Corrections Chap 1

Which quotation expresses a philosophical idea of Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu?

a."If we abolish capital punishment, criminals will feel that they can essentially 'get away' with killing someone."

b. "The killer must pay for his crime. Society demands it."

c. "A killer does not belong in society. He must be kept apart from others."

d. "He will forever be known as a killer. There is no greater punishment."

d.

Which of the following is a theoretical construct of the classical school?

a. If punishment is too severe or too lenient it can be harmful.

b. Some people are unable to stop themselves from committing a crime.

c. All people have the desire for retribution when they have been wronged.

d. The aim of punishment is to deter people from committing similar crimes.

a.

Which philosophical idea was adopted by early prison reformers?

a. Human beings are rational decision behaviors and are responsible for their own behavior.

b. Criminals are a product of their environment or upbringing.

c. Human beings are naturally attracted to wrongdoing but can be rehabilitated through social scientific techniques.

d. Criminals are inherently evil and are a menace to society.

b.

Which early prison reformer introduced a prison reform that became the basis of the modern-day parole system?

a. John D. Cray

b. Walter Crofton

c. Alexander Maconochie

d. John Howard

b.

Why did Pennsylvania create the first penitentiaries in the United States in the years immediately after the United States declared its independence?

a. The Pennsylvania legislature condemned the stockades where prisoners were housed and ordered more humane facilities to be built to house them.

b. The new nation needed a place to house British loyalists and colonists committed of war crimes during the Revolutionary War.

c. The Pennsylvania legislature outlawed capital punishment except for first-degree murder, and it needed a place to house prisoners who no longer were eligible for the death penalty.

d. The new nation saw an increase in lawlessness and needed to house criminals in order to establish public order.

c.

How did the Pennsylvania and Auburn models differ from one another?

a. The Pennsylvania model was based on punishment; the Auburn model was based on protecting society.

b. The Pennsylvania model assumed incarceration was a deterrence in itself; the Auburn model assumed that a person had to suffer in order to avoid reoffending.

c. The Pennsylvania model assumed criminals could be rehabilitated; the Auburn model assumed criminals were incapable of change.

d. The Pennsylvania model's goal was reformation; the Auburn model's goal was deterrence.

b.

What did critics of the Auburn system propose during the First Congressional Congress, held in 1870?

a. Prisoners should be required to remain silent at all times to enforce discipline and maintain order in prison.

b. Prisoners should be held in smaller facilities rather than large "hub-and-spoke" prisons.

c. Prisoners should be responsible for paying for their room and board while in prison.

d. Prisoners should be given educational opportunities and religious instruction while in prison.

d.

The reformatory model of corrections was based on the attitude that the government has a duty to __________.

a. help and heal criminals

b. punish criminals for their crimes

c. protect society from criminals

d. deter crime through tough criminal sanctions

a.

Suppose two inmates, both 28 years of age, were given indeterminate sentences to the Elmira Reformatory in New York in 1888. One inmate says, "I don't like an indeterminate sentence at all. I'm afraid I'll be in here forever." What is the best response to address his concerns?

a. "Hey, it's easy time. Better than Auburn any day."

b. "They cannot keep you past the maximum sentence, so this way you at least have a chance of getting out early."

c. "This prison only houses people until they are 30, so they have to release you in two years."

d. "All you have to do is get on the good side of the superintendent and you'll be out of here in no time."

b.

The incarceration rate in the United States today is __________.

a. about twice the rate of the incarceration rate of Japan

b. the highest of all Western countries and Japan

c. similar to the incarceration rate of Western European countries

d. lower than the incarceration rate of Western European countries

b.

