FAD Exam 1

What are the three main institutions of the U.S. criminal‑justice system?

Law enforcement, judicial system, and corrections.

How have crime rates changed since the 1990s?

Both violent and property crimes have declined substantially.

What is the difference between crime rate and crime volume?

Crime rate = crimes per  100 000 people; crime volume = raw number of crimes.

Which crimes are most common?

Theft = most common property crime; assault = most common violent crime.

How do immigrants affect crime rates?

Immigration has increased while crime has decreased.

What are the clearance rates for property and violent crimes?

Property ≈ 13.9 %; Violent ≈ 41.1 %.

Has increased police funding improved clearance rates ?

No — spending and police numbers rose but clearances fell.

How lethal is U.S. policing compared with other countries?

Deadly force used > 3 × more often than in Canada or Australia.

What % of officers are convicted after deadly‑force incidents?

About 0.28 %.

How does U.S. incarceration compare globally?

Among highest (#4 worldwide).

What % of incarcerated people are not convicted?

≈ 448 000 of 500 000.

Three major factors behind mass incarceration?

Excessive bail, oversentencing, plea bargaining.

Average bail trend?

1992 $25 400 → 2009 $55 500.

U.S. recidivism rate?

53 %.

What were punishments like in England (1600s–1817)?

Public executions and “bloody codes” expanding capital crimes.

Common colonial punishments?

Shaming, branding, fines, corporal and capital punishment.

Cesare Beccaria’s contribution?

Advocated rational, humane justice system.

Purpose of early penitentiaries?

Rehabilitation through solitude, education, labor.

Lombroso’s theory?

Physical traits predict criminal behavior (Criminal Man, 1876).

What did eugenics promote?

Sterilization and institutionalization of “undesirable” groups.

First juvenile court established?

1889 in Illinois.

Civil‑Rights‑era Supreme Court cases?

Mapp v. Ohio (1961) and Miranda v. Arizona (1966)

Kerner Commission recommendations?

End abuse, equal protection, civilian complaints, community relations.

What fueled the War on Drugs?

“Law and Order” politics + Safe Streets Acts → urban policing expansion.

1980s drug‑sentencing difference?

Crack sentences much longer than powder cocaine.

1990s policy impact?

“Three Strikes” laws → more prisons and police.

Modern‑era policing focus?

Counter‑terrorism, surveillance, accountability