CRJ 2550- Midterm Exam

Critics of the media coverage of missing person cases argue that the public is being misled about who is really missing. List the 2 sources of data used to support their argument and what they found (percentages, numbers, etc.).

-Department of Justice data indicates that 2X as many Hispanic women are missing (7,453) compared to white women (4,032) -The National Center for Missing Adults reports more than 47,000 missing women, 29,553 were white or Hispanic, 13859 were African American, 1,199 were Asian American, 685 were Native American -of these 53% were men

Two Part Question: According to Figure 1.1, this group made up the 2nd largest percentage of the total U.S. Population in 1990: 1) _____ In 2040, is projected that this group will have the 2nd largest percentage in the total U.S. population: 2) _______

1) African American, 2) Hispanic

According to Policing the Black Man pp. 31-55, disparity in imprisonment rates is not due to greater involvement in crime among Black men, but instead there are 2 factors that strongly mitigate against this. List the two factors.

1) the racially skewed impact of drug law enforcement and sentencing 2) the racially influenced nature of punishment for all offenses.

In terms of median household income, one of the most significant developments over the past 40 years has been the growth of an African-American and Hispanic middle class that is doing much better than its lower-income counterparts. This is a result of two factors. List the two factors.

1. civil rights movement- included instead of excluded in jobs 2. blatant housing discrimination

The official data on unemployment does not tell the whole story and leaves our 3 important groups. List these groups:

1. discouraged workers who have given up and are not looking for work 2. part-time employees who want full-time jobs but cannot find them 3. workers in the underground economy who are paid in cash to avoid paying taxes and social security withholding

Marc Mauer (Director of the Sentencing Project) lists 4 factors that contribute to racial and ethnic disparities in crime rates. List them.

1. disproportionate crime rates 2. disparities in criminal justice processing 3. overlap of race and class effect 4. impact of race-neutral policies

Racial and ethnic segregation in housing has been the result of several factors: list 2.

1. historic practice of de jure segregation 2. convert discrimination 3. group choice

There are 3 important patterns of economic inequality in America. List them.

1. large gap between rich and poor, without regard to race or ethnicity 2. large economic gap between white Americans and racial minorities 3. growth of very poor- a group some analysts call underclass

A study by Sonja B. Starr and M. Marit Rehavi found that despite controlling for relevant factors, Black males received federal prison terms ___% longer than white males.

10%

In 1954, there were fewer than ______ Black men incarcerated in prison and jail. In 2017 (the year Policing the Black Man was published), that number rose to ______

100,000/600,000

In 2013, the median family wealth for white families was approximately ___ times that of African American families (will require math). Figure 3.2

13

Discrimination was made illegal by this Amendment:

14th

Thomas Shapiro found that ___% of white families enjoyed an inheritance from parents or other family members compared with ___% of African-American families.

25, 5

In 2015, the richest 1% of Americans controlled ____% of all the wealth in the country, and the bottom 50% of Americans controlled only _____% of all the wealth

50, 1

Research by the U.S. Sentencing Commission showed approximately ____ percentage of white defendants were able to plead to a charge that didn't carry a mandatory mibnimum, compared to aproximately ____ percent of black defendants.

64, 40

While racial hoaxes are perpetrated by people of all races, classes, geographic regions, and ages, the majority of racial hoax cases were perpetrated by a white person charging an African-American person in what percentage of cases:

70%

Research over time shows that disparate (different) outcomes in decision-making are more likely to be present in more serious cases.

???

The Office of Management and Budget racial and ethnic categories are:

A socialpolitical construct

This group is more likely to be victims of "serious violent crime" (rape, robbery, aggravated assault) according to the NCVS in 2014:

African American

In 2014, this racial and ethnic group had the lowest median family income

African-American

A factor that explains the rise in violent crime in the 1960s include:

All answers apply: -Rising unemployment -Baby-boomers coming of age -Urbanization

Unemployment rates in 2016 were shown to be lowest for this racial/ethnic group:

Asian

When it comes to drug offenders, this racial group reports significantly lower than average use at all ages:

Asian American

This person coined the term "law and order" in 1964:

Barry Goldwater

This theory states that the administration of criminal justice reflects the unequal distribution of power in society.

Conflict Theory

This type of capital is defined as education, knowledge, or skills that give a person an advantage.

