Deck 19: Race, Ethnicity, and Corrections

Question 1

Hispanics and whites are subjected to the criminal justice system at much higher rates than blacks.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

As long as some groups in the United States are unfairly excluded from society's opportunities, they will have less motivation to obey its laws.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Ethnicity relates to a person's language, religion, and group traditions.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Some have argued that the U.S. prison system is designed as a way to imprison African American men.

Question 5

Race is a sociological concept used to distinguish people by their cultural characteristics.

Question 6

Sentencing for drug crimes contributes to the high incarceration rate of African Americans.

Question 7

Race is controversial to the extent that it has been recognized as having both political and biological implications.

Question 8

Those with a felony conviction are not allowed to vote. This is referred to as .

A) criminal disability
B) civil death
C) pervasive disability
D) disenfranchisement

Question 9

There is little to no evidence supporting a view that people of color are inherently more likely to be involved in crime.

Question 10

African Americans make up roughly 13 percent of the entire U.S. population, but make almost 35 percent of the U.S. prison population.

Question 11

Examination of self-report studies of criminality has often revealed that African American and white youths admit to similar participation levels in criminal and deviant activity.

Question 12

Western states tend to have the highest incarceration rates of African Americans in the United States.

Question 13

Which president signed the Fair Sentencing Act eliminating the mandatory minimum sentence for simple possession of crack and powder cocaine?

A) Obama
B) Bush
C) Trump
D) Clinton

Question 14

Disparity of income by racial groups is no longer a basic characteristic of U.S. society.

Question 15

Drug crimes are the only place we see discriminatory incarceration rates.

Question 16

Racial disparity in sentencing occurs mainly because of overt racism in the criminal justice system.

Question 17

For any given crime, African American youths are more likely to be arrested than white youths.

Question 18

There are more African American men in prison than in college.

Question 19

Disparity occurs when groups are differentially treated without regard to their behavior or qualifications.

Question 20

Many observers believe the relationship between racism and the criminal justice system is reciprocal.

Question 21

Which of the following is NOT one of the three themes use to explain the cause of racial disparities in the criminal justice system?

A) More men of color end up incarcerated because they commit more crimes.
B) The system is racist and treats men of color more harshly.
C) The system represents a vehicle for the expression of societal racism.
D) Men of color are more criminal then whites by nature.

Question 22

Even without discriminating, the criminal justice system can exacerbate problems faced by minorities when it .

A) does not allow people convicted of felonies to vote
B) gives sentences in the same way regardless of race
C) penalizes those who have fewer resources
D) does not account for the overrepresentation of minorities in jail

Question 23

The high percentage of young African American men behind bars results in .

A) their lack of earning a wage
B) their not being able to parent children
C) their not being able to support their partners
D) All of these are correct

Question 24

The victim's perception of the race of the perpetrator .

A) is usually accurate.
B) differs from the race of those arrested.
C) has influence over sentencing.
D) is neither here nor there.

Question 25

African American men born in the are more likely to go to prison than to finish a four-year degree or serve in the military.

A) 1960s
B) 1970s
C) 1980s
D) 1990s

Question 26

The gap between unemployment rates for African American men and every other group in society is higher when .

A) prisons do not allow incarcerated individuals to work
B) men who are behind bars are released
C) men who are behind bars are included in the unemployment rate
D) people in prison are not included in the unemployment rate

Question 27

Criminal justice officials make a variety of decisions that disadvantage minority males. These include .

A) where police patrol
B) the cost of bail
C) the ability to hire a private attorney
D) All of these are correct

Question 28

Patterns of disproportionate representation in the criminal justice system .

A) start with juveniles
B) are a rural phenomenon
C) have always existed
D) are a relatively new occurrence

Question 29

The fact that African Americans and Latinos are subjected to the criminal justice system at considerably higher rates than other ethnic and racial groups is .

A) indisputable
B) arguable
C) not borne out by research
D) a myth

Question 30

Recent sociological studies have demonstrated that .

A) employers are hesitant to hire young men who have been in prison.
B) employers are more likely to do a background check on young African American men.
C) young African American men are barred from many forms of employment.
D) employers are both hesitant to hire young men who have been in prison and are more likely to do a background check on young African American men.

Question 31

adults have committed a serious offense in their lifetime.

A) Few
B) Most
C) About half of
D) All

Question 32

African Americans make up almost 35 percent of the prison population but only of all U.S. residents.

A) 5 percent
B) 13 percent
C) 23 percent
D) 30 percent

Question 33

Instead of classifying people by purely biological categories, social scientists look at groups of people in terms of .

A) race
B) ethnicity
C) economics
D) propensity toward crime

Question 34

Having a greater minority presence in criminal justice roles of authority .

A) is not possible due to systematic racism
B) is enough to benefit everyone
C) leads to different judgments about cases
D) will eradicate racism from the criminal justice system

Question 35

Differential criminality means that .

