Jail and Prison

Jail and Prison

Andrea Cole

CJA/204

June 16, 2014

Dr. Linda Fisher-Lewis

Jail and Prison

        Jail and Prisons are institutions designed to provide a humane way of detaining, carrying out sentences and punishing those who break the law. Even though they both have great similarities, they are very different.

        Black’s Law Dictionary (Fourth Pocket Edition) defines prison as a state or federal facility of confinement for convicted criminals, especially felons.  Prisons house those that serve one or more years up to include a death sentence. The sentences handed down are punishment for crimes committed. Community programs are not generally offered, however education, mental health care, drug counseling and drug treatment programs are more common. Prisons are classified by security rating, type of offense (white collar), gender, age (elderly inmate) and mental capacity.

Prison System Security levels

        Minimum level security is facility used to house most white collar criminals (embezzlement, fraud). This is a dorm style facility with fewer guards and personal freedoms.

Medium level security is a standard facility used to house most criminals. This level included cage style housing, armed guard, more daily routine or regiment than minimum security.

High level security houses most violent and dangerous offenders. It has far more guards than the previous levels mentioned and the persons confined are considered to be extremely dangerous and high risk.

There is also the psychiatric prison for lawbreakers who are deemed mentally unfit, need and receive psychiatric help for mental disorders. These facilities resemble hospitals.

City of Chesapeake Correctional Center, Chesapeake, VA and Red Onion Prison, Wise County, VA

City of Chesapeake Correctional Center, Chesapeake, VA is a jail meaning it has custodial authority over detainees of Chesapeake. Detainees in jail are usually sentenced to under a year. This facility is comprised of four sections which has its own command staff and Chief of Corrections. Administration which manages daily operations, Security keeps the inmates safe and secure and personnel work twenty four hours seven days a week to maintain efficiency. Support Services consist of Booking, Records, Transportation, Lobby Security and correctional programs and services and Work Center consist of three sub-sections; Work-Force, Work –Release and Home and Electronic Monitoring.

The Red Onion Prison is a high level security prison also called a “Supermax” prison. This is facility houses those who serve one year to death sentence and house the “worse of the worst” and are high level security risk inmates ( DC Sniper Lee Boyd Malvo resides here). Red Onion Prison is built to minimize contact between prisoners, guards and prisoner and prisoner. More than twenty three percent are housed in solitary confinement also known as segregation. They can stay in segregation anywhere from two weeks to fourteen years. Segregation is described as a prison within a prison. Prisoners are confined twenty three hours in their cells. Food and medicine are served through trays in the door. Work and education programs are very limited. Red Onion has a GED and literacy program which is delivered by TV and is prerecorded.