Critical Issues In Criminal Justice

Question 1

America’s Prison Exceptionalism:

Answer 1

1) Number of prisoners (2.3 million in state, fed, jail).
2) Recidivism rates
3) Who is in prison and why are they there

Between 1987 and 2007, the nation’s prison system population tripled, growing 1 million
The US accounts for 4.2% of the world’s population but accounts for 23% of the world’s prisoners
World leader in incarceration rates:

US 700 per 100,000
Most Western European countries: less than 100 per 100,000

Japan 40 per 100,000

Question 2

How we hinder after prison:

Answer 2

Felony records follow you FOREVER

Permanently excluded from welfare and Section 8 housing

Exclusion from voting, some states it is permanent

Texas is one of 18 states that allow inmates to vote immediately after completion of incarceration, supervised probation, supervised parole

Sex offender notification system
Very broad in many states
(look at offender maps)

Exclusion from many types of employment
6 states permanently ban felons from running for public employment even the most menial jobs
Nurses, barbers, beauticians

Question 3

How we help after prison (specific ways and examples):

Answer 3

Drug courts,

Reentry programs (Wynne Unit Huntsville has a box factory, a computer recovery factory,[2] and a license plate factory[2] (the only one for the state and works with the 3M company)

AND

San Quentin prison, bay area, CA- The last mile program teaches inmates how to code and navigate tech industry

Private companies (Daves Bread, Greystone Bakery),

Non-profit organizations

Question 4

Biggest obstacle ex-offenders face

Answer 4

Housing and employment

Question 5

Change from indeterminate to determinate sentencing and the effect it had on prison population and numbering of returning inmates

Answer 5

Shift from indeterminate sentencing to determinant sentencing in the 1970s

(give details of indeterminate and determinate)

Question 6

Intermediate sanctions and alternatives to incarceration, successful?

Answer 6

Probation and parole have been the most important programs for more than one hundred years. During this time, a variety of different approaches have been attempted to enhance their effectiveness, including intensive supervision, boot camps, curfews, mandatory drug testing, and other restrictions.

Question 7

. Million of adults in the U.S. are incarcerated, on probation or on parole (1 in 61 adults)

Answer 7

5.5

Question 8

Intermediate sanctions and alternatives to incarceration, successful?

Answer 8

The Rand study of felons on probation in California is arguably the best dataavailable. The findings are depressin

Question 9

Victim rights, victims rights movement and how that has evolved and its effect on prisoner reentry issues

Answer 9

(talk)

Question 10

What can we do to lower recidivism rates and improve outcomes?
4 Major areas that need to be reformed

Answer 10

Housing
Employment
Education
Drugs
Mental health

Question 11

Legalization

Answer 11

A general policy orientation that involves the lifting of all criminal and civil proscriptions and sanctions

The most liberal and radical of all options

There are variations on how to legalize drugs. Most popular variety is making drugs (mostly marijuana) similar to that of cigarettes and alcohol, adults only.

Open and free drug markets too.

Question 12

Decriminalization:

Answer 12

Similar to legalization, but with unique features

Is not simply a “compromise” between legalization and prohibition
Policy that removes criminal sanctions for small amounts of marijuana or other charges

Nevertheless, growing or possessing marijuana is not legal — it is simply a civil offense rather than a criminal offense

Currently, 12 states have some form of decriminalization legislation

Question 13

Harm reduction

Answer 13

Harm reduction is a general policy orientation that shifts focus away from legal status of drugs to policies and practices that would reduce harm caused by drugs and drug policy

Based on the following premise:
1)Drug use will never totally be eliminated

2)Drug policies are sometimes more damaging than drug use

3) Risks of drug use should be weighed against risks posed by drug policies

4) Help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, other diseases associated with drug addiction

5) Similar to medicalization

Question 14

The decline from the war on crime:

Answer 14

de-emphasized crack cocaine, better policing, more incarceration, legalization of Roe v Wade, CHANGE IN POLICY

Question 15

What is the War on Drugs goals?

Answer 15

2000 educate and enable america’s youth to reject illegal drug as well as alchohol and tobacco

Increase safety of america’s citizens by substantial…..

Question 16

Is war on drugs effective?

Answer 16

War on drugs is not a well planned policy

Shifted goalls over time

Varied objectives over time

Changing evaluation periods and data sources

Question 17

War on drugs does not significantly or consistently reduce drug use

Answer 17

ONDCP selectively presents data to suggest that the drug war is effective (focus on short term, ignore long term)

Examination of all available data sources shows otherwise

Question 18

Is crime down?

Answer 18

yes

Question 19

Where are we spending all the money? What should we be spending it on?

Answer 19

Prisons and law enforcment

Question 20

_____ is the key to recidivism.

Answer 20

education

Question 21

Highest incarceration rates in the country/world

Answer 21

Oklahoma
Louisiana
Mississippi
Georgia
Alabama
Arkansas
Texas

Question 22

4 waves: of opiod epidemic

Answer 22

1990, 2010, 2013, and now