Prison

Prison

Introduction to Prison

Prison, institution designed to securely house people who have been convicted of crimes. These individuals, known as prisoners or inmates, are kept in continuous custody on a long-term basis. Individuals who commit the most serious crimes are sent to prison for one or more years; the more serious the offense, the longer the prison term imposed. For certain crimes, such as murder, offenders may be sentenced to prison for the remainder of their lifetime.

When individuals are accused of violating criminal law, they are tried in a court and either convicted (found guilty) or acquitted (found not guilty). A person who is convicted is then sentenced-that is, assigned a specific punishment. The sentence may involve fines, probation (supervised release), or incarceration (confinement). Judges may sentence first-time offenders to probation instead of incarceration. Offenders convicted of more serious crimes and those who have prior criminal records may be sentenced to incarceration in either a jail or a prison, depending on the nature of the crime. See also Criminal Procedure.

Prisons are also called penitentiaries. The word penitentiary was coined in the late 1700s because certain groups believed that through solitary religious study of the Bible, prisoners would become penitent (remorseful) and reform their behavior. The study of theories and practices of punishment is called penology. See also Criminology.

Although prison structures existed in ancient civilizations, the widespread use of long-term confinement as a form of criminal punishment began only in the 15th century. Today every industrialized nation has prisons, and the role of prisons throughout the world is to punish criminals by restricting their freedom. In most countries, governments construct and operate prison systems. However, several countries, including the United States, also authorize private corporations to build and run prisons under contract for the government.” (1)

Resources

See Also

  • Social Problem
  • Crime
  • Delinquency
  • Juvenile Delinquency
  • Delinquent
  • Social Issues
  • Crime Prevention

Incarceration, Societal Implications; Innocence Project; Juvenile Justice System; Prison, Convict Criminology; Prisons, Gangs; Prisons, Overcrowding; Prisons, Privatization; Prisons, Riots; Prisons, Violence; Rational Choice Theory; Recidivism; Restorative Justice; Sentencing Disparities; Total Institution

Resources

Notes and References

Further Readings

Conover, Ted. 2001. Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing. New York: Vintage Books.
Foucault, Michel. 1977. Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison. Translated by Alan Sheridan. New York: Vintage Books.
Mauer, Marc; Meda Chesney-Lind, eds. 2003. Invisible Punishment: The Collateral Consequences of Mass Imprisonment. New York: New Press.
Morris, Norval; David J. Rothman, eds. 1998. The Oxford History of the Prison: The Practice of Punishment in Western Society. New York: Oxford University Press.
Sabol, William J. 2007. U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Prisoners in 2006. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.
Schlosser, Eric. 1998. “The Prison Industrial Complex.” Atlantic Monthly, December, 51-77.


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