Although many understand the basics of how correctional facilities work, rarely do they use the right terminology when talking about them. For example, the terms jail and prison are often used interchangeably when talking about correctional facilities. However, these terms do not mean the same thing, nor should they be used as such (Merriam-Webster, 2022).

The definition of a jail is a correctional facility used to house individuals convicted of minor crimes as well as individuals who are charged with a crime and are awaiting trial. Jails generally house individuals who are sentenced to incarceration for no more than a year.

In contrast, a prison can be defined as a correctional facility used to house inmates for serious offenses (Merriam-Webster, 2022). Individuals housed in prisons have generally been convicted of a crime, usually a felony, and will be held there for a year or more.

Prisons and jails also differ in the way they are run and who oversees these facilities (Merriam-Webster, 2022). In relation to jails, they fall under the jurisdiction of the local government. This most often means they are run by the county or local township. Prisons, on the other hand, are run by the state or federal government.

Because of the differences between jails and prisons, it also means they are structured in different ways (Merriam-Webster, 2022). Jails are set up for short-term sentences for a wide range of different offenders, whereas prisons are set up for long-term offenders. This means they often vary in their security, amenities, vocational programs, and education. Jails are only in the jurisdiction of their counties, towns, or cities of local governments. Local law enforcement operates the jails within their county or jurisdiction (Merriam-Webster, 2022). Whereas prisons are run by the state or federal government. Oftentimes, prisons and jails must work in conjunction with each when transporting inmates to and from different facilities. Prisoners may be transferred to different facilities due to good time, a change in a sentence, being near the end of their sentence, and overcrowding.

“Statistically, through the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) we know there are about 2.3 million inmates on any given day. With about 200,000 Federal prisoners, 1.3 million State prisoners, and roughly 700,000 detainees in local jails” (Jail Statistics, 2022). In the United States there are around 3,100 jail facilities. Roughly 12-13 million individuals are proceeds through these jails each year (Jail Statistics, 2022).

Overall, it is clear that jails and prisons are two completely different facilities meant for different types of offenders. Jails are for short-term holding, minor crimes, and individuals whose sentence is less than a year. Prisons are meant for individuals sentenced to a year or more, for more serious offenses, and for long-term holding. Jails will usually have a smaller budget for programs due to them being run by the local government and because individuals are housed for shorter periods of time. Jails usually offer programs for GED, addiction, therapy, and work details. Many prisons offer programs for job training, college courses, behavior programs, work details, etc. Prisons are able to offer many more programs for their inmates because they have a larger budget from the state and federal governments.

Critical Thinking Questions/Exercise

1. What are the main differences between jails and prisons?
2. How does jurisdiction differ between jails and prisons?
3. What are some amenities that incarcerated individuals may receive in prison that may not be available in jail?

References

Melvin, K. B., Gramling, L. K., & Gardner, W. M. (1985). A Scale to Measure Attitudes toward Prisoners. Criminal Justice and Behavior.

Jail statistics. AJA. (2022). Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://www.americanjail.org/jail-statistics

Merriam-Webster. (2022). Jail and prison: What’s the difference? Merriam-Webster. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/jail-vs-prison-difference