencing laws

Question 35

Prisons reserved for the "worst of the worst" of America's corrections population are known as _____.

A) maximum-security prisons
B) supermax prisons
C) geriatric prisons
D) medium-security prisons

Question 36

Identify a factor driving federal prison population growth.

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

Question 37

According to statistics, about 2.7 million minors in the United States-one in twenty-eight-have a parent in prison. Which of the following is a likely consequence for such children?

A) They have strong interpersonal relationships as a result of growing up in foster homes.
B) They have lower rates of recidivism.
C) They are at an increased risk of juvenile delinquency.
D) They are less prone to physical health problems as they develop better immunity.

Question 38

Which of the following is true of a maximum-security prison?

A) They are surrounded by concrete walls that stand twenty to thirty feet high and have also been sunk deep into the ground to deter tunnel escapes.
B) Prisoners are strip-searched before and after leaving their cells, and are placed in waist restraints and handcuffs on their way to and from the "yard" and showers.
C) They have a podular design, in which each "pod" contains "living units" for individual prisoners.
D) Prisoners are provided with amenities such as televisions and computers in their rooms.

Question 39

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 half of America's prisoners.
D) They are small and hold less than five hundred inmates.

Question 40

Which of the following is true of the classification process of inmates?

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

Question 41

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

Question 42

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.

Question 43

Identify a true statement about pretrial detainees.

A) They are forced to spend the time before their hearing incarcerated in jail.
B) They are guilty until proved innocent.
C) They are given additional privileges over sentenced jail inmates.
D) They are offenders who are out of prison on bail.

Question 44

The layout of new-generation jails makes it more difficult for the staff to monitor cell-confined inmates.

Question 45

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

Question 46

Which of the following is a reason why the private prison industry will continue to play an important role in American corrections?

A) A number of studies have found that private prisons are more cost-effective than public ones.
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 help government organizations deal with the massive amount of paperwork related to prison administration.
D) The federal government contracts with private facilities to house about two-thirds of the undocumented immigrants taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Question 47

Starting in 1987, Congress implemented the policy of parole in the federal corrections system.

Question 48

In Bell v. Wolfish (1979), the United States Supreme Court recognized that:

A) changing low-level property crimes from felonies to misdemeanors would increase the chances of incarceration for probation and parole violators.
B) it is important to give pretrial detainees greater legal protections than sentenced jail inmates.
C) it would be impractical for corrections officials to treat pretrial detainees differently from convicted jail inmates.
D) using corporal punishment similar to that used in the Auburn system would prevent inmates from reverting to a life of crime.

Question 49

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

A) It eliminates the "pay-to-stay" system imposed by sheriffs' departments.
B) It enables pretrial detainees to post bail after their arrest.
C) It involves reimbursement by a government agency.
D) It allows state governments to avoid making payments to sheriffs.

Question 50

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

Question 51

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

Question 52

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 is devoid of treatment facilities.
D) It restricts interaction between inmates and jailers.

Question 53

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

Question 54

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

A) provide psychological help to inmates.
B) grant bail to inmates depending on their conduct.
C) recognize danger signs from individual inmates.
D) rehabilitate inmates.

Question 55

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 56

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 in silence.

Question 57

A judge will often credit an offender's time served toward his or her sentence. Identify a reality of jails acknowledged by this practice.

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

Question 58

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

Question 59

Many jails operate on the principle of a _____, in which a government agency reimburses the sheriff's department.

A) fee system
B) penitentiary system
C) congregate system
D) three-grade system

Question 60

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

Question 61

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

Question 62

What are the arguments against private prisons?

Question 63

Explain the concept and the design of new-generation jails.

Question 64

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

Question 65

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