There are four types of prisons that are found to be used by our courts system: minimum security prisons, low security prisons and high security prisons. Minimum security prisons would be used for those offenders with crimes like nonviolent. Low security prisons would be for crimes that involved misdemeanor and high security are for those that are violent to anyone around them like those that committed murder. No matter which one is used they are all in place for the holding of those offenders that are found guilty of their crimes on society.
Over all an institution, prisons are used to confine offenders of the law appropriately based on their security levels. Each type
of prison is based on the institution population. Differences between the types of prison include external patrol, barriers, inmate-staff ratios as well as bed space capability. Higher security prison populations require additional care and attention as well as internal control. As an institution, jails play a role in protecting the public from offenders, carrying out justice and punishment derived by a jury of peers as well as possibly providing offenders with rehabilitation and ways to integrate and reform in society. In essence, jails are supposed to manage a large offender population over “alternatives to incarceration.” As a total institution, prisons work with police officers, community corrections professionals a well as other crime and justice departments to develop the best option for the criminal and the community.
Jails play an important role in the criminal justice system as a way to protect the public from offenders and act as punishment for crimes being committed. By providing punishment for offenders, jails can hopefully detract other would-be offenders from pursuing similar goals due to knowledge of the possibility of being jailed. Many jails also act as custody holders for short term incarcerations for criminals awaiting court action for their charges. This can accommodate the pace of the criminal justice system while removing potentially offenders from the streets. This will also allow the criminal justice system to gather enough evidence and fulfill their responsibility to the people. Secondly, jails offer opportunities for rehabilitation and treatment for offenders and can be seen as the center of the criminal justice system. Based on the verdict, jails enforce the punishment or plan of the decisions of the criminal justice system and carry out potential solutions.
There is also times in an offender’s life they may be able to catch a break. Those breaks would be found to be community based corrections programs associated with jails and prisons. An offender may at times, if it is the offender’s first offense or a minor violation then probation might be offered to them. If for a repeat offense then house arrest could be the solution. But in most cases the offenders that are sent to prisons are asked to attend classes, like anger management or if there is good behavior then parole maybe an option.
The role in truth-in-sentencing to me would be that let the punishment fit the crime. We still as a society have not come to the same conclusion of what that statement would mean if we did then there would be no means for the death penalty. Not all that commit a crime are bad people they were just put in a bad situation. One example would be a battered wife that killed her husband. Many would say she committed murder and should go to jail. Others would say it was a battered women syndrome that needs help, so do not be so hard on her. Which do you choose? It is hard to say who is right and who is wrong. Jails and Prisons were put in to order to detain people who have broken the law; as long as there are laws that are broken there will be jails and prisons to keep offenders detain to rehabilitate, and learn from their mistakes so they can go out into society and be productive citizens of the United States.
References:
Schmalleger, F. (2011). Criminal Justice Today. An Introductory Text for the 21st Century (11th Ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.