LAW AND SOCIETY FINAL EXAM | COMPLETE QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS | LATEST UPDATE
(2026/2027) | ALREADY GRADED A+
Bail Reform - CORRECT ANSWER --Ended cash bail: instead, risk-based assessments determine
pretrial release
-Purpose: reduce incarceration of low-income defendants
-Impact: significant drop in pretrial jail populations with no major increase in crime
Speedy Trial Protections - CORRECT ANSWER --Time limits for detention: defendants cannot be
held indefinitely without trial
-Deadlines: trials must start within set periods (180 days)
-Goal: prevent lengthy pretrial incarceration and promote faster & fairer justice
Pretrial Services and Supervision - CORRECT ANSWER --Risk assessment: tools to evaluate the
likelihood of flight or reoffending
-Supervised release: monitoring defendants instead of jail with check ins and drug testing
-Result: reducing unnecessary detentions while minimizing risk
The issue of cash bail - CORRECT ANSWER --Average time in jail is now 5 weeks pretrial
(national) (3-5 days in NJ)
-More jail time increases recidivism
-No connection between cash bail and crime rates
-No change in likelihood to show for trial
Cash Bail and Poverty - CORRECT ANSWER --Bail medians: $500 misdemeanor, $10,000 felony
-Justice Principle: No one should be jailed simply because they are poor
,NY vs NJ justice reforms - CORRECT ANSWER --In the late 2010s both states implement reforms:
-NJ creates system for pretrial risk assessment
-NY system focuses on crime type (non-violent)
-NY's reforms quickly face backlash from public
Social Control Context - CORRECT ANSWER --Smaller homogenous groups of people tend to
share similar views, know each other, share collective consciousness, tolerate less individuality
Case Study- Hutterite Colonies - CORRECT ANSWER --Shared religious views and strong informal
conformity constraints
-(Communal property, dinning, business, etc are done as a community)
-Colonies are limited to 150 members
Mechanical Solidarity - CORRECT ANSWER --Environments with strong, small community tend to
self-enforce (non-formalized controls)
-Deviations from the norm are considered an attack on the whole, harsh punishments
Most societies need more formality - CORRECT ANSWER -Formal legal structures become
necessary as: population increases, diversity increases, societies industrialize, labor is divided,
social connection diminishes
Organic Solidarity - CORRECT ANSWER --Individuals with different interests/talents perform
interdependent roles
-Interdependence shapes necessity of solidarity (formal replaces informal systems of control)
, Comparing context of mechanical solidarity and organic solidarity - CORRECT ANSWER --
Mechanical solidarity: relies on close-knit connections and internalized values (small
communities where everyone knows each other)
-Organic solidarity: relies on reciprocation of formalized agreements (No village elders, need
judicial proceedings)
Criminal law is control - CORRECT ANSWER --Formal codification of norm breaking activities
-Attempts incentives for people to obey (self-interest, sanction, social influence, conscience)
Requirements for deterrence - CORRECT ANSWER -Communication, certainty, severity, speed,
stigma, capacity, procedural justice
Shaping incentives - CORRECT ANSWER -Ideally, people will respect them but there are always
rule breakers
-Punishment serves as retribution, incapacitation, deterrence
Negative Incentives: deterrence - CORRECT ANSWER --Threat of negative outcomes for violating
norms
-social engineering involved in calculation
-human motivations are complex and varied
Marginal deterrence and deterrence curve - CORRECT ANSWER -Deterrent effects will NOT
impact people the same (example: how would 100k impact you vs elon musk)
Partial Deterrence - CORRECT ANSWER -Even when deterrence is not 100% effective, it may
shape behavior (sometimes rule breakers modify their actions)
-Channeling effect: change in behavior resulting from law
AND CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS | LATEST UPDATE
(2026/2027) | ALREADY GRADED A+
Bail Reform - CORRECT ANSWER --Ended cash bail: instead, risk-based assessments determine
pretrial release
-Purpose: reduce incarceration of low-income defendants
-Impact: significant drop in pretrial jail populations with no major increase in crime
Speedy Trial Protections - CORRECT ANSWER --Time limits for detention: defendants cannot be
held indefinitely without trial
-Deadlines: trials must start within set periods (180 days)
-Goal: prevent lengthy pretrial incarceration and promote faster & fairer justice
Pretrial Services and Supervision - CORRECT ANSWER --Risk assessment: tools to evaluate the
likelihood of flight or reoffending
-Supervised release: monitoring defendants instead of jail with check ins and drug testing
-Result: reducing unnecessary detentions while minimizing risk
The issue of cash bail - CORRECT ANSWER --Average time in jail is now 5 weeks pretrial
(national) (3-5 days in NJ)
-More jail time increases recidivism
-No connection between cash bail and crime rates
-No change in likelihood to show for trial
Cash Bail and Poverty - CORRECT ANSWER --Bail medians: $500 misdemeanor, $10,000 felony
-Justice Principle: No one should be jailed simply because they are poor
,NY vs NJ justice reforms - CORRECT ANSWER --In the late 2010s both states implement reforms:
-NJ creates system for pretrial risk assessment
-NY system focuses on crime type (non-violent)
-NY's reforms quickly face backlash from public
Social Control Context - CORRECT ANSWER --Smaller homogenous groups of people tend to
share similar views, know each other, share collective consciousness, tolerate less individuality
Case Study- Hutterite Colonies - CORRECT ANSWER --Shared religious views and strong informal
conformity constraints
-(Communal property, dinning, business, etc are done as a community)
-Colonies are limited to 150 members
Mechanical Solidarity - CORRECT ANSWER --Environments with strong, small community tend to
self-enforce (non-formalized controls)
-Deviations from the norm are considered an attack on the whole, harsh punishments
Most societies need more formality - CORRECT ANSWER -Formal legal structures become
necessary as: population increases, diversity increases, societies industrialize, labor is divided,
social connection diminishes
Organic Solidarity - CORRECT ANSWER --Individuals with different interests/talents perform
interdependent roles
-Interdependence shapes necessity of solidarity (formal replaces informal systems of control)
, Comparing context of mechanical solidarity and organic solidarity - CORRECT ANSWER --
Mechanical solidarity: relies on close-knit connections and internalized values (small
communities where everyone knows each other)
-Organic solidarity: relies on reciprocation of formalized agreements (No village elders, need
judicial proceedings)
Criminal law is control - CORRECT ANSWER --Formal codification of norm breaking activities
-Attempts incentives for people to obey (self-interest, sanction, social influence, conscience)
Requirements for deterrence - CORRECT ANSWER -Communication, certainty, severity, speed,
stigma, capacity, procedural justice
Shaping incentives - CORRECT ANSWER -Ideally, people will respect them but there are always
rule breakers
-Punishment serves as retribution, incapacitation, deterrence
Negative Incentives: deterrence - CORRECT ANSWER --Threat of negative outcomes for violating
norms
-social engineering involved in calculation
-human motivations are complex and varied
Marginal deterrence and deterrence curve - CORRECT ANSWER -Deterrent effects will NOT
impact people the same (example: how would 100k impact you vs elon musk)
Partial Deterrence - CORRECT ANSWER -Even when deterrence is not 100% effective, it may
shape behavior (sometimes rule breakers modify their actions)
-Channeling effect: change in behavior resulting from law
