Differences Between Jails and Prisons
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Differences Between Jails and Prisons
John Dale
CRJ 303
Prof. Scott Axton
May 13, 2013
Differences Between Jails and Prisons
There are many differences in this world. We see many of those differences around us every day. A good example of this is the items you see at the grocery store. I am sure that you have noticed there are several different brands or types of the same product. So it is the same with detention or incarceration facilities. There are jails and then there are prisons. Both perform the same function, however there are several differences.
One of the fundamental differences between jails and prisons is the fact that jails are more for short-term offenders while prisons are set up for offenders who have a lengthier sentence. Most inmates that are held in jails are there for up to a year. Inmates who are in prisons usually have sentences of many years.
Another fundamental difference between the two is where they are set up. There are far more jails than there are prisons because jails are more local in nature. There is a jail in most every county and also in bigger cities. These local jails are run by a county sheriff and his/her administration (wisegeek.org). There are roughly about 3,600 jails in the United States (sheriff.org). That means there are about 64% more local city and county jails than there are state and federal prisons.
On the flip side of the coin, prisons are stricter and are operated by state governments and the Federal Bureau of Prisons (sheriff.org). There are roughly about 1,300 state and federal prisons in operation in the United States (wikipedia.org).
Another fundamental difference between jails and prisons is the classification system. Prisons have class systems whereas most local jails do not (differencebetween.net). In most local jails, most of the inmates are housed together without regard to whether or not the offender is violent or non-violent. When it comes to prisons, classification is very important....
John Dale
CRJ 303
Prof. Scott Axton
May 13, 2013
Differences Between Jails and Prisons
There are many differences in this world. We see many of those differences around us every day. A good example of this is the items you see at the grocery store. I am sure that you have noticed there are several different brands or types of the same product. So it is the same with detention or incarceration facilities. There are jails and then there are prisons. Both perform the same function, however there are several differences.
One of the fundamental differences between jails and prisons is the fact that jails are more for short-term offenders while prisons are set up for offenders who have a lengthier sentence. Most inmates that are held in jails are there for up to a year. Inmates who are in prisons usually have sentences of many years.
Another fundamental difference between the two is where they are set up. There are far more jails than there are prisons because jails are more local in nature. There is a jail in most every county and also in bigger cities. These local jails are run by a county sheriff and his/her administration (wisegeek.org). There are roughly about 3,600 jails in the United States (sheriff.org). That means there are about 64% more local city and county jails than there are state and federal prisons.
On the flip side of the coin, prisons are stricter and are operated by state governments and the Federal Bureau of Prisons (sheriff.org). There are roughly about 1,300 state and federal prisons in operation in the United States (wikipedia.org).
Another fundamental difference between jails and prisons is the classification system. Prisons have class systems whereas most local jails do not (differencebetween.net). In most local jails, most of the inmates are housed together without regard to whether or not the offender is violent or non-violent. When it comes to prisons, classification is very important....