Test Bank and Answer Key
TRUE/FALSE
1. One of the basic operating principles for effective community-focused crime prevention and
control is that it requires the simultaneous application of several policies.
2. In areas with higher levels of collective efficacy, lower crime rates were only found in the
wealthier neighborhoods.
3. An innovative policing strategy used in Boston’s Gun Project was “pulling levers” and the use of
various criminal justice and social service agencies.
4. One aspect of collective efficacy is the ceding of social control.
5. Problem-solving courts focus on less serious “disorder” offenses and use alternatives to
incarceration.
6. By reducing the number of jail days, the Midtown Community Court achieved the anticipated
cost savings.
7. Reentry programming embraces the operating principles that guide problem-oriented policing and
community prosecution.
8. The majority of offenders leaving prison return to their old neighborhood.
9. Research conducted by the Urban Institute found that many parolees had no health care and were
not employed four to eight months after release.
10. Prison industries have provided meaningful work for inmates.
11. Front-loading parole services are hindered by huge caseloads.
12. Restrictions on housing, employment opportunities, and civil disabilities adversely affect those
released from prison.
13. The Justice Reinvestment Initiative channels money from prisons to community-based programs.
14. Restorative justice sanctions seek to punish the offender and build a bond between the victim and
community.
15. Restorative justice is dependent upon informal social control which is not as evident in a diverse
and largely anonymous modern society.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The new community focus on crime control
a.
is a liberal crime control strategy
b.
is a conservative crime control strategy
c.
enjoys a strong consensus among criminologists
d.
breeds extensive skepticism among criminologists
REF: 14-2
2. The basic operating principles for the community focus on crime control include
a.
a get-tough strategy that includes more arrests and mandatory sentences
b.
a geographic focus and partnerships between criminal justice and non-criminal justice agencies
c.
a shift in power back to criminal justice agencies that uses zero-tolerance policies
d.
a desire to find the single crime policy that will promote effective prevention and control
3. Even poor communities with __________ , in which there is some capacity to control the
neighborhood, have lower crime rates than neighborhoods without it.
a.
collective efficacy
c.
embeddedness
b.
an offender reentry program
d.
all of the above
4. Trust among residents in a neighborhood and their shared expectations about social control is
known as
a.
community policing
c.
neighborhood watch
b.
front-loading
d.
collective efficacy
5. An important policy implication of collective efficacy is?
a.
impact of environmental issues
c.
trust in local criminal justice agencies
b.
formal crime reduction strategies
d.
distrust in formal social control
6. The community-focused program that involved a highly focused and multi-agency effort and
active participation of community groups in order to reduce youth violence was known as
a.
The Boston Gun Project
c.
The Midtown Community Court
b.
The Chicago Area Project
d.
The New York Zero Tolerance Policy
7. Among the “pulling levers” strategies used in Operation Cease Fire was?
a.
using plea bargaining to get defendants to plead guilty
b.
arresting gang members with outstanding warrants
c.
providing post-release services within the first six months
d.
proactive supervision designed to reduce parolee recidivism
8. An evaluation of Operation Cease Fire found
a.
no change as the policy was not implemented as intended
b.
a decrease in the unemployment rate and a reduction in the level of drug activity
c.
a decrease in both violent and property crime in the treatment areas
d.
a decrease in youth homicides and number of calls to police regarding shots fired
9. One concern about innovations in policing, such as the SMART program, is
a.
implicit racial discrimination
b.
the negative impact on the surrounding neighborhood
c.
the continuity of reforms
d.
the legality of these innovations
10. The war on terrorism has affected community policing innovations by
a.
refocusing the attention of the police departments
b.
increasing the use of weapons by both civilians and police
c.
giving units more staff members
d.
improving the police’s efforts to target certain criminals
11. Studies on domestic violence and burglary found that collective efficacy
a.
Does not reduce crime in poor neighborhoods
b.
Decreases following a crime event in a neighborhood
c.
Increases following a crime event in a neighborhood
d.
Lowers rates of both domestic violence and burglary
12. Community prosecution applies the basic principles of __________ to the prosecution stage of
the criminal process.
a.
traditional policing
c.
offender reentry programs
b.
problem-oriented policing
d.
restorative justice
13. The purposes of problem-solving courts are to
a.
target prosecution efforts on a particular problem, neighborhood or type of offender
b.
involve a long-term proactive partnership among the prosecutor’s office, law enforcement,
the community and private organizations
c.
use alternatives to incarceration, strict monitoring of sentence conditions and rapid
imposition of sentences
d.
all of the above
14. The Midtown Community Court grew out of which of the following problems?
a.
that punishment as a consequence did not change behavior in the desired direction
b.
that there were often no consequences of any sort for committing quality-of-life offenses
c.
that offenders were not punished severely enough for their wrongdoing
d.
that offenders were punished too severely for their wrongdoing
15. For which reason did the Midtown Community Court require sentenced offenders to wear bright
blue vests and perform their community service within 24 hours of being sentenced?
a.
