True / False
1. The percentage of U.S. prisoners incarcerated for drug offenses has increased significantly in the past 20 years.
a. True
b. False
2. Parole is the release of an offender from the legal custody of the state.
a. True
b. False
3. Alexander Maconochie was one of the original founders of parole.
a. True
b. False
4. The concept of “grace” refers to the agreement between the government and the prisoner to abide by certain conditions
of release.
a. True
b. False
5. Although it has been used in the United States for more than a century, parole remains controversial.
a. True
b. False
6. The most commonly used type of release from incarceration is mandatory release.
a. True
b. False
7. Discretionary release is sometimes criticized for following judicial recommendations too closely.
a. True
b. False
8. Expiration release and mandatory release are very similar, except that expiration release does not involve parole.
a. True
b. False
9. Due to discretionary release, few inmates serve the full sentence handed down by the judge at sentencing.
a. True
b. False
10. Discretionary release affects other aspects of the system, including sentencing, plea bargaining, and the size of prison
populations.
a. True
b. False
11. Parole boards’ hearings are typically open to the public.
a. True
b. False
12. Discretionary release shifts discretion from a judge to an administrative board.
a. True
b. False
13. A parolee can be prevented from working as a bartender by a parole officer.
a. True
b. False
14. A very small percentage of inmates are allowed to participate in work or educational release.
a. True
b. False
15. Furloughs allow inmates to leave prison temporarily to visit family.
a. True
b. False
16. All halfway houses are operated by state administrative agencies.
a. True
b. False
17. While parole officers must sometimes act in the role of a law enforcement officer, they do not have the power to
enforce conditions of release.
a. True
b. False
18. Most parole officers have little difficulty in monitoring the behavior of parolees.
a. True
b. False
19. When offenders are finally released on parole, many have a difficult time adjusting to the outside world.
a. True
b. False
20. Politicians, the media, and victims’ rights groups generally restrain from sensationalizing parolees who commit
crimes.
a. True
b. False
21. Increasing restrictions on parolees also affects their families and communities.
a. True
b. False
22. In some states, individuals whose names appear on the sex offender registry have committed very-low-level offenses.
a. True
b. False
23. Parolees in some states are restricted from voting in presidential elections.
a. True
b. False
24. Morrissey v. Brewer (1972) ruled that a two-part revocation hearing is required.
a. True
b. False
25. If a parole officer finds that a parolee has committed a technical violation, he or she can revoke parole without a
hearing.
a. True
b. False
26. Many parolees “max out” on time and cannot be held any longer, regardless of how the parole board feels about the
inmate.
a. True
b. False
27. Reentry has been described as a “transient state between liberty and recommitment.”
a. True
b. False
28. Economic conditions tend not to affect the amount of funding available for needed programs, including
corrections.
a. True
b. False
29. The concept of “grace” applies even when the prisoner is incarcerated because the government may extend the
privilege of release.
a. True
b. False
30. Parole is the unconditional release of an offender from incarceration but not from the legal custody of the state.
a. True
b. False
31. Prerelease and rehabilitation programs have been increased in many states.
a. True
b. False
Multiple Choice
32. Which of the following has NOT been a factor contributing to the current reentry problem in the United States?
a. a decrease in the power of parole boards to affect release decisions
b. longer prison sentences served by those being released
c. a reduction in programs designed to assist former prisoners
d. an increase in the number of drug offenders being released
e. an increase in the number of violent offenders being released
33. More than a third of prisoners released to parole are incarcerated for:
a. robbery.
b. rape.
c. drugs.
d. arson.
e. murder.
34. Successful prison reentry requires that parole and postrelease services focus on linking offenders with community
institutions, including which of the following?
a. churches
b. families
c. self-help groups
d. nonprofit programs
e. all of these
35. The conditional release of an inmate from incarceration, under supervision, after part of the prison sentence has been
served is referred to as:
a. probation.
b. parole.
c. incarceration.
d. reentry.
e. intensive supervision probation.
36. Parole rests on three concepts, one of which is:
a. grace.
b. stamina.
c. responsibility.
d. fortitude.
e. none of these.
37. Which of the following statements best exemplifies the concept of “contract” 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.
38. The earliest form of parole employed:
a. day passes.
b. pardons of leave.
c. tickets of leave.
d. responsibility vouchers.
e. supervised probation.
39. Which person (or group) typically determines the discretionary release of state prisoners?
a. state prison release commissioner
b. parole board
c. state supreme court
d. prison warden
e. state trial judge
40. In the early parole system in the United States, prisoners were released on parole when:
a. their sentence expired.
b. the prisons became full.
c. the victims consented to their release.
d. they made financial restitution through labor.
e. their conduct showed they were ready to return.
41. Which type of release involves the decisions of a parole board?
a. mandatory release
b. discretionary release
c. unconditional release
d. community release
e. correctional release
42. What is the most commonly used method of release into the community?
a. discretionary release
b. other conditional release
c. mandatory release
d. expiration release
e. probation release
43. States that do not use parole boards use which of the following methods of release?
a. discretionary release
b. other conditional release
c. mandatory release
d. expiration release
e. all of these
44. Which of the following is a term used in some states to avoid the rigidity of mandatory release?
a. discretionary release
b. other conditional release
c. mandatory release
d. expiration release
e. all of these
45. Prisoners who receive expiration release:
a. die in prison.
b. have their decisions made by a parole board.
c. are transferred to a halfway house or other community-based facility.
d. have “maxed out” on their time.
e. report directly to their parole officers upon release.
