Criminal Justice Trivia 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What was the first U.S. federal penitentiary to systematically use solitary confinement as reform, opening in 1829?
- Eastern State Penitentiary (Correct answer)
- Attica
- Folsom Prison
- Rikers Island
Correct answer: Eastern State Penitentiary
Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia pioneered the 'Pennsylvania system' of solitary confinement intended to inspire penitence.
Question 2: Which term describes a formal accusation issued by a grand jury?
- Subpoena
- Indictment (Correct answer)
- Deposition
- Injunction
Correct answer: Indictment
An indictment is a grand jury's formal charge that there is enough evidence to try a defendant for a crime.
Question 3: Terry v. Ohio (1968) gave police the authority to do what?
- Search a home without a warrant
- Stop and frisk based on reasonable suspicion (Correct answer)
- Wiretap without court approval
- Detain suspects indefinitely
Correct answer: Stop and frisk based on reasonable suspicion
Terry v. Ohio allows brief investigative stops and pat-downs for weapons based on reasonable suspicion rather than probable cause.
Question 4: Which criminologist is known as the 'father of modern criminology' for studying physical traits of offenders?
- Cesare Beccaria
- Cesare Lombroso (Correct answer)
- Emile Durkheim
- Edwin Sutherland
Correct answer: Cesare Lombroso
Cesare Lombroso theorized that criminals could be identified by physical 'atavistic' traits, founding positivist criminology.
Question 5: What does the 'chain of custody' document in a criminal case?
- The order of witnesses at trial
- The handling history of physical evidence (Correct answer)
- The hierarchy of police command
- The transfer of inmates between prisons
Correct answer: The handling history of physical evidence
Chain of custody records everyone who handled evidence to prove it was not altered or contaminated before trial.
Question 6: Which agency operates the U.S. federal witness protection program?
- FBI
- U.S. Marshals Service (Correct answer)
- Secret Service
- Homeland Security Investigations
Correct answer: U.S. Marshals Service
The U.S. Marshals Service has run the Witness Security Program (WITSEC) since it began in 1971.
Question 7: The term 'white-collar crime' was coined by which sociologist in 1939?
- Robert Merton
- Edwin Sutherland (Correct answer)
- Travis Hirschi
- Howard Becker
Correct answer: Edwin Sutherland
Edwin Sutherland introduced 'white-collar crime' to describe offenses committed by respectable persons in their occupations.
Criminal Justice Trivia 4
What was the first U.S. federal penitentiary to systematically use solitary confinement as reform, opening in 1829?