CJ Reform Exam 1

Why are classical experiments useful for studying crime policy?

They allow for controlled testing of cause and effect.

What elements make up a classical experiment?

Treatment and control groups (random assignment), pretest and posttest, and a controlled intervention.

Are Classical experiments ideal for evaluating crime policy?

Yes, they are ideal

Classical experiments consists of:

1. Treatment & Control group (with random assignment to each group

• 2. Pretest & Posttest (measurement before & after)

• 3. Controlled Intervention (researcher controls).

An experiment of this sort never happens in criminal justice & criminology T/F

True

What can proactive, directed, and creative policy do to crime?

It may be effective, but it often pushes the problem (or benefits associated with it) into surrounding areas.

What is displacement?

Problem pushed into surrounding areas.

What are the types of displacement?

Spatial, temporal, tactical, target, offense (crime type), perpetrator displacement

What is diffusion?

Benefits pushed into surrounding areas (free rider effect)

What is unit of analysis?

Represents the objects under study (people, groups, organizations, cities, counties, states, nations)

What are samples?

Subsets of a larger population; 1000 voters in California is a sample of all voters in California

What are the two types of research over time?

Cross sectional and longitudinal research

What is cross sectional research?

Takes place at a single point in time

Time influences research

Two types of research with respect to time are cross

sectional research which takes place at a single point in time and longitudinal

research which takes place when the researcher followed the same group of

people for a longer period of time and is more desirable (as time is a crucial

factor in drawing conclusions about cause and effect) but difficult to implement

What is longitudinal research?

Follows the same group over a longer period of time (better for cause and effect but harder to do)

What is academic crusade?

When research loses objectivity and is used to push a political agenda,often in the face of overwhelming evidence

to the contrary

What is bandwagon science?

Focusing on what is trendy or popular and ignoring other important topics

What is evidence based justice?

Use of the best available scientific evidence to guide criminal justice policy and practice

What are the four ideals of due process?

1. Criminal process should look like an obstacle course

2. Quality is better than quantity

3. Formality is preferred over informality

4. Faith is placed in the courts

How is crime control different from due process?

it focuses primarily on controlling crime and have an increased likelihood

of violating civil liberties.

What is the main idea of crime control?

Benefits of crime control outweigh costs to due process protections

what does crime control use

It uses the cost-benefit analysis to argue that the benefits to society of

controlling crime outweighs the cost of infringing on some individuals’

due process protections.

What does “ends over means” mean?

crime control perspectives is more concerned with

the end (wiping out crime, reducing crime, and mitigating its effects)

What does crime control favor?

Favors informality over formality (for ex. Favors plea bargaining)

Crime Control Places a great deal of faith & trust in the police. T/F

True

People feel strongly that some goals are more important than others T/F

True

What are the goals of crime control?

Deterrence, retribution (just deserts), incapacitation, rehabilitation

What is “just deserts”

Punishment or reward that is considered to be what the recipient deserves

What is deterrence?

Discouraging criminal behavior

What are the two types of deterrence?

General deterrence and specific deterrence

What is specific deterrence?

criminal justice strategy aimed at preventing an individual offender from committing future crimes by imposing a punishment tailored to them.

What is general deterrence?

the practice of preventing crime by making the punishment of offenders visible to the public, thereby discouraging others from committing similar offenses.

What is retribution?

Punishment, payback, giving offenders their “just deserts”

What is incapacitation?

Removing criminals from society

When can incapacitation occur? (Two Stages)

Pretrial and post trial

What is incapacitation similar to?

Warehousing of criminal offenders

Incapacitation is synonymous with ware housing of criminal offenders T/F

True

What is rehabilitation?

a planned intervention intended to change behavior

What are examples?

Treatment, job training, cognitive therapy (long term)

What is traditional policing based on?

Throwing more money at crime

Traditional policing strategies had relied on throwing more money at

the crime problem. T/F

True

What are examples of traditional policing?

