True / False
1. Some overseers think a hardening of public attitudes toward criminals is reflected in longer sentences.
a.
True
b.
False
2. For health and safety concerns, crowded living conditions in correctional facilities cannot be tolerated.
a.
True
b.
False
True
3. It is said that states with higher violent crime rates have lower levels of imprisonment.
a.
True
b.
False
False
4. States with more generous welfare benefits have higher prison populations.
a.
True
b.
False
False
5. States with higher unemployment have a higher prison population.
a.
True
b.
False
True
6. Given current public attitudes toward crime and punishment, it is likely that incarceration rates will remain
True
high.
a.
True
b.
False
7. We have clear evidence that imprisonment is cost effective.
a.
True
b.
False
8. The United States incarcerates its people at approximately the same rate as other countries.
a.
True
b.
False
False
9. There seems to be little relationship between the crime rate and the incarceration rate.
a.
True
b.
False
True
10. Researchers argue that using technical violations as a crime prevention strategy does not make a meaningful
difference in the criminal activity of released prisoners.
a.
True
b.
False
True
11. Prison crowding directly affects the ability of correctional staff to do their work because it decreases the proportion of
offenders in programs, increases the potential for violence, and strains morale.
a.
True
True
b.
False
12. The makeup of the inmate community in terms of race, age, and criminal record has little effect on how institutions
are operated.
a.
True
b.
False
False
13. A large percentage of the admissions to prison each year are parole violators.
a.
True
b.
False
True
14. Correctional officials have exclusive control over the intake of new offenders.
a.
True
b.
False
False
15. The U.S. prison population continues to be the highest in the developed world.
a.
True
b.
False
True
16. From 1930 through 1990, the U.S. prison population remained relatively stable.
a.
True
b.
False
False
True
17. The states with highest incarceration rates tend to be in the Northeast region of the country.
a.
True
b.
False
False
18. Since 1980, the percentage of inmates serving time for violent offenses has declined while the number incarcerated for
drug offenses has increased substantially.
a.
True
b.
False
True
19. Between 1970 and 2005, the U.S. prison population grew by:
a.
175 percent.
b.
400 percent.
c.
700 percent.
d.
550 percent.
c
20. What region within the United States has the lowest incarceration rate?
a.
the South
b.
the Northeast
c.
the West
d.
the Southwest
b
21. Which state has the highest incarceration rate among all the states?
a.
Texas
b.
Florida
c.
New York
d.
Louisiana
22. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that states and the federal government prison systems operated at
or above capacity.
a.
5
b.
10
c.
19
d.
24
23. Which of the following groups makes up a larger percentage of inmates?
a.
African Americans and women
b.
Hispanics and older prisoners
c.
Caucasians and women
d.
both African Americans and Hispanics
24. The prison population in this country has skyrocketed. One explanation for this is:
a.
public attitudes toward crime and punishment.
b.
increased arrests.
c.
the war on drugs.
d.
all of these.
25. Eighty percent of California’s recommitments stemmed from:
a.
technical violations.
b.
violent offenses.
c.
new crimes.
d.
none of these.
26. When compared to other developed countries, America’s incarceration rate is extremely:
a.
insignificant.
b.
low.
c.
average.
d.
high.
27. For two decades, the crime rate in the United States has been:
a.
declining.
b.
rising.
c.
stable.
d.
erratic.
28. According to the authors, the most costly correctional resource is:
a.
the prison.
b.
intermediate sanctions.
c.
probation.
d.
intensive supervision probation.
29. At the end of 2002, most prisons were operating:
a.
at capacity.
b.
above capacity.
c.
below capacity.
d.
either at capacity or above capacity.
30. Overcrowded prisons may violate:
a.
the First Amendment.
b.
the Fourth Amendment.
c.
the Sixth Amendment.the Sixth Amendment.
d.
the Eighth Amendment.
31. Proponents who say that nothing should be done about prison overcrowding subscribe to which strategy?
a.
prison population reduction strategy
b.
null strategy
c.
construction strategy
d.
just desserts strategy
32. For most of the 20th century, the numbers of incarcerated prisoners in the United States:
a.
grew.
b.
held steady.
c.
decreased.
d.
were not calculated.
33. Intermediate sanctions include which of the following?
a.
community service
b.
boot camps
c.
home confinement
d.
all of these
34. A correctional officer’s ability to do their job is impacted by prison overcrowding in what ways?
a.
increased potential for violence
b.
strain on staff morale
c.
limited ability to run programs
d.
all of these
35. To “do something” about crime, government leaders have enacted:
a.
tough sentencing policies.
b.
increased law enforcement spending.
c.
tough parole policies.
d.
all of these.
36. Methods of dealing with prison crowding include:
a.
reducing prison populations.
b.
implementing more intermediate sanctions.
c.
doing nothing.
d.
all of these.
37. Predictive studies calculate that the future prison population of the United States is likely to:
a.
finally stop growing.
b.
increase steadily.
c.
shrink.
d.
remain stable.
38. Over the past quarter century, the incarceration rate has:
a.
doubled.
b.
tripled.
c.
quadrupled.
d.
minimized.
