Question 1

According to your text, how many black high school dropouts are prisoners or ex-convicts by the time they reach their mid-thirties?

Accepted Answer

60% of black high school dropouts are prisoners or ex-convicts by the time they reach their mid-thirties.

Question 2

According to consequentialist reasoning, if other measures than imprisonment work better to deter or prevent crime then we ought to use these other measures.

Accepted Answer

Consequentialist reasoning focuses on the outcomes of actions, suggesting that the best action is the one that leads to the most favorable overall consequences. Therefore, if alternatives to imprisonment are more effective in deterring or preventing crime, consequentialism would support using those alternatives to achieve the best outcomes.

Question 3

Label the following examples of reasons for legal punishment as Consequentialist Deterrence (CD), Consequentialist Prevention (CP), or Retributivist (R): 
If we could be sure that a person was going to commit a crime, then we would be doing the right thing to stop this by putting him in prison.

Accepted Answer

CP

Question 4

A retributivist would uphold a just punishment for certain crimes even if the imposition of this punishment did not deter anyone from committing such crimes.

Accepted Answer

Retributivism is based on the principle that punishment is justified as a deserved response to wrongdoing, independent of any utilitarian considerations such as deterrence.

Question 5

Which of our moral theories is most likely to be used in support of the retribution argument for capital punishment?

Accepted Answer

The retribution argument for capital punishment is most closely aligned with Kant's Categorical Imperative, which emphasizes duty and moral laws. Kantian ethics supports the idea of retribution as a form of justice, where punishment is deserved for wrongdoing.

Question 6

Since 1989, there have been convicts who were found innocent due to DNA testing.

Accepted Answer

Since 1989, there have been more than 302 convicts found innocent due to DNA testing, highlighting the significant role of forensic science in correcting wrongful convictions.

Question 7

Label the following examples of reasons for legal punishment as Consequentialist Deterrence (CD), Consequentialist Prevention (CP), or Retributivist (R): 
While sure and swift punishment may not work for all, it surely works for those who understand the real threat of being punished if they break the law.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Label the following examples of reasons for...

Question 8

According to the deterrence argument for legal punishment, any kind of punishment is justified no matter what the consequences.

Accepted Answer

The deterrence argument for legal punishment justifies punishment primarily on the grounds that it prevents future crimes by deterring potential offenders; it does not argue that any kind of punishment is justified regardless of the consequences.

Question 9

Label the following examples of reasons for legal punishment as Consequentialist Deterrence (CD), Consequentialist Prevention (CP), or Retributivist (R): 
There should be no legal punishment for crimes that persons are forced to commit for they are not really responsible for these crimes.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Label the following examples of reasons for...

Question 10

The cost of life in prison without parole compared to an execution is

Accepted Answer

The cost of life in prison without parole is significantly lower than the cost of executing a prisoner. This is due to the extensive and prolonged legal processes involved in death penalty cases, including trials, appeals, and the additional costs of death row incarceration.

Question 11

Retributivists would support a not guilty plea for persons who are in fact "insane" for, because of their mental dysfunction, they then are not responsible for what they do.

Accepted Answer

Retributivists believe in punishment that is deserved; if someone is "insane" and cannot understand or control their actions, they are not morally responsible, thus not deserving of punishment according to retributive justice principles.

Question 12

Which of the following types of crime will always be difficult to deter?

Accepted Answer

Crimes of passion are typically impulsive and driven by strong emotions, making them difficult to deter through traditional preventive measures or the threat of punishment. These crimes are not premeditated or rational, so the individuals committing them are less likely to be influenced by the potential consequences of their actions.

Question 13

Label the following examples of reasons for legal punishment as Consequentialist Deterrence (CD), Consequentialist Prevention (CP), or Retributivist (R): 
Some crimes are so horrible that those committing them are appropriately punished with life imprisonment without parole.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Label the following examples of reasons for...

Question 14

To suggest that capital punishment is a different moral question for nomadic peoples living in tents, or other temporary shelters, than it is for societies with maximum-security prisons, involves what kind of reasoning?

