The Difference between Prisons, Jail, and Community Corrections Facilities (Essay Sample)

Student Name: The Difference between Prisons, Jail, and Community Corrections Facilities Instructor: Institution: The Difference between Prisons, Jail, and Community Corrections Facilities Prison is a secure facility where people who have been convicted with felony crimes are confined for more than a year. In the United States, prisons are operated by either the Federal Bureau of Prisons or the state government. To be sent to state prison, a person must be convicted of breaking a law that governs that given state where the crime took place. On the other hand, to be sent to federal prison, a person must be convicted of breaking a law that governs all states. Prisons are better-developed facilities that offer living needs of those housed (Douglas County Sheriff's Office). Further, prisons are categorized according to the type of security they put in place and include minimum, medium and high-security prisons. Offenders are placed in these prisons depending on the crimes committed and whether they are violent or not. On the other hand, a jail is a temporary, locally operated facility used to detain newly arrested inmates awaiting trial or sentencing. They can also house inmates serving a sentence shorter than or equal to a year. The facilities lack the resources that required for long-term detainment (Douglas County Sheriff's Office). Community corrections facility is a center where inmates or parolees who are nearing their release from prison to the outside world are housed. These facilities provide a variety of supportive services such as drug and alcohol treatment counseling and even employment assistance. However, not all inmates qualify for placement in community c...