Cultural capital

This theory holds that criminal behavior is learned behavior and that the more contact a person has with people who are already involved in crime, the more likely that person is to engage in crime.

Differential Association Theory

"Minority" is defined by race and numerical presence, as opposed to people who have less social power and privilege in a society.

False

A study of decision-making by probation officers in the juvenile justice system in a northwest state showed that Black youth were less likely to be assessed as having an "anti-social" disorder as opposed to having "environmental" problems.

False

According to criminologists, unemployment is not correlated with involvement in delinquent behavior, gang activity, participation in more serious crime, and the likelihood of adult criminal careers.

False

According to the NCVS in 2014, the household burglary rate was almost 3.5 times higher for the highest income group than for the poorest households.

False

African Americans are most often arrested in crime categories reported in the UCR, but whites are arrested at a disproportionately high rate (when considering general population) for nearly all offenses

False

Ethnicity is the same as race.

False

The Census has always allowed American citizens to identify themselves as being two or more races.

False

The FBI presents information on race of the reported mass shooting offenders and their victims.

False

The penalties adopted for crack cocaine (80% of which were applied to African Americans) offenses were far less punitive than those for powder cocaine, (a drug more widely used by whites and Latinos).

False

We can answer the question "How many People Are Shot and Killed by the Police?" accurately with the date we have

False

When it comes to public attitudes about race, ethnicity, and criminal justice, White and Black Americans are not divided on the issues (in terms of percentages who agree that Black Americans are treated less fairly when dealing with the police, courts, and fear of crime).

False

White males are incarcerated six times the rate for African American males in state and federal prisons.

False

Pick the false statement/myth about gangs.

Gangs are only found in large cities and urban areas

Describe the flower allegory by Jones in "Levels of Racism" and address all 3 levels.

Gardner: our government which has power and control over decisions, actions, and resources The flowerpots: used to differentiate. One flower pot is filled with rich, fertile soil and the other is filled with poor, rocky soil. This stands for the resources and opportunities available to differing individuals. The seeds: grow into the same type of flower but just in different colors. this represents that we are all people just of different colors (or races). The idea is that the gardener has a preference for the pink flowers over the red, so they get more/better resources and are able to thrive. whereas the red flowers are not given the same opportunities or resources so they are not as beautiful or successful.

When it comes to "Household Victimization," this group experiences the highest rate of overall property victimization (household burglary, motor vehicle theft, and theft).

Hispanic

This type of discrimination involves disparities in outcomes that are based on an organization's policies. An example would be NYPD's stop and frisk policy.

Institutionalized Discrimination

Discuss and define Heather MacDonald's theory that the criminal justice system is not racist. What, (if anything) does she miss when it comes to her argument?

MacDonald argues that there is a disproportionate involvement in crime. The premise of her thesis is that racial minorities commit more crimes and/or are involved in more serious crimes. That is why they are overrepresented in the system. The main issue with her theory is that she focused on the outcomes, without looking at the causes of crime and how crime is distributed throughout society, giving her a skewed view.

Discuss what the Mother Jones database found about mass shooting offenders.

More reports of male shooters. Typically the shooter is white (over 80% of cases), Asian or African American in the remaining cases

List 1 weakness of the NCVS data

NCVS does not cover kidnapping and homicide

Define problem-oriented policing and give a short history on it. What did the 2003 study on problem-oriented policing find

Problem-oriented policing is a proactive form of community policing that uses research, data, and evidence to get to the root of the crime problems. The founder of problem-oriented policing, Herman Goldstein, emphasized that when evaluating how well a department implements problem-oriented policing, it is not actually measuring for an increase in arrests but rather a decrease in calls for police service

Choose 2 ethnic street gangs from your book and include a description, statistics, and any other information from the chapter.

The Bloods and the Crips are the two most widely known African American street gangs. Each gang has its own colors and sign languages to enforce gang identity. There are also Hispanic street gangs such as the Latin Kings. These gangs place an emphasis on family. The national youth gang survey stated that 49% of gang members identified as Hispanic and 35% identified as African American

Discuss NYPD's "stop and frisk" policy that was designed to get illegal guns off of the streets. How many total stops were there in 2002? How many stops were there in 2011? What percentages of stops were African American or Latino? What percentage of stops led to an arrest? What percentage of stops produced a gun?

