Question 1

The Canadian population equally supports rehabilitation and punishment-oriented approaches.

Accepted Answer

The given statement states that the Canadian population equally supports rehabilitation and punishment-oriented approaches. This means that there is no clear majority in favor of either approach, and that the population is divided on this issue.

Question 2

According to the criminal sanction approach, the crime rate is a function of the total number of offenders less those imprisoned (i.e., incapacitated), multiplied by an average number of crimes per offender.

Accepted Answer

The criminal sanction approach posits that the crime rate can be reduced by incapacitating offenders through imprisonment, thereby decreasing the number of potential crimes each could commit if free. This approach assumes that the crime rate is influenced by the number of active offenders and their average criminal activity rate.

Question 3

The most serious criticism of selective incapacitation of violent offenders is ethical; that is, sentencing exclusively according to risk is said to violate fundamental legal principles by allocating punishment based on expected future behaviour.

Accepted Answer

Selective incapacitation focuses on the likelihood of future offenses rather than the severity of the past crime, raising ethical concerns about fairness and the principle of punishing individuals for actions they have not yet committed.

Question 4

The criminal act itself is the focus for the rehabilitation model.

Accepted Answer

The rehabilitation model focuses on the individual offender and their potential for rehabilitation, rather than the criminal act itself.

Question 5

During the past 35 years, selective incapacitation became a popular policy, first in Canada and then in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Accepted Answer

Selective incapacitation became a popular policy in the United States before it gained attention in Canada and the United Kingdom.

Question 6

Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom have all developed an approach favouring harsher punishments, referred to as a law and order ideology.

Accepted Answer

These countries have, at various times, adopted policies that emphasize stricter sentencing, mandatory minimums, and a general tough-on-crime stance, reflecting a law and order ideology.

Question 7

Under the selective incapacitation philosophy future crimes are determined either by the number of prior convictions or by the number of crimes that similar offenders committed once they were released from prison.

Accepted Answer

Selective incapacitation targets individuals for incarceration based on their likelihood of committing future crimes, often assessed through their past criminal history or statistical analysis of similar offenders' recidivism rates.

Question 8

The most serious criticism of selective incapacitation of violent offenders is that it is applied disproportionately to various social groups (e.g., minorities, the young).

Accepted Answer

The answer of The most serious criticism of selective incapacitation...

Question 9

Gendreau and Andrews discovered that the most successful rehabilitation programs employ behavioural modification techniques that reward prosocial behaviour.

Accepted Answer

Gendreau and Andrews' research into effective correctional interventions, known as the "What Works" literature, supports the use of behavioral modification techniques that reward prosocial behavior as a key component of successful rehabilitation programs.

Question 10

Research has shown that a relative handful of offenders are responsible for the vast majority of violent offences.

Accepted Answer

Research in criminology often supports the Pareto principle, suggesting that a small proportion of offenders commit a large proportion of crimes, including violent offenses. This is sometimes referred to as the "80/20 rule" in criminology, indicating that a relatively small number of individuals are responsible for a significant majority of criminal activity.

Question 11

Selective incapacitation depends on the ability of the criminal justice system to identify chronic offenders in the early stages of their career.

Accepted Answer

Selective incapacitation aims to identify and incapacitate individuals who are deemed to be chronic offenders early in their criminal careers to prevent future crimes, relying on the criminal justice system's ability to accurately identify these individuals.

Question 12

In the late 20th century, to facilitate an individual-based justice system, probation and parole were introduced as well as indeterminate sentences.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In the late 20th century, to facilitate...

Question 13

The most serious criticism of selective incapacitation of violent offenders is that it undermines proportionality in sentencing.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The most serious criticism of selective incapacitation...

Question 14

In 2018, the Solicitor General of Canada recommended the elimination of parole for those convicted of dealing drugs.

Accepted Answer

The Solicitor General of Canada does not make recommendations about parole policies for specific crimes such as drug dealing. Parole policies and recommendations typically come from broader criminal justice policy discussions and legislative actions, not from the Solicitor General's office, which focuses on law enforcement and public safety rather than sentencing or parole guidelines.

Question 15

According to the rehabilitation crime control philosophy, discretion is unnecessary and counterproductive.

Accepted Answer

The rehabilitation crime control philosophy actually supports the use of discretion, as it allows for individualized treatment and rehabilitation plans tailored to the needs of each offender, which is seen as more productive for reintegration into society.

Question 16

In Canada, authorities are not legally permitted to identify and control potential high-risk individuals released into the community.

Accepted Answer

In Canada, authorities have mechanisms and legal provisions to identify, monitor, and control potential high-risk individuals released into the community, such as through the use of peace bonds, parole conditions, and the national sex offender registry.

Question 17

Rehabilitation programs have been found to be more successful if they have therapeutic integrity.

Accepted Answer

Rehabilitation programs with therapeutic integrity, meaning they are delivered as designed and adhere to the principles and methods intended, tend to be more successful because they ensure consistency, quality, and the application of evidence-based practices.

Question 18

The idea that crime is a result of factors outside the control of individuals, and thus individuals are not responsible for their actions, is referred to as the doctrine of destinism.

Accepted Answer

The concept described is more accurately related to determinism, particularly in the context of sociological or psychological determinism, which suggests that individual behavior, including criminal actions, is influenced by external factors beyond their control, rather than "destinism," which is not a recognized term in criminology or philosophy.

Question 19

The doctrine of determinism assumes that crime is a result of factors outside the control of the individual.

Accepted Answer

Determinism posits that all events, including human actions like crime, are ultimately determined by causes external to the will, suggesting individuals do not have free will over their actions.

Question 20

Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom all have less severe policies for "ordinary" and low-risk criminals and tougher and much longer measures for criminals presumed to pose a significant threat to public safety.

Accepted Answer

These countries have a tiered approach to sentencing and corrections, where the severity of the crime and the perceived risk to public safety influence the length and type of punishment. Less severe or low-risk offenses often result in shorter sentences or alternative measures, while crimes considered a significant threat can lead to longer incarcerations or more stringent conditions.

Quiz 3: Control Philosophy and Criminal Justice Policy