Different Levels of State and Federal Prisons

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Prison is the place where convicted criminals will go to atone for what the crimes they have committed. Anyone who must serve for a year or more will be sent to a state prison. An example of a state prison would be Minnesota’s prisons. Minnesota have the reputation of locking up dangerous criminals. Instead of holding prisoners, many offenders are put on probation while providing prison space to hold violent criminals (Foster, 2006). Each year state prisons population have gradually increased. The cause for the growth in prison was the “get-tough” era which sent more people and kept them in prison for longer periods of time. It is believe someone who committed a small crime should be charged as a big offense. By toughing up on crimes, it is a belief it would decrease the crime rates. As more people committed crimes and locked up for longer period of time, the growth in prison have increased. I do agree to the “get-tough” on crimes and treat it as something very serious. By putting someone away for a longer than normal time, they may least likely do it again. However, more people are committing crimes and get put into prisons along with those already in. The best solution would to let offenders who committed a minor offense free. Anyone who committed an offense more than a minor should be put on probation. By putting people on probation, it will provide more prison space. The government should use their own money to build more prisons. They have money for everything else but concerning important things like increasing prisons, there is not enough funding to support it. There are several types of prison security levels in the state prison systems. The first security level is maximum security. Maximum security are older prisons “with the most rigorous security procedures and the lowest ratio of inmates to guards” (Foster, 2006). It is said about only 12 percent of prisoners are held here. While the maximum security is the highest known security, there is a supermax security which is much higher than maximum security. Supermax prisons are isolated and is permanently lockdown. Only less than two percent American prisoners are locked in the supermax prisons (Foster, 2006). Close-high-security is the next security level. To some states, this is their maximum prison. The security here is less restrictive and about 16 percent of inmates are held here. Medium security is not as restrictive as maximum security. Inmates with the least amount of risk or danger are housed here and they make up the 35 percent of prisoners. As the name states, minimum security is a security level where prisoners are not considered a big threat. It holds about 31 percent of prisoners. While the security level is minimum, there is a fence to prevent prisoners from escaping. Open security facility have the very little or no security. This facility have no armed guards and makes up about five percent of Inmates. To escape, you can just walk out. If you are caught, you will be sent to maximum prison as an escape risk. Federal prisons have similar security levels to state ones. There are five security levels inside the federal prison system. Minimum security is the first level of security. It consists of federal prison camps which is usually next to other federal prisons or military bases (Foster, 2006). Low security have double fences and have a dorm type housing. Medium security “have stronger perimeters, cell housing, and greater internal control over prisoners” (Foster, 2006). High security “These are the U.S. penitentiaries (USPs), which look very much like everyone else’s penitentiaries” (Foster, 2006). Administrative security holds special purpose inmates, illegal aliens waiting to be deported as well as 500 federal prisoners from the Administrative Maximum prison. These federal prisoners are transferred around the country by airplane. The best solution to improve state and federal levels is to hire more guards and provided them with higher pay and benefits. It is a stressful job and can be dangerous at times. No one would work it unless they pay and benefits are good.

References:
Foster, B. (2006). Corrections: The fundamentals. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.