Premium Essay

State and Federal Prison System

In:

Submitted By parkpig
Words 2119
Pages 9
The State and Federal Prison System
Axia College

Both state and federal prison systems have a long history in the United States as well as a significant presence in modern times as the prison populations for both state and federal prisons continue to grow. State and federal prisons each have their own types of institutions and security levels and house different types of criminals due to their differing jurisdictions over state versus federal prisoners. This paper will discuss the state and federal prison systems and their respective histories, recent growth in prisoner populations, different types of facilities, security levels, and types of criminals. American state prisons were originally used as workhouses where prisoners could work off what they owed to the state for their crimes through hard labor, but the purposes for state and federal prisons eventually shifted towards using prisons with the intention of punishment and incapacitating the criminal by removing them from society. Not surprisingly, many of the ideas for the development of the first prisons in the United States came from England. The history of the American prison system began with the Walnut Street Jail in Philadelphia, which served as the first prototype for the Pennsylvania model for prisons where prisoners worked at tasks in solitary confinement in order to pay off their debt to society and theoretically reflect upon what they had done (Johnston, 2010). The Pennsylvania Model was based on the more humane approach that had earlier been spearheaded by William Penn, a Quaker, and focused on isolating the prisoners and preventing idleness, which was seen as a key factor in recidivism. However, the first prototype prison system in the Walnut Street Jail was not as successful as its designers had hoped and led to a host of problems such as overcrowding

Similar Documents

Free Essay

State and Federal Prison Systems

...State and Federal Prison Systems Leslie Cable 4/12/2013 CJS/230 Larry Doyle State prisons hold people who are arrested by local police and sheriff departments. Federal prisons hold people who are arrested by the federal bureau of investigations (FBI). The state and federal prisons have security levels for every type of prisoners. State prisons are run by the department of corrections while the federal prisons are run by the justice department. “The Federal Bureau of Prisons was created by an act of Congress and signed into law by President Herbert Hoover on May 14, 1930,” (Foster, 2006, Pg. 134). State prisons have more inmates than they do staff while federal prisons have more staff than they do prisoners. An example of a state prison is San Quentin state prison in California. San Quentin was opened in the 1850s and housed both men and women prisoners. In 1933, the women’s prison at Tehachapi was built. Tehachapi was shut down after an earthquake hit it in July 1952 then it was reopened as a men’s prison three years later. “Despite periodic schemes to shut it down – “the prison that would not die” – San Quentin held nearly 6,000 inmates in 2003,” (Foster, 2006, Pg. 127). The only way I could explain the growth of state prisons is that more people are arrested for crimes than ever before. People are committing more crimes than he is or she is used to and then are sentenced to prison time. More people are arrested for drug related...

Words: 714 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

State and Federal Prison System

...State and Federal Prison Systems CJS/230 May 21, 2012 Frank Merenda The number of prisons in each state, today, range from “three in North Dakota to over 100 in Texas”.(Foster, 2006) Although there are many state prisons they were all basically based on the Auburn model, established in 1816. Federal prisons also began this way and in 1930 the Federal Bureau of Prisons was created and the federal prisons of today have not changed much since then. The Texas Department of Corrections (TDC), established in 1849, located in Huntsville Texas, is a good example of a state prison system. Today, the central unit in Huntsville is still the headquarters of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and it known as the “capital of capital punishment”. (Foster, 2006) It is said this facility carries out more executions than any other prison. Be that as it may and even with the state and federal prison systems separated the state prisons growth still continues. The “get-tough” legislation and the “War on Drugs” have tripled jail and prison populations. (Foster, 2006) Today a lot of the state prison growth comes from parole violators and increased confinement of violent criminals. The growth has slowed some from the past but it still continues. To help slow the growth in the state prison systems U.S. correction professionals could try spending more on treatment and rehabilitation to keep nonviolent offenders out of prison. The drug problems of today seem to be filling up...

Words: 667 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

State and Federal Prison Systems

...State and Federal Prisons Systems The Auburn prison system has also been referred to the congregate system. The State of New York was the first to use this system in 1819 (The Auburn System (n.d.). By combining traits from the Philadelphia system with traits such as uniform silence, hard labor , and togetherness; side by side during meals, work, and prayer. The tier system of housing is used. Each level is offense specific and uniform coded by color. Prison growth has been on the rise with our current economical troubles. As times get rough, the amount of crime rises. The acts of society toward past inmates can often dictate if they are going to possibly become a repeat offender. Stress, financial troubles, employment issues, and drugs are among the top reasons a person reoffends. To help reduce the number of repeat offenders, correction personnel need to start the rehabilitation process within the prison walls. Preparing inmates for the real world can play a large role in their success. Having community resources available when times get rough can make or break a person. Just knowing they are not on their own is a huge stress reliever. With hands-on programs and true support, anything is possible. Each state has their own system for security levels. In Missouri, our levels are numbered and categorized. They are numbered from one to five; one being minimum and five being maximum. Minimum prisons have inmates with a custody level ranging from one to three...

