Jails and prisons are generally considered to be the same thing by the general population. However, in fact there are a few subtle differences. Both Prisons and Jails house criminals, but Jails have two primary functions. Jails house pretrial detainees and sentenced offenders. “Pretrial detainees are individuals who are awaiting a criminal trial and have not been convicted, while the sentenced offender is a person who has received a disposition of time in the jail as a punishment, usually for a period of less than one year.” (Stojkovic & Lovell, 2013. Sec 4.1). Prisons on the other hand are strictly for sentenced individuals and do not hand pretrial detainees. In general, prisons hold detainees for a much longer period of time. As an auxiliary function, recently jails have taken on another duty “Additionally, there also has been a change in the use of jails as primarily holding tanks for the impoverished, disenfranchised, and mentally ill.” (Stojkovic & Lovell, 2013. Sec 4.1).
Starting in early 20th century, jails (and the entire criminal justice system) became to be associated with the term “rabble management” as it refers to “control those people who society finds the most offensive and dangerous. The jail is one institution in society designed to deal with the rabble class.” (Stojkovic & Lovell, 2013. Sec 4.2). This means that jails can be used as a holding cell for those that haven’t had a trial (or need a trial) but have become a burden to society. For example, jails can be used as “drunk tanks” that hold people that have become too belligerent due to alcohol, or have committed acts of rude and offensive nature, but may not have committed a truly criminal act. This can be valuable in minor cases such as these. We do not need to take every little instance to trial, and throw someone in jail for long terms. Some cases such as public indecency, public drunkenness, or harassment can be dealt with and perhaps discourage a further instance with just a short stint in a jail cell.
Stojkovic, S., & Lovell, R. (2013). Corrections: An introduction. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
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