Deck 8: Correctional Effectiveness

Question 1

Define the following terms:
-brutalization effect

Answer 1

The brutalization effect is a criminological concept that suggests the use of the death penalty may actually lead to an increase in the rate of homicides, rather than deterring them. The theory posits that state-sanctioned executions may desensitize the public to the seriousness of taking a life, or even implicitly suggest that killing is an acceptable way to resolve problems, particularly when the state models that behavior.

According to this theory, executions may have three potential effects that contribute to the brutalization effect:

1. **Desensitization**: Regular exposure to state executions, especially through media coverage, may make the act of killing seem more normal or acceptable to the public.

2. **Imitation**: Some individuals may be more likely to commit homicide because they see the state using killing as a means of punishment, essentially setting an example that lethal violence is a legitimate response to certain behaviors.

3. **Teaching by example**: The state is perceived as a moral authority, and when it carries out executions, it may send a message that taking a life is a justifiable response to certain actions.

Empirical evidence for the brutalization effect is mixed, with some studies finding support for the theory and others not. It remains a topic of debate among scholars, with some arguing that the death penalty deters crime and others suggesting it has no effect or may even increase the likelihood of homicide. The brutalization effect is one of several arguments used by opponents of the death penalty to advocate for its abolition.

Question 2

Define the following terms:
-Cognitive Thinking Skills Program

Answer 2

The term "Cognitive Thinking Skills Program" refers to a structured set of educational or therapeutic activities designed to enhance an individual's cognitive abilities. These programs aim to improve various aspects of cognition, including memory, attention, problem-solving, decision-making, and critical thinking. The goal is to help individuals develop and strengthen the mental processes that are essential for learning, understanding, and functioning effectively in daily life.

Here are some key components often included in a Cognitive Thinking Skills Program:

1. **Memory Enhancement**: Exercises and activities that help improve short-term and long-term memory retention and recall.

2. **Attention Training**: Techniques to increase an individual's ability to focus and maintain attention on tasks without getting easily distracted.

3. **Problem-Solving Skills**: Strategies to approach and solve problems in a systematic and logical manner, including identifying problems, generating solutions, and evaluating outcomes.

4. **Decision-Making**: Tools to help individuals make informed and reasoned choices by considering possible outcomes and the impact of each option.

5. **Critical Thinking**: Activities that encourage questioning assumptions, analyzing arguments, and distinguishing between facts and opinions to form well-reasoned judgments.

6. **Executive Functioning**: Development of skills related to planning, organizing, strategizing, and managing time and space effectively.

7. **Metacognition**: Awareness and understanding of one's own thought processes, which can help individuals regulate their learning and adapt strategies for better outcomes.

Cognitive Thinking Skills Programs can be tailored for different age groups and populations, including children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly. They can be applied in various settings such as schools, clinics, workplaces, or even at home. These programs are often used to support individuals with learning disabilities, ADHD, brain injuries, or age-related cognitive decline, but they can also be beneficial for anyone looking to enhance their cognitive performance and mental agility.

Question 3

Define the following terms:
-capital punishment

Answer 3

Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is a government-sanctioned practice whereby a person is put to death by the state as a punishment for a crime. The legal process that leads to the imposition of the death penalty is typically reserved for the most serious offenses, such as murder, espionage, treason, or as part of military justice. In some countries, sexual crimes, such as rape, adultery, incest, and sodomy, also carry the death penalty, as do religious crimes such as apostasy in Islamic nations.

The methods of execution have varied over time and include hanging, shooting, lethal injection, electrocution, and beheading. The use of capital punishment has been a subject of considerable debate and controversy. Proponents argue that it serves as a deterrent to crime, provides a measure of justice for the victims and their families, and ensures that the convicted individual cannot commit further crimes. Opponents of capital punishment argue that it is inhumane, subject to judicial errors, and not proven to be an effective deterrent. They also point out the possibility of wrongful convictions and the irreversible nature of the punishment.

The practice of capital punishment varies widely by country, with some nations having abolished it altogether, while others continue to use it, although often under strict regulations and less frequently than in the past. The movement towards the abolition of the death penalty has gained momentum globally, with an increasing number of countries either abolishing it for all crimes or ceasing to carry out executions. International human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International, actively campaign for the global abolition of capital punishment.

Question 4

Define the following terms:
-collective incapacitation

Question 5

Define the following terms:
-corporal punishment

Question 6

Define the following terms:
-Functional Family Therapy

Question 7

Define the following terms:
-general deterrence

Question 8

Define the following terms:
-Multi-Systemic Therapy

Question 9

Define the following terms:
-risk, need and responsivity

Question 10

Define the following terms:
-selective incapacitation

Question 11

Define the following terms:
-specific deterrence

Question 12

Define the following terms:
-treatment fidelity

Question 13

The incarceration is not expected to affect anyone else's future offending other than the targeted individual is an assumption of what philosophical rationale?

A) integral rehabilitation
B) general deterrence
C) specific deterrence
D) specialized caseloads

Question 14

Correctional intervention with past offenders serving as an example to other potential law violators and deter those individuals from committing crime is?

