Prison Systems
Introduction to Prison Systems
Prisons throughout the world have many similarities. The prison site consists of buildings of various sizes surrounded by high walls topped with razor wire. The buildings are staffed by armed guards or correctional officers who maintain inmates under close supervision and control.
In the United States, prisons are funded and operated through state and federal taxes. The Federal Bureau of Prisons oversees all prisons and other facilities designed to incarcerate individuals convicted of violating federal laws. Some facilities operated by the federal government accommodate prisoners who have physical or mental ailments and are more like hospitals. In 1998 there were 93 federal institutions for the incarceration of criminals. In that same year the 50 U.S. states operated 1,430 state prisons. State prisons house inmates who have been convicted of violating state criminal laws.
Offenders who violate both state and federal laws may be prosecuted by either state or federal officials, or both. There is no special protocol that determines whether the federal or state judicial system will move first to charge and adjudicate the offender. Typically, if one level of government convicts and imprisons an offender, the other level of government will not pursue charges. For example, in 1997 a jury convicted Timothy McVeigh for murder under federal law for 167 deaths resulting from the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Oklahoma could also charge McVeigh for murder under state law. However, unless McVeigh’s federal conviction is overturned, there is no need for a state trial.
In Canada, a federal agency known as the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) oversees about 50 federal correctional facilities and 15 community correctional centers. The provinces and territories operate another 150 correctional facilities. Whereas Canadian federal facilities generally hold criminals sentenced to terms of two or more years, provincial and territorial prisons house inmates serving terms of less than two years.” (1)
Resources
Notes and References
- Information about Prison Systems in the Encarta Online Encyclopedia
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