The NYPD made about 97,000 stops in 2002 and 685,000 stops in 2011. The percentages were: 87% African American, 92% did not result in arrest, and 1% found a gun. It was found unconstitutional

What is the main point of the introduction? What are Jim Crow laws and when were they abolished? Who has the highest incarceration rate in the world, and what does "mass incarceration" refer to?

The main point of the introduction to The New Jim Crow is that even though the nature of racism that led to the Jim Crow laws has changed, it is still present within our society. With the increased population of African Americans within our prison systems and the restricted rights that prisoners have, race is still not equal. Jim crow laws stated and local laws passed in the late 1870s, to enforce racial segregation. The united states have the highest incarceration rate in the world. Mass incarceration refers to how the US has experienced an incarceration boom and the increased use of incarceration that has led to overpopulation in prisons.

List 1 weakness of the UCR data

There is a huge presence of dark figure of crime meaning that fewer than 1/2 of all violent crimes and 1/3 of all property victimization is reported to the police, leaving us with an incomplete data set.

A study by Lauren Krivo and Ruth Peterson looking at "extremely disadvantaged" neighborhoods concluded that rates of violence were considerably higher in these areas regardless of race.

True

A study on on racial profiling (due to litigation in New Jersey, Maryland, Florida, etc.) failed to show that Black drivers were any more likely to be carrying drugs or illegal weapons in their cars.

True

According to FBI data, the majority of hate crimes are motivated by African American bias.

True

According to UCR arrest data for all offenses, the "typical" offender is white.

True

According to the NCVS, fewer than ½ of all violent victimizations, and 1/3 of all property victimizations are reported to police.

True

African American community trust and confidence in the criminal justice system is currently low, especially when compared to previous decades.

True

All racial and ethnic groups experience higher rates of victimization in urban settings except for "Non-Hispanic Other" in Rural households.

True

America's metropolitan communities are still characterized by strong patterns of residential segregation.

True

Among prisoners who are exonerated by DNA evidence by the Innocence Project, the majority are people of color:

True

Arrest rates and self-report victimization rates have been decreasing for the past 40 years

True

Arrests made by tribal police and federal agencies are not recorded in UCR data, which should require caution when interpreting Native American arrest figures.

True

Consistent research has shown that when the victim of the killing is white it is far more likely that the perpetrator will be sentenced to death than when the victim is Black.

True

Crime data is incomplete and inaccurate due to crimes going unreported and a reliance on self-report surveys.

True

Disparity involves a difference in outcome based on differential treatment of individuals or groups without reference to behavior, qualifications, or some other legal factor.

True

Economic and social inequality are correlated with crime.

True

In a 2010 survey, white respondents overestimated rates of burglaries, drug sales, and juvenile crime committed by African Americans.

True

Social disorganization theory holds that the values and behavior leading to delinquency and crime are passed on from one generation to another.

True

The "typical" offender in homicide is a non-stranger/acquaintance.

True

The National Research Council of 2014 found that the growth in incarceration rates reduced crime, but that the magnitude of the crime reduction remains highly uncertain and the evidence suggests that it was unlikely to have been large.

True

The U.S. census is based on self-reported identity, as opposed to a census official applying a racial category based on your appearance.

True

The racial disparities observed in the prison system are also mirrored in the juvenile justice system.

True

The term "Hispanic" or "Latino" refer to ethnicity and not race.

True

The term "underclass" is used to describe a new kind of poverty, from which people are not able to escape, and the conditions of poverty recreate

True

There is significant difference in median income within racial and ethnic groups.

True

Victimization data shows that people of color are more likely than whites in most circumstances to be victimized by crime.

True

We do not know exactly how many Muslims there are in the United States because the U.S. Census does not collect data on religious affiliation.

True

Describe the argument made by Isabel Wilkerson in "Caste."

Wilkerson alludes to three types of caste system and presents them as an old house. We as citizens are the homeowners of this old house. She argues that if we continue to ignore the issues, or don't address the issues of the house by blaming them on the previous owners, the problems will persist and the house will remain broken. The same can be said with the cast system. If we continue to ignore the problems, inequality will remain. Wilkerson describes caste systems as an artificial and fixed ranking of human value based on ancestry and traits that would otherwise be meaningless. She states that it uses rigid arbitrary boundaries to keep groups of people apart.

We know exactly what the crime rates are in the United States.

false

Experts regard the concept of race as:

primarily a social construct