A) justice in the correctional system cannot be ensured without eliminating racial disparities.
B) the correctional system is vulnerable to charges of racism.
C) discrimination accounts for the disproportionate representation of minorities in corrections.
D) more minorities will end up in corrections because they commit more and worse crimes.

Question 36

One in three African American men are .

A) on parole
B) on probation
C) in college
D) under correctional supervision

Question 37

Which of the following contributes to high rates of incarceration of African Americans?

A) Drug sentences
B) Poverty
C) Unemployment
D) All of these are correct

Question 38

Referrals to juvenile court for African American males occur at more than the rate for whites.

A) twice
B) five times
C) triple
D) half

Question 39

When groups are treated differently without regard to their behavior or qualifications, occurs.

A) ethnicity
B) homogeneity
C) disparity
D) discrimination

Question 40

In terms of culture, the United States is a .

A) homogenous society
B) melting pot
C) disassimilated culture
D) mosaic

Question 41

Match each item to the phrase or sentence listed below.
a. Individuals are asked to report on their own criminal behavior
b. Inequality of treatment
c. A difference explained by legitimate factors
d. A concept that is often treated as biological even though it is not
e. Cultural characteristics
f. Says that white fear of blacks will be greatest in areas where the proportion of blacks approaches that of whites
g. Contribute to higher crime rates and are also caused by them
h. The multiracial, multiethnic composition of society
i. A consequence of those convicted of felonies not being allowed to vote
j. Representation of the law as an ever-present continuum
Disenfranchisement

Question 42

Match each item to the phrase or sentence listed below.
a. Individuals are asked to report on their own criminal behavior
b. Inequality of treatment
c. A difference explained by legitimate factors
d. A concept that is often treated as biological even though it is not
e. Cultural characteristics
f. Says that white fear of blacks will be greatest in areas where the proportion of blacks approaches that of whites
g. Contribute to higher crime rates and are also caused by them
h. The multiracial, multiethnic composition of society
i. A consequence of those convicted of felonies not being allowed to vote
j. Representation of the law as an ever-present continuum
Race

Question 43

Match each item to the phrase or sentence listed below.
a. Individuals are asked to report on their own criminal behavior
b. Inequality of treatment
c. A difference explained by legitimate factors
d. A concept that is often treated as biological even though it is not
e. Cultural characteristics
f. Says that white fear of blacks will be greatest in areas where the proportion of blacks approaches that of whites
g. Contribute to higher crime rates and are also caused by them
h. The multiracial, multiethnic composition of society
i. A consequence of those convicted of felonies not being allowed to vote
j. Representation of the law as an ever-present continuum
Discrimination

Question 44

Match each item to the phrase or sentence listed below.
a. Individuals are asked to report on their own criminal behavior
b. Inequality of treatment
c. A difference explained by legitimate factors
d. A concept that is often treated as biological even though it is not
e. Cultural characteristics
f. Says that white fear of blacks will be greatest in areas where the proportion of blacks approaches that of whites
g. Contribute to higher crime rates and are also caused by them
h. The multiracial, multiethnic composition of society
i. A consequence of those convicted of felonies not being allowed to vote
j. Representation of the law as an ever-present continuum
Racial threat hypothesis

Question 45

Whites tend to admit to more crimes than African Americans or Hispanics when completing a self- report survey.

A) theft
B) drug
C) burglary
D) alcohol

Question 46

African Americans are now times more likely than whites to be incarcerated at some time in their life in a state or federal prison.

A) three
B) five
C) seven
D) 10

Question 47

Racial occurs if people who are otherwise similar in their criminality are treated differently by the criminal justice system because of their race.

A) discrimination
B) disparity
C) exploitation
D) favoritism

Question 48

Young people who live in poverty and disadvantage may develop what has been called " ," which includes a greater willingness to commit violence.

A) alienation
B) malaise
C) social anxiety
D) the code of the street

Question 49

children are the most likely to live in poverty.

A) Hispanic
B) African American
C) Asian
D) White

Question 50

Match each item to the phrase or sentence listed below.
a. Individuals are asked to report on their own criminal behavior
b. Inequality of treatment
c. A difference explained by legitimate factors
d. A concept that is often treated as biological even though it is not
e. Cultural characteristics
f. Says that white fear of blacks will be greatest in areas where the proportion of blacks approaches that of whites
g. Contribute to higher crime rates and are also caused by them
h. The multiracial, multiethnic composition of society
i. A consequence of those convicted of felonies not being allowed to vote
j. Representation of the law as an ever-present continuum
Social problems

Question 51

Match each item to the phrase or sentence listed below.
a. Individuals are asked to report on their own criminal behavior
b. Inequality of treatment
c. A difference explained by legitimate factors
d. A concept that is often treated as biological even though it is not
e. Cultural characteristics
f. Says that white fear of blacks will be greatest in areas where the proportion of blacks approaches that of whites
g. Contribute to higher crime rates and are also caused by them
h. The multiracial, multiethnic composition of society
i. A consequence of those convicted of felonies not being allowed to vote
j. Representation of the law as an ever-present continuum
Disparity

Question 52

An investigation of behavior (such as criminal activity) based on a subject's responses is a(n) .

