69. The most common reason for revocation of parole is:
a. possession of a gun.
b. failure to report for counseling.
c. positive test for drug use.
d. commission of a new crime.
e. leaving the jurisdiction without permission.
70. The likelihood of rules violations by released offenders is affected not only by the kinds of crimes for which they are
convicted, but also by the duration and intensity of their:
a. criminal activity.
b. family unit.
c. supervision.
d. sentence length.
e. parole officer.
71. Which of the following explains why large numbers of offenders are gaining release from prison each year?
a. expansion of prison population
b. juveniles being tried as adults
c. longer prison sentences for women
d. budget surplus
e. none of these
72. Which of the following has been a factor contributing to the current reentry problem in the United States?
a. an increase in the power of parole boards to affect release decisions
b. shorter prison sentences served by those being released
c. an increased reduction in programs designed to assist former prisoners
d. an increase in the number of drug offenders being released
e. a decrease in the number of violent offenders being released
73. Successful prisoner reentry requires that parole and postrelease services focus on linking offenders with
community institutions. Which is NOT one of those institutions?
a. nonprofit programs
b. self-help groups
c. churches
d. gangs
e. families
74. Research indicates that the prisoners most likely to succeed in the job market are those that had all of the following
EXCEPT
a. had work experience prior to prison.
b. was connected to employers prior to release.
c. had conventional family relationships.
d. had used drugs before being incarcerated.
75. Government officials began to rethink sentencing policies that caused prison populations to skyrocket since the 1980s.
In particular, they gave consideration to greater utilization of probation and community corrections for:
a. violent offenders.
b. drug offenders.
c. gang members.
d. single fathers.
76. States have recently sought to decrease their prison populations because of:
a. lessened tax revenue coming into government due to economic recession.
b. high costs of maintaining prisoners.
c. burgeoning costs associated with the expansion of the prison population in the 1980s.
d. all of the above.
77. Which is NOT one of the concepts parole rests on?
a. grace
b. contract
c. custody
d. generosity
78. Which of the following statements best exemplifies the concept of “grace” in terms of parole?
a. The government could keep the inmate incarcerated, but instead extends the privilege of release.
b. Even though the offender is released from prison, he or she is still in the custody of the state.
c. The parolee agrees to abide by certain conditions in exchange for release.
d. The offender is still the responsibility of the government even though he or she is released.
e. The parole officer agrees to care for the parolee in exchange for a salary.
79. Which of the following statements best exemplifies the concept of “custody” in terms of parole?
a. The government could keep the inmate incarcerated, but instead extends the privilege of release.
b. Even though the offender is released from prison, he or she is still in the custody of the state.
c. The parolee agrees to abide by certain conditions in exchange for release.
d. The offender is still the responsibility of the government even though he or she is released.
e. The parole officer agrees to care for the parolee in exchange for a salary.
80. Which of the following statements regarding the future of reentry is FALSE?
a. More prisoners going in means more prisoners coming out.
b. A poor recidivism rate (70 percent) demonstrates a failure of the criminal justice system to deal with the
reentry problems of ex-felons.
c. The percentage of releasees who have maxed out their sentences has increased.
d. There are fewer numbers of offenders returning to the community.
e. Prerelease and rehabilitation programs have been eliminated in many states.
81. Which of the following statements regarding the future of reentry is FALSE?
a. More prisoners going in means more prisoners coming out.
b. A poor recidivism rate (70 percent) demonstrates a failure of the criminal justice system to deal with the
reentry problems of ex-felons.
c. The percentage of releasees who have maxed out their sentences has increased.
d. Prerelease and rehabilitation programs have been eliminated in many states.
e. None of the above.
82. Programs designed to aid inmates in transitioning back into the community include all of the following
EXCEPT:
a. work and educational release.
b. furloughs.
c. health centers.
d. halfway house.
83. This Supreme Court case set the legal standard for parole revocations.
a. Gibbons v McDaniels (1977)
b. Joiner v. Peterson (1964)
c. Morrissey v. Brewer (1972)
d. Busey v. Louisiana (1982)
Samantha works as a parole officer in San Jose, California. She likes her job but is stressed because she currently
supervises 73 parolees. One of the parolees, Susan, is a decent person who, in Samantha’s view, has had some bad breaks.