46. When an inmate is released after he or she has served time equal to the total sentence minus good time, it is known as:
a. mandatory release.
b. discretionary release.
c. unconditional release.
d. community release.
e. correctional release.
47. The use of the phrase “other conditional release” avoids which politically sensitive label?
a. mandatory parole
b. mandatory release
c. discretionary release
d. discretionary parole
e. selective release
48. An expiration release means that:
a. the inmate has died.
b. the inmate cannot be placed on parole.
c. the inmate has received permission to have a furlough.
d. the inmate is required to attend school or training before release.
e. the inmate has used up all his or her “good time.”
49. The release of an inmate from prison to conditional supervision at the discretion of the parole board is referred to as:
a. probation.
b. discretionary release.
c. intensive supervision probation.
d. parole.
e. litigation release.
50. Which of the following is NOT an impact of discretionary release mechanisms?
a. worsened overcrowding in prisons
b. changing of sentences handed down by judges
c. mitigation of the penal code’s harshness
d. individualized punishments to fit the offender
e. a decrease in the impact of legal procedure on criminal justice decisions
51. State parole boards are typically composed of citizens who are appointed for fixed terms in office by the:
a. secretary of corrections.
b. prison warden.
c. governor.
d. parole advisory committee.
e. none of these.
52. On a national basis, felony inmates serve an average of what time period before they are released?
a. 2 1/2 years
b. 3 1/2 years
c. 4 1/2 years
d. 5 1/2 years
e. 6 1/2 years
53. One criticism of discretionary release is that the responsibility for releasing an inmate is shifted from a judge to the:
a. police.
b. prosecutor.
c. parole board.
d. warden.
e. offender.
54. The rules that must be followed by parolees are called:
a. amenities.
b. parole etiquette.
c. constitutional restrictions.
d. conditions of release.
e. clemency.
55. Probable conditions of release to assist in readjustment to society may include which of the following?
a. abstain from alcohol
b. keep away from undesirable associates
c. maintain good work habits
d. not leave the state without permission
e. all of these
56. Inmates who have completed their entire sentence minus good time are free from community supervision because they
have ______ their sentence.
a. finished
b. maxed out
c. filled out
d. served
e. depleted
57. When offenders leave prison, which is NOT something they would receive from the prison?
a. clothes
b. money
c. list of rules of conditional release
d. name and address of parole officer
e. a job opportunity
58. Upon release, most inmates are unemployed and have difficulty finding jobs. What group is most likely to be
unemployed in the United States, regardless of whether they’ve served time in prison?
a. male Caucasians under the age of 30
b. male Hispanics under the age of 30
c. male African Americans under the age of 30
d. male African Americans aged 30 or over
e. male Hispanics aged 30 or over
59. When inmates are released from correctional institutions during the day so that they can work or attend school, it is
known as:
a. day leave.
b. discretionary release.
c. development release.
d. furlough.
e. work and educational release.
60. The temporary release of an inmate from a correctional institution for a brief period, usually one to three days, for a
visit home is called:
a. day leave.
b. discretionary release.
c. development release.
d. furlough.
e. work and education release.
61. Which of the following statements regarding halfway houses is FALSE?
a. Offenders work during the day but stay in the facility at night and during days off.
b. They are sometimes secured (that is, locked down).
c. Drug treatment is sometimes offered.
d. Residents are not required to work or attend school.
e. The number of halfway houses in the United States has dropped since the 1970s.
62. Which of the following sentiments is commonly voiced by community members who are wary about having halfway
houses in their neighborhood?
a. “no offenders in my neighborhood” (NOIMN)
b. “take inmates out of communities” (TIOOC)
c. “keep them locked up tight” (KTLUT)
d. “not in my backyard” (NIMBY)
e. “don’t put criminals here” (DPCRH)
63. What are the two roles played by parole officers?
a. cop and minister
b. warden and cop
c. cop and social worker
d. landlord and friend
e. friend and minister
64. Parolees who are behaving according to their conditions of release may become eligible for:
a. jail time
b. house arrest
c. home confinement
d. shock probation
e. reduced surveillance
65. Which of the following is NOT a benefit which would be denied from someone on parole?
a. welfare benefits
b. student loans
c. voting rights
d. food stamps
e. election to a political office
66. Which of the following is a frequent criticism of sex offender registration laws?
a. The wrong people can sometimes end up on the registry.
b. The list is difficult for the public to find.
c. The laws are too lenient on offenders.
d. Some offenders refuse to be listed.
e. The laws discourage vigilantism.
67. Morrissey v. Brewer (1972) found that if a parole officer alleges a technical violation, a two-step revocation is:
a. not necessary.
b. helpful, but not required.
c. required.
d. time consuming.
e. up to the officer’s discretion.
68. When a parole officer finds a parolee has committed a technical violation, which of the following occurs 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