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Jails vs. Prisons
 Jails
and prisons are two of the many correctional facilities in this country.
Most people use these terms as if they were the same. However, the
function, staff and funding of these places of detention (imprisonment)
are different.
One
main function of jails is to temporarily hold accused offenders who
cannot get out on bail while awaiting trial, or who are awaiting arraignment
(appearance before a judge) or sentencing. Another main function of
jails is to hold all misdemeanor offenders who must serve one year
or less in jail, and juveniles who are tried as adults. Because jails
are run by county governments with small budgets, they are inadequately
funded. As a result, they are often staffed by underpaid employees.
In addition, the condition in jails is usually poor. Most jails are
old, lack basic programs and services, and are overcrowded.
Prisons are facilities for holding convicted felony offenders and white-collar criminals who are serving long-term sentences. For different types of criminals, there are different types of prisons: super-maximum-, maximum-, medium-, and minimum-security prisons. Super-maximum-security, called supermax, prisons hold the most dangerous and predatory offenders. Supermax prisons control every aspect of the inmates’ movement; the inmates live in isolation, and the design of their cells and the building makes escape impossible. Maximum-security prisons hold the next most violent offenders, and they also provide strict security features, such as high walls with guard towers and barbed wires. To prevent inmates from receiving contraband (illegal goods), inmates in maximum-security prisons are separated from visitors by Plexiglas. On the other hand, medium-security prisons hold non-violent felony offenders, so there are fewer guard towers and less security. Minimum-security prisons hold prisoners that are less likely to escape, non-violent offenders and white-collar criminals, so there are no armed guards or high walls in these types of prisons. Both medium- and minimum-security prisons allow contact between inmates and visitors.
Prisons are very expensive institutions funded by the state or federal governments. In addition to providing education, religious, and medical services, many prisons must also provide special medical care, called hospice care, for those inmates suffering from terminal illnesses. Prison hospice care doesn’t try to cure the disease, but merely to help the dying person with different services, like pain managements and spiritual support. The government spends an annual average of $20,100 per inmate.
List the differences in function between jails and prisons.
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Instructions:
Type your answer in the box provided. 
