Explain why access to courts considered the most basic of prisoner rights and describe how courts expect prisons to grant that access
What will be an ideal response?
Access to courts is the most basic of prisoner rights because without it any other right would be moot since prisoners would have no way to bring their claims to the court's attention. For example, prison officials may be subjecting the inmate to cruel and unusual punishment, but without the right to access the courts there would be no way to let the court know about the cruel and unusual punishment. Access is guaranteed by preventing prison authorities from restricting an inmate's right to apply to a court for a writ of habeas corpus. Further, meaningful access requires prison officials to provide inmates with an adequate law library or adequate legal assistance from a person trained in law so the inmate can pursue a legal claim.
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Jury trials for juveniles are permitted in:
a. all states. b. the majority of states. c. more than one-fourth of all states. d. less than one-fourth of all states.
According to the medical model of the American criminal justice system, _____.
A. the rehabilitation of criminals is costlier than their incarceration B. criminals must be punished according to the formal rules of the justice system C. criminals are evil, not sick D. the treatment of criminals varies from case to case
After a decade of increases, crime rates peaked in __________, with 15 million crimes recorded that year.
A. 2001 B. 1981 C. 1991 D. 2011
Plate (1975) identified all of the following characteristics of professional criminals except that ______.
a. they seek anonymity b. they are usually drug addicts c. their crimes are random and not planned d. they have unstable families