American Prisons

We're constantly seeing depictions of the American prison system through movies and TV, but are the correctional facilities we see in movies like The Green Mile an accurate representation of what these places are really like? The answer may be that it depends on where you are in the country, and what kind of American prison you're in. Like many countries, there are different American prisons for different degrees of severity of the crime committed, but in the States, there are also differences to be found between penitentiaries because some are Federally run, where as others are run by individual States. Let's take a closer look at how the American prison system is unique!

The American Prison system has one of the highest rates of both incarceration and recidivism (rate of re-offence) of any first world country. Some facilities are under the jurisdiction of the Federal law, where as others are governed by the state in which they are located. The sentencing of criminals varies from State to State, as different laws apply. The largest facility in the USA is the Cooke County facility which is located in Chicago. This facility is so large that it encompasses several different levels of security, as well as a separate women's wing.

The facilities in the USA are classified in with regards to the level of security they provide. A minimum security facility allows inmates to live in bungalow-type quarters and move about more or less freely. A medium security facility still allows for freedom of movement during the day, but inmates are subject to lock down at night. Close security facilities usually have more than one inmate sharing a cell, which is operated from a remote post by the guard. The cells contain their own toilet, and inmates are allowed to leave their cells to participate in programmes. Maximum security facilities incarcerate inmates in individual cells and movement is limited. SuperMax facilities are extremely secure and are famous for harsh conditions that draw the attention of human rights groups. Infamous criminals and serial killers are usually kept in these facilities.

Why not research some of the more famous prisons in US history to learn more about how the United States Penal System has developed?