Deck 18: Incarceration Trends

Question 1

Researchers argue that using technical violations as a crime prevention strategy does not make a meaningful difference in the criminal activity of released prisoners.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The U.S. prison population continues to be the highest in the developed world.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

States with more generous welfare benefits have higher prison populations.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Since 1980, the percentage of inmates serving time for violent offenses has declined while the number incarcerated for drug offenses has increased substantially.

Question 5

Correctional officials have exclusive control over the intake of new offenders.

Question 6

There seems to be little relationship between the crime rate and the incarceration rate.

Question 7

Some overseers think a hardening of public attitudes toward criminals is reflected in longer sentences.

Question 8

For health and safety concerns, crowded living conditions in correctional facilities cannot be tolerated.

Question 9

It is said that states with higher violent crime rates have lower levels of imprisonment.

Question 10

The makeup of the inmate community in terms of race, age, and criminal record has little effect on how institutions are operated.

Question 11

States with higher unemployment have a higher prison population.

Question 12

Prison crowding directly affects the ability of correctional staff to do their work because it decreases the proportion of offenders in programs, increases the potential for violence, and strains morale.

Question 13

What region within the United States has the lowest incarceration rate?​

A) ​the South
B) ​the Northeast
C) ​the West
D) ​the Southwest

Question 14

The states with highest incarceration rates tend to be in the Northeast region of the country.

Question 15

A large percentage of the admissions to prison each year are parole violators.

Question 16

From 1930 through 1990, the U.S. prison population remained relatively stable.

Question 17

The United States incarcerates its people at approximately the same rate as other countries.

Question 18

Given current public attitudes toward crime and punishment, it is likely that incarceration rates will remain high.

Question 19

Between 1970 and 2005, the U.S. prison population grew by:​

A) ​175 percent.
B) ​400 percent.
C) ​700 percent.
D) ​550 percent.

Question 20

We have clear evidence that imprisonment is cost effective.

Question 21

When compared to other developed countries, America's incarceration rate is extremely:
​

A) ​insignificant.
B) ​low.
C) ​average.
D) ​high.

Question 22

Intermediate sanctions include which of the following?

A) ​community service
B) ​boot camps
C) ​home confinement
D) ​all of these

Question 23

Methods of dealing with prison crowding include:​

A) ​reducing prison populations.
B) ​implementing more intermediate sanctions.
C) ​doing nothing.
D) ​all of these.

Question 24

Over the past quarter century, the incarceration rate has:​

A) ​doubled.
B) ​tripled.
C) ​quadrupled.
D) ​minimized.

Question 25

A correctional officer's ability to do their job is impacted by prison overcrowding in what ways?​

A) ​increased potential for violence
B) ​strain on staff morale
C) ​limited ability to run programs
D) ​all of these

Question 26

Eighty percent of California's recommitments stemmed from:​

A) ​technical violations.
B) ​violent offenses.
C) ​new crimes.
D) ​none of these.

Question 27

At the end of 2002, most prisons were operating:
​

A) ​at capacity.
B) ​above capacity.
C) ​below capacity.
D) ​either at capacity or above capacity.

Question 28

Predictive studies calculate that the future prison population of the United States is likely to:​

A) ​finally stop growing.
B) ​increase steadily.
C) ​shrink.
D) ​remain stable.

Question 29

Proponents who say that nothing should be done about prison overcrowding subscribe to which strategy?

A) ​prison population reduction strategy
B) ​null strategy
C) ​construction strategy
D) ​just desserts strategy

Question 30

Overcrowded prisons may violate:​

A) ​the First Amendment.
B) ​the Fourth Amendment.
C) ​the Sixth Amendment.the Sixth Amendment.
D) ​the Eighth Amendment.

Question 31

For most of the 20th century, the numbers of incarcerated prisoners in the United States:

A) ​grew.
B) ​held steady.
C) ​decreased.
D) ​were not calculated.

Question 32

The prison population in this country has skyrocketed. One explanation for this is:
​

A) ​public attitudes toward crime and punishment.
B) ​increased arrests.
C) ​the war on drugs.
D) ​all of these.

Question 33

Indeterminate sanctions include community service, restitution, fines, boot camp, home confinement, and:​

A) ​intensive probation supervision.
B) ​rehabilitation.
C) ​restoration.
D) ​psychotherapy.

Question 34

For two decades, the crime rate in the United States has been:​

A) ​declining.
B) ​rising.
C) ​stable.
D) ​erratic.

