Washington State Correctional Officer Practice Exam

Disable ads (and more) with a membership for a one time $2.99 payment

Prepare for the Washington State Correctional Officer Exam with an all-inclusive quiz featuring multiple-choice questions, hints, and explanations. Gain confidence and knowledge to pass your exam with ease!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.


Punishment is described as what?

  1. Preventative; general behavior management

  2. Corrective; addressing overall behavior

  3. Punitive; specific infraction

  4. Informal; mild rebuke

The correct answer is: Punitive; specific infraction

Punishment is specifically described as punitive, indicating that it is a response to a specific infraction committed by an individual. This aligns with the primary role of punishment in a correctional context, where the focus is on deterring undesirable behavior and holding individuals accountable for their actions. Punishment is not merely about general behavior management or overall behavior correction; it targets specific violations of rules or laws and seeks to impose a consequence that reflects the severity of that infraction. In a correctional environment, the intention behind punishment is often to discourage not only the individual from reoffending but also to send a message to others about the consequences of such actions. While other concepts like behavior management and corrective measures might encompass broader strategies, punishment remains distinctly defined by its immediate and focused nature regarding particular offenses.