Criminal Justice System and Capital Punishment

A collection of vocabulary flashcards related to key concepts, terms, and legal cases discussed in the context of criminal justice and capital punishment.

Sexual Harassment

Unwelcome sexual advances or conduct in the workplace or other professional settings.

MeToo Movement

A social movement against sexual harassment and assault that gained prominence in 2017.

Restitution

Compensation required from a convicted offender to the victim for loss or injury.

Incapacitation

A goal of sentencing that aims to prevent future crimes by keeping offenders confined.

Recidivism

The tendency of a convicted criminal to reoffend or relapse into criminal behavior.

Just Desert

The concept that punishments should be proportional to the severity of the crime committed.

Three-Strikes Law

A law that imposes severe penalties on repeat offenders, potentially leading to life sentences.

Truth in Sentencing

Laws that require offenders to serve a substantial portion of their prison sentence without parole.

Deterrence

A theory of punishment aimed at preventing crime by making the consequences of crime undesirable.

Capital Punishment

The state-sanctioned execution of a person as a punishment for a crime, typically murder.

General Deterrence

Punishment intended to discourage criminal behavior in the general public.

Specific Deterrence

Punishment aimed at preventing a specific offender from reoffending.

Victim Impact Statement

A statement made by the victim or their family detailing the impact of the crime during sentencing.

Aggravating Circumstances

Factors that increase the severity or culpability of a criminal act.

Mitigating Circumstances

Factors that may reduce the culpability of a defendant or lessen the severity of the punishment.

Mandatory Minimum Sentences

Laws that set the lowest amount of time a person must serve for a particular crime.

Eyewitness Misidentification

A legal issue in which a witness incorrectly identifies a perpetrator.

Furman v. Georgia

A landmark Supreme Court case that ruled on the arbitrary and capricious application of the death penalty.

Restoration

A sentencing principle focused on repairing harm caused by criminal behavior and facilitating offender reintegration.

Wergild

A historical practice of compensating the victim's family in cases of injury or murder.

Post-Release Supervision

Monitoring of offenders after their release from prison to ensure compliance with the terms of their release.

Eighth Amendment

Part of the U.S. Constitution that prohibits cruel and unusual punishments.

Public Opinion on Death Penalty

The fluctuating societal perceptions and attitudes toward the validity and morality of capital punishment.