Punishment and Sentencing MCQs

Punishment and Sentencing MCQs

Our team has conducted extensive research to compile a set of Punishment and Sentencing MCQs. We encourage you to test your Punishment and Sentencing knowledge by answering these 110+ multiple-choice questions provided below.
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1: A restorative philosophy does not mean that offenders are not punished for their crimes.

A.   True

B.   False

2: Specific deterrence is limited to a particular individual.

A.   True

B.   False

3: Not many jurisdictions have passed determinate sentencing structures.

A.   True

B.   False

4: In order for ______ theory to be effective, it must possess the characteristics of certainty, severity, and celerity.

A.   Restoration

B.   Deterrence

C.   Rehabilitation

D.   Incapacitation

5: Each federal crime is classified on the basis of its severity level and is ranked on a scale of 1 to 43.

A.   True

B.   False

6: Mandatory sentencing has been tired to a dramatic decline in prison populations throughout the late 20th and early 21st centuries

A.   True

B.   False

7: States, such as California and Ohio, have replaced mandatory prison sentences for first-time drug offenders with ______.

A.   Drug treatment programming

B.   Probation

C.   House arrest

D.   Electronic monitoring

8: The theory of _____ was that offenders would be released based not only on their time served but also their efforts towards reforming their criminal selves.

A.   Mandatory sentencing

B.   Determinate sentencing

C.   Indeterminate sentencing

D.   Retributive sentencing

9: When it comes to crime and punishment, the level of ______ does not exist because crimes occur every day that are not reported to the police, and offenders are not punished for these acts.

A.   Celerity

B.   Severity

C.   Certainty

D.   Rapidity

10: In the Baze v. Rees case, the Court held that the use of sodium thiopental as a sedative, did not constitute cruel and unusual punishment.

A.   True

B.   False

11: The theory of retribution imposes punishment to deter or discourage a defendant from committing a crime in the future.

A.   True

B.   False

12: Truth in sentencing laws have resulted in many offenders serving longer sentences than ever before.

A.   True

B.   False

13: Which of the following imposes punishment based on just deserts?

A.   Incapacitation

B.   Rehabilitation

C.   Deterrence

D.   Retribution

14: The goal of punishment in the United States at its founding was ______.

A.   Deterrence

B.   Retribution

C.   Incapacitation

D.   Rehabilitation

15: Son of Sam laws prohibit felons from ______.

A.   Profiting from media that recount their crimes

B.   Committing the same crime again

C.   Living within a certain distance of a school

D.   Contacting the victims of their crime or their families

16: ______ refers to the period of conditional supervised release in the community following a prison term.

A.   Probation

B.   Jail

C.   Parole

D.   Rehabilitation

17: A defendant is convicted of three crimes and is sentenced to three sentences of 18 months in prison for each offense. She serves her entire sentence and is released in 54 months. Her sentences were served ______.

A.   Constitutionally

B.   Consecutively

C.   Concurrently

D.   Conservatively

18: Three Strikes laws provide mandatory sentences for those who commit a third crime of any sort after having previously committed two serious or violent felonies.

A.   True

B.   False

19: The day before leaving office, the state governor reduces the sentence of her good friend, who was convicted of bribery in the same state, to time served. The governor exercised her right to ______.

A.   Forgive

B.   Pardon

C.   Grant clemency

D.   Sentence commutation

20: A 14-year-old defendant is convicted of shoplifting. The judge sentences him to a three month, military-style boot camp designed to instill the values of hard work and dedication. This is an example of which style of punishment?

A.   Deterrence

B.   Retribution

C.   Incapacitation

D.   Rehabilitation

21: Which of the following includes house arrest with electronic monitoring, short-term “shock” incarceration, community service, and restitution?

A.   Death penalty

B.   Fines

C.   Imprisonment

D.   Intermediate sanctions

22: James is convicted of a new and novel cybercrime. The judge gives him a harsh sentence to make an example of him and deter others from committing similar crimes. This is an example of what?

A.   Specific deterrence

B.   General deterrence

C.   Rehabilitation

D.   Just deserts

23: Restorative justice encourages offenders to develop a sense of individual responsibility and to become responsible members of society through financial restitution and community service.