39. There seems to be relationship between the crime rate and the incarceration rate.
a.
little
b.
a direct
c.
a parallel
d.
a corresponding
40. Indeterminate sanctions include community service, restitution, fines, boot camp, home confinement, and:
a.
intensive probation supervision.
b.
rehabilitation.
c.
restoration.
d.
psychotherapy.
41. Opponents of new prison construction believe that, given the nature of bureaucratic organizations, prison
cells will always be:
a.
expensive.
b.
filled.
c.
rundown.
d.
valuable.
42. Supporters of incarceration believe that current policies have ____________ in lowering the crime rate.
a.
failed
b.
succeeded
c.
slightly helped
d.
had little impact
43. Which of the following is NOT one of the four primary strategies for dealing with overcrowded prisons?
a.
get tough
b.
intermediate sanctions
c.
null
d.
construction
a
Dealing with Overcrowded Prisons
ACOR.CLEA.16.18.02 – Explain what can be done to deal with the prison population crisis.
44. Legislatures typically estimate that new prison construction costs roughly __________ per cell.
a.
$10,000
b.
$50,000
c.
$30,000
d.
$75,000
d
Dealing with Overcrowded Prisons
ACOR.CLEA.16.18.02 – Explain what can be done to deal with the prison population crisis.
45. The ___________ strategy for dealing with prison overcrowding advocates building new facilities.
a.
null
b.
get tough
c.
jail house
d.
construction
d
Dealing with Overcrowded Prisons
ACOR.CLEA.16.18.02 – Explain what can be done to deal with the prison population crisis.
46. Which U.S. president declared an official “war on drugs”?
a.
Jimmy Carter
b.
George Bush Sr.
incarceration rate.
c.
Ronald Reagan
d.
Bill Clinton
Numeric Response
a. Build our way out of overcrowding
b. Strains staff morale
c. Cheaper than prison
d. Let prisons become more and more crowded
e. Incarceration rate above historical norms
f. African Americans/Hispanics
g. Higher prison populations as a whole
h. Average U.S. incarceration rate from 2000 to 2007
i. Higher rate of imprisonment of specific groups
j. Raw material of corrections
47. Null strategy
d
See throughout the chapter.
ACOR.CLEA.16.18.04 – Discuss whether incarceration pays.
48. Construction strategy
See throughout the chapter.
ACOR.CLEA.16.18.04 – Discuss whether incarceration pays.
49. Intermediate sanctions
See throughout the chapter.
ACOR.CLEA.16.18.04 – Discuss whether incarceration pays.
Explaining Prison Population Trends
incarceration rate.
50. Feature of mass imprisonment
51. Overcrowding
52. Offenders
53. Feature of mass imprisonment
54. 490 per 100,000
55. Largest percent of inmate population
56. States with higher revenues
57. When the subject of criminal sanction arises, the general public usually thinks first of .
58. New mandatory sentencing law greatly limit the discretion of with regard to the length of sentences
for certain offenses.
59. When prison space is limited, judges reserve ___________ for only the most violent offenders.
60. According to the authors, corrections officials have little or no control over the _____ of new offenders.
61. The size and growth of the prison population is not distributed across the country.
62. The skyrocketing prison population has created a correctional crisis of .
63. The population incarcerated in American prisons and jails makes up of people under correctional
supervision.
64. According to Allen J. Beck, the continuing increase in the prison population is a result of tougher laws
resulting in both more prison sentences and .
65. According to research findings, states with higher have higher prison populations.
66. A large portion of the prison population is made up of offenders who are being returned to prison for new
crimes or .
67. As a direct consequence of higher incarceration rates, courts have cited states for maintaining overcrowded prisons
that violate an inmate’s ____________ Amendment right prohibiting cruel and unusual punishment.
68. The state of _______________ currently has the highest incarceration rate in the United States.
69. The states with the highest incarceration rates tend to be located in the ____________ region of the U.S.
70. Crusades against drugs are not a new phenomenon; in fact, the effort to deter people from using drugs dates back to
the late ____________.
71. To begin the “war on drugs,” Congress in 1987 imposed stiff ________________ sentences for federal drug
violations, laws that many states copied.
72. The average incarceration rate in the U.S. between 2000 through 2009 set an all time record at __________ per
100,000 people.
73. With respect to race/ethnicity, _____________ and _____________ now make up a significant percentage of inmates
in U.S. correctional facilities.
74. The _____________ strategy advocates doing nothing to relieve prison overcrowding, under the assumption that the
problem will take of itself.
75. List and explain three unintended consequences of our ever-increasing prison population. Discuss the
political and social effects of these consequences. Are they acceptable? What would you suggest to lawmakers
in regard to decreasing the overall prison population? Explain your reasoning.
76. Define and discuss the “war on drugs.” How has the war on drugs affected U.S. prison populations? Based
on your readings, has this been a successful war? Be sure to fully explain your answer. Finally, what can be
done to address the issues that have resulted from this war?
77. How would you respond to the argument that the American prison is becoming a place where the urban poor
receive better housing, health care, education, and job training than they do on the outside? Is this argument true
or false? Be sure to fully explain your answer.