What is the difference between a prision and a jail?

Question

Is there a difference? Discuss.

Answer 1

Simple. Prision is state ran (long term). Jail is city or county (short term).

Answer 2

A jail is a county facility and a prison is either federal or state. Usually someone in a jail has a shorter sentence, but not always. Often times a jail will hold people until a crowded prison has room for them.

Answer 3

In the United States, the term jail generally refers to facilities where detainees are locked up for a relatively short time (either while awaiting trial or serving a sentence of one year or less upon conviction for a misdemeanor). Prison and penitentiary typically denote a place where inmates go to serve long terms after having been found guilty of a felony. In the United States, jails are usually operated under the jurisdiction of local (county) governments while prisons are operated under the jurisdiction of state or federal governments.

Answer 4

Prison is the last destination for a convicted felon. While jail is the temporary confinement of a suspect awaiting trial and final decision on his case. Jail is practically situated within a precint or municipality (County) in urban area, while prison normally situated in an isolated place such as desert area or an island (Alcatraz), where escape of prisoners where somewhat difficult.

Answer 5

A prison is a place for the rehabilitation of people who have committed crimes and have been convicted of those crimes by a court , while a jail is a holding cell meant for people who havent been convicted yet by a court of law.
The jail is more temporary than the prison, while the Prison is long term.

Answer 6

A city or county jail is usually a short term detention center to hold prisoners until a court date or for mostly misdemeanor crimes. A state or federal prison hold more serious criminals and usually for longer sentences, some times life.

Answer 7

Prisons are either state or federally funded and used for fulfilling sentences handed out by courts. Jails are generally county or city funded and used to hold prisoners on a temporary basis while awaiting arraignment or trial.

Answer 8

Jails are pre-trial holding facilities and are usually operated by city governments. Prisons are post conviction places of confinement. They can be city/state run or privately held and run facilities.

In many cases the government pays privately owned prisons to house their inmates for them. The expense of building and operating jails and prisons have paved the way for more privately run institutions. Governments are finding it much easier to allow privately owned and operated facilities to house inmates than to do so themselves...its cheaper. Always about the dollar.

Answer 9

Jail is usually a short-term stay place attached to the police station.

A prison is for long-term convicted prisoners where you get an extended vacation in pretty miserable conditions.

Answer 10

Prison is federal or state and jail is usually run by the county.
Prison is more high security than jail.