Question 1

B.C. Corrections uses an educational campaign based on evidence-based practices to explain the "pains" that offenders will experience under a new form of community supervision. What challenge to developing evidence-based practices does this educational campaign strategy overcome?

Accepted Answer

C

Question 2

The Correctional Service of Canada uses the positive findings of a pilot project to foster organizational support for a new evidence-based treatment program. What challenge to developing evidence-based practices does this strategy overcome?

Accepted Answer

Using positive findings from a pilot project helps to reduce fear of the unknown by providing evidence that the new treatment program can be successful, thus encouraging organizational support.

Question 3

Which practice is defined as "policies, strategies, and programs that have been shown by evaluation research to be effective in achieving specified objectives"?

Accepted Answer

Evidence-based practice refers to approaches that have been empirically proven to be effective through rigorous evaluation research, distinguishing it from methods based on tradition, anecdote, or theory alone.

Question 4

According to the United Nations Basic Principles for the Treatment of Prisoners, "Prisoners shall have access to the health services available in the country without discrimination on the grounds of their legal situation." How has Canada's record of dealing with prisoner's health issues been described?

Accepted Answer

Canada's record on dealing with prisoners' health issues has been criticized for failing to consistently meet adequate standards. This includes issues related to access to healthcare, mental health services, and treatment for substance abuse within the prison system.

Question 5

What failure of provincial and territorial governments has led to the increase in the numbers of incarcerated offenders who have mental health issues?

Accepted Answer

The increase in the numbers of incarcerated offenders who have mental health issues is largely due to the failure of provincial and territorial governments to provide alternative facilities, programs, and services that could address mental health needs outside of the criminal justice system.

Question 6

How many psychiatrists are available for the total population of the Northwest Territories?

Accepted Answer

The Northwest Territories has 1 psychiatrist available for its total population.

Question 7

Which province had the highest incarceration rate at 213 per 100,000 adults?

Accepted Answer

Manitoba had the highest incarceration rate among the options listed, with a rate significantly higher than the national average in Canada. This is due to a variety of factors including higher rates of crime and systemic issues within the criminal justice system that disproportionately affect certain communities, particularly Indigenous peoples.

Question 8

What were Canada's operating costs for adult corrections in 2012-13?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What were Canada's operating costs for adult...

Question 9

What term refers to the Alberta government's actions in the 1990s to reduce expenditures, eliminate the budget deficit, and restore public confidence, which resulted in a 32 percent decrease in institutional populations?

Accepted Answer

The term "decarceration" refers to the process of reducing the number of individuals held in prisons or jails, which aligns with the Alberta government's actions in the 1990s aimed at reducing expenditures and the institutional population by 32 percent.

Question 10

Which term is defined as, "the search for the 'magic bullet' that will reduce recidivism, lower costs, and deter offenders from future criminal behaviour"?

Accepted Answer

The term "panaceas" refers to a solution or remedy for all difficulties or diseases, often used metaphorically in various fields, including criminal justice, to describe the search for a single solution that will solve multiple problems, such as reducing recidivism, lowering costs, and deterring future criminal behavior.

Question 11

Which is an example of a correctional practice that is used despite its ineffectiveness in helping offenders and protecting communities?

Accepted Answer

Community notification, which involves informing the public about the presence of offenders in their community, has been criticized for its ineffectiveness in reducing recidivism or enhancing community safety. It can lead to unintended negative consequences such as community panic and the isolation of offenders, which can hinder their rehabilitation and reintegration efforts.

Question 12

What challenge to developing evidence-based practices is illustrated when recently hired probation officers are willing to use a new form of probation supervision, but experienced officers continue to rely on the old methods?

Accepted Answer

The scenario illustrates complacency among line staff, where experienced officers continue to rely on old methods despite the availability of new, potentially more effective forms of probation supervision. This indicates a resistance to change or adapt to new practices, often due to comfort and familiarity with existing methods.

Question 13

Recommendations by the federal Office of the Correctional Investigator, provincial ombudspersons, auditors, and commissions of inquiry to resolve issues in Canada's corrections are NOT binding, and their reports are often "shelved." What would be the best way to resolve this situation?

Accepted Answer

Giving these groups more authority to fulfill and implement their recommendations would ensure that their findings and suggestions are taken seriously and acted upon, rather than being ignored or shelved. This would help in effectively resolving issues in Canada's corrections system.

Question 14

What term refers to the ancillary issues that offenders experience as a result of being incarcerated and the collateral damage to offenders' families?

Accepted Answer

The term "the pains of imprisonment" refers to the various difficulties and challenges that individuals face while incarcerated, including the impact on their mental and physical well-being, as well as the indirect effects on their families and social relationships.

Question 15

What practice is exemplified when an offender must wear an electronic monitoring device as a condition of release?

Accepted Answer

Techno-corrections refer to the use of technology to monitor, control, and change the behavior of offenders. Electronic monitoring devices are a form of techno-corrections, as they are technological tools used to ensure compliance with the conditions of an offender's release.

Question 16

Which agency has a role in providing oversight into the activities of the Correctional Service of Canada, although its recommendations are NOT binding?

Accepted Answer

The Office of the Correctional Investigator acts as an ombudsman for federal offenders, providing oversight into the Correctional Service of Canada's activities. While it can make recommendations, these are not binding on the Correctional Service.

Question 17

What type of breach is revealed when an investigation finds that a provincial correctional system has subjected inmates to inhumane and unsafe confinement, and has violated national and international standards for systems of correction?

Accepted Answer

This situation describes a breach of rule of law, as it involves the violation of established legal standards and principles, including national and international standards for correctional systems.

Question 18

What percentage of the $4 billion that is spent annually on correctional systems is spent on community corrections?

Accepted Answer

Approximately 10 percent of the $4 billion spent annually on correctional systems is allocated to community corrections.

Question 19

Which challenge in reforming correctional institutions is best exemplified when an evaluation of treatment program reforms finds that the programs are NO longer delivered as originally designed because there are too few treatment facilitators?

Accepted Answer

This scenario is an example of financial resource constraints because the lack of enough treatment facilitators to deliver the programs as designed likely stems from insufficient funding to hire or maintain an adequate number of staff.

Question 20

Which term refers to the notion that a correctional service is constantly seeking improvement, working with successes, and gaining insights from initiatives that did NOT achieve their intended goals?

Accepted Answer

A learning organization is defined by its commitment to continuous improvement, learning from successes and failures, and adapting based on those insights. This concept applies to correctional services that aim to evolve and enhance their practices over time.

Quiz 15: Creating Effective Systems of Corrections