CORRECTIONS IN THE U.S.

Corrections in the U.S.

Corrections in the U.S.

Introduction

Prisons in the United States are operated under strict authority of both federal and state governments by way of rectification are a concurrent power under the Constitution of the United States. The prison is one of the main forms of punishment for committing serious crimes in the United States. Less serious offenders, including those convicted of misdemeanors can be sentenced to a short term in a local jail or with alternative forms of sanctions such as community corrections (halfway house), probation and / or restitution.

In the United States, prisons are operated at various levels of security ranging from minimum security prisons to house all non-violent offenders to Supermax facilities that house well-known criminals and terrorists such as Terry Nichols, Theodore Kaczynski, Eric Rudolph, Zacarias Moussaoui and Richard Reid (Irwin, 1962).

Duration of corrections

Areferee sentences a individual convicted of a crime. The length of imprisonment depends on many factors including the severity and type of crime, state and / or federal sentencing guidelines, a criminal record of the offender, and the judge's personal opinion. These factors may be different in each state and the federal system. The vast majority of criminal convictions result from plea bargains, in which an agreement was reached between prosecutors and defense lawyers of the accused to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of a lesser sentence than they would receive if found guilty at trial.

Some prisoners are punished to life imprisonment. In some states, serving a life sentence means life without parole. In other states, people with life judgments are eligible for parole. In some cases the death punishment can be applied.

Security Levels

Prisoners are at different facilities that vary by level of security, especially in security measures, the management of prisoners, the type of housing, and weapons and tactics used by prison officials. Federal Bureau of Prisons uses a numbered scale of 1 to 6 and represents the level of security. Level six is the safest, while the lower level. State jail schemes operate alike schemes.

California, for example, classifies its facilities Reception Center through Levels I through IV (minimum to maximum security) to specialized high security units (all considered Level IV), including the Special Housing Unit (SHU ), the version of California 's maximum security units and the like. As a general rule, county jails, detention centers and shelters, where new commitments are first held either awaiting ...