Criminal Justice
Dr. Larson
Questions for Unit 03 Power Point slides – Prisons - Jails:
1. What is flogging? Was it ever used in America to punish law breakers?
2. When was branding used in America? Were women branded?
3. What are the “stocks” and the “pillory?”
4. What was “transportation?”
5. What contribution did Captain Alexander Maconochie make to the penal system?
6. What was the Hawes-Cooper Act? What effect did the Ashurst-Sumners Act have?
7. How was neurosurgery used in penal history?
8. What is a “half-way house?”
9. Be able to define the following as they relate to prison capacity:
a.
design capacity
b.
operational capacity
c.
rated capacity
10. What percentage of the prison population in 2001 were female? How does the incarceration
rate of African-Americans compare with that of whites?
11. What percentage of inmates were incarcerated at the state level for the following?
a.
violent crime
b.
property crime
c.
drug law violations
11. What are the demographic characteristics of today’s prison population?
12. What are the demographic characteristics of the staff of today’s prisons?
13. How are maximum security prisons characterized? In other words, how would you know if a
prison is a “maximum security” prison?
14. What kind of rate of imprisonment did Nebraska have in 2000? Was it low? High?
15. What was the first federal prison for civilians? What was the first federal prison for women?
16. How many men were held in jails in 2001 as compared to women?
17. What is the new jail management strategy?
Criminal Justice
Dr. Larson
Questions for Unit 03 Power Point slides – Sentencing:
1. What are four traditional sentencing options?
2. Identify the five goals of sentencing.
3. What is the difference between specific deterrence and general deterrence?
4. What are the two different types of sentencing?
5. When is “good time” used in sentencing?
6. In a 1999 study by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, violent offenders serve only ___% of their
sentences prior to release. What necessitates many of the early releases?
7. What has led to the rise of structured sentencing?
8. What is “presumptive sentencing?”
9. What was one of the states to use sentencing guidelines?
10. What are mitigating circumstances? Identify two different examples mitigating
circumstances.
11. What are aggravating circumstances? Identify two different examples of mitigating
circumstances.
12. What is a three-strikes law?
13. What percentage of those convicted are sentenced to probation?
14. What are two advantages of using fines in sentencing?
15. What form of execution do virtually all states use today?
16. What is a “writ of Habeas Corpus?” When would someone file such a writ?
17. What are two points used by persons who oppose the death penalty?
18. What are two points used by persons who support the death penalty?
Criminal Justice
Dr. Larson
Questions for Unit 03 Power Point slides – Prison Life:
1. What is a “Total Institution?” What are examples of total institutions?
2. Two subcultures exist in prisons. Identify and describe the two subcultures.
3. Within the prison subculture, several personality types exist, such as a “mean dude.” Identify
and describe these personality types.
4. Identify and describe the several different characterizations of prison staff.
5. What are the possible causes of prison riots? Which, in your opinion, is the best explanation
of the cause of prison riots? Explain why.
6. What are the stages of a prison riot?
7. Why has there been an increase in the number of women in prison?
8. What percentage of prisoners in the United States are women? Where are most women’s
prisons located?
9. What percentage of prisoners are African-American?
10. What has the Supreme Court said about privacy for people who are in prison?
11. What are issues for prisons today?
Criminal Justice
Dr. Larson
Questions for Unit 03 Power Point slides – Probation and Parole:
1. What percentage of persons under correctional supervision are serving probation? What
percentage are serving parole?
2. What is the definition of probation?
3. What role did John Augustus play in the history of probation?
4. What is the most commonly used form of sentencing, parole or probation?
5. Statistically, most persons who are placed on probation have committed what type of crime?
6. What percentage of persons who are placed on probation successfully complete it?
7. What are some common conditions of parole?
8. What is a definition of parole?
9. When did parole begin to be used in the United States?
10. What is the difference between discretionary and mandatory or statutory parole?
11. What percentage of persons released from prison are placed on parole? What percentage
successfully complete their parole? What percentage are returned to prison?
12. What are some advantages of using parole?
13. What are some disadvantages of using parole?
14. Do persons placed on parole have Constitutional rights? What has the Supreme Court ruled
in this regard?
15. What are some functions of a probation/parole officer?
16. What are some of the difficulties of a probation/parole officer.
17. What are some types of indeterminate parole or probation sanctions?
18. What is the “future” of probation/parole?