Final Exam

Suzane Santiago
May 12, 2010
LW101- MW 9:30-10:50

LW101- Final Exam

Chapter 10: Origins and Organization of the Courts p. 285
6. What are some of the ways in which judges are selected in different states?
Appointment, nonpartisan election, and merit selection are various ways judges are elected.
In most states, judges are popularly elected. However, there are eighteen states judges in trial courts in which they [judges] are appointed by the governor, usually with the consent of the state legislature. Federal judges are also appointed, however they [federal judges] are appointed by the president with the approval of the U.S. senate. There are three states general jurisdiction trial judges that are (only) selected by the state legislature. Eighteen states hold nonpartisan elections and eleven other states hold partisan elections for judges. Lastly, there are ten states that practice the merit selection process.

Chapter 12: Trials and Sentencing p.351
6. Distinguish between indeterminate and determinate sentencing systems.
Indeterminate sentencing allows judges to set a maximum sentence and sometimes a minimum sentence, for the offender to serve in prison. During the [offender’s] sentence a parole board reviews the offender’s growth in behavior to conclude if early release would be advisable. Furthermore, determinate sentencing does not allow judges to enforce fixed sentences that cannot be altered by a parole board. The needs, problems, and backgrounds of offenders are much less important in a determinate sentencing system, because the focus is on the crime that was committed rather than on the type of the offender who committed it.

Chapter 13: Origins and Organization of Jails and Prisons p.386
6. What are the unique challenges associated with the growing numbers of women in prison?
Some challenges the societies might face are: dealing with the victims of women’s crimes, their family histories, and child care issues. Women serving a sentence for a violent crime are twice as likely as men to have committed the crime against an intimate or relative. The differences between male and female offenders require different approaches to treatment and custody of female inmates. In addition, statistics show that 75% of women in prison have at least one child. This may require special training or programs to accommodate the continued relationship between a mother and her child.

Chapter 14: Probation and Community Corrections p.421
6. What is parole, and why is it unpopular with the public?
Parole allows inmates to serve the last part of their sentence in the community under supervision in order to make a successful readjustment to freedom. The public does not favor paroles because they [the public] become outraged when crimes are committed by parolees. They [the public] feels that it is unnecessary to allow dangerous offenders to go back into the community.

Chapter 16: Juvenile Justice p.481
6. What is the significance of the Supreme Court’s decision in Kent v. United States?
Due to a series of U.S. Supreme Court cases in the 1960s, the operation of juvenile justice became more uniform and the trend toward due process in juvenile court proceedings solidified. In Kent v. United States, the Supreme Court rules that a juvenile must receive a hearing before being referred to criminal court for trial as an adult. The Kent case was the first time the U.S. Supreme Court examined juvenile court procedure, and it found that the procedure in question must measure up to basic standards of ue process and fair treatment.

In this class I believe that I deserve an A. I feel this way because I have done all of the assignments and task assigned by the Professor. Furthermore, my attendance and class participation has been above average. I will admit that this class has been very different from the rest of all the classes I have taken in my education career. However, I am resilient and also I am not afraid to face and accept change. Furthermore, I feel that there are many characteristics one must hold as a criminal justice major, and I feel that I am able to carry them out.