to make justice visible and swift
b.
to promote quick healing through restorative justice
c.
to enhance the deterrent effect
d.
all of the above
e.
a & c only
16. What did an evaluation of the Midtown Community Court find?
a.
sentences involving community service were higher than a comparable court
b.
jail sentences were less common than a comparable court
c.
average arrest-to-arraignment times were faster than a comparable court
d.
all of the above
e.
none of the above
17. The ability of community prosecution to reduce serious crime is questionable because
a.
it is not implemented as intended
b.
it does not get tough on offenders which is what is needed to reduce crime
c.
this is a loophole that allows serious offenders to escape prosecution
d.
whether focusing on quality-of-life crime reduces serious crime remains unproven
18. According to Walker, the most important positive result of community courts is
a.
that community members become involved in the community
b.
that is rehabilitates minor offenders
c.
that the attention to disorder can help revitalize neighborhoods
d.
that it deters serious crime
19. The most important factor in parolees’ adjustment to society was found to be
a.
a job
c.
a place to live
b.
family support
d.
referral to substance abuse treatment
20. Those who return to the community must overcome a number of issues including?
a.
illiteracy
c.
gainful employment
b.
physical and mental health issues
d.
all of the above
21. Reentry programming embraces the operating principles that guide
a.
community prosecution and restorative justice
b.
broken windows theory and problem-oriented policing
c.
problem-oriented policing and community prosecution
d.
community crime control and restorative justice
22. Petersilia makes a persuasive case for investing in prison programs that will provide
inmates with
a.
meaningful work experience
b.
education
c.
anger management programs
d.
all of the above
23. American society has ignored recommendations for prison programming because
a.
all of the services ex-offenders need are already available
b.
of politics and attitudes regarding crime and criminals
c.
they have traditionally supported discretionary over mandatory release
d.
no research evidence indicates it is important or effective
24. One reason that prison industries have not succeeded is
a.
complications involving Social Security
and income tax payments
c.
inmates’ lack of work experience
b.
inmates’ lack of free time
d.
lack of supervision
25. Providing post-release services in the first six months after a prisoner’s release is known as
a.
feedback effect
c.
ecometrics
b.
proactive supervision
d.
front-loading
26. Why have parole agencies failed to provide adequate services for parolees soon after release from
prison?
a.
they want to give offenders time to get on their feet first
b.
they do not have the staff or resources to handle their caseloads
c.
they need time to process post-release paperwork and parole files
d.
all of the above
27. How has the war on drugs provided ex-offenders with a unique barrier to employment?
a.
federal law requires states to revoke their drivers’ licenses
b.
convicted drug offenders are barred from holding jobs in nursing and as barbers
c.
parolees are subjected to urinalysis and lose their job if there is evidence of drug use
d.
a drug conviction bars parolees from receiving a job referral from his/her parole officer
28. Many states restrict access for recently released offenders to which of the following?
a.
receiving welfare
c.
voting
b.
public housing
d.
all of the above
29. Denying voting rights to convicted offenders may keep them from
a.
reducing their likelihood of recidivism
c.
fully reintegrating into the community
b.
holding political office
d.
engaging in the restorative justice process
30. Although _______ vocational programs are the most popular training programs at the New York
City Reformatory, all states prohibit convicted felons from working as __________.
a.
car repair; mechanics
c.
nursing; nurses
b.
hair care; barbers
d.
refrigerator repair; refrigerator technicians
31. The Justice Reinvestment Initiative brings together several strands of thinking, including
a.
that parole is inefficient and poorly managed
b.
that our policy of mass incarceration is characterized by severe racial disparities
c.
that only “locking up” criminals will reduce crime
d.
that longer prison terms will better reduce crime
32. The restorative justice movement draws heavily on
a.
community persecution
c.
broken windows theory
b.
hot spots
d.
peacemaking traditions
33. The most serious problem with the idea of restorative justice is that
a.
it requires tight-knit families and communities which have largely disappeared
b.
it is inappropriate for less serious offenses like property crimes
c.
it is too expensive to implement on the scale required for it to reduce crime
d.
neither victims nor offenders feel good about the results
34. Restorative justice may well be appropriate and effective for whom?
a.
a repeat drunk driver
b.
a person who kills in self-defense
c.
the juvenile delinquent in a middle class neighborhood
d.
stranger rape
35. In his discussion of restorative justice, Braithwaite argues that _____(1)_____ social control has
more effect on criminal behavior than ____(2)_____ social control.
a.
(1) formal (2) informal
c.
(1) lenient (2) harsh
b.
(1) informal (2) formal
d.
(1) harsh (2) lenient
SHORT ANSWER
1. Describe the theoretical underpinnings and the basic operating principles of community crime
control.
2. Identify the most influential factors in the success of the Boston Gun Project and explain why
such innovative programs can be difficult to replicate.
3. Assess the usefulness of community prosecution programs.
4. Identify and assess the impact of restrictions on offenders’ post-release success.
5. Describe and critique the Justice Reinvestment Initiative.