Lecture 9 - Sentencing and Correctional Psychology

Question 1

what is the general goal of sentencing

Answer 1

community factors - safety
needs of the victim
needs of the convicted person

Question 2

focal concern theory of sentencing

Answer 2

judges/mag take three specific factors into consideration when reaching sentencing decisions:
- defendant culpability - the defendants responsibility of the harm caused
- protection of the community - generally delineates between custodial and non-custodial sentences
- practical constraints and consequences of the sentence

Question 3

name and describe the 4 levels of security levels

Answer 3

high security - highest level

maximum security - highest level of restriction

medium security - moderate risk

minimum security

Question 4

factors considered in assigning security rating

Answer 4

nature of the offense
the length of the sentence
the inmates previous criminal or custodial history
the risk of the inmate poses to the prison community, themselves or others
the risk of escape
the risk of committing further offenses in prison

Question 5

juvenile/youth sentencing

Answer 5

psychological - the mental health needs of the youth
physical - day to day needs ot the youth
social - community need of the youth

Question 6

when sentencing youth what are the options

Answer 6

1 commitment to a secure facility
2 intensive community supervison
3 referral to a group home or other low security facility
4 referral to day treatment
5 fine, community service, restitution

Question 7

what are the 6 sentencing philosophies

Answer 7

individual deterrance

general detterance

incapacition

retribution - take something equal

rehabilitation

moral outrage

Question 8

types of post-conviction assessments

Answer 8

1 placement - to establish the environment and type of servic that best reflects the needs of society and the needs ot he offender

2 dangerousness - to establish how much of a danger the offender is to both themselves and tohers

3 competence to execute

Question 9

placement assessments are conducted to assist with

Answer 9

1 level of risk of reoffending
2 sentencing placement decisions
3 case management information

Question 10

basic indicators relating to the risk that an offender will reoffend upon release

Answer 10

1 criminal history
2 drug and alcohol use
3 friends and family
4 recreation and leisure
5 employment
6 education
7 anti-social attitudes
8 anti-social personality traits

Question 11

placement and rehabilitation and their challenges

Answer 11

where the individual may be best placed

challenges include
1 resourcing
2 time
3 clients - lack of engagement

Question 12

dangerousness

Answer 12

basic indicators relating to the dangerousness of an offender include:

1 narcissim - self interest
2 impulsive violence - inability to restrain oneself
3 reactive anger - tendency to respond negatively
4 lack of empathy - lack of concern
5 lack of conscience - moral parameters
6 machiavellianism

Question 13

possession by a demons era

Answer 13

cause - abnormal behaviour believed to be due to the physical possession by a demon
response - removal of a demon

trephining - using rocks to remove the demon

Question 14

possession by the devil era

Answer 14

cause - abnormal behaviour believed to be due to the spiritual possession by the devil
response - encourage the devil to leave the person

Question 15

biological abnormality and proportional responses era

Answer 15

cause - abnromal behaviour due to biological causes
response - crude bioloigcal responses

Question 16

instiutionalisation era

Answer 16

cause - abnormal behaviour believed to be due to some uncontrollable cause
response - separation and institutionalisation

Question 17

medical era

Answer 17

cause - abnormal behaviour believed to be due to a medical problem
response q operations and medications

Question 18

psychoanalytic era - freud

Answer 18

cause - abnormal behaviour believed to be due to early childhood conflicts and unconscious impulses
response - intensive individual therapy

Question 19

behavioural era - skinner

Answer 19

abnormal behaviour believed to be due to learning
response behaviourally based treatments

Question 20

aversion therapy

Answer 20

behavioral technique in which individual is exposed to the stimulus of interest while forced to experience an unpleasant sensation in order to stop the behaviour

based on the classical conditioning work of pavlov and watson

key component is the forming of an association between the behaviour and the unpleasant sensation

Question 21

systematic desensitization

Answer 21

behavioural technique in which the individual is gradually exposed to increasing levels of the anxiety-provoking stimuli as it is associated with a calming influence

Question 22

behaviour modification programs

Answer 22

behavioural technique in which positive behaviours are encouraged through the implementation of a schedule of reinforcement
- known as token economy

Question 23

humanistic era

Answer 23

abnormal behaviour believed to be due to the need for people to self-actualise

group therapy - response

Question 24

cogntive era - today

Answer 24

abnormal behaviour believed to be due to faulty thinking styles

response - alteration of thinking styles

Question 25

alternative correctional programs

Answer 25

offence based units - specialised units within the institution that house those who have committed a specific type of crime faith-based units - specialised units within the institution that house those who have a strong religious or faith orientation culture based units - specialised units within the institution that house those who have a strong cultural tie

Question 26

parole

Answer 26

supervised release of an offender before the expiration of their sentence