American Correctionsl Systems Final Notes

Intermediate Sanctions

forms of community sentencing that include probation plus a variety of add-ons that range from fines to boot camps.

“Just Deserts”

retributive justice model emphasizing proportional punishment

“Just Deserts” promotes:

1. accountability

2. determinate sentencing

3. reduced judicial discretion

Benefits of indeterminate sentencing:

1. cost-saving alternatives to incarceration

2. Helps reduce prison crowding and results in lower recidivism rates

3. Can serve the needs of offenders who would ordinarily be sent to prison but have a low-risk to reoffend and pose a danger to society

4. Can be used as a halfway back strategy for probation and parole violations

Fines

sanction the requires convicted offenders to pay a specified sum of money

Day Fines

take a percentage of the offender’s daily income rather than a fixed sum of money

Forfeiture

the government seizing property that was derived from or used in criminal activity

Financial Restitution

payment of sum of money to the victim or a public fund for victims of crime based upon the crime and the offender’s ability to pay

Civil Forfeiture

to confiscate property used in law violations and remove illegally gained profits from violators

Criminal Forfeiture

following conviction, offenders must relinquish assets related to the offense

Intermediate Sanctions are between _______________ and _____________

probation, incarceration

Goals of Intermediate Sanctions:

1. Reduce the burden on jails and prisons

2. Address public safety while providing a structured environment for the offender

3. Help help offenders gain skills to mitigate behavioral issues

Community Service

requires an offender to perform a certain number of work hours at a private nonprofit or government agency

House Arrest

orders an offender to remain confined in their residence for the duration or remainder of the sentence

Electronic Monitoring

use of electronic equipment to verify offender’s whereabouts during specified hours

Examples of Specialized Courts:

1. Homeless Courts

2. Drug Courts

3. Community Courts

Homeless victimization rates

Homeless have the highest victimization rates (female homeless have the single highest victimization rates tied with sex workers)

Homeless often have a _____ recidivism rate

low

Shepherds in Blue Video

A video showing how the Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) in Houston interact with and help the homeless population get on their feet

Community Courts

neighborhood-focused courts to address local problems (involves community stakeholders)

First community court is the _____________

NY — Midtown Community Court

Community Court goals:

1. To develop meaningful sanctions that improve the lives of victims, the community, and defendants

2. To break the cycle of crime, addressing its root causes rather than slowly relying on incarceration

Community Courts offer on-site _____________ and ____________________

drug services, Employment Assistance Programs (EOP)

Day Reporting Centers

A facility where an offender, usually a probationer, must report every day to participate in testing, counseling, social skill training, and other rehabilitative activities

Residential Community Corrections Centers = ____________________________

Alternative to a halfway house

Residential Community Corrections Centers

prerelease centers for incarcerated individuals and intermediate sanctions for probationers

Residential Community Corrections Centers provide:

1. A structured, supervised environment for those transitioning back into society

2. Community ties

3. Secure employment

4. Financial management

5. Medical care

6. Counseling

7. Services to find housing

8. Vocational support

Boot Camps

A military-style facility used as an alternative to prison to deal with prison crowding and public demands for severe treatment

Boot Camp critics are concerned with ____________________________

dehumanization and aggressive treatment of residents

Restorative Justice

Offenders are to make amends to the victim or society for the harm from their crime

Restorative Justice programs:

1. Community conferencing and circle sentencing

2. Family group conferences

3. Reparations and restitution

4. Restitution programs

5. Victim-offender conferencing

__________ of people in jail haven’t been incarcerated yet.

2/3’s

Prisons hold ________________

convicted felons

Jails hold _________________

misdemeanor offenders

Many prefer prison over jails because _____________________

Prisons have services while jails have nothing

Types of Correctional Facilities

1. Jails

2. Lockups

3. Workhouses or houses of corrections

Jails

are typically run by the county sheriff and authorized to hold individuals pending trial and individuals convicted of misdemeanors for periods longer than 48 hours.

