Jail and Prison: Contrasting Functions and Inmate Profiles

This essay meticulously examines the fundamental differences between jails and prisons, providing a comprehensive comparison of their roles, functions, and the characteristics of the individuals they house. It clarifies that jails are typically smaller, locally-managed facilities for those awaiting trial or sentencing, while prisons are larger, state-controlled institutions for convicted criminals serving longer sentences. The essay highlights the roles of jails in providing protection, maintaining order, and acting as a form of punishment, and the functions of prisons in housing convicted criminals. Additionally, it emphasizes that jails and prisons serve closely related functions, although the types of inmates and the duration of their stay differ significantly. The essay also notes the involvement of specialists in jails, sometimes employing investigative and torture-oriented methods to gather information from suspects. The essay concludes by referencing scholarly articles that provide context and support to the arguments presented.

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THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JAIL AND PRISON
A jail is a small/ medium facility where law offenders who have not faced trials and convictions
are kept. It is important to note that jail inmates are not necessarily criminal as they have not yet held
them guilty of the offences but rather awaiting trials. This implies that individuals/ persons kept in jail
may basically be referred to as suspects of crime. Usually, jails are controlled and managed by the local
government or police. On the other hand, a prison is the converse of jail, as it is a large premises facility
where criminals who have faced conviction and trials are transferred to face charges. Prisons are usually
controlled and monitored by the state.
Further basic difference between prison and jail is the total time spent by the inmates. In a jail,
the inmates are not meant to stay for a long time. It is simply a holding place after which the criminals
found guilty are transferred to prisons while those proven innocent are released. Prisons are well
developed and structured, implying that they offer a more official program
As a way enhancing trial and conviction, jails also have specialists who in most cases are
investigative and torture oriented. This helps in digging out the right information from the suspects
(Lofstrom et al. 365)
The roles and functions of jail

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Provision of protections to law offenders. Circumstances where an individual commits highly
melancholy crimes in the society for example rape, defilement, aggregate robbery, or even murder, other
members of the society have had tendencies of becoming furious and uncontrollable with the intension of
hurting or killing the law offender. In such situations, the jail facility helps in providing safe custody and
avoid endangering the life of the suspect.
Maintaining peace, law and order in a country or society. As the law breakers are retained in the
jails, it leaves the community at peace and also scaring those who would be tempted to commit crimes
Jails can also be used as a strategy for punishment. As highlighted earlier, suspects and criminals
undergo torture, pain hard labor and suffering causing regrets as to why they committed the offence. By
so doing, they are serving punishment for the crimes committed (Kruglanski et al. 36).
Reformation of individual character. As an individual spends time serving the charges and
punishments, they develop positive values, perceptions and attitude. This helps in transforming and
reforming the law offenders into productive and important citizens of a country or society.
The roles and functions of a prison
From the preceding discussion, it was imperatively shown that prisons are facilities where
criminals are retained to serve the charges for the crimes committed. The prisons also offer subsidiary
income to the state/ government through the output of the hard labor by the prison inmates (Rajah et al.
300)
Nevertheless, it is typically important to note that prisons and jails serve impartially related/ close
function although the types of inmates retained and the total time spent vary from each other (Springer et
al 170).

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References
Kruglanski, Arie W., et al. "What a difference two years make: Patterns of radicalization in a Philippine
jail." Dynamics of Asymmetric Conflict 9.1-3 (2016): 13-36.
Lofstrom, Magnus, and Steven Raphael. "Prison downsizing and public safety: Evidence from
California." Criminology & Public Policy 15.2 (2016): 349-365.
Rajah, Valli, Ronald Kramer, and Hung-En Sung. "Changing narrative accounts: How young men tell
different stories when arrested, enduring jail time and navigating community reentry." Punishment &
Society 16.3 (2014): 285-304.
Springer, Sandra A., et al. "Extended-release naltrexone reduces alcohol consumption among released
prisoners with HIV disease as they transition to the community." Drug and alcohol dependence 174
(2017): 158-170.