Jails and Prisons
Jail and Prison
One of the key cornerstones of the criminal justice system is the correctional system, specifically the correctional facilities. Prisons and jails are examples of correctional facilities that help keep the criminal justice system running smoothly and efficiently. Without these facilities, there would be no place for criminals to serve their sentences, and no one would really be safe.
Although prison and jail seem to be interchangeable words, they actually mean two different types of correctional facilities. According to “Prisons and Jails” (n.d.) website, Prisons are run by the state or federal government officers for adults who are convicted criminals sentenced for at least a year or more, the adults are confined for the sole reason of punishment for crime, and release (parole for example) will only happen after mandatory time is served.
On the other hand, jails are run by regional, county or city officers (Prisons and Jails, n.d.). Convicted criminals sentenced to jail time typically are sentenced for less than a year, but they are not the only people that could be present in jail. As well as convicted criminals, there are people in jail for protective custody, being held in contempt, or just pending arraignment (Prisons and Jails, n.d.). Jails contain a variety of people including juveniles, adults, men and women, repeat offenders, and first-time criminals. Jails are very important to the criminal justice system because they hold inmates for a brief amount of time, but they can make a huge impact. They help reform first time offenders, offer many different types of programs, classes, and work releases in order to help a person rejoin the ways of society and the social norms of the community.
Locally in St. Cloud, Minnesota there is the Stearns County Jail. This jail is divided into several different sections including the Work Release section, the holding cells, medical cells, separation cells, and six different housing units.
One of the key cornerstones of the criminal justice system is the correctional system, specifically the correctional facilities. Prisons and jails are examples of correctional facilities that help keep the criminal justice system running smoothly and efficiently. Without these facilities, there would be no place for criminals to serve their sentences, and no one would really be safe.
Although prison and jail seem to be interchangeable words, they actually mean two different types of correctional facilities. According to “Prisons and Jails” (n.d.) website, Prisons are run by the state or federal government officers for adults who are convicted criminals sentenced for at least a year or more, the adults are confined for the sole reason of punishment for crime, and release (parole for example) will only happen after mandatory time is served.
On the other hand, jails are run by regional, county or city officers (Prisons and Jails, n.d.). Convicted criminals sentenced to jail time typically are sentenced for less than a year, but they are not the only people that could be present in jail. As well as convicted criminals, there are people in jail for protective custody, being held in contempt, or just pending arraignment (Prisons and Jails, n.d.). Jails contain a variety of people including juveniles, adults, men and women, repeat offenders, and first-time criminals. Jails are very important to the criminal justice system because they hold inmates for a brief amount of time, but they can make a huge impact. They help reform first time offenders, offer many different types of programs, classes, and work releases in order to help a person rejoin the ways of society and the social norms of the community.
Locally in St. Cloud, Minnesota there is the Stearns County Jail. This jail is divided into several different sections including the Work Release section, the holding cells, medical cells, separation cells, and six different housing units.
References: Jail FAQs. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.co.stearns.mn.us/LawPublicSafety/StearnsCountyJail. MCF-St. Cloud. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.corr.state.mn.us/facilities/stcloud.htm Prisons and jails. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://media.pearsoncmg.com/pcp/pcp_94869_mutchnick_cj_uop/learning_modules/chapter11/11.3prisonsandjails/index.html Schmalleger, F. (2011). Criminal justice today: An introductory text for the 21st century (11th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.