Chapter 9 Criminal Justice

Which of the following refers to circumstances relating to the commission of a crime that make it graver than the average instance of that type of crime?

Aggravating circumstances

Which of the following is a model of criminal punishment in which an offender is given a fixed term that may be reduced by good time or gain time?

Determinate sentencing

Which of the following refers to a goal of criminal sentencing that seeks to inhibit criminal behavior through the fear of punishment?

Deterrence

Which of the following is a sentencing principle that holds that similar crimes should be punished with the same degree of severity, regardless of the social or personal characteristics of the offenders?

Equity

"Truth-in-sentencing" means that probation officers have presented their presentence investigation report based on the truths they uncovered.

False

Aggravating circumstances indicate that a lesser sentence is called for.

False

General deterrence is a goal of criminal sentencing that seeks to prevent a particular offender from engaging in repeat criminality.

False

In the case of Ring v. Arizona, the Court forbade the use of visible shackles during the penalty phase of capital trials.

False

Most judges deny the presentence report writer's recommendations.

False

Sentencing philosophies today focus primarily on rehabilitating offenders.

False

Very few states currently use capital punishment as a sentencing option.

False

Deterrence is based on the idea of "an eye for an eye."

False.

Mitigating circumstances result in harsher sentences under the determinate model.

False.

Which of the following refers to the amount of time deducted from time to be served in prison on a given sentence as a consequence of participation in special projects or programs?

Gain time

Which of the following refers to a goal of criminal sentencing that seeks to prevent others from committing crimes similar to the one for which a particular offender is being sentenced by making an example of the person sentenced?

General deterrence

Which of the following refers to the amount of time deducted from time to be served in prison on a given sentence as a consequence of good behavior?

Good time

Which of the following refers to the use of imprisonment or other means to reduce the likelihood that an offender will commit future offenses?

Incapacitation

Which of the following refers to a model of criminal punishment that encourages rehabilitation through the use of general and relatively unspecific sentences?

Indeterminate sentencing

Which of the following is a model of criminal sentencing that holds that criminal offenders deserve the punishment they received at the hands of the law and that punishments should be appropriate to the type and severity of the crime committed?

Just deserts

Which of the following refers to circumstances relating to the commission of a crime that may be considered to reduce the blameworthiness of the defendant?

Mitigating circumstances

Which of the following is a sentencing principle that holds that the severity of sanctions should bear a direct relationship to the seriousness of the crime committed?

Proportionality

Which of the following is the attempt to reform a criminal offender?

Rehabilitation

Which of the following is a goal of criminal sentencing that attempts to make the victim "whole again"?

Restoration

Which of the following refers to a sentencing model that builds on restitution and community participation in an attempt to make the victim "whole again"?

Restorative justice

Which of the following is a sentencing principle that holds that an offender's criminal history should objectively be taken into account in sentencing decisions?

Social debt

Which of the following refers to a goal of criminal sentencing that seeks to prevent a particular offender from engaging in repeat criminality?

Specific deterrence

Which of the following is a model of criminal punishment that includes determinate and commission-created presumptive sentencing schemes, as well as voluntary/advisory sentencing guidelines?

Structured sentencing

Which of the following describes a model of criminal punishment that meets all but the following conditions?

The official suspension of criminal proceedings against an alleged offender occurs at any point before the entering of the judgment.

A total of 3,373 offenders were under sentence of death throughout the United States on January 1, 2006.

True

A victim-impact statement is generally a written document describing the losses, suffering, and trauma experienced by the crime victim or by the victim's survivors.

True

Age is a bar to execution when the offender committed the crime when he or she was younger than 18.

True

Fines are often imposed for relatively minor law violations.

True

In Atkins v. Virginia, the Court ruled that executing mentally retarded people violates the Constitution's ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

True

In the landmark case of Furman v. Georgia, the Court recognized "evolving standards of decency."

True

Justifications for the death penalty are collectively referred to as the retentionist position.

True

Specific deterrence seeks to reduce the likelihood of recidivism by convicted offenders.

True

The list of crimes punishable by death under federal jurisdiction increased dramatically with the passage of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994.

True

Presumptive sentencing guidelines eliminate judicial discretion.

True.

The overall goal of deterrence is crime prevention.

True.

Which of the following refers to recommended sentencing policies that are not required by law?

Voluntary/advisory sentencing guidelines