Young offenders are seen as ________________

a vulnerable population

Lockups

Temporary holding facilities typically located in municipal police stations to hold people for short periods

Workhouses

Operated by cities or counties that hold convicted inmates sentenced to short terms

Functions of jails:

1. Hold individuals pretrial who cannot afford or were denied bail

2. Hold convicted individuals for sentences of less than a year

3. Hold convicted individuals awaiting sentencing

4. Hold individuals serving misdemeanor sentences

5. Hold mandatory arrestees for drunken driving — DWI, DUI, or OMVI

Jails are considered worse than prisons because:

1. Jails are chaotic with high turnover

2. Jails have an inconsistent flow of people making it hard to keep routine

3. Inmates have mental health issues (30-40%)

4. Worse conditions/amenities (inadequate living spaces, smaller workout spaces, etc.)

5. Jails lack structure and programs (increased monotony)

6. The stress of limbo

Booking

The process of admitting an individual who has been arrested or sentenced to jail

The booking process includes:

1. Identification

2. Fingerprinting

3. Property inventory and storage

The number of ____________ inmates has increased and the number of _____________ inmates has decreased

elderly, juvenile

__________ are incarcerated 7 times more often then ________________

men, women

Socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals are:

1. The least likely to make bail

2. Most likely to commit petty offense

3. Most likely to have mental health issues

4. Most likely to be considered flight risks

5. Often unable to afford restitution

Adjustment to jail includes:

1. Uncertainty of detainment

2. Inactivity and boredom

Corrupt Prison Guard Video

A prison CO at Rikers was found helping deliver drugs for money and was eventually caught

Jail programs include:

1. Work or pretrial release

2. GED and adult basic education courses

3. Drug and alcohol treatment

4. Counseling

5. Vocational Programs

6. Religious Services

What is the leading cause of jail deaths?

jail suicides

It is ____ more likely to have a disabled individual in jail

4x

_____ more likely to have a major depressive episode in prison (___ in jail)

24%, 31%

__________ inmates were more likely than _________ inmates to report psychological distress

female, male

Transition from Jail to Community (TJC) initiative directly targets _____________

recidivism

________ inmates met the threshold for psychological distress more than ________ and ___________ inmates

White, Black, Hispanic

Penal Harm

a current movement that believes that offenders should be punished as severely as possible

Adults in poverty are ________ more likely to be incarcerated

3x

Engine of Poverty

describes how the combination of poverty and the criminal justice system keep individuals in a loop

Commonly observed relationships between prison and society:

1. Poverty

2. Racial and gender disparities

3. Violent crimes

4. Mental illness

Prior to incarceration ____ of men and _____ of women in prison because of poverty

57%, 72%

Families with an incarcerated family member often experience:

1. Severe economic hardship

2. Higher rate of homelessness

3. Food insecurity

4. Increased reliance on social assistance

Young men in the bottom 10% of income distribution are _____ more likely to be incarcerated by their early 30s

20x

Implicit Bias

automatic attitudes or stereotypes that affect choices

State inmates by crime type:

1. 60% violent crimes

2. 14% drug offenses

3. 15% property offenses

BOP = _______________

Federal Bureau of Prisons

Commission of Accreditation

makes sure an institution meets the standards of taking care of inmates

Attica Riots benefits:

1. Better hygiene

2. Religious freedom

3. Visitation rights improvements

4. Grievance procedures to help prevent police misconduct

5. Creation of legal advocacy groups (ACLU = American Civil Liberties Union)

6. Improved academic and vocational opportunities

Lessons from Attica:

1. Inhumane conditions breed rebellion

2. Communication is critical

3. The power of collective action

4. The need for transparency and accountability

Blue Wall of Silence

when officers don’t snitch on each other

Contagious Fire

the likelihood of an officer shooting their firearm in response to a peer’s gunfire

GP

General population

PC

protective custody

CODIS

Combined Offender DNA Index System

DIN

Department ID Number

Chomo

prison slang for child molester

__________________ are at the top of the food chain in prisons

organized crime leaders

Factors that influence an inmates’ registration score:

1. probability of escape

2. nature of the offense

Megan Kanka

was a young girl who was raped and murdered by her neighbor who was a sex offender. Led to the creation of Megan’s Law.

Megan’s Law

requires all 50 states, including D.C., to make public notification to the community that there is a sex offender in their community

SORA

Sex Offender Registry Act

A sex offender’s risk level is determined by looking at:

1. The use of force

2. Weapons

3. Alcohol and Drugs

4. Victim’s Age

5. Number of Victims

6. Assault and injury of the victim

Pedophile

a person who is sexually attracted to children

Child molester

anyone who molests a child, regardless of sexual attraction or preferences

Amber Hagerman

was a girl who was kidnapped and murdered. Her death led to the creation of the AMBER (American Missing Broadcast Emergency Response) alert.

Commutation

it reduces the severity of the sentence, often considered a last resort for death row inmates

Pardon

terminates the penalty and forgives the event (done by governor or president)

Parole

a conditional release of prisoner via parole board

Discretionary parole

decision to release incarcerated person is made by parole board

Mandatory parole

incarcerated person is released on parole when the unserved portion of their penalty equals good time earned