Words: 404 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

State and Federal Prison Systems

...Assignment: State and Federal Prison Systems Denise Silven CJS/230 July 10, 2011 Joseph Micieli Assignment: State and Federal Prison Systems An example of a state prison system would be the Texas Department of Corrections located in Huntsville, Texas. This facility was established in 1849 and to this day is the headquarters of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Additionally, this facility became the “control model in Texas prisons” and “emphasized farm work and strict discipline within a centralized bureaucratic environment.” The growth of state prison populations is the result of “get-tough” legislation which sends more people to prison and keeps them there for longer periods of time. (Foster, 2006). In my opinion, United States corrections professionals could solve the problem of exponential growth in state prison systems by implementing stronger rehabilitation programs. Upon entry in the state prison facility, inmates could be given an incentive to enter and complete one or more rehabilitation program depending on the degree of severity of the crime or crimes that the inmate committed. I believe that an inmate that sees a program to completion is possibly dedicated to changing their behavior in order to avoid becoming a repeat offender. The security levels in state and federal prisons are maximum-security, close-high-security, medium-security, minimum-security, and open-security. The differences in these levels are: (1) maximum-security...

Words: 419 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

State and Federal Prison System Paper

...State and Federal Prison System Paper Tashia Coffiel CJS/230 July 22, 2012 Jason Skeens State and federal governments maintain closed correctional facilities to house convicted felons. Prisons are usually categorized according to their level of security and inmate populations as maximum-, medium-, and minimum-security institutions. A state prison is where those that are convicted and are sentenced through the state court for crimes that they have committed. State personnel man the state prison and federal government runs the federal prisons. Federal prisons are for those that commit federal crimes and are prosecuted by the federal government. Although they are built nearly the same the difference is what the two prisons are used for. The state prison is very similar to federal prisons that both incarcerate/rehabilitate and execute offenders. The states have areas of responsibility on enforcing criminal laws and then you have the federal government that there responsibility and enforcement of laws. Federal laws are more serious than crimes n the state courts. The penalties for federal crimes are harsher than state crimes. Federal crimes are usually geared towards immigrations, drugs, bombing, terrorism, money laundering, etc. while the state is geared towards state crimes like murder, rape, theft, etc. The prison system for the state is devised of a network that holds most of the U.S. prison populations. The beginning of the penitentiaries in each state is...

Words: 408 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

State and Federal Prison Systems Paper

...Week 4 assignment 7/14/2014 There’s a big difference between the state prison system and the federal prison system. Even though both of these are correctional facilities, and used to detain inmates for criminal offenses, they both hold a different type of criminal. While the state prison system operates by holding criminals such as murderers, drug dealers, sexual offenders, and other crimes committed by the norm, the federal prison has a totally different population. In the federal prison system you will more likely find the white collar criminals, those that have embezzled large amounts of money, politicians, bank robbers, and others that have violated federal laws. An example of a state prison would be Turbeville here in South Carolina it is a level 2 correctional facility that usually houses inmates for crimes such as murder, drugs, sexual abuse, and other state level law breakers. Being that you will find more criminals in the state prison system, this system has a lot more facilities than the federal system. The state prisons call for more housing room, being that these crimes are committed on a daily bases and more people are being sent to the state penitentiary than the feds. The security levels for the 2 are also different. Both state and federal prison systems have different levels of security. These levels consist of Minimum (no flight risk), Low Security (trusted but still have to be under a closer watch than minimum), medium (inmates are kept under watch...

Words: 390 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

State and Federal Prison Systems Paper

...State and Federal Prison Systems Date Professor Name Out prisons today are based on the creation of the 19th century prisons. The long term goal is provide inmates with a humane and spiritual atmosphere versus the inhumane and terrible living situations. They want to get away from the harsh corporal punishment that had been around for so long. Survey data compiled by the Public Safety Performance Project of the Pew Center on the States, in partnership with the Association of State Correctional Administrators, indicate that as of January 1, 2010, there were 1,404,053 persons under the jurisdiction of state prison authorities, 4,777 (0.3 percent) fewer than there were on December 31, 2008. (The Pew, 2010) This does not mean that all these people are incarcerated but under the supervision which consists of: incarceration, parole, juvenile and/or probation. There has been a dramatic increase in the amount of incarcerated persons in the past decades and it only seems to be getting larger. The majority of inmates are imprisoned on drug charges resulting because of the harsher sentencing on the war on drugs. Some states have eliminated the possibility of parole. Judges have attempted to ease up on smaller crimes but in turn have extended the terms for harsher sentences. With the increase of prisons available, it makes it that much more accessible to house inmates. In order to sort through the more serious from the less serious, guidelines must be followed. They have to point...

