Chapter 9: Sentence goals and structures

Question 1

punishment

Answer 1

any sanction imposed for committing a crime; usually a sentence imposed for being convicted of either a felony or misdemenor

Question 2

career criminals

Answer 2

those offenders who make their living through crime, Usually, offenses occur over the lifetime of the offender

Question 3

chronic recidivists

Answer 3

persons who continue to commit new crimes after being convicted of former offenses

Question 4

persistent felony offenders

Answer 4

habitual offenders who commit felonies with a high recidivism rate

Question 5

incapacitation isolation

Answer 5

philosophy of corrections espousing loss of freedom proportional to seriousness of offense.

Question 6

rehabilitation ideal

Answer 6

correcting criminal behavior through educational and other means usually associated with prisons

Question 7

Victim Offender Mediation

Answer 7

meeting between criminal and person suffering loss or injury from criminal whereby third- party arbiter

Question 8

crime prevention

Answer 8

any overt activity conducted by individuals or groups to deter persons from committing a crime

Question 9

deterrence, general or specific

Answer 9

actions that are designed to prevent crimes before it occurs by threatening severe criminal penalties or sanctions

Question 10

reintegration

Answer 10

punishment philosophy that promotes programs that lead offenders back into communities

Question 11

Parole Board, Paroling authority

Answer 11

body of persons either appointed by governor or elected, which determines whether those currently incarcerated in prisons should be granted parole or early release

Question 12

extralegal factors

Answer 12

factors that are not legally relevant to case processing decisions such as race, ethnicity, and sex

Question 13

Good- Time (Credit)

Answer 13

an amount of time deducted from the period of time of incarceration of a convicted offender, time is based off of good behavior while incarcerated

Question 14

Presumptive Sentencing

Answer 14

the establishment of fixed punishments for each criminal offense, graduated according to offense severity and one’s criminal history

Question 15

Sentencing Guidelines

Answer 15

used to assist judges in assessing fair and consistent lengths of incarceration for various crimes and past crime histories

Question 16

United States Commission

Answer 16

body of persons originating from Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 and promulgated sentencing guidelines for all federal crimes

Question 17

Mandatory Sentencing

Answer 17

Court is required to impose a certain sentence for each particular crime , without the ability for the offender to obtain parole or early release

Question 18

Habitual Offenders

Answer 18

persons who have been convicted of 2 or more felonies and may be sentenced under habitual offender statute for aggravated or longer prison term

Question 19

life w/o parole sentencing

Answer 19

maximum penalty for areas that do not have death penalty where they are permanently incarceration of offenders in prison with no parole and eligibility to early release through good time credit

Question 20

3 strikes and you’re out

Answer 20

legislation designed to prevent offenders from becoming recidivists, provides that persons who commit 3 or more serious felonies are in jeopardy of being incarcerated for life terms

Question 21

violent felonies

Answer 21

any crime that is punishable by more than one year in prison or jail that causes seriously bodily injury or death

Question 22

serious felonies

Answer 22

any crime that is punishable by more than one year in prison or jail that causes substantial property loss or fraud

Question 23

felony property offending

Answer 23

any crime that is punishable by more than one year in prison or jail that causes property loss or damage

Question 24

flat term

Answer 24

a specific definite term fir conviction, not necessarily known in advance of sentencing

Question 25

truth in sentencing

Answer 25

Policy in which once a sentence is imposed the majority of it (85%) must be served before an offender can be released

Question 26

Crime Bill of 1994

Answer 26

designed to increase crime prevention measures and put more police officers on city streets; also established truth in sentencing laws to maximize the amount of time inmates must serve in relation to their maximum sentences

Question 27

Indeterminate sentencing

Answer 27

sanctioning scheme in a period is set by judges between the earliest date for parole decision and the latest date for completion of the sentence

Question 28

determinate sentencing

Answer 28

sanctioning scheme in which court sentences offender to incarceration for fixed period and which must be served in full and without parole intervention, less any good time earned in prison

Question 29

habitual offender statute

Answer 29

statues that generally provide life imprisonment as a mandatory sentence for chronic offenders who have been convicted of 3 or more serious felonies within specific time period