There are several basic methods for predicting criminal behavior including which of the
following?
a. the actuarial method which is similar to presentence investigations
b. the prior history method that sentencing guidelines are based on
c. the clinical evaluation method which insurance companies use
d. all of the above
e. none of the above
The impact of the war on drugs is best summarized by which of the following
statements?
a. the number of arrests for drug offenses has increased and a larger proportion of drug
offenders were Caucasians rather than racial minorities
b. the number of people arrested for drug offenses now represents 12% of all arrests and
our prison population has skyrocketed
c. African-Americans are treated less harshly by the criminal justice system than
Caucasians though they are only somewhat more likely to use illegal drugs
d. African-Americans are treated harshly by the criminal justice system because they
are far more likely to use illegal drugs
One of the problems with strategies to buy back handguns is
a. the government does not have enough money to reimburse all handgun owners
b. firearms are turned in by people who are the least likely to commit a gun crime
c. offenders will simply switch to other weapons like knives
d. this is a strategy with minimal problems and the potential to reduce crime
The Michigan law advertised as “one with a gun gets you two”
a. intensively enforced illegal carry laws
b. reduced gun crime prior to implementation due to the announcement effect
c. had no significant impact on minimum sentences for serious gun crimes
d. combined problem-oriented policing strategies with mandatory sentences
e. all of the above
One of the consequences of the criminal justice law of thermodynamics is that
a. the deterrent effect will be enhanced
b. the intent of justice system reforms may be undercut
c. the courtroom work group’s going rate will be impotent
d. it shifts the power from the courtroom work group to policy makers
A prevalent criticism of U.S. drug policy on marijuana is
a. that although it is barely used, its use is still a punishable offense
b. that it causes increased use of marijuana
c. that it is the main focus of drug policy, while the policy ignores more harmful drugs
d. that marijuana use is a private matter
One of the consequences of criminal justice practitioners’ traditional reliance on good
intentions rather than solid evidence in criminal justice policymaking has been
a. a misinterpretation of crime data as showing a 10-12 year decline
b. an overemphasis on contextual factors as indicators of success
c. inexpensive and effective policies such as Scared Straight
d. the continuation of expensive but ineffective policies such as DARE
A study of the impact of stand-your-ground laws found that
a. they are associated with increases in homicides among white males
b. they are associated with increases in homicides among African-American males
c. the related incidents were self-defense situations in the face of serious threats to life
d. most people accurately interpret the laws
According to Walker’s discussion of mistakes in the CJS, select the most accurate
statement.
a. the extensive number of mistakes make loopholes larger and discrimination more
pervasive
b. a system as overburdened as ours is sure to make as many mistakes as it does
c. mistakes are an inevitable result of the going rate
d. we need to be hyper-vigilant to prevent further mistakes
Among the myths concerning drunk driving is
a. that those with serious drinking problems beat the system
b. a grossly exaggerated bi-annual number of deaths due to drunk driving
c. innocent drivers and bystanders are typically the victims of alcohol-related crashes
d. all of the above
Regarding the drug-crime connection
a. drug-defined crimes refer to crimes caused by drug use and abuse
b. crimes associated with drug use include the commission of robberies to get money to
buy drugs
c. drug-related crimes include violent behavior caused by the pharmacological effects of
drugs
d. drug-related crimes include possession and sale of illegal substances
Testimony of witnesses or victims is the primary evidence in what type of cases?
