what is the difference between a Prison and a Penetentiary?

Question

When somebody says that their cousin or relative is in the pen... what are they talking about, and how is this different from prison?

Answer 1

Penitentiaries and prisons are pretty much the same thing. Penitentiary was the original name for prisons and in some older or highly secure prisons they still use this term.

"The Walnut Street Jail, established in 1790 as the first prison designed to house sentenced offenders in the United States, had reformation of the offender as its primary objective. Inmates were expected to read the Bible, reflect on their wrongdoing, and do 'penance' for their crimes. Hence, penitentiary was established as the term used for secure facilities used to hold offenders serving a criminal sentence." (Seiter, 2005).

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

There is no difference. The only thing that separates each name (Correctional Institution, Penitentiary, Correctional Facility) is the level of rehabilitation, counseling etc, the prison focuses on and the level of security (minimum, medium or maximum).

Also, jail is usually for persons convicted of a crime and sentenced to less than a year. Persons sentenced to longer than a year are usually turned over from County Jail to each state's Department of Corrections. At least that is how it works here in Oregon.

Answer 4

"Pen" is short for penitentiary". The words, "prison or penitentiary" are use interchangeably by most people. Various states may actually have different names for such facilities but the only distinction most people make is, "jail" which is usually a short term or temporary situation and "prison or penitentiary" which is where longer more serious sentences are served.

Hope this helps!

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Answer 5

They are the same.

Local city holding cells are run by police. Mainly to sober up drunks or to wait until they can do a "dump" at jails.
Jails are run by counties as pre-court holding.
Once people are sentenced, they go to two places.
Workhouses are for people sentenced to less than a year.
Prisons and "the pen" are exactly the same and are for more than a year.

Answer 6

It is the same prison became short for penitentary and pen soon followed. The may also refer to it as the slammer, cage, big house,and so on.

Criminal Justice Major

Answer 7

Penetentiary
2 : a public institution in which offenders against the law are confined for detention or punishment; specifically : a state or federal prison in the United States
Prison
2 : a place of confinement especially for lawbreakers; specifically : an institution (as one under state jurisdiction) for confinement of persons convicted of serious crimes

Answer 8

there is no difference between prison and penetentary - there is a difference between jail and prison - jail is where yo are housed before trial - you are sentanced to prison you serve your time in the penetentiary (or prison)

Answer 9

pen·i·ten·tia·ry /ˌpɛnɪˈtɛnʃəri/ Pronunciation
–noun 1. a place for imprisonment, reformatory discipline, or punishment, esp. a prison maintained in the U.S. by a state or the federal government for serious offenders.
2. Roman Catholic Church. a tribunal in the Curia Romana, presided over by a cardinal (grand penitentiary), having jurisdiction over certain matters, as penance, confession, dispensation, absolution, and impediments, and dealing with questions of conscience reserved for the Holy.
**
pris·on /ˈprɪzən/
–noun 1. a building for the confinement of persons held while awaiting trial, persons sentenced after conviction, etc.
2. state prison.

Answer 10

I think the pen is for a longer time. Where as in the prison's you have like five and under. I don't know good question though.