09 Justice, Inequality, and System Legitimacy Free Online FlashCards

What does institutional legitimacy mean?

Legitimacy is the belief that an institution has rightful authority to make decisions. It is strengthened by lawful, fair, and accountable conduct.

What are the key features of procedural justice?

Procedural justice concerns how decisions are made and people are treated. Its key features include voice, neutrality, respect, and confidence in authorities’ good faith.

What does distributive fairness assess?

Distributive fairness concerns how benefits, burdens, and outcomes are allocated, including whether people receive equal protection and similar cases are treated comparably.

What constitutional protections set a legal floor for fairness?

The Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments protect due process; the Fourteenth Amendment also guarantees equal protection. Criminal safeguards include counsel, protection against compelled self-incrimination, and a fair trial.

What can a group disparity establish by itself?

A disparity is an important signal for investigation, but a group difference alone does not establish its cause or prove that a particular decision was discriminatory.

How can disparities carry forward through the justice system?

Decisions accumulate across stages. Differences in stops or arrests and in pretrial release can carry forward into plea decisions, convictions, and sentences.

What juvenile justice pattern was reported for many offense categories in 2020?

In many offense categories in 2020, cases involving youth of color were more likely to involve detention, while cases involving White youth were more likely to be diverted.

How can public trust affect cooperation with justice agencies?

Trust is shaped by direct contact with justice agencies, experiences shared by family and community, and observed fairness and reliability. Trust can support cooperation, such as reporting crime.

Why are popularity and fear-based compliance not enough for legitimacy?

Legitimacy is not the same as popularity or fear-based compliance. Its more durable basis is lawful authority, fair procedures, and credible efforts to address unequal treatment.

What are examples of rights under the Crime Victims’ Rights Act?

Federal victims’ rights include reasonable protection, timely notice, attendance at public proceedings subject to limited exceptions, opportunities to be heard at specified proceedings, consultation with the prosecutor, and restitution as provided by law.

What supports meaningful victim participation?

Meaningful participation requires clear information, respectful communication, and support that does not pressure victims to participate in ways they do not want.

What does access to justice require beyond entering a courthouse?

Access to justice requires being able to understand rights, navigate procedures, communicate with decision-makers, and obtain legal help when necessary and available—not merely enter a courthouse.