Question 1. What role does socioeconomics play in processing, plea bargaining, sentencing and appeals in the administration of justice in the United States? What role does socioeconomics play in the disparate outcomes that are evident in the corrections system?
Question 2. What is a pre-sentencing investigation report and how does the use of that report affect an offender's eligibility for bail (pretrial release vs pretrial detention), a pretrial diversion program, and sentencing and/or probation? How does socioeconomics effect what is in the report?
Question 3. How do death penalty offenders, "long timers" and an aging prison population effect the corrections system?
Question 4. Compare and contrast a consecutive sentence vs. a concurrent sentence. How does the imposition of consecutive sentences effect the length of time an offender will serve? How does the practice of imposing consecutive sentences burden the corrections system?
Question 5. Compare and contrast indeterminate sentences v. determinate sentences. How do mandatory minimum sentences and habitual offender statutes (3 strikes laws) effect sentencing structures?
Question 6. What are "good time" credits? How do the use of good time credits and "voluntary" prison programs aimed at rehabilitation help the corrections system to reduce the length of time an offender serves? What are the other benefits of this practice for the system? What are the cons of using such a system?
Question 7. What is truth in sentencing? How does it differ from indeterminate sentencing and determinate sentencing? What expenses does it appear this sentencing structure would eliminate in the United States justice system? What are the realities of this sentencing structure?
Question 8. The classical theorists said that punishment must (1) be for the purpose of deterrence, (2) must swiftly follow the crime in order to be effective, and (3) should not be harsher than is necessary to achieve the desired deterrent effect. Why must we delay swiftness in favor of an appellate process? Why is it impossible to use individualized sentences based on each individual offender in order to craft a punishment structure with a deterrent effect.
Question 9. Does the justice system in the United States really focus on deterrence and rehabilitation, or is the system one that relies on incapacitation? How are these theories of punishment incorporated into our system? Do they work? If so - how?