Contrast Between Jails and Prisons

Prisons and jails hold some similar characteristics but are entirely different entities in which they serve in the legal system. A prison is where all convicted offenders are to spend their sentences that are at least in most cases going to span over a year. In a jail most offenders are only there either for holding, pending transportation to prison units or serving a sentence for a short amount of time ranging from a few months to a year. It is possible for a person to be confined and sentenced and spend up to two years in a jail but in this day in age having the room to place offenders is a very difficult task to operate. The criminal justice system all across the country is backed up; therefore, making it very difficult to manage housing between the prison system and jails.

Prisons are permanent facilities in which offenders will serve their length of time within. There are only two government bodies in which have prisons and that is at the state and federal level. At the state level prisoners are usually serving time in confinement from habitual petty crimes to the most famous crime of murder. These prisons are wide scale operations in which they handle some of the worst hardened criminals on the face of the earth.

Jails are somewhat similar to that of the prisons but serve a different purpose in the legal system. Jails are in place to serve their local jurisdiction with the accused and house them. Jails generally serve as holding facilities for the courts. With jails holding the accused it gives the presiding court system the power to bring the accused to justice and see cases. Jails often offer most of the transportation for the local courts as well as assist other jails with issues. With crime on the rise and police departments consistently arresting people it rests on jails to complete procedure in a quick time period in order for the accused to be brought to justice.

Prisons and Jails both house offenders and offer most of the same services as medical treatment and rehabilitation programs. It is of great use to review the way that California's prisons work versus the Maricopa County Jail that was re-arranged by Sheriff Joe Arpaio. One can find that these two different correctional facilities are very different in nature and budget. Jails and prisons around America continue to review their operations and make it better for the system in general.