Why are California's prisons overcrowded and "bursting at the seams?"
What will be an ideal response?
Minimum sentencing laws and money are the top reasons California's prisons are overcrowded. More prisoners are serving out lengthy sentences, and not enough jails are being built to accommodate all convicted criminals. California's "three-strikes" law means that violent criminals receive mandatory 25 years to life sentences (without the possibility of parole), which has created a large and aging population requiring substantial and expensive health care--money that might otherwise be spent on upgrading prison facilities to accommodate more prisoners. Fixed, high staffing costs also influence decisions about spending in other areas of corrections that could relieve overpopulation. The three-strikes law was recently changed so that third-strike offenses apply only to serious, violent crimes; many inmates today are serving long sentences under those penalties.
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As expressed in the introduction to Chapter 7, all of the following are true about the death penalty EXCEPT that ______.
a. public opinion outside Texas has shifted away from the death penalty b. most Texas death penalty cases are reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court c. Texans continue to prefer the death penalty as a method of punishment d. those outside of Texas see the Lone Star State as having an irrational devotion to the death penalty e. support for the death penalty in Texas indicates a politician’s resolve to be tough on crime
Based on pluralism, the masses affect politics through elite interaction rather than individual participation
Indicate whether the statement is true or false
The legal requirement that companies and other organizations take positive steps to remedy the effects of past discrimination is known as
a. affirmative action. b. the principle of comparable worth. c. strict judicial scrutiny. d. separate-but-equal. e. reverse discrimination.
What is a primary benefit for a candidate who emerges as a frontrunner in a political party's campaign for president?
A) The federal government increases the amount of funding for the campaign. B) Media coverage of the candidate tends to increase significantly. C) The candidate will automatically be granted a win in the first round of primaries. D) It guarantees the candidate a spot on the general election ballot. E) State governments are required at this point to contribute campaign funding for the candidate.