Words: 717 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

State and Federal Prison System Paper

...State and Federal Prison Systems Paper March 4, 2012 CJS/230 An example of a state prison would be Louisiana State Penitentiary which is also known as Angola and is located in Angola, Louisiana. In 1880, Major James purchased an 8,000 acre plantation in west Feliciana parish called Angola. Angola is the state’s oldest and only maximum security prison with an inmate population of 5,108 and employs 1,740 employees. This maximum security prison is 86 percent violent offenders and 52 percent are serving a life sentence which will never be released from prison. The growth of state prison population is the result of (get tough) legislation which sends more people to prison and keeps them there for longer periods of time. United States Corrections professionals could solve the problem of exponential growth in state prison systems by getting stronger rehabilitation programs. I think that upon the inmate arriving to the prison they should be given an incentive to enter, they should also be required to complete at least two rehabilitation programs. After completing at least two or more rehabilitation programs depending on how much time the inmate has, they can be offered several other programs that will help them from becoming a repeat offender. This is especially needed since 52 percent of them will never be released. That is over half the inmate population. The more the inmate gets interested in the programs that are being offered, the better chance that inmate then will become...

Words: 443 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Criminal Justice

...Introduction The corrections system is a constantly changing system in today’s society. The allowance of change within this system is crucial to society’s needs. From centuries ago, punishment, itself has changed drastically. Jail Jail, is a place where criminal offenders are taken. Jails are usually run by the county Sherriff. This type of correctional facility is a criminal offender’s first stop, depending on the crime committed, that is used to straighten out the misbehavior of the said criminal offender in the hopes they will change their ways. According to Seiter (2011),”Jails are the watershed of the correctional system. The U.S. jail is the oldest of the correctional components, initiated well before prisons, probation, parole, or halfway houses.” ("Chapter 3: Jails") Jails have been involved in the correctional system for a long time. The original purpose of a jail was to lock away a criminal offender. Treatment in jails was poor and conditions ever worse. Now that jail has evolved, it serves as a place of rehabilitation and a place that transitions criminal offenders into being put back into society. “Probably no major segment of the criminal justice system is less studied, evaluated, or understood than the nation’s jails. Yet no segment of the criminal justice system touches more people’s lives.” (Seiter, 2011, "Chapter 3: Jails"). History of Prisons “Most people think that only the federal and state governments operate prisons for adult offenders, but there...

Words: 1496 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

The History of Prisons

...The History of Prisons R May 23, 2012 The History of Prisons Both state and federal prisons were designed to serve the same purpose. They are alike in the sense that they both confine criminals. At the same time there many differences in which make each system unique. Both are primarily operated by state governments. Adults convicted of felony crimes may be imprisoned in one of the approximately 1,800 state, federal, local, or private prisons in America. State prisons confine felons with more than a year to serve with an array of offenses. Federal prisons confine federal offenders. State prison systems have been in use since the early 1800’s. The state prison system is made up of several small prisons that house most of the United States prison population. The criminals within the state prison system are charged with an array of offenses from drug offenses to violent crimes and have more than a year to serve. One of the major problems within the state prison system is overcrowding. The use of federal prisons began in the 1890’s. The Federal Bureau of Prisons confines felons convicted of federal crimes and houses pretrial defendants in federal jails in several large cities. At one time, the federal system was considered a model for state systems, but it has suffered from many of the same problems plaguing state systems in recent years, including an influx of drug offenders that has caused pervasive overcrowding and continuous...

Words: 298 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Jail and Prison Paper

...Jail and Prisons Comparison Paper Mary Ann Everett CJA/234 Introduction to Corrections 12/­15/­13 Steven Nance This paper use some information found in the CJi Interactive Multimedia and weeks readings. Have a description of jail’s place in corrections its role throughout history; a summary of the history of state and federal prisons. Comparison of the similarities and differences between security levels in jails, state prisons and federal prisons. Explanation of factors influencing growth in jails, state, and federal prisons. In colonial america where humiliation, workhouses, and corporal punishment to was used to punish criminals by 1790 where penitentiary era begins. In 1786, Pennsylvania Quakers said honest labor was a humane way to deal with convicts and to provided labor for public projects wearing thee ball, chain and bright unstylish clothes to prevent escapes. In other colonies had replaced public humiliation with incarceration and early lock­ups were under local control with mixing convicts of both genders from petty thieves to violent offenders. Our nation took shape each county and state maintain its own incarceration system where jails were maintain by the local sheriff’s department housed small infractions like loitering to severe crimes like murder until disposition. State or federal authorities in prisons provided confinement for offenders sentenced to over one year of incarceration. Penitentiary Era in 1790, attribute to separate and silent system, sought...

Words: 876 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Prison Systems

...Prison Systems Linda Hester CJS 230 December 12, 2010 Hiram Porter Prison Systems Prison is just one of a number of sanctions available to the courts to deal with those who commit criminal offenses. The United States corrections systems have been in effect for many years. The idea of these systems came from England and the concentration was on punishment more than anything else. However, over the years, like everything else, state and federal prisons have changed. This includes the growth, different types of institutions, the security levels, and types of criminals. These changes however, come with two downfalls, the committing of more crimes and prisons have become overcrowded. Even though overcrowding in prisons is a problem, the state and federal prison systems are effective because they punish those who break the law and they keep the rest of society safe. The state prison systems have been around for more than 200 years, and there use is to confine inmates who will be serving time for more than one year. The jails in use were to confine inmates with no regard of their well being and they were dirty. However, all this changed with the first state prison opening in the late 1700s and it was the Walnut Street Prison in Philadelphia. The Walnut Street Prison design and the way it was run was to keep prisoners in solitude so they could reflect back on what they had done. Because this prison kept the inmates in solitude and did not offer work programs in the...

Words: 1074 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Cj234 Week 2

...History of Prisons CJA/234 February 3, 2014 Robert Bennett This week’s readings reflected the history of prisons and the eras in which they have evolved. Within this document the evolution of today’s prison systems will be discussed, along with the complications of prison overcrowding. Finally the comparison of today’s prison to the prisons of the past. The penitentiary era changed using the Quaker’s system converting the Walnut Street jail into use instead of using the older method of stocks, flogging, and public humiliation. This was a more humane way to deal with the individuals who chose to break the laws set before them. The inmates were able to work on crafts to keep themselves occupied and their sanity level was maintainable. The mass prison era changed the ways of the jail to a prison in which there were more solitude and less rehabilitation. Inmates were not allowed to speak to make contact with each other, but vocational job training was introduced. Not until the reformatory era was the idea of education introduced into prisons to allow children and adults to become educated with incarcerated. Also the ability for early release for good behavior was introduced. The industrial era introduced prison work labor. Inmates within the prison system would create goods for the public for a minimal wage. The punitive era did away with the industrial aspect of prisons. The ability for education became a luxury, and maximum security prisons were built. As the restrictions...

Words: 962 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Jail and Prison Comparison Paper

...Jail and Prisons Comparison Paper Jose Salmeron CJ234 July 8, 2014 University of Phoenix Jail and Prisons Comparison Paper Jails and prisons they are all the same. Actually a jail and a prison are different in many ways. A jail is considered the most misunderstood segment of the correctional system. Out of all the correctional components in the in the United States, a jail is the oldest. Jail house individuals who have just been arrested, awaiting sentence, or have been sentenced to only a few months. Throughout the history of corrections, jails have had a major role. Like jails state and federal prisons have had their own history as well. Although jails, stated and federal prisons all hold criminals, there are some similarities and differences between the three. Today the population of the correctional have grown since the first institutions were established. The original reason for a jail was to detain offenders, who were awaiting trial. As history has shown the role of jails have changed throughout time. Jails are the most underrated component of our criminal justice system. The role a jail has within the correctional system, can be considered the most important. Jails are correctional facilities that operated locally. Meaning a jail is ran by a city or the county. A jail serves a variety of functions, and also hold a variety of offenders. Individuals awaiting trial, sentencing, or pending arraignment, are held in a jail. Violators of bail, probation...

Words: 1219 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

History of Corrections

...CJA/234 April 15, 2013 History of Corrections * In 2011, the United States had about 6,977,700 inmates in its correctional facilities. Correctional facilities can also be referred to as jails, state prisons, and federal prisons. There are also many different security levels within jails, state prisons, and federal prisons. Let’s start by discussing what jails are, as well as a brief history. * The term “jail” is used by counties and cities to house criminals for short periods of time. Jails normally house individuals who have been convicted to serve a short sentence, awaiting trial, people who have not yet posted bond and detainees who have been arrested on suspicion of committing a crime. * The first jail, also known as “gaol” was built in England by King Henry II in 1166. The gaol’s original purpose was to detain individuals awaiting trial, however, vagrancy had become a problem in the fourteenth and eighteenth century, and jails were used to house displaced persons, mentally ill, and the poor (Seiter, p. 72, 2011). Individuals housed in these early jails lived in deplorable conditions. They were filthy, had horrible food, and little medical care. John Howard, who became the sheriff of Bedfordshire in 1773, saw these horrible conditions and drafted the Penitentiary Act of 1779. The Penitentiary Act created four requirements for English prisons and jails: 1. Secure and sanitary structures, 2. Systematic inspections, 3. Abolition of fees charged...

Words: 1254 - Pages: 6