Question 53

Racial disparities become racial if people who are otherwise similar in their criminality are treated differently by the criminal justice system.

Question 54

Match each item to the phrase or sentence listed below.
a. Individuals are asked to report on their own criminal behavior
b. Inequality of treatment
c. A difference explained by legitimate factors
d. A concept that is often treated as biological even though it is not
e. Cultural characteristics
f. Says that white fear of blacks will be greatest in areas where the proportion of blacks approaches that of whites
g. Contribute to higher crime rates and are also caused by them
h. The multiracial, multiethnic composition of society
i. A consequence of those convicted of felonies not being allowed to vote
j. Representation of the law as an ever-present continuum
Ethnicity

Question 55

distinguishes people according to language, religion, and group traditions.

Question 56

Match each item to the phrase or sentence listed below.
a. Individuals are asked to report on their own criminal behavior
b. Inequality of treatment
c. A difference explained by legitimate factors
d. A concept that is often treated as biological even though it is not
e. Cultural characteristics
f. Says that white fear of blacks will be greatest in areas where the proportion of blacks approaches that of whites
g. Contribute to higher crime rates and are also caused by them
h. The multiracial, multiethnic composition of society
i. A consequence of those convicted of felonies not being allowed to vote
j. Representation of the law as an ever-present continuum
State presence

Question 57

Match each item to the phrase or sentence listed below.
a. Individuals are asked to report on their own criminal behavior
b. Inequality of treatment
c. A difference explained by legitimate factors
d. A concept that is often treated as biological even though it is not
e. Cultural characteristics
f. Says that white fear of blacks will be greatest in areas where the proportion of blacks approaches that of whites
g. Contribute to higher crime rates and are also caused by them
h. The multiracial, multiethnic composition of society
i. A consequence of those convicted of felonies not being allowed to vote
j. Representation of the law as an ever-present continuum
Self-report studies

Question 58

Which of the following types of explanation of the overrepresentation of people of color in the criminal justice system is vulnerable to the charge of racism?

A) Legal
B) Economical
C) Sociobiological
D) Sociological

Question 59

Match each item to the phrase or sentence listed below.
a. Individuals are asked to report on their own criminal behavior
b. Inequality of treatment
c. A difference explained by legitimate factors
d. A concept that is often treated as biological even though it is not
e. Cultural characteristics
f. Says that white fear of blacks will be greatest in areas where the proportion of blacks approaches that of whites
g. Contribute to higher crime rates and are also caused by them
h. The multiracial, multiethnic composition of society
i. A consequence of those convicted of felonies not being allowed to vote
j. Representation of the law as an ever-present continuum
Mosaic

Question 60

Unequal treatment of one group by the criminal justice system, compared with the treatment afforded other groups, is referred to as .

A) bias
B) disparity
C) exploitation
D) discrimination

Question 61

The hypothesis is the belief that white fear of African Americans is least when whites are the majority.

Question 62

Some people claim that eliminating racism from the criminal justice system is not likely to occur, because the system is embedded in a larger racist .

Question 63

Discuss the impact that a high level of incarceration has on both African American and Latino communities.

Question 64

In your opinion, what can or should be done to address the overrepresentation of minorities in the criminal justice system?

Question 65

The disparity between and punishment patterns is key to the claim by some scholars that the criminal justice system is biased against minority groups.

Question 66

List and explain three ways in which the criminal justice system operates to allow for an overrepresentation of African Americans and Latinos/as in prisons. Give one example each involving the police, the courts, and the correctional system.

Question 67

explanations for crime disparities imply the existence of a "criminal class" of people who constitute an ongoing danger to society.

Question 68

Explain the racial threat hypothesis. In what areas do facts about racial disparities support this hypothesis?

Question 69

such as poverty, single-parent families, and unemployment contribute to higher crime rates.

Question 70

What role does the societal perception of the impact of race on criminality play in the criminal justice system?

Question 71

The overrepresentation of African Americans in the criminal justice system has led to due to a loss of voting rights.

Question 72

is assumed to be a biological concept that divides humankind into categories related to skin color and other physical features.

Question 73

Racist , it is argued, help produce the higher crime rates among minorities, and then racist fears of minorities help justify treating them more harshly when they are caught.

Question 74

The perception of a of the convicted individual's race often differs from the race of those arrested.

Question 75

Studies show that African American youths have substantially rates of use of drugs.

Question 76

President Obama signed the Fair Sentencing Act of , eliminating mandatory minimum sentences for crack and powder cocaine use.

Question 77

What implications do the high levels of incarceration for minorities have on the effectiveness of community-based corrections?

Question 78

is a difference between groups that can be explained by legitimate factors.

Question 79

Mandatory sentencing for crimes, starting in the 1980s, has led to a rapid increase in incarceration rates of African Americans.

Question 80

There is controversy about whether criminality is disparity or results from discrimination.