Question 1

Why would the advocates of the Crime Control model be concerned with wrongful convictions?

Accepted Answer

The Crime Control model emphasizes the efficient detection and processing of suspects to maintain public safety. Wrongful convictions are concerning because if the wrong person is convicted, the actual perpetrator remains at large, potentially continuing to commit crimes and posing a threat to community safety.

Question 2

What is prisonization?

Accepted Answer

Prisonization refers to the psychological and social process whereby an inmate learns and adopts the values, norms, and customs of the prison culture. This leads to the individual becoming stigmatized by the prison experience, making it difficult to reintegrate into society after release. Option A and B do not accurately define prisonization, and option D is actually the opposite of what prisonization entails.

Question 3

An indigent defendant is a

Accepted Answer

An indigent defendant is a poor defendant that cannot afford a lawyer.

Question 4

Innocence projects were established to

Accepted Answer

Innocence projects were established primarily to investigate wrongful convictions and to educate the public about them. While some may hope to abolish the death penalty or to decrease prison populations as a result of their work, those are not the primary goals of innocence projects.

Question 5

Eyewitness misidentification played a role in what percentage of the cases of false convictions that were overturned using DNA evidence?

Accepted Answer

Eyewitness misidentification was found to be a contributing factor in 70 percent of the cases of false convictions that were overturned using DNA evidence, according to the Innocence Project.

Question 6

Which of the following are a source or sources of eyewitness misidentification?

Accepted Answer

Crime trauma, intoxication, and influence by media publicity or prosecutors are all known sources of eyewitness misidentification. Options A and B are not accurate statements and C may be a factor in some cases, but is not as commonly recognized in research on eyewitness misidentification.

Question 7

What is the best way to reduce mistakes in suspect identifications?

Accepted Answer

Preventing the administrator of the line-up from giving any cues to the witness is the best way to reduce mistakes in suspect identifications. This reduces the chances of unintentional bias or influence on the witness's identification. The other options may not necessarily address the root cause of mistaken identifications.

Question 8

Which groups are particularly at risk of making false confessions?

Accepted Answer

Persons with mental illness and juveniles are particularly at risk of making false confessions as they may not fully understand their rights or the consequences of their actions, and may be vulnerable to coercion or manipulation by authorities. Novice criminals may also be at risk due to lack of experience with the legal system. Blue color criminals and liars/dishonest individuals are not necessarily more at risk of making false confessions.

Question 9

What are some of the strategies officers use to convince suspects to confess?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What are some of the strategies officers...

Question 10

The greatest hazard of using the testimony of a snitch occurs in what type of cases?

Accepted Answer

The greatest hazard of using the testimony of a snitch occurs in capital cases because the stakes are extremely high, potentially involving the death penalty. The reliability of such testimony is critically important due to the irreversible nature of the punishment.

Question 11

The average time served by the 350 individuals exonerated was four years.

Accepted Answer

The average time served by individuals exonerated is significantly higher, often exceeding ten years, as many cases involve wrongful convictions that take years to overturn.

Question 12

Wrongful convictions are errors, but they do not harm the integrity of the entire criminal justice system.

Accepted Answer

Wrongful convictions can harm the integrity of the entire criminal justice system by eroding public trust and confidence in the system. It can also lead to a lack of accountability for those responsible for the wrongful conviction and a failure to address systemic issues that may have contributed to it.

Question 13

Wrongful convictions are not a challenge distinctive to the United States. Other countries, however, have been quick to adopt safeguards to reduce the harm of these errors. Justice systems in the United States have resisted similar safeguards.

Accepted Answer

Other countries have adopted safeguards such as requiring corroboration of evidence, limits on false confessions, and broader access to forensic testing. This contrasts with the resistance in the US justice system to implementing similar reforms.

Question 14

Officials in the justice system believe that about 1 in 100 cases results in a wrongful conviction.

Accepted Answer

This is an estimate from officials in the justice system, but the actual rate of wrongful convictions is difficult to determine.

Question 15

Eyewitness misidentification is the primary cause of wrongful convictions.

Accepted Answer

Research shows that eyewitness misidentification is the leading cause of wrongful convictions in the United States. According to the Innocence Project, mistaken eyewitness identifications played a role in 69% of the wrongful convictions overturned through DNA testing.

Question 16

False confessions are not common in criminal justice.

Accepted Answer

False confessions do occur in criminal justice, and studies have shown that they may be more common than previously thought. Factors such as coercion, fear, mental illness, and false evidence can lead innocent individuals to admit to crimes they did not commit.

Question 17

There were about 200,000 untested sexual assault kits (SAK; also called rape kits) in the evidence storage units of U.S. police departments and sheriff's offices.

Accepted Answer

According to a 2020 report by the Joyful Heart Foundation, there were approximately 225,000 untested SAKs in the possession of law enforcement agencies across the United States.

Question 18

DNA tests are usually completed within five to six working days.

Accepted Answer

DNA test results typically take longer than five to six working days to complete, often ranging from a few weeks to a month, depending on the complexity of the test and the laboratory's workload.

Question 19

Many crime labs are closely tied to police departments or district attorneys' offices and therefore lack independence.

Accepted Answer

Many crime labs are funded and operated by law enforcement agencies, creating a potential conflict of interest when analyzing evidence. This lack of independence can compromise the accuracy and validity of forensic analysis in criminal cases.

Question 20

Prosecutors have much power and discretion, but because of checks and balances, they cannot easily engage in misconduct.

Accepted Answer

While there are checks and balances in place to prevent prosecutorial misconduct, prosecutors have been known to engage in misconduct and face few consequences for doing so.

Quiz 10: Wrongful Convictions