Question 1

Which of the following has not been a legal issue surrounding three-strikes legislation?

Accepted Answer

The right to bear arms is not typically associated with legal issues surrounding three-strikes legislation, which primarily deals with sentencing and punishment concerns.

Question 2

Since the 1960s, which philosophy of punishment best describes the U.S. criminal justice system?

Accepted Answer

Since the 1960s, the U.S. criminal justice system has increasingly adopted a punitive approach, focusing on punishment and incarceration rather than rehabilitation or reintegration.

Question 3

Three-strikes laws seek to address which type of criminal?

Accepted Answer

Three-strikes laws are designed to target habitual offenders by imposing harsher sentences on individuals who have been convicted of multiple serious crimes.

Question 4

Which state was the first to enact three-strikes legislation?

Accepted Answer

Washington was the first state to enact three-strikes legislation in 1993.

Question 5

Which of the following statements best summarizes the empirical evidence on three-strikes legislation?

Accepted Answer

Research indicates that while three-strikes laws may deter some offenders with two strikes from committing further crimes, the overall impact on crime rates is small and the evidence is mixed.

Question 6

What types of offenders have been most affected by the net widening associated with three-strikes laws?

Accepted Answer

Three-strikes laws often result in harsher sentences for less serious offenders who commit minor crimes, as these laws mandate severe penalties after three offenses, regardless of the severity of the crimes.

Question 7

Which sentencing approach best describes three-strikes laws?

Accepted Answer

Three-strikes laws are a form of mandatory sentencing, where offenders receive a significantly harsher sentence after their third felony conviction, regardless of the circumstances.

Question 8

Which statement best describes the Supreme Court's interpretation of three-strikes laws?

Accepted Answer

The Supreme Court has upheld three-strikes laws, ruling that they do not violate the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment, as there is no clearly established precedent for punishment proportionality.

Question 9

What statute in California changed aspects of three-strikes laws by authorizing resentencing for offenders currently serving life sentences for a nonserious or nonviolent third-strike conviction?

Accepted Answer

Proposition 36 (2012) in California modified the three-strikes law to allow for the resentencing of individuals serving life sentences if their third strike was nonserious or nonviolent.

Question 10

Which Supreme Court decision has clearly upheld the constitutionality of three-strikes legislation?

Accepted Answer

Ewing v. California (2003) upheld the constitutionality of three-strikes laws, ruling that they do not violate the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment.

Quiz 17: Have Three Strikes Laws Struck Out: Robert P Stallings Shannon Womer Phaneuf Jon Cooper