Criminal Justice Policy Final Exam

four leading to the Victim's’ Rights Movement

development of victimology, rise of crime in the 1960s and 1970s, rise of feminist movements (second wave feminism), and the growth of victim activism

federal legislation that established rights for victims in Federal courts

the Crime Victims’ Rights Act

The Crime Victims’ Rights Act

right to be reasonably protected from the accused, right t be reasonable, accurate, and timely notice of any public court proceeding or any parole proceeding involving crime or of any release or escape of the accused, right to not be excluded from any such public court proceeding unless the court after receiving clear and convincing evidence, determines that testimony by the victim would be materially altered if the victim heard other testimony at that proceeding, the right to be reasonably heard at any public proceeding in the district court involving release, plea, sentencing, or any parole proceeding, the reasonable right to confer with the attorney for the government, to full and timely restitution as provided in law, proceedings free from unreasonable delay, treated with fairness and with respect for the victim’s dignity and privacy, to be informed in a timely manner of any plea bargain or deferred prosecution agreement

criticisms of victim involvement in deciding punishment

inconsistency, burdens the CJ system, and undermine utilitarian goals of punishment

how for victim involvement undermine utilitarian goals

crime reducing effects of punishment, not catering deterrence and rehabilitation

payne v. Tennessee

Supreme Court ruled that victim impact statements are constitutional in death penalty cases

provisions of Marsy’s Law

notification and participation rights, protection from offender, input on bail, sentencing and parole, and legal standing and enforcement

main goal of cost-effectiveness evaluation

identify perspective important because determines which costs and benefits count, calculate “cost-per-outcome”

when to use cost-effectiveness evaluation

trying to evaluate multiple different strategies for one outcome

two main pieces of information needed for cost-effectiveness evaluation

the cost of implementing it at some known scale and effect size from prior evaluations at that same scale

outcome metric of cost-effectiveness evaluation

cost per unit of outcome

6 steps of cost-benefit evaluation

state the policy question, identify the perspective of analysis, identify all relevant costs and benefits, assign values to costs and benefits, compare the costs and benefits of one or more policies, and assess sensitivity of the results of critical assumptions and detail all relevant assumptions and limitations

marginal costs of cost-benefit

costs added by producing on additional unit

indirect costs

costs and benefits that are the policy’s spillovers, by-products, or externalities

tangible costs

have clear market value

intangible costs

feelings or things that aren’t easy to monetize

willingness-to-pay approach

asking people how much they would pay to reduce the chances of experiencing something

discount rates

the rate you use to convert future costs and benefits into today’s dollars, because money today is worth more than money later

information incorporated into a QALY

considers how long someone lives and their health state during those years

expansion of collateral consequences

1980s-1990s

PRQORA

allowed or required denial of certain public benefits, including TANF and SNAP, for people convicted of certain drug felonies

Megan’s Law

amended the Jacob Waterline Act to require public disclosure and notification, required sex offender registries to be public

percentage of US adults with criminal record

1 in 3 adults have a criminal record, 7-15% has a felony conviction

government benefit reforms

10% of people who re eligible for relief actually receive it, many states have removed or modified some collateral consequences from felony drug convictions, full ban on SNAP is left only in South Carolina and 7 states have restrictions on TANF

problem with ban-the-box

reduced employment prospects young black men without criminal record because of stereotypes