Question 1

The top priority of prison officials is usually what?

Accepted Answer

The top priority of prison officials is generally security, which includes maintaining order and preventing escapes, violence, and contraband. While due process and fairness are important, they often take a back seat to the need for security in the prison environment. Punishment is also a goal of incarceration but it is not the top priority.

Question 2

According to Ruffin v. Commonwealth (1871), prisoners, as a consequence of their crimes, are _______ of the state.

Accepted Answer

In Ruffin v. Commonwealth (1871), the court ruled that prisoners are considered "slaves of the state" as a consequence of their crimes, indicating that they lose certain civil rights upon incarceration.

Question 3

In which case did the Supreme Court give the concept of cruel and unusual punishment a flexible definition in reference to "evolving standards of decency that mark the progress of a maturing society"?

Accepted Answer

In Trop v. Dulles, the Supreme Court established that the concept of cruel and unusual punishment was subject to evolving standards of decency as society progressed and that punishment could not be unreasonably severe. This decision established a flexible definition for what constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.

Question 4

In which case did the Supreme Court rule that "state prisoners must give the state courts one full opportunity to resolve any constitutional issues by invoking one complete round of the State's established appellate review process"?

Accepted Answer

In O'Sullivan v. Boerckel (1999), the Supreme Court ruled that state prisoners must provide the state courts with one full opportunity to resolve any constitutional issues by invoking one complete round of the State's established appellate review process before seeking federal habeas corpus relief.

Question 5

Since the Supreme Court's 1973 ruling on this matter in _______________, inmates have generally had to use habeas corpus petitions to challenge the legality and duration of their confinement and Section 1983 suits to challenge the constitutionality of conditions under which they are held.

Accepted Answer

Preiser v. Rodriguez is the landmark Supreme Court case that established the general rule that inmates must use habeas corpus petitions to challenge the legality and duration of their confinement and Section 1983 suits to challenge the constitutionality of conditions under which they are held. Cooper v. Lanham and Kahane v. Carlson are not relevant cases, and while Johnson v. Avery does involve habeas corpus petitions, it does not establish the same rule as Preiser v. Rodriguez.

Question 6

Prisoner access to the courts is not specifically mentioned in the U.S. Constitution, yet the Supreme Court and other courts have affirmed that it is a fundamental right implied in the due process clause of which Amendment?

Accepted Answer

The right to access courts is considered a fundamental right implied in the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, which guarantees individuals the right to fair and equal treatment under law. While access to courts is not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution, the Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed its importance as a necessary element of due process.

Question 7

Which Amendment provides a right to counsel for persons facing criminal prosecution that ends at the point of sentencing?

Accepted Answer

The Sixth Amendment provides the right to counsel for persons facing criminal prosecution, which includes the right to a lawyer at the time of trial or other critical stages of the prosecution, such as pretrial hearings. However, this right to counsel only extends to the point of sentencing.

Question 8

The Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause can be found in which Constitutional Amendment?

Accepted Answer

Both the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause are found in the First Amendment of the US Constitution. The Establishment Clause prohibits the government from establishing a state religion, while the Free Exercise Clause protects individuals from being discriminated against based on their religion and allows them to freely exercise their religious beliefs.

Question 9

In which Supreme Court case was it ruled that inmates cannot be denied the opportunity to practice an unconventional American religion (Buddhism, in this case) when other inmates are given the chance to pursue conventional faiths?

Accepted Answer

Cruz v. Beto, a 1972 Supreme Court case, ruled that a prison must provide reasonable opportunities for inmates to exercise the religious freedom guaranteed by the First Amendment, including for those practicing unconventional religions like Buddhism, when it allows other inmates to practice their faiths.

Question 10

Procunier v Martinez (1974) was the first major Supreme Court ruling on __________.

Accepted Answer

Procunier v. Martinez (1974) was a landmark Supreme Court case that addressed the issue of freedom of speech, specifically in the context of censorship of prisoner mail by prison officials.

Question 11

Pell v. Procunier and Saxbe v. Washington Post Co., which were both decided in 1974, were important rulings on what kind of issues?

Accepted Answer

Pell v. Procunier dealt with the First Amendment rights of prisoners, specifically their ability to receive and send mail, while Saxbe v. Washington Post Co. addressed the issue of government censorship of the press. Both cases involved the freedom of the press.

Question 12

Which of the following was not a restriction challenged in Overton v. Bazetta (2003)?

Accepted Answer

The restriction challenged in Overton v. Bazetta was the ban on visitation by individuals with drug-related convictions. The case did not address conjugal visits.

Question 13

Which Supreme Court case ruled that a consideration of broad "overall conditions" is not sufficient to ascertain if cruel and unusual punishment exists; greater specificity about particular conditions is required?

Accepted Answer

Wilson v. Seiter established that for a claim of cruel and unusual punishment to succeed, the plaintiff must show deliberate indifference to prison conditions on the part of prison officials, requiring a more specific demonstration of conditions than just broad "overall conditions."

Question 14

An intriguing development in corrections that has Eighth Amendment implications is the effort of some states to reinstitute what?

Accepted Answer

The use of chain gangs, or groups of prisoners who are shackled together and forced to do manual labor, has been seen as a violation of the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. However, some states have recently attempted to reinstitute this practice as a way to address prison overcrowding and reduce costs. This has led to debate over whether or not the use of chain gangs is constitutional and whether it serves as an effective form of punishment or rehabilitation.

Question 15

Most prisons regularly place inmates in solitary confinement or isolation (known among inmates as _________).

Accepted Answer

"The hole" is the most common term used by inmates to refer to solitary confinement or isolation. Choice A, "the pit," and choice B, "the abyss," are less commonly used and not as widely recognized. Choice C, "the darkness," is not a commonly used term to refer to solitary confinement or isolation.

Question 16

There are approximately how many inmates held in solitary confinement?

Accepted Answer

The answer of There are approximately how many inmates held...

Question 17

Bell v. Wolfish (1979), Rhodes v. Chapman (1981), and Brown v. Plata (2011) are all cases pertaining to what Eighth Amendment issue?

Accepted Answer

Bell v. Wolfish (1979) dealt with the constitutionality of double-celling and crowding in prisons, while Rhodes v. Chapman (1981) focused on the same issue but with a specific emphasis on cell size. Brown v. Plata (2011) also dealt with overcrowding in California prisons and required the state to reduce its prison population to address the unconstitutional conditions created by such overcrowding.

Question 18

Even a relatively mild injury (e.g., minor bruising from a slap to the face) might offend standards of decency if imposed in a manner that is _________________.

Accepted Answer

The correct answer is "unnecessary and wanton" because it implies an injury inflicted without any justification or need, reflecting a disregard for the victim's well-being, which offends standards of decency.

Question 19

Estelle v. Gamble (1976) was the first landmark Eighth Amendment case to come from a prison setting concerning what?

Accepted Answer

Estelle v. Gamble (1976) was the first landmark Eighth Amendment case to come from a prison setting concerning medical care. The case established that deliberate indifference to the serious medical needs of an inmate constitutes cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment.

Question 20

__________ are perhaps the most frequently contested and litigated area in prison.

Accepted Answer

Disciplinary actions, or punishment for rule violations, are a common source of conflict in prisons between inmates and staff. Inmates often challenge disciplinary decisions through the grievance process and in court, claiming that they were unfairly accused or punished. This can lead to lengthy and costly legal battles.

Quiz 3: Corrections and the Courts