Corrections Flashcards

True or false: Probation is the most frequently used form of correctional punishment in the United States?

True.

True or false: During the past few years the prison population has continued to increase?

False.

True or false: Until the early 1800s in the United States, correctional officials followed the European practice of corporal punishment to reprimand criminal behavior.

True.

True or false: The New York system of corrections, implemented first in the Auburn State Prison, was founded upon the idea of complete solitary confinement of inmates.

False.

True or false: Evidence-based corrections is a movement to ensure that correctional programs and policies are based on research evidence about 'what works.'

True.

From the earliest accounts of humankind, punishment has been used as a means of ________, forcing people to comply with rules, norms, and laws.

Social control.

Corrections can be viewed as a series of processes that are ________, meaning that each process affects another part of the criminal justice system in some way.

Interconnected.

Nearly one-fifth of all offenders are under the correctional control of four states—the Big Four of corrections. Which is NOT one of these states?

• A. Texas

• B. Oklahoma

• C. Florida

• D. New York

B. Oklahoma.

A ________ is a correctional facility used to house pretrial detainees and those sentenced for minor offenses.

Jail.

In 1790, the first recognized penitentiary was created in which U.S. city?

Philadelphia.

The system where inmates were held in isolation at night but worked together during the day is known as the ________.

Congregate system.

Which event was instrumental in the move toward the community corrections movement in the United States?

The inmate riot that occurred in September 1971 at the Attica State Prison in New York.

What is parole?

Parole is a system of supervision of those who have been released from confinement, sometimes including the option of early release before the expiration of their sentence.

What facility is authorized to hold pretrial detainees and sentenced misdemeanants for longer than 48 hours?

Jail.

What is probation?

Community supervision of a convicted offender, generally instead of confinement in jail or prison.

What is parole?

Supervision after release from incarceration, sometimes before the sentence expires.

What do probation and parole have in common?

Both involve community supervision and require compliance with conditions.

What is the main difference between probation and parole?

Probation generally replaces incarceration; parole follows incarceration.

How are probation and parole administered, according to the textbook?

Probation is usually administered by county or judicial agencies. Parole is an executive-branch function.

True or false: Corrections in colonial America followed English ideas and practices.

True.

True or false: The death penalty is the ultimate example of the punishment goal referred to as incapacitation.

True.

True or false: Deterrence assumes that people think rationally before they act.

True.

True or false: Indeterminate sentences require a minimum and maximum amount of time for offenders to serve in prison.

True.

True or false: Felony courts hear about 90% of all criminal cases.

False.

Before the 1200s in Europe, crime was considered a private affair, with vengeance carried out by the victim or the victim's family. This principle centered on lex talionis, meaning the law of ________.

Retaliation.

The earliest known forms of codified law were the Sumerian Laws of Mesopotamia (3100 B.C.E.) and the ________, developed by the King of Babylon in 1750 B.C.E.

Code of Hammurabi.

Which is NOT a principle underlying Beccaria's reforms?

Imprisonment should be more widely employed, with worse quarters to deter offenders.

Which is NOT one of the four commonly accepted goals of criminal sanctions in the United States?

• A. Rehabilitation

• B. Retribution

• C. Deterrence

• D. Incarceration

D. Incarceration.

A new goal of punishment is called ________ justice. It seeks to repair losses to the victim and community while attempting to keep the offender connected to society.

Restorative.

Fines, forfeiture of illegally gained assets, and restitution to victims are examples of what form of punishment?

Intermediate sanctions.

A(n) ________ sentence is a fixed period of incarceration and is often associated with retribution.

Determinate.

According to the text, which is NOT an 'invisible punishment'?

Restricting access to public libraries.

The ________ report is a summary prepared by a probation officer who investigates a convicted offender's background to help the judge select an appropriate punishment.

Presentence.

The presentence report is prepared by a ________.

Probation officer.

When an innocent person is found guilty by plea or verdict, it is known as a ________.

Wrongful conviction.

What is deterrence?

Preventing crime by making people fear the consequences of punishment.

What is general deterrence?

Punishing an offender to discourage other people from committing crimes.

What is specific deterrence?

Punishing an offender to discourage that person from committing another crime.

What is an example of specific deterrence?

Someone avoids committing another crime because they do not want to return to prison.

What is rehabilitation?

Helping offenders return to a constructive role in society by addressing factors related to their criminal behavior.

What programs can support rehabilitation?

Education, vocational training, and therapy.

What is an example of rehabilitation?

An incarcerated person learns job skills to obtain lawful employment after release.

True or false: Jails are the entryway to corrections.

True.

True or false: According to many scholars, a great percentage of defendants are considered indigent and cannot afford to post bail.

True.

True or false: Defendants regarded as dangerous or likely to commit crimes while awaiting trial are kept in jail for society's protection under preventive detention.

True.

True or false: According to federal and state laws, jail employees can never be held liable for their actions.

False.

True or false: Local jail officers are some of the best trained, educated, and paid employees in the entire U.S. correctional system.

False.

The idea behind the American jail system was adopted from which country?

England.

Operated as facilities to detain accused people awaiting trial, jails have customarily been run by ________.

County sheriffs.

The ________ system funds jail operations through a set amount paid per day for each inmate held.

Fee.

Which facility operates under a joint agreement between two or more government units, with a jail board representing participating jurisdictions and having varying authority over policy, budget, operations, and personnel?