Question 35

Which of the following groups makes up a larger percentage of inmates?
​

A) ​African Americans and women
B) ​Hispanics and older prisoners
C) ​Caucasians and women
D) ​both African Americans and Hispanics

Question 36

There seems to be relationship between the crime rate and the incarceration rate.

A) ​little
B) ​a direct
C) ​a parallel
D) ​a corresponding

Question 37

According to the authors, the most costly correctional resource is:​

A) ​the prison.
B) ​intermediate sanctions.
C) ​probation.
D) ​intensive supervision probation.

Question 38

The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that states and the federal government prison systems operated at or above capacity.
​

A) ​5
B) ​10
C) ​19
D) ​24

Question 39

To "do something" about crime, government leaders have enacted:​

A) ​tough sentencing policies.
B) ​increased law enforcement spending.
C) ​tough parole policies.
D) ​all of these.

Question 40

Which state has the highest incarceration rate among all the states?​

A) ​Texas
B) ​Florida
C) ​New York
D) ​Louisiana

Question 41

Numeric Response
a.Build our way out of overcrowding
b.Strains staff morale
c.Cheaper than prison
d.Let prisons become more and more crowded
e.Incarceration rate above historical norms
f.African Americans/Hispanics
g.Higher prison populations as a whole
h.Average U.S.incarceration rate from 2000 to 2007
i.Higher rate of imprisonment of specific groups
j.Raw material of corrections
Overcrowding​

Question 42

Numeric Response
a.Build our way out of overcrowding
b.Strains staff morale
c.Cheaper than prison
d.Let prisons become more and more crowded
e.Incarceration rate above historical norms
f.African Americans/Hispanics
g.Higher prison populations as a whole
h.Average U.S.incarceration rate from 2000 to 2007
i.Higher rate of imprisonment of specific groups
j.Raw material of corrections
Intermediate sanctions​

Question 43

Numeric Response
a.Build our way out of overcrowding
b.Strains staff morale
c.Cheaper than prison
d.Let prisons become more and more crowded
e.Incarceration rate above historical norms
f.African Americans/Hispanics
g.Higher prison populations as a whole
h.Average U.S.incarceration rate from 2000 to 2007
i.Higher rate of imprisonment of specific groups
j.Raw material of corrections
Largest percent of inmate population​

Question 44

Which of the following is NOT one of the four primary strategies for dealing with overcrowded prisons?​

A) ​get tough
B) ​intermediate sanctions
C) ​null
D) ​construction

Question 45

New mandatory sentencing law greatly limit the discretion of with regard to the length of sentences for certain offenses.

Question 46

Legislatures typically estimate that new prison construction costs roughly __________ per cell.

A) ​$10,000
B) ​$50,000
C) ​$30,000
D) ​$75,000

Question 47

Supporters of incarceration believe that current policies have ____________ in lowering the crime rate.

A) ​failed
B) ​succeeded
C) ​slightly helped
D) ​had little impact

Question 48

Opponents of new prison construction believe that, given the nature of bureaucratic organizations, prison cells will always be:​

A) ​expensive.
B) ​filled.
C) ​rundown.
D) ​valuable.

Question 49

Which U.S. president declared an official "war on drugs"?​

A) ​Jimmy Carter
B) ​George Bush Sr.
C) ​Ronald Reagan
D) ​Bill Clinton

Question 50

Numeric Response
a.Build our way out of overcrowding
b.Strains staff morale
c.Cheaper than prison
d.Let prisons become more and more crowded
e.Incarceration rate above historical norms
f.African Americans/Hispanics
g.Higher prison populations as a whole
h.Average U.S.incarceration rate from 2000 to 2007
i.Higher rate of imprisonment of specific groups
j.Raw material of corrections
490 per 100,000​

Question 51

The ___________ strategy for dealing with prison overcrowding advocates building new facilities.

A) ​null
B) ​get tough
C) ​jail house
D) ​construction

Question 52

According to the authors, corrections officials have little or no control over the _____ of new offenders.

Question 53

Numeric Response
a.Build our way out of overcrowding
b.Strains staff morale
c.Cheaper than prison
d.Let prisons become more and more crowded
e.Incarceration rate above historical norms
f.African Americans/Hispanics
g.Higher prison populations as a whole
h.Average U.S.incarceration rate from 2000 to 2007
i.Higher rate of imprisonment of specific groups
j.Raw material of corrections
Feature of mass imprisonment​

Question 54

When the subject of criminal sanction arises, the general public usually thinks first of .

