Four Elements Of The Correctional System

Four Elements of the Correction System Over the years the correction system has become a massive web of processing, treating and caring for more than 7 million people. Though not all of the 7 million people are housed in a jail or a prison, many are on probation or parole. And even though some of these are on probation and parole they are still considered part of the correction system. The four elements of the corrections system is probation, parole, jail, and prison. These four elements are in place and making up the correction system to make the public safe and feel protected from criminal offenders.
The first element is probation, which is a court-ordered community supervision of convicted offenders by a probation agency. Offenders on probation
are required to obey specific rules of conduct while in the community. (Siegal & Bartollas 2014). With probation you are released from jail, but the system still keeps tabs on you and where you are. There are four types of probation Intensive, standard, unsupervised, and informal probation. With intensive probation the person is closely monitored and may have to wear some type of ankle alarm or GPS monitor, they all have to undergo house and workplace visits. With standard supervision the person has to report weekly or biweekly visits to the probation office. With unsupervised probation there is no direct supervision and has to do some form of community service. With informal supervision the person may be supervised or unsupervised without being convicted of the offense they committed. This is usually the second step in the corrections system unless the person is sentenced to prison. The second element is parole which is community supervision after a period of incarceration.
(Siegal & Bartollas 2014). This element will usually come after the person has been in prison for a period of time, they will be released on parole. If they violate the conditions of their parole for any reason they can automatically go back to prison. Conditions of parole maybe obeying the law, no use of drug or alcohol, getting a job, no contact with their victim, and keeping in contact with their parole officer. One particular type of parole maybe medical parole, this is also called compassionate release. A person can be released this way if they have a terminal illness or if they are a guardian of someone that is in need of them. This is usually the last step in the corrections
system.
The third element is jail; it is a county correctional facility that holds people pending trial, awaiting sentencing, serving a sentence that is usually less than one year, or awaiting transfer to other facilities after conviction. (Siegal & Bartollas 2014). Jail is the first place that a person will go after committing a crime and getting caught. A person in jail may stay there until a trial date is set, until they can make bail, or may have committed a minor crime. It is meant for short term incarceration, but a person can be there for up to a year. You can find jails on the local level, state level, and on the federal level of the corrections system. This is usually the first step in the corrections system.
The final element is prison, which is a state or federal correctional facility that houses convicted criminals sentenced to a period of confinement that is typically more than one year.
(Siegal & Bartollas 2014). Being sent to prison can be a very harsh punishment other than being given the death penalty. Confinement to prison is for people that are in for the long haul. You can be put in prison for major offenses such as murder or numerous other felonies. Many that go to prison go there facing the death penalty and can be put on death row. This is usually the fourth and final step for some people, unless they are granted
parole.

References
The Free Dictionary. (2012). Parole. Probation. Jail. Prison. Retrieved October 8, 2014 from http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/parole
Siegel, L. & Bartollas, C. (2014). Corrections Today. Chapter 1: The Correctional System. (pp.4-21). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.