crim 100 exam 4 psu

punishment (and its purposes)

penalties imposed for committing criminal acts, to accomplish deterrence, retribution, incapacitation, and/or rehabilitation

retirbution

Punishment that fits the crime, that is "equitable" for the offense.

deterrence

The effect of punishments and other actions to deter people from committing crimes.

incapacitation

Rendering someone as unable to act or move about, either through incarceration or by court order.

rehabilitation

Attempts to reform an offender through vocational and educational programming, counseling, and so forth, so that he or she is not a recidivist and does not return to crime and prison.

sentencing guidelines

An instrument developed by the federal government that uses a grid system to chart seriousness of the offense, criminal history, and so forth and thus allows the court to arrive at a more consistent sentence for everyone.

victim impact statements

Information provided prior to sentencing by the victims of a crime (or, in cases of murder, the surviving family members) about the impact the crime had on their lives; allowed by the U.S. Supreme Court.

capital punishment

A sentence of death, or carrying out same via execution of the offender.

exoneration

To absolve someone of criminal blame, or find someone not guilty.

jail

A facility that holds persons who have been arrested for crimes and are awaiting trial, persons who have been convicted for misdemeanors and are serving a sentence (up to a year in jail), federal offenders, and others.

prison

A state or federal facility housing long-term offenders, typically felons, for a period greater than one year.

mass incarceration

A term generally referring to what is perceived as the United States' disproportionately high rates of imprisonment of young African American men; some believe it deters crime and incapacitates offenders, while others say that it weakens poor families and keeps them socially marginalized.

classification of inmates

Inmate security and treatment plan based on one's security, social, vocational, psychological, and educational needs while incarcerated.

state prison

A correctional facility that houses convicted felons.

warden

The chief administrator of a federal penitentiary or state prison.

prison industries

Use of prison and jail inmates to produce goods or provide services for a public agency or private corporation.

supermax prison

A penal institution that, for security purposes, affords inmates very few, if any, amenities and a great amount of isolation.

privatization

The operation of existing prison facilities, or the building and operation of new prisons, by for-profit companies.

New Generation/Direct Supervision Jail

A jail that, by its architecture and design, eliminates many of the traditional features of a jail, allowing staff members greater interaction and control.

community corrections

Probation, parole, and a variety of other measures that offer convicted offenders an alternative(s) to incarceration.

probation

An alternative to incarceration in which the convict remains out of jail or prison and in the community and thus on the job, with family, and so on, while subject to conditions and supervision of the probation authority.

alternatives to incarceration

A sentence imposed by a judge other than incarceration, such as probation, parole, shock probation, or house arrest.

technical violation

In probation and parole, when one violates certain conditions that must be obeyed to remain out of prison, such as violating curfew, using drugs or alcohol, or not maintaining a job.

substantive violation

An allegation that one was arrested for a new criminal offense while serving probation.

revocation

The court's revoking probation or parole status for the purpose of returning an offender to prison (usually for not following the conditions of probation or parole, or for committing a new offense).

probation officer

One who supervises the activities of persons on probation

parole officer

One who supervises those who are on parole

caseload

The number of cases awaiting disposition by a court, or the number of active cases or clients maintained by a probation or parole officer.

intermediate sanctions

Forms of punishment that are between freedom and prison, such as home confinement and day reporting.

Intensive Supervision Probation and Parole

Post-release supervision that usually includes much closer and stricter supervision, more contact with offenders, more frequent drug tests, and other such measures.

house arrest

Detention of offenders in their own homes; compliance is often monitored electronically.

electronic monitoring

Use of electronic devices (bracelets or anklets) to emit signals when a convicted offender (usually on house arrest) leaves the environment in which he or she is to remain.

shock probation/parole

A situation in which individuals are sentenced to jail or prison for a brief period, to give them a taste or "shock" of incarceration and, it is hoped, turn them into more law-abiding citizens.

boot camp

A short-term jail or prison program that puts offenders through a rigorous physical and mental regimen designed to instill discipline and respect for authority.

day reporting center

A structured corrections program requiring offenders to check in at a community site on a regular basis for supervision, sanctions, and services.

halfway house

A community center or home staffed by professionals or volunteers designed to provide counseling to ex-prisoners as they transition from prison to the community.

restorative justice

The view that crime affects the entire community, which must be healed and made whole again through the offender's remorse, community service, restitution to the victim, and other such activities.

probation sentence

the most frequent sentence used in the US

corrections

the functions of agencies who are given the task of carrying out the court ordered sanction

probation officer

Sentencing recommendation made by...

penology

the study of the punishment of crime and of prison management.