Regional jail.

Which is NOT considered one of the most significant problems jail inmates face?

• A. Nutrition

• B. Mental health issues

• C. Substance dependency

• D. Legal concerns

A. Nutrition.

Pretrial detainees ________.

Have not been convicted of the crimes they are being held on.

Which is NOT one of the three main reasons used to support pretrial diversion programs?

• A. Diversion is cheaper than criminal justice processing.

• B. There is a stigma attached to being labeled a criminal.

• C. Many offenders' crimes are caused by special problems, such as addiction.

• D. These programs help prevent the accused from committing further crimes.

D. These programs help prevent the accused from committing further crimes.

By far the most successful pretrial release program has been ________.

Release on recognizance (ROR).

Defendants who do not appear for a court hearing are called ________.

Absconders.

When can jail administrators be held legally liable for inmates' treatment?

When their actions or failure to act violate inmates' constitutional or civil rights.

What federal law allows lawsuits for violations of federally protected rights by government officials?

42 U.S.C. § 1983.

What is an example of conduct that could create liability?

Knowingly failing to provide necessary medical care to an inmate.

How has the threat of lawsuits affected jail management?

It has encouraged jails to adopt humane practices and standards.

True or false: The law enforcement role of probation emphasizes surveillance of the offender and close controls on behavior.

True.

True or false: One common problem with intermediate sanctions programs is that many believe these programs increase the number of offenders unnecessarily controlled by the government.

True.

True or false: When supervision requirements and surveillance increase, more violations are detected and more probationers face revocation.

True.

True or false: Nongovernment agencies can administer community corrections programs in the United States.

True.

________, a Boston boot-maker, was the first recorded probation officer in the United States, dating back to 1841.

John Augustus.

The goal of ________ is to minimize the probability that an offender will commit a new offense, especially through tight controls over the probationer's activities and careful surveillance.

Risk management.

More than two-thirds of people under correctional authority are ________.

Under community supervision.

Probationers are more likely to be ________ than offenders confined to jail or prison.

White and female.

Judicial reprieve in the United States was ________.

Declared unconstitutional in 1916.

Government seizure of property and other assets derived from or used in criminal activity is called ________.

Forfeiture.

Intermediate sanctions have two general goals: providing more effective alternatives to probation and serving as a ________.

Less costly alternative to prison.

According to the text, boot camps are designed for what type of offender?

Young offenders.

If an offender falls behind on paying compensation for financial, physical, or emotional loss, they may be sent to a ________.

Restitution center.

When prison alternatives are correctly applied to nonprison cases, they cannot ________.

Save money.

What two selection problems do intermediate sanctions face?

Choosing the right agencies to operate programs and the right offenders to participate.

What is net widening?

Placing people under stricter government control when a less restrictive sanction would have been sufficient.

How can increased supervision lead to more imprisonment?

It detects more rule violations, which can lead to revocation and incarceration.

How can sentencing bias affect intermediate sanctions?

Some groups may receive better access to alternatives than others.

When do intermediate sanctions fail to save money?

When they supervise people who would not otherwise have gone to prison.

True or false: PSIs do not allow victims to make impact statements describing their emotional and financial losses due to the offender's actions.

False.

True or false: Private investigative firms have recently begun to provide judges with PSIs.

True.

True or false: One main purpose of the probation officer's supervision is to enforce compliance with conditions.

True.

True or false: Probation may be revoked if the probationer fails to attend a mandatory therapy session.

True.

The PSI process typically begins with an interview with the ________.

Offender.

Probation officers traditionally perform two basic functions: ________ and supervision.

Investigation.

Supervision begins once an offender is sentenced to probation. Which is NOT one of its three steps?

• A. Establishing a relationship with the offender

• B. Preparing a presentence investigation (PSI)

• C. Setting supervision goals to help the offender comply with conditions established by the court

• D. Deciding how to terminate probation based on the offender's response to supervision

B. Preparing a presentence investigation (PSI).

Probation officers prefer to rely more heavily on their ________ rather than on power.

Authority.

________ involves interpersonal techniques that increase correctional treatment's effectiveness by having the probation officer interact with the client in ways that promote the client's stake in the change process.

Motivational interviewing.

The return of a former correctional client to criminal behavior is known as ________.

Recidivism.

What is authority?

The ability to influence someone's actions without using force.

What is power?

The ability to force someone to do something they do not want to do.

How do probation officers use authority?

They explain expectations, guide probationers, and encourage cooperation.

How do probation officers use power?

They exercise legal control, such as arresting or detaining probationers when authorized.

Which is generally more effective in probation supervision: authority or power?

Authority, because it encourages cooperation and makes supervision more efficient.

Why involve probationers in setting goals and solving problems?

It can reduce resentment and encourage responsibility for changing their behavior.

Why is power still necessary?

To enforce conditions and protect the public when cooperation is insufficient.

True or false: The most frequent type of offense of federal prisoners is drug related.

True.

True or false: Federal Bureau of Prisons confinement facilities are classified using four security levels, ranging from 'minimum' to 'super-max' security.

False.

True or false: Departments of Corrections are usually unable to control the flow of offenders sent to them by the courts.

True.

________, the oldest operating prison in America, was built in 1798 and still houses inmates today.

Trenton State Prison, New Jersey.