Question 55

Numeric Response
a.Build our way out of overcrowding
b.Strains staff morale
c.Cheaper than prison
d.Let prisons become more and more crowded
e.Incarceration rate above historical norms
f.African Americans/Hispanics
g.Higher prison populations as a whole
h.Average U.S.incarceration rate from 2000 to 2007
i.Higher rate of imprisonment of specific groups
j.Raw material of corrections
Offenders​

Question 56

When prison space is limited, judges reserve ___________ for only the most violent offenders.

Question 57

Numeric Response
a.Build our way out of overcrowding
b.Strains staff morale
c.Cheaper than prison
d.Let prisons become more and more crowded
e.Incarceration rate above historical norms
f.African Americans/Hispanics
g.Higher prison populations as a whole
h.Average U.S.incarceration rate from 2000 to 2007
i.Higher rate of imprisonment of specific groups
j.Raw material of corrections
Construction strategy​

Question 58

Numeric Response
a.Build our way out of overcrowding
b.Strains staff morale
c.Cheaper than prison
d.Let prisons become more and more crowded
e.Incarceration rate above historical norms
f.African Americans/Hispanics
g.Higher prison populations as a whole
h.Average U.S.incarceration rate from 2000 to 2007
i.Higher rate of imprisonment of specific groups
j.Raw material of corrections
States with higher revenues​

Question 59

Numeric Response
a.Build our way out of overcrowding
b.Strains staff morale
c.Cheaper than prison
d.Let prisons become more and more crowded
e.Incarceration rate above historical norms
f.African Americans/Hispanics
g.Higher prison populations as a whole
h.Average U.S.incarceration rate from 2000 to 2007
i.Higher rate of imprisonment of specific groups
j.Raw material of corrections
Null strategy​

Question 60

Numeric Response
a.Build our way out of overcrowding
b.Strains staff morale
c.Cheaper than prison
d.Let prisons become more and more crowded
e.Incarceration rate above historical norms
f.African Americans/Hispanics
g.Higher prison populations as a whole
h.Average U.S.incarceration rate from 2000 to 2007
i.Higher rate of imprisonment of specific groups
j.Raw material of corrections
Feature of mass imprisonment​

Question 61

The size and growth of the prison population is not distributed across the country.

Question 62

The average incarceration rate in the U.S. between 2000 through2009 set an all time record at __________ per 100,000 people.

Question 63

The states with the highest incarceration rates tend to be located in the ____________ region of the U.S.

Question 64

Define and discuss the "war on drugs." How has the war on drugs affected U.S. prison populations? Based on your readings, has this been a successful war? Be sure to fully explain your answer. Finally, what can be done to address the issues that have resulted from this war?

Question 65

According to research findings, states with higher have higher prison populations.

Question 66

As a direct consequence of higher incarceration rates, courts have cited states for maintaining overcrowded prisons that violate an inmate's ____________ Amendment right prohibiting cruel and unusual punishment.

Question 67

The population incarcerated in American prisons and jailsmakes up of people under correctional supervision.

Question 68

To begin the "war on drugs," Congress in 1987 imposed stiff ________________ sentences for federal drug violations, laws that many states copied.

Question 69

The _____________ strategy advocates doing nothing to relieve prison overcrowding, under the assumption that the problem will take of itself.

Question 70

Crusades against drugs are not a new phenomenon; in fact, the effort to deter people from using drugs dates back to the late ____________.

Question 71

With respect to race/ethnicity, _____________ and _____________ now make up a significant percentage of inmates in U.S. correctional facilities.

Question 72

According to Allen J. Beck, the continuing increase in the prison population is a result of tougher laws resulting in both more prison sentences and .

Question 73

The state of _______________ currently has the highest incarceration rate in the United States.

Question 74

List and explain three unintended consequences of our ever-increasing prison population. Discuss the political and social effects of these consequences. Are they acceptable? What would you suggest to lawmakers in regard to decreasing the overall prison population? Explain your reasoning.

Question 75

The skyrocketing prison population has created a correctional crisis of .

Question 76

How would you respond to the argument that the American prison is becoming a place where the urban poor receive better housing, health care, education, and job training than they do on the outside? Is this argument true or false? Be sure to fully explain your answer.

Question 77

A large portion of the prison population is made up of offenders who are being returned to prison for new crimes or .