Jail and Prison Comparison Paper Essay

Jail is usually the first place a person is taken after being arrested by police officers. The authority of states to build, operate, and fill jails can be found in the Tenth Amendment, which has been construed to grant to states the power to pass their own laws to preserve the safety, health, and welfare of their communities. Jail is to protect the public and citizens of county by providing a wide range of constructive, professional correctional services for pre-trial and convicted detainees. Jail is also ensure the safety and welfare of staff, visitors, and offenders by operating facilities and programs in a secure, humane environment which meets professional and standards and constitutional requirements. It reduces the rate to reincarceration by providing offenders with the opportunity for self improvement and the inner resources necessary to make a successful adjustment within the community. An act of 1790 brought about sweeping reforms in the prison and authorized a penitentiary house with 16 cells to be built in the yard of the jail to carry out solitary confinement with labor for â€Å"hardened atrocious offenders. Jails are run by the county of a state and serve as locally-operated holding places, usually for brief periods of incarceration or as a detention place before and during trial and other legal matters. For example, someone convicted of a misdemeanor crime would be jail. In addition, the sentence must be less than a year. Jails are especially for someone b eing held in custody for trail, or they couldn’t afford bail, or they were just arrested will be held in the county jail, not prison. As such, jails are impermanent county residences, and lack many of the amenities and programs that the large prisons have. Jails are usually run by the sheriff or the local government. According to the Department of Justice, there are approximately 3,600 jails in the United States. On the hand, prisons are federal or state-run. Prisons are generally much bigger and much more high-security levels. Inmates convicted of federal felonies usually go to federal prison, and those convicted of state felonies go to state prison. Prisons often have very elaborate education and vocational training programs, halfway house service, work-release programs, and recreational and entertainment facilities. The original history of the federal prison system started back in the 1890s but it was not until 1930 that president Hoover signed a bill establishing a federal prison system that would actually start the building of actual federal facilities. The federal system had been relying on the state and local levels of government to house their prisoners. The Federal Bureau of Prisons was established within the Department of Justice and charged with the â€Å"management and regulation of all Federal penal and correctional institutions. † This responsibility covered the administration of the 11 Federal prisons in operation at the time. As time has passed and laws have changed, the Bureau’s responsibilities have grown, as has the prison population. At the end of 1930, the agency operated 14 facilities for just over 13,000 inmates. By 1940, the Bureau had grown to 24 facilities with 24,360 inmates. Except for a few fluctuations, the number of inmates did not change significantly between 1940 and 1980, when the population was 24,252, according to Federal Bureau of Prison. However, the number of facilities almost doubled from 24 to 44 as the Bureau gradually moved from operating large facilities confining inmates of many security levels to operating smaller facilities that each confined inmates with similar security needs. The federal prison incarcerated for longer time and associated with White Collar criminals. Some of the crimes that fall under federal crimes are drug dealer, political person, false insurance, bank robbery, and many more. On the other hand, the state prison system has been in existence since the early 1800s with the building of Sing Sing state prison. Sing Sing state prison is one of the oldest state penitentiaries in existence today and is still in use. The state prisons also refer to blue collar criminals. The state prison system is devised of a network of small prisons that hold most of the United States prison populations. Since the beginning of penitentiaries in each state growth has been a rising issue. Many states have to provide millions of dollars to their prison systems. Those who commit state or break the state roles, they will automatically be sent to state prison and wait for federal if there is any. Some crimes that can be incarcerated within a state prison such as habitual offender, sex offender, drug user , and other violent crime offender. In the State Prison, there are five security level have been established for correctional facilities and inmates are low security, medium security, high security, and maximum security. Inmates have been conditionally released into the community but remain under the supervision of the Department of Corrections. Low security includes Work Farms, Boot Camps, Forestry Camps, etc. Basically these are either first time low-risk offenders or inmates who have worked themselves up in the system and are possibly on their way out of prison. Being considered low risk, affords the inmate to better living conditions and a few more freedoms. They have earned the trust of the institution. This is why we believe it’s imperative to tell your family member to steer clear of any trouble during their incarceration. Minimum security categorize for inmates coming up in their time or those inmates that have committed a less severe crime. This level of inmate can be trusted and is usually designated as a form of trustee or in a trusted work detail. Medium security, 3 inmates are typical of any placement for someone headed to prison. You must earn the trust from the staff at all levels to work your way up. This level of inmate has some rights and freedoms, but not many. Finally, maximum security is typically in lockdown most of their time and are usually the more violent or feared members of the population. To be housed at this level the inmate must have performed an extremely violent crime. There are basically no freedoms unless the Max inmate is housed with other max inmates, and they are only allowed out for one hour per day. This is not always the case with every prison, jail or detention facility. Some offer multiple programs and allow limited movement, classes, details and freedom for all inmates. According to the Department of Justice, there are minimum security, low security, medium security, and high security in the Federal Prison system. Minimum security institution is also known as Federal Prison Camps have dormitory housing, a relatively low staff-to-inmate ratio, and limited or no perimeter fencing. These institutions are work- and program-oriented; and many are located adjacent to larger institutions or on military bases, where inmates help serve the labor needs of the larger institution or base. Low ecurity Federal Correctional Institutions have double-fenced perimeters, mostly dormitory or cubicle housing, and strong work and program components. The staff-to-inmate ratio in these institutions is higher than in minimum security facilities. Medium security have strengthened perimeters (often double fences with electronic detection systems), mostly cell-type housing, a wide variety of work and treatment programs, an even higher staff-to-inmate ratio than low security FC Is, and even greater internal controls. Finally, High security institutions know as United States Penitentiaries have highly secured perimeters (featuring walls or reinforced fences), multiple- and single-occupant cell housing, the highest staff-to-inmate ratio, and close control of inmate movement. Some of the factors influencing the growth in jail are drug offenders sex offenders, violent offenders, increase in time served women offenders. The corrections system does four fundamental things. The first three, basic life care for offenders, risk identification and risk management, cover the bases of managing offenders. However, only risk reduction â€Å"hits a home run† to significantly affect offender outcomes and community safety. According to the National Institute of Corrections, appropriate treatment reduces recidivism by 30%. In recent years community-based corrections has been trained in and begun implementing evidence-based practices. In recent years community-based corrections has been trained in and begun implementing evidence-based practices.