CRJU Final Exam

Administrative Punishment

Disciplinary actions imposed inside a correctional facility for rule violations (e.g., loss of privileges, segregation)

Administrative Segregation

Isolation of an inmate for safety, security, or disciplinary reasons (solitary confinement)

ADX Florence

Federal supermax prison in Colorado known for extreme isolation and high security

Amicus Curiae

“Friend of the court,” someone who provides information or arguments to assist the court

Anti-Psychiatry Movement

Movement criticizing traditional psychiatric practices as coercive or harmful

Asked and Answered

Objection claiming a question has already been asked and sufficiently answered

Batson v. Kentucky

Case banning racial discrimination in jury selection through peremptory challenges

Booking

Administrative process after arrest where a suspect is recorded, searched, and processed

Case in Chief

The main presentation of evidence and arguments by a party in a trial

Categorical Imperative

Kant’s ethical rule requiring actions to be universally applicable moral laws

Challenge for Cause

Removing a potential juror due to bias or inability to be impartial

Change of Venue

Moving a trial to a different geographic location for fairness

Circumstantial Evidence

Evidence that implies a fact but does not directly prove it

Civil Commitment

Court-ordered confinement of a person for mental health treatment due to dangerousness

Classification Team

Group that determines an inmate’s custody level and facility placement

Collateral Consequences

Indirect penalties following a conviction (e.g., voting limits, employment barriers)

Community Corrections

Alternatives to incarceration such as probation, parole, or halfway houses

Corporal Punishment

Physical punishment inflicted on the body

Directed Verdict

Judge’s ruling ending a case early because no reasonable jury could find otherwise

Discovery

Pre-trial exchange of evidence and information between parties

Diversion Courts

Courts offering treatment-based alternatives to traditional sentencing (e.g., drug courts)

Eastern State Penitentiary

Historic prison known for the separate and silent system of solitary confinement

Friendly Witness

A witness sympathetic to the party that called them

General Deterrence

Punishing offenders to discourage the general public from committing crimes

Grand Jury

Group deciding whether sufficient evidence exists to issue criminal charges

Hands-off Doctrine

Courts’ historical reluctance to interfere with prison operations or conditions

Harmless Error

Legal mistake that does not affect the outcome of a trial

Hearsay

Out-of-court statement used to prove the truth of the matter asserted

typically inadmissible

Holt v. Hobbs

Case requiring prisons to accommodate religious practices under RLUIPA

Home Confinement

Court order requiring offenders to remain at home, often with electronic monitoring

Hostile Witness

Witness opposed or unfriendly to the calling party, allowing leading questions

Humonetarianism

Use of humor to address humanitarian issues in incarceration

Immanuel Kant

Philosopher emphasizing duty, reason, and universal moral law

Incapacitation

Preventing crime by physically restricting offenders’ ability to offend

Indeterminate Sentencing

Sentencing with a range (e.g., 5–15 years) influenced by parole decisions

Indictment

Formal criminal charge issued by a grand jury

Inmate Code

Informal prisoner rules emphasizing loyalty, toughness, and noncooperation with staff

Institutionalization

Dependence on institutional routines to the point of difficulty functioning outside

Intensive Supervision

Strict probation or parole involving frequent contact and monitoring

Probation

Court-ordered community supervision instead of incarceration

Leading the Witness

Asking questions that suggest answers, usually barred in direct examination

Mass Incarceration

Large-scale imprisonment trend in the U.S. since the 1970s

Megan’s Law

Law requiring public notification and registration of sex offenders

Motion to Dismiss

Request to terminate a case due to insufficient legal basis

Motion to Suppress

Request to exclude evidence obtained illegally

Neoliberalism

Ideology favoring free markets and limited state intervention, influencing justice policy

Nolo Contendere

“No contest” plea where defendant accepts conviction without admitting guilt

Nullification

Jury’s power to acquit despite evidence due to disagreement with the law

Parole

Supervised early release from prison with conditions

Penitentiary

Prison focused historically on penitence, reflection, and reform

Peremptory Challenge

Removing a juror without stating a reason (limited in number)

Petit Jury

Trial jury that determines guilt or innocence

Presentencing Investigation Report (PSIR)

Report on an offender’s background used in sentencing

Prison Labor Era

Period when inmate labor was widely exploited for economic gain

Prison-Industrial Complex

Idea that political and economic interests drive prison expansion

Probation

Community supervision alternative to incarceration (duplicate term in list)

Probative Value

The usefulness of evidence in proving something relevant in the case

Protective Custody Unit

Special housing for inmates vulnerable to harm

Punitive Probation

Strict, punishment-focused form of probation with intensive monitoring

Quakerism

Religious influence promoting early penitentiary reform and solitary confinement

Recidivism

Reoffending after prior punishment or rehabilitation efforts

Rehabilitation

Efforts to reform offenders through treatment, education, and programs

Restorative Justice

Justice model focused on repairing harm through accountability and dialogue

Retribution/Retributivism

Punishment justified as morally deserved or proportionate

Reversible Error

Error serious enough to overturn a conviction on appeal

Shock Probation

Early release after a brief, harsh exposure to incarceration

Separate and Silent System

Prison model relying on total inmate isolation and silence

Slaves of the State

Concept allowing forced inmate labor under the 13th Amendment

Specific Deterrence

Punishment aimed at discouraging the individual offender

Speculation

Guess-based testimony or reasoning

grounds for objection

Supremacy Clause

Principle establishing federal law as superior to state law

Textualism

Judicial philosophy focusing on the plain meaning of legal text

Thirteenth Amendment

Constitutional amendment abolishing slavery except as criminal punishment

Total Institutions

Goffman’s term for institutions controlling all aspects of inmates’ lives

Truth in Sentencing

Laws requiring offenders to serve most of their imposed sentence

Wolff v. McDonnell

Case granting inmates due process rights in disciplinary hearings

Victim Impact Statement

Statement by a victim describing harm, used at sentencing

Victim-Offender Mediation

Restorative process bringing victims and offenders together to resolve harm

Voir Dire

Jury selection process where attorneys question potential jurors