Question 1

The Huntsville prison, known as "The Walls," opened in what year?

Accepted Answer

The Huntsville prison, known as "The Walls," opened in 1849.

Question 2

The West Point graduate, Texas Secretary of War in Houston's cabinet, and Robert E.Lee's superior as commanding officer of the U.S. Second Cavalry in West Texas in the 1850s was:

Accepted Answer

Johnston was a West Point graduate, served as the Texas Secretary of War in Houston's cabinet, and was Robert E. Lee's superior as commanding officer of the U.S. Second Cavalry in West Texas in the 1850s. Grant was not a superior to Lee during this time period, Stuart was a Confederate cavalry general, and there is no historical figure named Shiloh T. Hayes.

Question 3

The federal court case that led to the desegregation of Texas prisons was:

Accepted Answer

Lamar v. Coffield was the federal court case that led to the desegregation of Texas prisons. This case was pivotal in addressing racial segregation within the prison system.

Question 4

Violent crime rates in the U.S. and Texas peaked in:

Accepted Answer

According to data from the FBI, violent crime rates in the U.S. and Texas peaked in 1991.

Question 5

In 2017, Texas prisons held how many prisoners?

Accepted Answer

In 2017, Texas prisons held approximately 162,000 prisoners, making it one of the largest state prison populations in the United States.

Question 6

At the time of the Ruiz v. Estelle trial, the guard to prisoner ratio nationally was 1 to 5. What was it in Texas prisons?

Accepted Answer

The guard to prisoner ratio in Texas prisons at the time of the Ruiz v. Estelle trial was 1 to 12, which was significantly higher than the national average of 1 to 5.

Question 7

In 2016, pay for Texas prison guards ranked where among the 50 states?

Accepted Answer

In 2016, pay for Texas prison guards ranked 44th among the 50 states, indicating relatively low compensation compared to other states.

Question 8

The region of the U.S. that makes the greatest use of the death penalty is:

Accepted Answer

The South makes the greatest use of the death penalty, with Texas being the state with the highest number of executions.

Question 9

Over the last quarter centurythree decades (since 1991), Texas has accounted for what proportion of U.S. executions?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Over the last quarter centurythree decades (since...

Question 10

Who was the young Texas Tech student who died in prison after being wrongly convicted of rape?

Accepted Answer

Timothy Cole was a young Texas Tech student who was wrongly convicted of rape and died in prison. He was posthumously exonerated and his case led to improvements in the state's criminal justice system, including the establishment of a network of innocence projects.

Question 11

A "bellicose medico" challenged Colonel DeWitt to a duel in early Texas. What did the Colonel select as his weapon of choice?

Accepted Answer

Colonel DeWitt selected a cane as his weapon of choice. As a gentlemen's duel, the choice of weapon was not to be lethal, and a cane was a common selection for such a duel in that time period.

Question 12

Douglas A.Blackmon's Pulitzer prize-winning book about the use of southern law and prisons after the end of slavery was:

Accepted Answer

Douglas A. Blackmon's Pulitzer prize-winning book about the use of southern law and prisons after the end of slavery was "Slavery by Another Name".

Question 13

All but which of the following served as Director of Texas Prisons between 1947 and 1983?

Accepted Answer

Mark White did not serve as Director of Texas Prisons between 1947 and 1983.

Question 14

The federal court case Ruiz v. Estelle resulted in criticism of Texas prisons for all but which of the following deficiencies?

Accepted Answer

The answer of The federal court case Ruiz v. Estelle...

Question 15

The federal judge that handled Ruiz v. Estelle was:

Accepted Answer

William Wayne Justice was the federal judge that handled Ruiz v. Estelle, a landmark case regarding the treatment of prisoners in Texas.

Question 16

At its peak in 2008, Texas prisons held how many inmates?

Accepted Answer

According to the given information, the peak number of inmates in Texas prisons was in 2008. Among the given options, only option D (172,000) represents a number that is greater than the other options and could be considered a peak.

Question 17

All but which of the following political figures of the 1960s and 1970s were closely identified with the "law and order" movement?

Accepted Answer

Jimmy Carter was not closely identified with the "law and order" movement, as he emphasized human rights and criminal justice reform during his presidency. The other three political figures, Nixon, Briscoe, and Rockefeller, were closely associated with the "law and order" movement, which prioritized tougher crime policies and increased police powers.

Question 18

Which decade saw the greatest prison building boom in Texas?

Accepted Answer

The 1990s saw the greatest prison building boom in Texas, with a total of 93 new correctional facilities being built during that decade. This was largely due to the state's tough-on-crime policies and increased drug enforcement efforts during that time.

Question 19

The most recent data (2015) from the Vera Institute of Justice on state spending per prisoner showed that Texas spent what percent of the national average?

Accepted Answer

According to the Vera Institute of Justice, in 2015, Texas spent 66 percent of the national average per prisoner.

Question 20

The most recent data on incarceration rates shows that Texas incarcerates how many people per 100,000 of population?

Accepted Answer

Texas has one of the highest incarceration rates in the United States, with recent data indicating approximately 611 people incarcerated per 100,000 of the population.

Quiz 8: Crime and Punishment in Texas