84. Samantha attempts to advise Susan as to what might be best for her and helps her in other ways that are not strictly a
part of her job. Samantha is acting in which capacity?
a. cop
b. warden
c. social worker
d. landlord
e. friend
85. Susan is doing very well on parole. She has a steady job, has moved in with family, and has a support network to deal
with her prior drug addiction. In Samantha’s view, Susan is likely eligible for:
a. jail time.
b. house arrest.
c. home confinement.
d. shock probation.
e. reduced surveillance.
86. Susan failed her last drug test and thus is in technical violation of her parole. Which of the following will occur first?
a. shock incarceration of the parolee
b. a revocation hearing
c. revocation of parole
d. the parolee is placed on probation
e. the parolee must admit to the charges
Completion
87. ________ has been described as a “transient state between liberty and commitment.”
88. Preventing ______ by assisting parolees to become law-abiding citizens requires government resources and the
development of helpful programs to prepare offenders for release.
89. A Pew Center report stated that 40 percent of offenders are reimprisoned within _______ years of release.
90. The conditional release of an offender from incarceration is called ____________________.
91. When an offender is released from prison on parole, he or she is still considered the government’s responsibility, a
concept that is referred to as ____________________.
92. The foundational concept of parole in which the government may continue to incarcerate the prisoner but instead
extends the privilege of release is known as ____________________.
93. When the government enters into an agreement with the prisoner whereby the prisoner promises to abide by certain
conditions in exchange for being released, this is known as a(n) _________.
94. The release of an inmate from prison to conditional supervision is referred to as ____________________ release.
95. __________ release occurs after an inmate has served time equal to the total sentence minus good time, if any, or to a
certain percentage of the total sentence as specified by law.
96. Prisoners who are released from prison after serving the maximum sentence and cannot be returned to prison for their
current offense will receive a(n) ____________________.
97. A pardon is issued by which state official?
98. In their role as ___, parole officers have the power to restrict many aspects of the parolee’s life, to enforce the
conditions of release, and to initiate revocation proceedings if parole conditions are violated.
99. Crime _______ have become much more important participants in the parole decision process in recent decades.
100. The legally binding restrictions placed on parolees’ conduct in exchange for their release are known as
____________________.
101. The release of inmates to attend college classes is known as ____________________ release.
102. The release of inmates to go to a job is known as __________ release.
103. The temporary release of an inmate for a visit home is known as a(n) ____________________.
104. A parolee’s principal contact with the criminal justice system is through his or her ____________________.
105. Some convicted felons live in a ____________________ while attending work during the day.
106. NIMBY stands for _______ __ __ __________, which means that housing facilities for parolees would be limited in
certain neighborhoods.
107. ______ ______ are granted law enforcement powers in order to protect the community from offenders coming out of
prison.
108. Parole officers working to find employment for parolees are acting in the role of ____________________.
109. Released inmates can have great difficulty finding jobs after release, and some are not allowed to vote. These are
referred to as ____________________ punishments.
110. If parolees violate the conditions of their parole, their parole will be ____________________.
111. The likelihood of rules violations by released offenders is affected by the intensity and __________ of their
supervision.
112. ________ is described as a transient state between liberty and recommitment.
113. Even though the offender is released from prison, she or he remains a responsibility of the government, a condition
known as _____.
114. In 1876 ______ _______ in New York began to experiment with the concept of parole.
115. Adjustment to life outside the prison is often difficult in that those released must move from the highly
________ environment of an institution into a world with temptations and complicated problems.
Subjective Short Answer
Travis McBride has just been notified that the decision was made to place him on parole. Travis has been in prison for 15
years for armed robbery and attempted murder. While in prison, Travis was able to receive his GED, which he hopes will
assist him in gainful employment. Travis had a 2-year-old son when he left home for prison.
116. Travis is surprised that six months later he was given a full pardon. Who determined if Travis should be granted a
pardon?
a. judge
b. parole officer
c. probation officer
d. parole board
e. office of the governor
117. Travis is required to meet with his parole officer once a week, find gainful employment, and have weekly drug
testing. These are Travis’
a. conditions of release.
b. conditions of parole.
c. conditions of mistakes.
d. conditions of imprisonment.
e. conditions of home confinement.
118. When Travis meets with his parole officer, he is shocked at what he experiences. The parole officer is not acting in
the role of the brute that he expected. The officer is helpful and offers Travis his assistance with job and apartment
searches. In the interaction with Travis, the parole officer is acting as:
a. police officer.
b. parole officer.
c. social worker.
d. judge.
e. inmate.
119. Luckily, Travis has found a temporary place to reside at night, which will also assist in his rehabilitation process.