Accepted Answer

This involves relativism because it suggests that the moral question of capital punishment varies depending on the societal context or conditions, such as the type of living arrangements (nomadic peoples in tents vs. societies with maximum-security prisons). Relativism is the idea that points of view have no absolute truth or validity, having only relative, subjective value according to differences in perception and consideration.

Question 15

Indeterminate sentences would be more likely to be favored by those with a retributivist than those with a deterrence viewpoint.

Accepted Answer

Retributivists focus on punishment fitting the crime, emphasizing that the punishment should be proportionate to the offense. Indeterminate sentences, which vary in length based on factors like behavior in prison, align more closely with a deterrence viewpoint, which aims to prevent future crimes by making an example of the punishment.

Question 16

Label the following examples of reasons for legal punishment as Consequentialist Deterrence (CD), Consequentialist Prevention (CP), or Retributivist (R): 
At least while they are in prison they cannot do any harm to those outside the prison.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Label the following examples of reasons for...

Question 17

What is the meaning of "lex talionis"?

Accepted Answer

"Lex talionis" is a Latin phrase that translates to "the law of retaliation," where the punishment resembles the offense committed in kind and degree, hence the principle of "an eye for an eye."

Question 18

Punishment is externally related to lawbreaking, according to the deterrence viewpoint.

Accepted Answer

From the deterrence viewpoint, punishment is externally related to lawbreaking as it is imposed from outside (by the state or another authority) to discourage individuals from committing crimes, based on the idea that the fear of punishment will deter people from engaging in illegal activities.

Question 19

Which country has the highest incarceration rate in the world?

Accepted Answer

The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with a significant portion of its population in prison compared to other countries.

Question 20

Retributivists always support a lex talionis view and, thus, always will support the death penalty for murderers (as being a life for a life).

Accepted Answer

Retributivists believe in punishment that is proportionate to the crime, but not all retributivists support the lex talionis view (an eye for an eye) or the death penalty for murderers. Their support can vary based on interpretations of what constitutes proportionate justice.

Quiz 15: Punishment and the Death Penalty

According to your text, how many black high school dropouts are prisoners or ex-convicts by the time they reach their mid-thirties?

According to consequentialist reasoning, if other measures than imprisonment work better to deter or prevent crime then we ought to use these other measures.

Label the following examples of reasons for legal punishment as Consequentialist Deterrence (CD), Consequentialist Prevention (CP), or Retributivist (R): If we could be sure that a person was going to commit a crime, then we would be doing the right thing to stop this by putting him in prison.

A retributivist would uphold a just punishment for certain crimes even if the imposition of this punishment did not deter anyone from committing such crimes.

Which of our moral theories is most likely to be used in support of the retribution argument for capital punishment?

Since 1989, there have been convicts who were found innocent due to DNA testing.

According to the deterrence argument for legal punishment, any kind of punishment is justified no matter what the consequences.

Label the following examples of reasons for legal punishment as Consequentialist Deterrence (CD), Consequentialist Prevention (CP), or Retributivist (R): There should be no legal punishment for crimes that persons are forced to commit for they are not really responsible for these crimes.

The cost of life in prison without parole compared to an execution is

Retributivists would support a not guilty plea for persons who are in fact "insane" for, because of their mental dysfunction, they then are not responsible for what they do.

Which of the following types of crime will always be difficult to deter?

Label the following examples of reasons for legal punishment as Consequentialist Deterrence (CD), Consequentialist Prevention (CP), or Retributivist (R): Some crimes are so horrible that those committing them are appropriately punished with life imprisonment without parole.

To suggest that capital punishment is a different moral question for nomadic peoples living in tents, or other temporary shelters, than it is for societies with maximum-security prisons, involves what kind of reasoning?

Indeterminate sentences would be more likely to be favored by those with a retributivist than those with a deterrence viewpoint.

Label the following examples of reasons for legal punishment as Consequentialist Deterrence (CD), Consequentialist Prevention (CP), or Retributivist (R): At least while they are in prison they cannot do any harm to those outside the prison.

What is the meaning of "lex talionis"?

Punishment is externally related to lawbreaking, according to the deterrence viewpoint.

Which country has the highest incarceration rate in the world?

Retributivists always support a lex talionis view and, thus, always will support the death penalty for murderers (as being a life for a life).