Deck 3: Understanding Criminal Justice Policy

Question 1

Some criminal justice policies have turned out to be irrational. Which of the following statements explains why?

A) They fail to punish offenders.
B) They are unclear and do not make sense.
C) They are unconstitutional.
D) They are misguided, costly, or are ineffective in reducing crime.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

What are some effective ways of confronting substance abuse problems:

A) Legalizing drugs
B) Bootcamps
C) Lengthy sentences for offenders
D) Treatment programs and establishing drug courts for drug offenders

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Why is the politicization of crime a barrier to enacting rational criminal justice policies?

A) Politics should not play any role in the criminal justice system.
B) Politicians can impede the implementation of new policies.
C) It often drives up all the costs and the expenses.
D) The "get tough" on crime agenda only supports punitive policies.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Why is creating false dichotomies a barrier to enacting rational criminal justice policies?

A) Criminal justice policies have both crime control and due process aspects.
B) Crime control and due process are often mutually exclusive.
C) There are many different kind of offender, and we need a wide range of options.
D) It prescribes lengthy pretrial incarceration for first-time nonviolent offenders.

Question 5

Loss of confidence in the justice system is one of the unintended consequences of implementing wars on crime and drugs. What is another?

A) Financial windfall for many cash-strapped jurisdictions
B) Drop in overdoses
C) Financial drain for many cash-strapped jurisdictions
D) Establishing of many treatment programs

Question 6

Why do "hard cases make bad law?"

A) Hard cases are too difficult to solve.
B) They make punishments less severe for offenders.
C) Hard cases generate a lot of media attention.
D) Exceptional cases coupled with public outrage only produce vindictive laws.

Question 7

What are collateral consequences?

A) They are part of the penalties handed down by the courts.
B) Nonlegal punishments such as restrictions on voting and access to occupations.
C) Damage inflicted on an unintended victim.
D) Paying damage to the crime victim.

Question 8

What is the idea behind program fidelity?

A) Correctional officers can deliver the programs as well as teachers.
B) Offenders should serve most of their sentences.
C) Once released, offenders need help with getting back on their feet.
D) Our efforts will be less successful, if we do it "on the cheap."

Question 9

Which stakeholders benefit from high imprisonment practices and will resist reforms that threaten their livelihood?

A) Single issue groups and the general public
B) Prison guards, the private corrections industry, and bail bondsmen
C) Penal reform groups and victims
D) Social justice activists

Question 10

Which policy trends will likely have a significant impact on criminal justice policies over the next few decades?

A) Community policing
B) Combat policing
C) Crime prevention and public service
D) Policy evaluation, best practices, and evidence-based interventions

Question 11

Majority of prison and jail inmates with an alcohol or drug problem received some professional addictions treatment after their admission.

Question 12

Imprisoning drug offenders does not work because it has not reduced drug use.

Question 13

The police, courtroom work group, and correctional officials have considerable discretionary powers, and they can impede criminal justice reforms through inaction.

Question 14

The United States imprisons four to five times as many offenders per capita as most European nations.

Question 15

The USA Patriot Act was passed 90 days after the 9/11 attacks and after a long legislative evaluation and debate.

Question 16

There are many rewards for seeking harsh punishments in the criminal justice system but almost no upside to showing mercy.

Question 17

The DARE (drug abuse resistance education) programs had the desired impact of reducing youth drug use, but we stopped funding these programs as they are unpopular with public, police, and schools.

Question 18

While nearly everybody would agree that it is a good idea to base policies on research that demonstrates their effectiveness, few governments actually fund evaluations of their programs.

Question 19

Most of our current ideas about reducing crime are based on established knowledge about offenders.

Question 20

Critical criminologists and social justice activists believe that even if we end the economic and social factors that contribute to criminality, we cannot substantially reduce crime.