A) general deterrence
B) specific deterrence
C) collective deterrence
D) severe deterrence

Question 15

Studies find that overall, simple imprisonment deters a large proportion of those who are incarcerated.

Question 16

Which of the following could be used as the dependent variable when testing the relationship between the deterrent effect of prison and recidivism?

A) rearrest
B) return to prison
C) new conviction
D) all of the above

Question 17

What is the ultimate form of punishment?

A) incarceration
B) death penalty
C) probation
D) parole

Question 18

Only crimes that result in death are eligible for capital punishment.

Question 19

Research studies find strong evidence that the death penalty has a general deterrent effect.

Question 20

Which of the following best illustrates the brutalization effect?

A) An inmate is sentenced to solitary confinement for two months and then returns to the general prison population.
B) A person serves one month in jail and then is returned to the community on probation for one month and then returns to jail.
C) A drug dealer is sentenced to life in prison and drug crimes decreased.
D) An offender is executed and for the next month or so, homicide crimes increased.

Question 21

_____________________provides control over the individual, thus preventing behavior that is harmful to society.

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

Question 22

If it is assumed that an individual commits 10 crimes per year, the incapacitative effect of a one-year prison sentence is a reduction of crime by ___________ offenses for every person so incarcerated.

A) 10
B) 20
C) 30
D) 40

Question 23

Which of the following is a good example of a selective incapacitation strategy?

A) expiration of release
B) three-strikes policies
C) minimum jail terms of three months for all convicted felony offenders
D) all of the above

Question 24

Which of the following is a good example of a collective incapacitation strategy?

A) expiration of release
B) three-strikes policies
C) minimum jail term of three months for all convicted felony offenders
D) all of the above

Question 25

When Greenwood's (1982) seven-item scale was applied to Texas and California's offenders, in particular those who committed burglary and robbery found ______________ results for selective incapacitation?

A) contradictory
B) consistent
C) negative
D) positive

Question 26

A major problem with selective incapacitation, which is also the cornerstone of this approach, is _____________________________________.

A) finding cells to hold all offenders
B) the difficulty in predicting future behaviors
C) the assumption that offending rates remain constant over time
D) determining the length of time offenders should serve

Question 27

Overall, most studies suggest that to have any significant incapacitative effect will require the incarceration of ______________ offenders.

A) fewer
B) more

Question 28

Martinson agreed that there are instances in which rehabilitation has a positive impact on behavior.

Question 29

Lipton et al. (1975) found that while the effect of treatment on recidivism was small, other factors did improve such as?

A) attitudes
B) educational attainment
C) rearrests
D) a and b
E) b and c

Question 30

What is the key to effective interventions?

A) Implementing programs that apply the principles of risk, need, and responsivity
B) Incarceration that involves drug treatment programs
C) Measuring recidivism as broadly as possible
D) Selective incapacitation programs that only incarcerate high risk offenders

Question 31

Studies have not found support for treatments that focus on interpersonal skills, cognitive-behavioral interventions, multimodal approaches and community-based programs.

Question 32

What is the greatest risk factor for future offending?

A) anti-social attitudes and beliefs
B) pro-criminal friends
C) past criminal behavior
D) history of substance abuse

Question 33

This principle states that treatment should be targeted at those most likely to reoffend.

A) Risk
B) Need
C) Responsivity
D) Fidelity

Question 34

This principle refers to making certain the treatment addresses the individuals and their circumstances.

A) Risk
B) Need
C) Responsivity
D) Fidelity

Question 35

This principle addresses how interventions should be matched to the individual.

A) Risk
B) Need
C) Responsivity
D) Fidelity

Question 36

If treatment studies find positive mean effect sizes, what did the researchers observe?

A) reductions in recidivism
B) increases in recidivism
C) no change in recidivism

Question 37

Of the following risk factors, which are also needs that should be targeted by treatment?

A) anti-social attitudes and beliefs
B) past criminal behavior
C) history of substance abuse
D) a, b, and c
E) a and c

Question 38

General responsivity focuses on all of the following except?

A) differences between individuals and their circumstances and needs
B) cognitive behavioral interventions
C) social learning techniques
D) interventions that focus on behavior change

Question 39

The three principles of effective intervention have been found to be valid through a number of analyses.

Question 40

Which of the following fall does not fall under the heading of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy?

A) Multi-Systemic Therapy
B) Cognitive Thinking Skills Program
C) Functional Family Therapy
D) Psychoanalytical Therapy

Question 41

The most positive findings from cognitive thinking skills program emerge when they are implemented in community settings.

Question 42

When there is high program fidelity, treatment programs are more likely find?

A) lower recidivism
B) higher recidivism

Question 43

Are deterrence methods effective? Defend.

Question 44

Distinguish between corporal and capital sanctions.

Question 45

How does collective incapacitation differ from selective incapacitation?

Question 46

What have studies found when examining the impact of sentence length on parole outcomes?

Question 47

What are two problems with selective incapacitation approaches?

Question 48

Historically, how has the affinity for corrections with a rehabilitation focus shifted?

Question 49

How do we know if a program has treatment fidelity?

Question 50

Name and describe one example of a cognitive-behavioral therapy program.