Which statement best expresses the predominate view of the public's approach to corrections?

a. The criminal justice system needs to keep mass murderers and terrorists locked up forever.

b. Too many innocent people have been imprisoned; we need to investigate all claims of innocence.

c. Prisons are overcrowded and expensive; only the most-hardened criminals should be incarcerated.

d. Too many people are incarcerated; we need to overhaul laws and sentencing practices.

a

Which statement expresses the just deserts philosophy?

a. Anyone who murders another person deserves the harshest sentence the law allows.

b. The only way to keep society safe is to lock up all the criminals.

c. The fear of jail is the best incentive to keep today's youth on a straight and narrow path.

d. Criminals will have no incentive to behave if we abolish capital punishment.

a

Many Americans justify the isolation and torture of suspected foreign terrorists in U.S. military prisons because they believe __________.

a. all suspected terrorists are likely guilty or would have ultimately be guilty of carrying out an attack if free

b. foreign nationals have no rights or civil liberties

c. it will benefit the United States by keeping it safe

d. suspicion of terrorism alone is grounds for a harsh punishment

c

Which evidence best supports the claim that punishment helps maintain the government, the social structure, and society?

a. Crime has decreased since the 1970s.

b. Fewer people today die of violence than during prehistoric times.

c. The crime rate in the United States has declined as the incarceration rate increased.

d. Countries with stable governments have lower rates of murder than countries with unstable governments.

b

Which goal of punishment is designed to discourage people from committing similar crimes?

a. incapacitation

b. retribution

c. general deterrence

d. rehabilitation

c

Which is the best argument against specific deterrence?

a. Most offenders reoffend after being in prison.

b. Judges tend to give first offenders lenient sentences.

c. Prison conditions today are not harsh enough to inhibit future criminals.

d. Prisons today cannot use cruel and harsh punishment.

a

According to the text, how do liberals and conservatives differ in their views of incapacitation?

a. Liberals prefer more prisons to incapacitate inmates humanely; conservatives prefer community-based corrections over incapacitation.

b. Liberals consider the growth in the prison population as proof that incapacitation is effective; conservatives consider the same growth as proof that incapacitation is insufficient punishment.

c. Liberals view incapacitation as harsh and unjust; conservatives view it as just deserts.

d. Liberals view incapacitation as an opportunity for rehabilitation; conservatives view it as a means to reduce crime.

d

Many crime victims are dismayed to learn that the criminal justice system is more focused on punishing the offender than "righting the wrong" committed against them. Which form of punishment attempts to correct a wrong committed against the victim of a crime?

a. rehabilitation

b. retribution

c. selective incapacitation

d. incapacitation

b

The correction system has the authority to decide __________.

a. how to supervise convicts imprisoned in a prison or jail

b. whether to maintain an offender in the criminal justice system

c. the criminal penalty appropriate for a person convicted of a crime

d. who should be imprisoned

a

Which statement about prison overcrowding is false?

a. Overcrowded prisons have increased the challenges correction officers face.

b. The public views the corrections branch of the criminal justice system as more of a boost to the economy than the law enforcement and court systems branches.

c. Federal courts have ordered some states to abide by population limits in all their prisons.

d. A major obstacle to overcrowded prisons is resistance to building new facilities in most communities.

d

The prison-industrial complex describes __________.

a. a prison located in a rural area, at least 30 miles from any city or town

b. a joint effort by corporate interest groups, large businesses, and politicians looking to make a profit

c. the tendency for economic degradation in communities that are home to correctional facilities

d. a model in which prisons are designed to house only the most violent offenders serving the longest sentences

b

The financial costs of corrections are borne by __________.

a. the individuals who are processed through the correctional system

b. the families of incarcerated individuals

c. taxpayers who provide the revenue for state and federal budgets for prisons and jails

d. the federal and state governments that are responsible for prison costs

c

States facing budget cutbacks might do any of the following EXCEPT __________.

a. repurpose a correctional facility to serve another function

b. relocate a rural prison to an urban area

c. eliminate or reduce corrections jobs

d. close a correctional facility

b

When were state correction training academies first established throughout the United States?

a. 1970s

b. 1920s

c. 1890s

d. 1990s

a

According to the text, integrity of corrections staff has a high correlation with all of the following EXCEPT __________.

a. honesty

b. calm composure

c. professional training

d. reliability

c