Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

Prisons are secure institutions which house juvenile and adult felons with sentences that range from one year to life who are remanded to the custody of a state or federal correctional agency for incarceration. These facilities have the task of carrying out the sentence imposed by the courts as well as protecting the public by preventing escapes through maintaining custody and safe and secure institutions. As well, these facilities are charged with the responsibility of providing all of the programs and services necessary to care for the inmate population remanded to their custody. Prisons are operated by all 50 states and the District of Columbia, the federal government, and the military. Each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia operates its own correctional system; as such, there is considerable variation in terms of the organization, administration, operation, and management of these facilities as well as the programs and services offered. However, in the majority of state systems the administration of the prison is the function of the executive branch of state government in which the governor appoints a state director (also known as commissioner or secretary) to oversee the administration and operations of the state prison system ( Clear & Cole 2003 ). The Federal Bureau of Prisons is responsible both for juvenile and adult offenders who have been convicted of ... log in or subscribe to read full text