View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. When was the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act passed, authorizing public housing agencies the ability to exclude and evict drug offenders and other felons from access?

2. Where was the National Colored Convention that Frederick Douglass made the statement that is quoted in the beginning of Chapter 4: "The Cruel Hand"?

3. The author cites Marilyn Frye as having made a metaphor for the systemic racism toward African Americans. What metaphor is used?

4. When was the case of Yick Wo v. Hopkins decided?

5. What sociologist is cited as saying in Chapter 4: "The Cruel Hand" that those sent to prison "are institutionally branded as a particular class of individuals"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What was enacted with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988?

2. What are the financial debts that a former criminal may face? How much of their wages can be garnished to cover these expenses?

3. How does the author assert drug-law enforcement is different than other types of law enforcement in Chapter 3: "The Color of Justice"?

4. What was determined in the Supreme Court case of Rucker v. Davis?

5. What are the obstacles that former criminals face in terms of finding housing?

6. What is discussed regarding Stanley Cohen's States of Denial in Chapter 5: "The New Jim Crow"?

7. How does the author describe the crime statistics of Chicago in regard to race in Chapter 5: "The New Jim Crow"?

8. When was crack-cocaine introduced to users in the U.S.? What involvement did the government have with the introduction of crack to African American communities?

9. Why does the author discuss Barack Obama's speech at the Apostolic Church of God in Chicago in Chapter 5: "The New Jim Crow"?

10. What does the author mean when she refers to "second-class citizens" in the book?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the "Black Lives Matter" movement in relation to the themes and situations addressed in The New Jim Crow. Do you think that the Black Lives Matter movement is an attempt to address the racial disparities of prisoners? How has this movement changed things in the U.S.?

Essay Topic 2

What are the mandatory sentences for crack cocaine possession? What sentences are mandatory for powder cocaine possession? Why is there a disparity? How does this disparity impact the African American community?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the contributions of Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush in the War on Drugs. What acts were introduced by these presidents? What impacts did they have on the mass incarceration problems?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 824 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample