Criminal Justice Policy Flashcards
7 cards from real CPCT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Criminal Justice Policy flashcards as text
In U.S. policy debates, 'qualified immunity' for law enforcement officers means:
Answer: Officers cannot be sued unless they violated a 'clearly established' law
Qualified immunity is a legal doctrine that shields officers from civil suits unless prior court rulings clearly defined the conduct as unlawful.
When policy advocates say 'defund the police,' they most commonly mean:
Answer: Redirecting some police budget toward social services, mental health, and housing
Most 'defund the police' proposals seek to reallocate a portion of police budgets to community-based services rather than complete abolition.
Which political position is most likely to support the use of private, for-profit prisons?
Answer: Libertarian-right, emphasizing market efficiency over government management
Libertarian-right advocates favor market-based solutions, arguing private prisons can deliver correctional services more efficiently than government.
What is a 'three strikes' law?
Answer: A law mandating life imprisonment or very long sentences upon a third felony conviction
Three strikes laws automatically impose lengthy or life sentences after a third serious felony, regardless of judicial discretion.
The term 'mass incarceration' in the U.S. context primarily refers to:
Answer: The dramatic rise in prison population since the 1970s, disproportionately affecting Black Americans
Mass incarceration describes the explosive growth of the U.S. prison population beginning in the 1970s, with stark racial disparities in who is incarcerated.
Community policing is best described as:
Answer: A strategy building partnerships between police and residents to collaboratively solve crime problems
Community policing involves proactive collaboration between officers and community members to identify and address the root causes of crime.
From an authoritarian-left perspective, what is a key critique of the private prison industry?
Answer: Private prisons create a profit motive to maximize incarceration, undermining justice
Authoritarian-left critics argue that profit-driven incarceration incentivizes keeping prisons full rather than reducing crime or rehabilitating offenders.