DSST Criminal Justice 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects against unreasonable searches and seizures?
- First Amendment
- Fourth Amendment (Correct answer)
- Fifth Amendment
- Sixth Amendment
Correct answer: Fourth Amendment
The Fourth Amendment requires law enforcement to obtain warrants supported by probable cause before most searches and seizures.
Question 2: The 'three-strikes' laws are designed primarily to achieve which sentencing goal?
- Rehabilitation
- Deterrence
- Incapacitation (Correct answer)
- Restitution
Correct answer: Incapacitation
Three-strikes laws mandate long sentences (often life) for repeat violent offenders, aiming to incapacitate habitual criminals.
Question 3: Which court case held that the death penalty for offenders who were under 18 at the time of their offense is unconstitutional?
- Atkins v. Virginia
- Roper v. Simmons (Correct answer)
- Graham v. Florida
- Miller v. Alabama
Correct answer: Roper v. Simmons
In Roper v. Simmons (2005), the Supreme Court ruled that executing individuals for crimes committed as juveniles violates the Eighth Amendment.
Question 4: Differential association theory, developed by Edwin Sutherland, argues that criminal behavior is:
- Biologically inherited through genetic traits
- Learned through interaction with others in intimate groups (Correct answer)
- Caused by economic inequality and blocked opportunity
- A rational choice based on cost-benefit analysis
Correct answer: Learned through interaction with others in intimate groups
Sutherland's theory holds that people learn criminal techniques and attitudes through close social associations with others who favor law violation.
Question 5: Which term describes the discretionary release of a prisoner before the full sentence is served, under supervision in the community?
- Mandatory release
- Parole (Correct answer)
- Probation
- Furlough
Correct answer: Parole
Parole is the conditional early release of an inmate under the supervision of a parole officer, with conditions that if violated can result in reincarceration.
Question 6: Which policing strategy involves officers addressing the underlying conditions that cause crime rather than just responding to individual incidents?
- Reactive policing
- Problem-oriented policing (Correct answer)
- Zero-tolerance policing
- Directed patrol
Correct answer: Problem-oriented policing
Problem-oriented policing, developed by Herman Goldstein, focuses on identifying and resolving the root causes of recurring crime problems.
Question 7: Which of the following best describes 'actus reus'?
- The mental intent required to commit a crime
- The voluntary physical act or omission that constitutes a crime (Correct answer)
- The legal defense of self-protection
- A formal charging document filed by a prosecutor
Correct answer: The voluntary physical act or omission that constitutes a crime
Actus reus is the guilty act — the voluntary physical conduct that constitutes the criminal offense.
DSST Criminal Justice 5
Which amendment to the U.S.
Constitution protects against unreasonable searches and seizures?