Hiring more cops, freeing up resources, random/preventive patrol, rapid response, residency requirements, college degrees for cops

During the era of traditional policing also emerges the new practice

of private policing T/F

True

What theory underlies traditional policing?

Deterrence

Can all crime be deterred?

Some people just cannot be deterred (for many reasons).

Does hiring more cops reduce crime?

Common sense tells us that hiring more cops will reduce crime.

What is the problem with hiring more cops?

The police presence is spread thin and the apprehension of

additional criminals may actually give the impression that crime is on the rise.

Why might it not reduce crime?

1. Police officers can’t work around the clock

2. Some cities have fewer police per citizen than others but less crime

3. Police are not necessarily capable of deterring certain types of crimes that are happening behind closed doors or out of public view.

What did the experiment test? (Kansas City Preventive Patrol Experiment)

The experiment divided the city into 3 beats.

1. Proactive beats (with a stepped-up police presence)

2. Reactive beats (police only responded to calls for services)

3. Control beats (business as usual).

What were the results? (Kansas City Preventive Patrol Experiment)

no significant reductions in proactive beats compared to the other two beats. People didn't notice increased police presence.

What did the Act provide? (The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994)

$8.8 billion, Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office created,100,000 new cops

Did it reduce crime? (The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994)

One study says yes; hiring increases reduced violent and property crime

What does freeing up resources mean?

Cutting waste in police operations

If hiring is not possible, then “cutting the fat” and freeing up police

resources may help T/F

True

What are examples of freeing up resources?

Eliminating two officer patrols and replacing them with one officer

patrols, Implementing 311 systems, Carefully examining (and possibly changing) what officers do while

on the clock

What are examples of freeing up resources? (Short Version)

One-officer patrols, 311 systems, changing officer duties

What are the two research focuses? (Domestic Violence Arrests)

Effects of laws and mandatory arrest policies

What are the two research focuses? (DVA) long version

Effect of anti-domestic violence laws on domestic violence, Mandatory arrest for domestic violence

What did the Minneapolis experiment test? (Minneapolis Domestic Violence Experiment (1984))

Arrest, separation, counseling

What did it find? (Minneapolis Domestic Violence Experiment (1984))

Supported arrest, but later research is mixed (Conflicted)

How common is private policing?

Outnumbers public police 3 to 1

What are examples of private policing?

Store detectives; Security guards

Differences between private/ public policing?

Loss control, prevention, private justice, private property

Why does private policing exist?

Privatization, Mass private property, Public police ineffective

Does it work? (Private Policing)

Probably suffers the same fate of other policing methods already discussed (Similar limits to public policing)

What are arguments for residency requirements?

Lower unemployment; Add to local tax base, Improved officer attentiveness to problems, Improved relationships (Lower unemployment, tax base, better community ties)

What are arguments against? (Residency Requirements)

Restricted applicant pool; Threatens officer safety

What does research show? (Residency Requirements)

No research exists on crime impact

What are advantages? (College Degrees for Cops)

Broader base for decision-making

What are disadvantages? (College Degrees for Cops)

Smaller applicant pool, Education does not improve crime fighting abilities

What does research show? (College Degrees for Cops)

Don’t know if crime is affected, May affect decisions to use force

What is reactive policing?

waits until call for service

What is proactive policing?

consists of police-initiated arrests

What is directed patrol?

concerned with areas (e.g., hot spots)

What is proactive arrest?

focus is on criminals and crime

What is proactive strategy?

Keeping tabs on offenders (Repeat Offender Project), Prioritizing arrests (e.g. drunk drivers)

Who created the Broken Windows Theory?

Wilson and Kelling in 1982

What is the broken windows theory?

Low level disorder and deviance leads to more serious crime if ignored

What is the Posse Comitatus Act?

prohibits federal military personnel and National Guard from engaging in local law enforcement activities (Limits military involvement in local policing)

What is happening with policing today?

More military training and growing paramilitary units

Police train with military personnel T/F?

True

Police paramilitary unit (PPU) are growing and mandates are broadening T/F?

True