DSST Criminal Justice 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which model of the criminal justice system views crime control as the most important function, emphasizing efficiency and speed?
- Due process model
- Crime control model (Correct answer)
- Rehabilitation model
- Restorative justice model
Correct answer: Crime control model
Herbert Packer's crime control model prioritizes suppressing criminal conduct quickly, even at the expense of procedural safeguards.
Question 2: A grand jury in the federal system must consist of how many jurors?
- 6 to 12
- 12 to 23 (Correct answer)
- 23 to 30
- Exactly 12
Correct answer: 12 to 23
Federal grand juries consist of 16 to 23 members, with 12 jurors needed to return an indictment.
Question 3: Which policing strategy involves officers focusing on specific high-crime locations rather than patrolling entire beats?
- Broken windows policing
- Hot spots policing (Correct answer)
- Zero-tolerance policing
- Problem-oriented policing
Correct answer: Hot spots policing
Hot spots policing concentrates law enforcement resources on small geographic areas with disproportionately high crime rates.
Question 4: Under the Eighth Amendment, which standard are courts required to apply when reviewing prison conditions?
- Reasonable doubt
- Deliberate indifference (Correct answer)
- Clear and convincing evidence
- Probable cause
Correct answer: Deliberate indifference
In Estelle v. Gamble (1976), the Supreme Court held that deliberate indifference to prisoners' serious medical needs violates the Eighth Amendment.
Question 5: What distinguishes a determinate sentence from an indeterminate sentence?
- Determinate sentences have no minimum term
- Determinate sentences are fixed with no parole eligibility (Correct answer)
- Indeterminate sentences are set by the judge with no range
- Indeterminate sentences prohibit early release
Correct answer: Determinate sentences are fixed with no parole eligibility
Determinate (fixed) sentences specify an exact term to be served, eliminating parole board discretion over release timing.
Question 6: Which defense argues that law enforcement induced an otherwise law-abiding person to commit a crime?
- Necessity
- Duress
- Entrapment (Correct answer)
- Insanity
Correct answer: Entrapment
Entrapment occurs when government agents persuade or coerce a person to commit a crime they would not have otherwise committed.
Question 7: Restorative justice programs primarily aim to:
- Maximize prison sentences for violent offenders
- Repair harm by involving victims, offenders, and the community (Correct answer)
- Increase police patrol presence in affected neighborhoods
- Standardize sentences across all jurisdictions
Correct answer: Repair harm by involving victims, offenders, and the community
Restorative justice focuses on repairing relationships and harm rather than punishment, often through mediation and community conferencing.
DSST Criminal Justice 3
Which model of the criminal justice system views crime control as the most important function, emphasizing efficiency and speed?