A.   True

B.   False

24: The Eighth Amendment prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment does all but which of the following?

A.   Prohibits criminal punishment of certain acts

B.   Limits method of punishment

C.   Restricts amount of punishment

D.   Ensures equal sentences for codefendants

25: Which of the following stresses the harm caused to victims of crime and requires offenders to engage in financial restitution and community service to compensate the victim and the community and to “make them whole once again”?

A.   Restoration

B.   Deterrence

C.   Incapacitation

D.   Rehabilitation

26: Although Dharun Ravi could have faced up to 10 years in prison, the trial court sentenced him to which of the following?

A.   Thirty days in jail

B.   Three years probation

C.   300 hours of community service and counseling

D.   A $10,000 fine

E.   All of these

27: As a result of sexual assault, Jaycee bore four children.

A.   True

B.   False

28: Punishment can only be imposed after a criminal conviction.

A.   True

B.   False

29: Historically, the death penalty consisted of which of the following punishments?

A.   Hanging

B.   Drawing

C.   Quartering

D.   Stoning

E.   All of these

30: The slave codes were first passed in which of the following states?

A.   Alabama

B.   South Carolina

C.   Georgia

D.   Virginia

31: The slave codes are still in operation today.

A.   True

B.   False

32: Restorative justice has emerged as a viable approach to punishment.

A.   True

B.   False

33: Specific deterrence is targeted at repeat offenders.

A.   True

B.   False

34: Incapacitation is often referred to as warehousing.

A.   True

B.   False

35: High-level repeat offenders are ______ to ______ percent of the criminal population.

A.   1;5

B.   5;10

C.   10;15

D.   15;2

36: The basic idea of ______ is that when someone causes criminal harm, he deserves harm in return.

A.   Deterrence

B.   Retribution

C.   Incapacitation

D.   Rehabilitation

37: Restorative justice has gained popularity in ______.

A.   Canada

B.   Scotland

C.   Japan

D.   Australia

E.   All of these

38: The prosecutor has charging authority.

A.   True

B.   False

39: Jails are run by states and the federal government.

A.   True

B.   False

40: House arrest is an example of an alternative sanction.

A.   True

B.   False

41: _____ is defined as looks at how an individual may avoid criminal behavior if the potential punishment is viewed as undesirable.

A.   Specific Deterrence

B.   Objectively reasonable

C.   Effective for crime reduction

D.   All of these

42: _____ is known as suggests that if people fear the punishment that others receive, they will decide not to engage in similar acts in order to avoid that punishment.

A.   General Deterrence

B.   Civil Liability

C.   Touts

D.   None of these

43: Is certainty the notion that individuals need to be reasonably aware that if they engage in a criminal act, they will be apprehended and punished?

A.   True

B.   False

44: _____ is defined as the notion that punishment must be harsh enough to deter people from criminal behavior.

A.   Severity

B.   Motion to suppress evidence

C.   Motion to override jury’s decision and grant the defendant a new trial

D.   All of these

45: _____ is defined as the notion that potential punishment must occur in a timely fashion.

A.   Celerity

B.   Postconventional Level

C.   Swiftness

D.   None of these

46: _____ is known as focuses on reforming criminal behavior so that the offender does not need or want to engage in future acts of crime.

A.   Rehabilitation

B.   Behaviors

C.   Crimes

D.   All of these

47: Is incapacitation refers to the practice of removing offenders from society so that they will not engage in criminal behaviors for a certain period of time?

A.   True

B.   False

48: _____ is a punishment philosophy that reflects that offenders should be punished for their bad acts purely on the basis that they violated the laws of society.

A.   Retribution

B.   Physical

C.   Firearm

D.   All of these

49: _____ is defined as argues that a punishment for a crime should be proportional or equal to the crime itself.

A.   Just deserts

B.   Strict liability

C.   Criminal liability

D.   None of these

50: _____ is known as the only punishment philosophy that places the victim at the core of all decision making.

A.   Restoration

B.   Rotten apple

C.   Rotten fruit

D.   None of these