Deck 16: Section 3: Corrections: Sentencing, Imprisonment, and Alternatives

Question 1

The largest single group of inmates in federal prisons, constituting almost half of all federal prisoners, consists of individuals who have been convicted of:

A) murder.
B) drug offenses.
C) bank robbery.
D) tax evasion.

Answer 1

drug offenses.

Question 2

Criminal behaviors that are attributed to _____ causes evoke the strongest punitive response.

A) internal, controllable, and stable
B) external, less controllable, and unstable
C) external, controllable, and unstable
D) internal, less controllable, and unstable

Answer 2

internal, controllable, and stable

Question 3

According to the text, all of the following factors have contributed to the stunning rise of the prison population in the United States, EXCEPT:

A) "war on drugs."
B) increased use of parole.
C) mandatory sentencing.
D) increased imprisonment of juveniles.

Answer 3

increased use of parole.

Question 4

Sentencing guidelines intended to do all of the following EXCEPT:

A) restrain judges' discretion.
B) reduce inequalities in sentencing.
C) take into account the past criminal history of the defendant.
D) increase the severity of sentences.

Question 5

Studies find that there are several factors that lead to disparities in sentencing decisions. Which of the following is NOT one of these findings?

A) Male judges give significantly lighter sentences to women than to men.
B) For violent crimes, women receive shorter sentences than men.
C) African American male juveniles receive harsher sentences in politically conservative jurisdictions.
D) Young Hispanic men are least likely to be incarcerated for their crimes.

Question 6

After being released from prison, approximately _____ of inmates will be rearrested and sent back to prison within 3 years.

A) 20%
B) 33%
C) 51%
D) 67%

Question 7

Which of the four goals of imprisonment did the creators of early prisons in the United States aspire to fulfill?

A) Incapacitation.
B) Deterrence.
C) Retribution.
D) Rehabilitation.

Question 8

A rather radical approach to sentencing guidelines involves mandatory, or determinate sentencing, which requires judges to:

A) implement the three strikes laws.
B) hand down sentences within a prescribed range.
C) defer the sentencing decision to the jury.
D) consider the defendant's personality characteristics.

Question 9

When an inmate is released from prison before his or her entire sentence has been served, to remain under the supervision of an officer in the community, this is called:

A) probation.
B) parole.
C) suspended sentence.
D) general deterrence.

Question 10

A lot of prisoners come from disadvantaged backgrounds: _____ of prisoners have at least one family member who has been incarcerated, and about _____ of prisoners have been regular drug users before incarceration.

A) 10%; 25%
B) 40%; 60%
C) 25%; 90%
D) 50%; 10%

Question 11

Crime rates have been _____ for the last 15 to 20 years. However, the rate of incarceration in the United States is _____ that of other industrialized democracies.

A) falling; getting close to
B) rising; getting close to
C) rising; much lower than
D) falling; still several times higher than

Question 12

The Supreme Court abandoned the rigidity of mandatory sentencing in the case of:

A) United States v. Booker.
B) United States v. Ruback.
C) United States v. McCarthy.
D) United States v. Wroblewksi.

Question 13

It is estimated that about _____ of inmates suffer from a serious mental illness.

A) 5%
B) 15%
C) 30%
D) 50%

Question 14

The average cost of imprisonment for prisoners over the age of 55 is over _____ per year.

A) $30,000
B) $50,000
C) $80,000
D) $100,000

Question 15

The rate of HIV/AIDS among state and federal prisoners is about _____ times higher than the rate for the general population.

A) 2
B) 5
C) 7
D) 12