Though most of us use the terms ‘jail’ and ‘prison’ interchangeably, these words refer to 2 different criminal housing units. Jails and prisons are similar, but they are run by different governments and house different criminals.
Jail houses criminals serving a maximum sentence of 1 year for misdemeanor offenses, as well as defendants who are ineligible to post bail. Jails are run by local governments, city and/ or county, and offer work release programs, educational classes, and other programs to improve skills that will be beneficial once the criminal is released.
Prisons are run by state or federal governments. These are secure facilities that house convicts serving long-term sentences for felony offenses, and sometimes misdemeanor offenses where the sentence is more than 1 year. Prisons also offer programs for inmates such as work release and halfway houses in hopes of easing the inmate back into the community as they near the end of their sentence.
No one wants to be in either location, as a visitor or as an inmate. If you want to know how jails and prisons are alike, just paint yourself a mental picture. We are sure you will be somewhat accurate; cramped, cold, and uncomfortable. You can also probably imagine the many kinds of people who are in jail and prisons.
If you have a loved one who is heading down a wrong path or tends to be careless and make poor decisions, we urge you act and try to get your loved one some help. You do not want them to end up arrested and in jail or prison one day, do you?
We hope you succeed in turning their life around, but if things fall apart and you find yourself in need of a bail bond, you can rely on Apple Valley Bail Bonds to help you out.
