Corrections exam 3

Clemson | Casey Just-4930

What was Reaganomics?

Reagan's economic program focused on cutting taxes (especially for the wealthy), reducing government size and regulations, and addressing inflation, based on the belief these policies would reduce crime and revive the economy.

What is trickle-down economics?

A theory that tax cuts and financial benefits for corporations and the wealthy stimulate economic growth that ultimately benefits everyone through job creation and increased investment.

What is stagflation?

An economic condition that combines high inflation and high unemployment, which was a key problem Reagan aimed to solve through his economic reforms in the early 1980s.

What was the cultural shift in the 1980s referred to as decadence?

A cultural embrace of material goods and consumer spending in the 1980s, contributing to rapid growth in personal and family debt, largely fueled by the rise of credit cards.

What is neoconservative criminology?

A revival of individual-level theories of crime as opposed to social explanations, emphasizing free will, declining morality, and biological predisposition as root causes of criminal behavior.

What do free will and rationality suggest about the source of crime?

The neoconservative view that individuals freely choose to commit crimes and are rational actors who weigh costs and benefits, making them fully responsible for their actions.

What does declining morality imply as a source of crime?

The argument that crime stems from the breakdown of traditional values and the traditional two-parent family structure.

What is the concept of biological predisposition in crime?

The idea that biology or morality predisposes certain individuals to crime more than others, emphasizing individual rather than social explanations.

What was the significance of The Martinson Report?

An influential report that concluded rehabilitation programs are largely ineffective, undermining rehabilitation as a justification for incarceration and leading to a focus on retribution-based sentencing.

What does 'Doing Justice' refer to in the context of incarceration?

A key study that established retribution as the dominant philosophy for sentencing and punishment, arguing that people should be punished because they deserve it, not to rehabilitate or deter.

What is retribution in sentencing philosophy?

Punishment inflicted simply because a person committed a wrong, as a deserved consequence, representing the dominant sentencing philosophy of the 1980s–90s.

What is deterrence in the context of punishment?

Punishment aimed at preventing future offenses, which was strongly supported by conservatives during this era.

What is general incapacitation?

The removal of offenders from society to prevent them from committing any crimes against the general public, which applies broadly across all offense types.

What is selective incapacitation?

Targeting specific types of offenders (e.g., drug offenders) for removal from society, rather than applying incapacitation broadly to all criminals.

What are mandatory minimums?

Laws requiring judges to impose a set minimum prison sentence for certain offenses, removing judicial discretion and contributing to mass incarceration, particularly through the War on Drugs.

What is three-strikes legislation?

Laws mandating a severe sentence (often life) upon a third felony conviction, regardless of the offense severity, aimed at habitual offenders.

What are truth-in-sentencing laws?

Laws requiring offenders to serve a high percentage of their sentence (often 85%) before becoming eligible for parole, thus reducing early release.

What was the War on Drugs?

A conservative policy initiative that heavily criminalized drug offenses, significantly increased incarceration rates (especially among women and minorities), and relied on mandatory minimums and habitual offender laws.

What is meant by the graying of the inmate population?

The rapid growth of elderly inmates (50+) as the fastest-growing prison population, driven by longer sentences from mandatory minimums.

What were the female incarceration trends from the 1980s to the 1990s?

Female incarceration grew faster than male during this period (254% vs. 147% from 1981–1991), driven by stricter drug sentencing, with approximately 80% of incarcerated women being mothers and primary caregivers, raising family and child welfare concerns.