a. crimes against persons
b. victimless crimes
c. property crimes
d. dismissed cases
Operation Cease Fire involved
a. pulling levers on probationers and parolees
b. interagency collaboration
c. a significant reduction in youth homicide
d. all of the above
e. none of the above
The positive impact of the exclusionary rule
a. was offset by weakened relationships between police and prosecutors
b. has improved the professionalism of police work
c. is that it increased the number of convictions made through improperly seized
evidence
d. there is no positive impact of the exclusionary rule
The larger “regime” of punishments for homicide includes all EXCEPT the following
a. Financial aid to pursue a GED
b. Escaping arrest
c. The death penalty
d. Life without parole
Select the most accurate statement regarding correct and incorrect predictions
a. true positives are correctly identified as likely to commit a violent act
b. false negatives are incorrectly predicted not to be violent
c. false positives are incorrectly predicted as likely to become violent
d. all of the above
e. none of the above
One of the key variables in people’s satisfaction with a system is the sense that
a. they have an opportunity to participate and express their point of view
b. it does not rely on coercive authority as a mechanism for gaining compliance
c. the system promotes the greatest good for the greatest number
d. the system itself displays lawful behavior
Research on complaint mediation programs has found that
a. they do not affect legitimacy of the police system
b. most citizens are dissatisfied with police behavior
c. they result in similar levels of satisfaction of traditional complaint investigation
procedures
d. that they result in much higher levels of satisfaction than traditional complaint
investigation procedures
The ultimate goal of the CJS and other social institutions is to
a. maintain an orderly society
b. hold people accountable for their actions
c. help people adjust to their social environment
d. maintain the economic and political social order
e. all of the above
The landmark Supreme Court case of Baxstrom v. Herold
a. forced the release of persons held for long periods of time in mental hospitals and
necessitated development of new procedures for continued confinement
b. held offenders must pay for their psychiatric treatment where the state pays for
incarceration
c. held mentally ill offenders can be forced to take medications to help in their own
defense
d. allowed for the GBMI verdict
Examples of the criminal justice law of thermodynamics include
a. In re Gault and speedy trial laws
b. the death penalty and decriminalization of marijuana
c. the death penalty and three strikes laws
d. early release programs and three strikes laws
In the Kansas City experiment, _____(1)_____ beats received no routine patrol while
_____(2)_____ beats received two or three times the normal level of patrol.
a. (1) control (2) proactive
b. (1) proactive (2) reactive
c. (1) reactive (2) control
d. (1) reactive (2) proactive
What percent of all felony cases in large urban courts were settled by a guilty plea in
2006?
a. almost none
b. a small minority
c. half
d. the vast majority
Time served, a measure of the justice system’s punitiveness, has changed in what way
over time?
a. remained the same
b. increased
c. decreased
d. whether it increased or decreased depends on the type of offense
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
According to Walker, suspects may waive their Miranda rights because they
a. are skilled at manipulating the criminal justice system
b. feel they have been wrongfully arrested
c. feel guilty or hope to get a better deal in a plea bargain
d. are intoxicated
The Kansas City experiment found that
a. the level of patrol has no effect on crime
b. more police can reduce crime, but it is costly
c. single-officer patrols are more efficient than two-officer patrols
d. crime rates are correlated with police/population ratios
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
The 2011 U.S. Sentencing Commission report found that
a. the number of offenses carrying a mandatory minimum sentence had halved between
1991 and 2010
b. One third of the convictions with a mandatory sentence involved drug trafficking
c. There are disparities in applying the mandatory minimums
d. a minority of federal judges thought mandatory sentences were “too high”
Attempts to reduce the production of drug plants in the field are known as what?
a. interdiction
b. eradication
c. demand-reduction
d. none of the above
Give examples of changes that can be made in the police system to improve its
legitimacy.
Front-loading parole services are hindered by huge caseloads.
Explain which of the assumptions of deterrence are and are not being met according to
research on people’s perceptions of a deterrent.
Explain why waging “war” is the wrong way to deal with crime, and describe how a
‘social ledger” would be a useful addition to crime policy.
Explain why banning guns from the mentally ill is an impractical strategy for reducing
gun violence.
Neither version of the New Cynicism adequately explains how the justice system
handles routine cases on a day-to-day basis.
Walker proposes that most crime control ideas are based on false assumptions about
how the CJS works.
The ban on plea bargaining in Alaska proved that dangerous offenders had previously
been beating the system.
Describe the various myths that surround drunk driving.
The Sentencing Commission’s evaluation of federal sentencing guidelines found that as
criminal history scores increased so did recidivism rates.
The insanity defense is raised in fewer than 1% of all criminal indictments.
The wedding cake model highlights significant differences in case processing within
each layer and consistent patterns in case processing between layers.
Formal rules on plea negotiations in King County increased the efficiency of case
handling, although it did not significantly impact case handling.
Discuss how the wars on crime and drugs have impacted incarceration and how it
serves to undermine the collective efficacy of neighborhoods.
Explain why it may be misleading to conclude that only 1% of all criminals go to
prison.
The day-to-day administration of justice is less complex than the formal machinery of
the justice system.
According to findings of the Sentencing Project, the public believes the justice system
is far more lenient than it really is.
An innovative policing strategy used in Boston’s Gun Project was “pulling levers” and
the use of various criminal justice and social service agencies.
Assess the problem of gun-related violence in the U.S. by summarizing the evidence on
gun ownership and gun-related violence.