CJUS 200 Chapter 1

probation

A sentence in which the offender, rather than being incarcerated, is retained in the community under the supervision of a probation agency and required to abide by certain rules and conditions to avoid incarceration.

felony

A serious offense punishable by confinement in prison for more than 1 year or by death.

system

A smoothly operating set of arrangements and institutions directed toward the achievement of common goals.

bench trial

A trial before a judge without a jury.

summary trial

A trial before a judge without a jury.

institution of social control

An organization that persuades people, through subtle and not-so-subtle means, to abide by the dominant values of society.

myths

Beliefs based on emotion rather than analysis.

In 2016, a total of _____ was spent on civil and criminal justice in the United States.

$284 billion

Identify the main agencies that administer criminal justice in the United States. (Check all that apply.)

- Police - Corrections - Courts

According to the advocates of the crime control model, which of the following are considered most important in the crime control model?

- efficiency of the process - speed of the process

information

A document that outlines the formal charge(s) against a suspect, the law(s) that have been violated, and the evidence to support the charge(s).

misdemeanor

A less serious crime generally punishable by a fine or by incarceration in jail for not more than 1 year. (1)

parole

A method of prison release whereby inmates are conditionally released at the discretion of a board or other authority before having completed their entire sentences; can also refer to the community supervision received upon release.

defendant

A person against whom a legal action is brought, a warrant is issued, or an indictment is found.

jurisdiction

A politically defined geographical area. The right or authority of a justice agency to act with regard to a particular subject matter, territory, or person. The authority of a court to hear and decide cases.

initial appearance

A pretrial stage in which a defendant is brought before a lower court to be given notice of the charge(s) and advised of her or his constitutional rights.

preliminary hearing

A pretrial stage used in about one-half of all states and only in felony cases. Its purpose is for a judge to determine whether there is probable cause to support the charge or charges imposed by the prosecutor.

arraignment

A pretrial stage; its primary purpose is to hear the formal information or indictment and to allow the defendant to enter a plea.

grand jury

Generally a group of 12 to 23 citizens who meet in closed sessions to investigate charges coming from preliminary hearings or to engage in other responsibilities. A primary purpose of the grand jury is to determine whether there is probable cause to believe that the accused committed the crime or crimes.

Arrest

The seizing or the taking of a person into custody by lawful authority, either actual physical custody, as when a suspect is handcuffed by a police officer, or constructive custody, as when a person peacefully submits to a police officer's control.

due process model

One of Packer's two models of the criminal justice process. Politically, it embodies traditional liberal values. In this model, the principal goal of criminal justice is at least as much to protect the innocent as it is to convict the guilty.

crime control model

One of Packer's two models of the criminal justice process. Politically, it reflects traditional conservative values. In this model, the control of criminal behavior is the most important function of criminal justice.

_____ is the perfect mechanism for achieving efficiency—the primary focus of the crime control model.

Plea bargaining

Which of the following is true of parole?

Prisoners may become eligible for parole, in some states, after serving a portion of their sentence.

Match the different means of persuasion used by various institutions of social control in the United States to persuade people abide by the dominant values of society (in the left column) with their examples (in the right column)

Subtle means of persuasion - gossip and peer pressure Not-so-subtle means of persuasion - expulsion and incarceration

Which of the following is the main reason that the U.S. criminal justice system is sometimes called a "nonsystem"?

There is considerable conflict and confusion among the different agencies within it.

True or false: In the crime control model of criminal justice, the control of criminal behavior is by far the most important function of criminal justice.

True

True or false: Much of the public's understanding of crime and justice is wrong.

True

bail

Usually a monetary guarantee deposited with the court that is supposed to ensure that the suspect or defendant will appear at a later stage in the criminal justice process.

Match the terminology related to court procedures during the pretrial stages (in the left column) with their descriptions (in the right column). Instructions

Summary trial - An immediate trial without a jury Arraignment - A pretrial stage to hear the information or indictment and to allow a plea Preliminary hearing - A pretrial stage in felony cases at which a judge determines whether there is probable cause Plea bargaining - The practice whereby a specific sentence is imposed if the accused pleads guilty to an agreed-on charge or charges instead of going to trial

booking

The administrative recording of an arrest. Typically, the suspect's name, the charge(s) for which the person was arrested, and perhaps the suspect's fingerprints or photograph are entered in the police blotter.

probable cause

The amount of proof necessary for a reasonably intelligent person to believe that a crime has been committed or that items connected with criminal activity can be found in a particular place. It is the standard of proof needed to conduct a search or to make an arrest.

The response of the criminal justice system to crime begins when

a crime is reported to the police.

The U.S. criminal justice system is best described as

a loose confederation of many independent agencies at all levels of government.

If a police investigation of a crime is successful, what is the next step they will take?

arrest

In states that do not use grand juries, prosecutors charge defendants with a document called a(n) ___________ , which outlines the formal charge or charges, the law or laws that have been violated, and the evidence to support the charge or charges.

information

A politically defined geographical area in the criminal justice system is know as a(n):

jurisdiction

The principle that people are not to be held guilty of crimes merely on a showing, based on reliable evidence, that in all probability they did in fact do what they are accused of doing is known as the doctrine of ________________________ _________________

legal guilt

Simplistic and distorted beliefs based upon emotion rather than rigorous analysis are known as __________

myths

________________ is the conditional release of prisoners before they have served their full sentences.

parole

Arthur maintains that a person should not be considered guilty of a crime just because the evidence shows he or she probably did it. Instead, people should be considered guilty only after a formal, regular proceeding, such as a trial, has determined guilt. Arthur believes in ________ ________.

the doctrine of legal guilt

Which statement would an advocate of the due process model most likely make?

It is better to let the guilty go free than to execute an innocent person.

Which statement accurately describes the way the costs of criminal justice are handled by local, state, and federal governments?

Local governments spend the most on judicial/legal services, state governments spend the most on correction, and the federal government makes the least contribution in these areas.

plea bargaining

The practice whereby the prosecutor, the defense attorney, the defendant, and—in many jurisdictions—the judge agree on a specific sentence to be imposed if the accused pleads guilty to an agreed-upon charge or charges instead of going to trial.

doctrine of legal guilt

The principle that people are not to be held guilty of crimes merely on a showing, based on reliable evidence, that in all probability they did in fact do what they are accused of doing. Legal guilt results only when factual guilt is determined in a procedurally regular fashion, as in a criminal trial, and when the procedural rules designed to protect suspects and defendants and to safeguard the integrity of the process are employed.