Most likely this place is a:
a. work release.
b. halfway house.
c. educational release.
d. furlough.
e. none of these.
Tom Helms recently moved into a new neighborhood after being found guilty of statutory rape and indecent liberties with
a minor. Tom was sentenced to six years of incarceration, of which he served the full sentence. His crimes were with his
then 16-year-old girlfriend. He was 18 at the time of the charges.
120. When Tom arrived to his new house after work, he found his neighbors picketing in his front yard and threatening to
burn his house down. How might they have learned of Tom’s criminal history?
a. The public need only look at Tom to know he’s a sex offender.
b. Local television routinely identifies sex offenders as part of their “crime stoppers” report.
c. Newspapers are required to list local sex offenders.
d. The police have an obligation to tell his neighbors.
e. He has to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
121. What is the likelihood that Tom will violate his parole?
a. likely
b. not likely
c. somewhat likely
d. none of these
122. Still in love, Tom’s girlfriend wrote Tom as soon as she turned 18. Tom will have conditions placed on his parole.
Which of the following would NOT likely be conditions to his parole?
a. do not contact the victim
b. attain gainful employment
c. weekly drug testing
d. maintain sex offender registry
e. maintain a certain minimum distance from the local elementary schools
Debbie Lawson is a veteran parole officer. She has seen a dramatic change in the way her position and office has changed
over the course of 25 years. As she is nearing retirement, she would like to become a consultant nationwide on how to
improve prisoner reentry.
123. If Ms. Lawson adheres to the generally prevailing views discussed in the text regarding reentry programs, she feels
that the appropriate time to begin reentry training would be:
a. after release.
b. immediately before release.
c. halfway through the inmate’s sentence.
d. when they initially begin their sentence.
e. when they go before the parole board.
124. Ms. Lawson would like to start a program specifically for the African American population. This is a necessity
because:
a. they are overrepresented in prison.
b. they have a high unemployment rate once they have a record.
c. they have a high unemployment rate in the general community.
d. they have a high recidivism rate.
e. all of these.
125. Ms. Lawson also feels that each parolee should be forced to have a probation officer which requires more rigorous
meetings and overall conditions. This would be a:
a. district attorney.
b. probation officer.
c. correctional officer.
d. prison psychologist.
e. none of these.
Essay
126. How has public opinion affected the release of offenders back into the community? Have these changes helped
offenders to reduce recidivism? Explain your answer.
127. The authors of your textbook have noted that an increasingly large percentage of inmates have committed drug
crimes. Why has this occurred, and what effect might it have on reentry issues? What policies might you suggest to help
address these issues?
128. Given the permanent restrictions (inability to vote, ineligibility for government financial support, etc.) placed on
former offenders, can we ever really say that offenders have “paid their debt” to society? If these offenders feel they will
be punished forever, what incentive do they have to remain crime free? Support your answer using material from the text.
129. While job training and education programs in prison have been severely curtailed, the diminishing power of parole
boards has meant that many prisoners tend to be automatically released without much consideration as to whether or not
they are ready to be integrated into society. Based on the material discussed in the text, what might explain this trend?
What are the greater social effects of these policies?
130. Various minority populations are over represented within the correctional system. This makes their reentry into the
community difficult. What ways can this problematic reentry be changed, if any? How can you get the community to buy
in?
131. What are the dangers to work release? Should inmates be allowed to “escape” from their sentences and be allowed to
mingle with the general population? Does work release benefit the offender when he or she is released? Who would be
responsible if the offender harms an employee at his or her work location?
132. Should we utilize halfway houses for those who are given parole? Would it assist in reentry into the community?
Where should halfway houses be located? What qualifications should employees have in order to work in a halfway
house?
133. What role should a parole officer have in a parolee’s life? Should they take on the characteristics of a police officer
or a social worker? Why does this matter? Would some parolees be more receptive to one style over the other?
134. Should there be a revocation hearing when a parolee violates his or her parole? If parolees know they have the
potential to go back to prison if they do not abide by their conditions, why is it necessary to have a hearing? Is it a waste
of court time? Why or why not?
135. Who should serve on a parole board? Who should select the board members? Does it matter? Why or why not?
136. Describe the nature of the “reentry problem.”
137. Explain the origins of parole and how it operates today.
138. Identify and describe the three concepts upon which parole rests.
139. Identify the problems that parolees face during their reentry.
140. Describe how ex-offenders are supervised in the community.
141. Name and define the mechanisms for the release of felons to the community.