Question 1

Three-strikes laws mean that:

Accepted Answer

A)   repeat offenders get a three-judge panel deciding their cases.
B)   career criminals receive a triple sentence for their offenses.
C)   criminals receive an extended or life sentence when convicted of a third felony.
D)   there are only three appeals options available to repeat offenders. C

Question 2

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:

Accepted Answer

A)   incarceration.
B)   public shaming.
C)   rehabilitation.
D)   hanging. A

Question 3

Whether a prisoner receives treatment for a mental disorder is at the discretion of:

Accepted Answer

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

Question 4

Three-strikes laws have been criticized for all of the following EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

A)   three-strikes laws increase gender disparity in sentencing for violent crimes.
B)   there are much cheaper and equally effective alternatives to imprisonment.
C)   three-strikes laws are often imposed for relatively minor, nonviolent offenses.
D)   longer prison sentences are handed down to offenders who are "aging out of" crime.

Question 5

The criminal justice system uses two primary methods to hold people. One such placement is _____, where people are held short-term.

Accepted Answer

A)   state prison
B)   halfway house
C)   jail
D)   federal prison

Question 6

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

Accepted Answer

A)   prior criminal record; type of crime
B)   type of crime; socioeconomic situation
C)   circumstances of the current offense; gender
D)   socioeconomic situation; prior criminal record

Question 7

The _____ theory implies that the repulsive nature of prisons will increase individuals' desire to maintain a law-abiding lifestyle.

Accepted Answer

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

Question 8

The prison population is also highly racially disproportionate to the general population. Black males have a _____ chance of serving at least 1 year in prison or jail during their lifetime, whereas the same chance for White males is _____.

Accepted Answer

A)   10%; 11%
B)   29%; 5%
C)   59%; 1%
D)   90%; 49%

Question 9

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

Accepted Answer

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

Question 10

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

Accepted Answer

A)   two
B)   three
C)   five
D)   ten

Question 11

One reason that recent immigrants held in prisons did not have much sympathy from the general population was the common belief that they were _____ and _____ inferior.

Accepted Answer

A)   morally; intellectually
B)   morally; financially
C)   intellectually; socially
D)   socially; financially

Question 12

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

Accepted Answer

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

Question 13

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

Accepted Answer

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

Question 14

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 behavior. According to the text, what is being assessed is referred to as:

Accepted Answer

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

Question 15

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

Accepted Answer

A)   a harsher sentence than
B)   the same sentence as
C)   a more lenient sentence than
D)   a less lenient sentence than

Question 16

Some studies have found that judges were susceptible to different sentencing based on the convicted person's _____ and _____.

Accepted Answer

A)   race; gender
B)   race; age
C)   age; gender
D)   gender; socioeconomic status

Question 17

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

Accepted Answer

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

Question 18

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

Accepted Answer

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

Question 19

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

Accepted Answer

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

Question 20

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

Accepted Answer

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

Exam 16: Section 2: Corrections: Sentencing, Imprisonment, and Alternatives