Criminal Justice and Catholic Social Teaching Exam Review

A comprehensive vocabulary review of criminal justice terms, Catholic Social Teaching principles, USCCB stances, Romero's theological points, and reentry issues.

Eschatology (and relation to Communion)

The study of the "last things" (death, judgment, heaven, hell, and the fulfillment of God's kingdom).\n\nRelation to Communion:\n- The Eucharist serves as a foretaste of the heavenly banquet and future Kingdom of God.\n- Points believers toward the ultimate reconciliation of humanity with God.

Recidivism

The tendency of an individual who has previously been convicted of a crime to reoffend after release from incarceration.

Crimeless Revocation

The reincarceration of an individual on probation or parole for violating administrative supervision rules (such as missing appointments or failing a drug test) without committing any new criminal offense.

Jail vs. Prison

1. Jail\n - Operated by local governments (city or county)\n - Holds people awaiting trial or serving short sentences (typically under one year)\n2. Prison\n - Operated by state or federal governments\n - Holds individuals convicted of more serious offenses serving longer sentences (typically over one year)

Restorative Justice

An approach to justice emphasizing healing harm, accountability, and reconciliation among victims, offenders, and communities.\n\nAssociated Activities:\n- Victim-offender dialogue\n- Mediation\n- Family group conferencing\n- Community service\n- Restitution\n- Peace circles

13th Amendment Penal Exception Clause

Abolished slavery and involuntary servitude except as punishment for a crime. Following the Civil War, this loophole allowed states to pass Black Codes, arrest formerly enslaved individuals, and force them into labor via convict leasing.

Role of the Sacraments in Criminal Justice (Levad / USCCB)

Rites that provide spiritual healing, human dignity, hope, conversion, and reintegration into faith communities. Sacraments like the Eucharist and Reconciliation emphasize rehabilitation and restoration over purely punitive measures.

Catholic Church Opposition to the Death Penalty

Moral and doctrinal opposition based on the beliefs that:\n- Every person holds inviolable, inherent human dignity.\n- Human life is sacred.\n- Modern society possesses non-lethal means to protect itself.\n- Punishment must always preserve opportunities for repentance and rehabilitation.

USCCB Proposals for Crime Reduction and Prevention

• Expanding education and employment opportunities\n- Strengthening and supporting families\n- Providing accessible drug treatment and mental health services\n- Establishing restorative justice initiatives\n- Enacting prison reform and reentry assistance\n- Alleviating poverty and social exclusion

USCCB Positions on Rural Prisons, Solitary Confinement, and Youth Offenders

• Rural Prisons: Raises concern regarding geographic isolation from family support networks.\n- Solitary Confinement: Urges strict limits due to documented psychological damage.\n- Youth Tried as Adults / LWOP: Generally opposed because young offenders have a heightened capacity for rehabilitation.\n- Core Goal: Prioritizes restorative and rehabilitative practices over purely punitive detention.

Principles of Catholic Social Teaching in Criminal Justice

• Inherent Human Dignity\n- The Common Good\n- Solidarity\n- Preferential Option for the Poor\n- Rights and Responsibilities\n- Participation in Society\n- Subsidiarity\n- Care for the Vulnerable and Marginalized

Documented Biases in the Criminal Justice System

• Racial profiling in policing\n- Disproportionate sentencing disparities\n- Unequal access to quality legal defense\n- Implicit and explicit bias in jury selection\n- Wealth-based inequities, such as reliance on cash bail

Requirements for Human Dignity (USCCB)

Recognizing that each person is formed in the image of God, requiring:\n- Inherent respect\n- Protection of fundamental human rights\n- Fair legal due process\n- Physical and psychological safety\n- Opportunities for genuine redemption and societal participation

Catholic Commitment to Families and Incarceration

• Facilitating the maintenance of family ties during detention\n- Providing pastoral and social support to children of incarcerated parents\n- Advocating for policies that preserve family unity\n- Aiding formerly incarcerated persons in successfully reintegrating into family life

Fratelli Tutti (Themes on Justice)

• Universal human fraternity and social friendship\n- Special care for marginalized and vulnerable individuals\n- Firm rejection of a "throwaway culture"\n- Unequivocal opposition to the death penalty\n- Unconditional commitment to mercy, dialogue, and reconciliation

For-Profit Prisons, Cash Bail, and Incarceration Rates

• For-Profit Prisons: Profit motives and shareholder interests create systemic conflicts with genuine rehabilitation goals.\n- Cash Bail: Results in pretrial detention based on personal wealth rather than public safety threat.\n- U.S. Incarceration Rates: The United States maintains one of the highest per-capita incarceration rates globally.

Oscar Romero's Core Theological Themes

1. Incarnation: God is intimately and actively present within human history.\n2. God of Life: God stands decisively against injustice, oppression, and premature death.\n3. Location of the Church: The Church must physically and spiritually place itself alongside the poor and suffering.\n4. Church and Politics: The Church is obligated to denounce social injustices while remaining anchored in the Gospel.

Scriptural Foundations for Ministry to the Incarcerated

• Matthew 25:36, 40: "I was in prison and you visited me… Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."\n- Hebrews 13:3: "Remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison."\n- Luke 4:18: Jesus proclaims the fulfillment of Scripture to bring liberty to captives.

Methods of Execution in the United States

• Lethal injection (the primary and most widespread method)\n- Nitrogen hypoxia\n- Electrocution\n- Firing squad\n- Gas chamber (authorized in very few jurisdictions)

Michelle Alexander: Reentry Barriers (The New Jim Crow)

Systemic post-release obstacles that contribute to recidivism, including:\n- Chronic barriers to formal employment\n- Severe discrimination in public and private housing\n- Disenfranchisement (loss of voting rights)\n- Lasting civil and social stigma\n- Denial of public assistance and benefits\n- Onerous parole conditions and ongoing surveillance