Question 1

A drug-related crime refers to violent behaviors engaged in while under the influence of drugs, or to robberies committed in order to get money to buy drugs. Which of the following is true regarding drug-related crimes:

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that racial minorities are disproportionately incarcerated for drug-related crimes, despite similar rates of drug use and trafficking among different racial groups. Choices A, B, and D are either inaccurate or too broad of generalizations to be fully true.

Question 2

Some have compared the costs associated with mass incarceration to a __________ imposed on poor and minority families.

Accepted Answer

Mass incarceration disproportionately affects poor and minority communities, who are more likely to be arrested, convicted, and sentenced to longer prison terms. This imposes a "hidden tax" on these families, as they bear the financial burden of maintaining the prison system through taxes and fees, as well as the personal costs of having a family member incarcerated, such as loss of income, emotional stress, and disrupted family relationships.

Question 3

A felony conviction can be a major hurdle when a person is released from prison because:

Accepted Answer

A felony conviction can lead to job disqualification, legal discrimination, and ineligibility for government assistance. All of the above options are major obstacles for an individual reintegrating back into society after serving their time in prison.

Question 4

Political disenfranchisement occurs for felons and ex-convicts primarily in this way:

Accepted Answer

Felons and ex-convicts are often restricted from voting in many states, leading to political disenfranchisement. This restriction can last even after they have served their sentence and paid their debt to society.

Question 5

Steffensmeier and Demuth (2006) found in their research exploring the intersection of race/ethnicity and gender, that:

Accepted Answer

Race influences the sentencing of male defendants, but not female defendants

Question 6

Despite Constitutional guarantees and federal legislation, incarcerated Native Americans face discrimination related to:

Accepted Answer

Incarcerated Native Americans often face discrimination related to their religious freedoms, such as being denied access to religious practices and objects. While issues such as gender inequalities and false accusations may also be present, they are not specifically related to being Native American and incarcerated. Voting rights may be a concern for some incarcerated individuals, but again, it is not specific to Native Americans.

Question 7

This term refers to the physiological and psychological symptoms such as tension headaches, elevated heartbeat, extreme fatigue, ulcers, hypervigilance, anger, and inability to sleep associated with the constant exposure to racial slights, indignities, irritations, unfair treatment, and both subtle and overt racial hostilities.

Accepted Answer

This term specifically describes the physiological and psychological symptoms associated with the constant exposure to racial hostility and discrimination. The other answer choices are not commonly recognized terms for this concept.

Question 8

When Hurricane Katrina broke open the levees in 2005, new coverage of the destruction revealed race and class inequalities. What ideas did media images and reports repeatedly support:

Accepted Answer

Media images and reports repeatedly supported the idea of black lawlessness during Hurricane Katrina, with many depicting African American residents as looters and criminals. This narrative perpetuated harmful stereotypes and ignored the broader issues of poverty and systemic inequality that contributed to the disaster.

Question 9

In 1994, Susan Smith, a young white woman and mother of two boys, claimed that a black man had carjacked and kidnapped her children-and it became a national headline--only to finally confess to killing her children nine days later. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Susan Smith's false accusation of a black man committing a heinous crime is an example of a racial hoax, as she knowingly lied about the identity of the perpetrator based on their race.

Question 10

This system emerged after the Civil War as a way to force blacks to continue providing free labor after emancipation. Through these programs, black men cleared swamps, worked cotton fields, paved roads, and essentially rebuilt the South without being compensated for their labor.

Accepted Answer

Convict leasing programs were used as a way to exploit newly freed black men, forcing them to work in grueling and dangerous conditions without pay, essentially continuing the system of slavery in a different form. Social capital refers to the networks and relationships that facilitate cooperation and trust in a community, lynching is extrajudicial punishment often used against black individuals, and supermax prisons are high-security facilities designed for the most dangerous and disruptive inmates. None of these are directly related to the historical context and purpose of convict leasing programs.

Question 11

Per capita death rates of citizens at the hands of police are highest for which racial/ethnic minority group?

Accepted Answer

African Americans have the highest per capita death rate at the hands of police compared to any other racial/ethnic minority group.

Question 12

Black men are perceived as criminals and dangerous, despite the fact that whites are responsible for most of the crime committed in American society.

Accepted Answer

This perception is a result of systemic racism and bias in media representation. Studies have shown that black men are often unfairly targeted by law enforcement and face harsher sentencing compared to their white counterparts, even for the same crimes.

Question 13

When a white woman locks her car doors at an intersection because a young black male is heading down the street, she is operating out of what is known in sociology as the white racial frame.

Accepted Answer

The white racial frame is a sociological concept that describes the cultural lens through which white people view the world and understand their own racial identity. One aspect of the white racial frame is a fear or suspicion of black men, which can manifest in behaviors such as locking car doors or crossing the street to avoid them.

Question 14

In the U.S., African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans are imprisoned at higher rates than are whites, despite the fact that whites make up the bulk of arrests.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. According to the sentencing project, African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans are overrepresented in the U.S. criminal justice system and are imprisoned at higher rates than whites.

Question 15

The majority of people incarcerated in American prisons committed violent crimes in order to buy drugs.

Accepted Answer

There is no evidence to support the claim that the majority of people incarcerated in American prisons committed violent crimes to buy drugs. Many people are incarcerated for non-violent drug offenses, while others may have committed violent crimes for reasons unrelated to drug use.

Question 16

The United States incarcerates more women than any nation in the world.

Accepted Answer

According to the International Centre for Prison Studies, the United States has the highest number of female prisoners in the world, with over 200,000 incarcerated women.

Question 17

Homicide is the leading cause of death among black and Hispanic males and females ages 15-24.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true according to national data on causes of death from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Homicide is the third leading cause of death overall for this age group, but it is the leading cause of death for black and Hispanic males and females specifically.

Question 18

Racial minorities are much less likely to be victimized by crime than whites.

Accepted Answer

This statement is false. Racial minorities, particularly Black and Latino individuals, are disproportionately victimized by crime in the United States. They are more likely to experience violence, property crimes, and hate crimes compared to white individuals. This is due to various systemic factors such as racism, poverty, and discrimination.

Question 19

First generation immigrants commit more crime than second-generation immigrants or native-born residents.

Accepted Answer

Studies have generally found that first-generation immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than second-generation immigrants or native-born residents. This phenomenon is often attributed to the selective nature of migration and the strong community and family ties among first-generation immigrants.

Question 20

Race is the most significant variable in whether or not a defendant is sentenced to death.

Accepted Answer

Multiple studies have shown that race is a significant factor in death penalty sentencing. Black defendants are more likely to receive the death penalty than white defendants, even when controlling for other factors such as the severity of the crime and the defendant's criminal history. This suggests that racial bias plays a role in death penalty sentencing.

Quiz 10: Crime and Criminal Justice