Types of prisons

Throughout history there have been many different types of prisons, and the same is true of correctional facilities today. When most people think of what happens to criminals after sentencing, if they take the time to think about it at all, they tend to assume that everyone goes to basically the same types of prisons, regardless of the crime they have been charged with. The reality is, this would not only be impractical, it would also be costly. As a result, there are several different types of prisons a sentenced criminal can be sent to, and the facility selected generally reflects the length of the sentence, the severity of the crime, and gender of the individual. So what are the most common types of prisons in the UK and beyond?

Military/ Political facilities house political prisoners and prisoners of war, whose freedom is considered a grave threat to the country in which they are incarcerated. They also house military personnel who have been found guilty of a serious crime.

Ecclesiastical facilities, are historic rather than current ones, and date back to the medieval times when churches had a degree of political power. People committed to these types of facilities were expected to use their time inside for contemplation of their wrongs. Juvenile facilities are for offenders who are under 18 years of age. Women's facilities, as the title suggests, these facilities are for women only. Some facilities allow infants and babies to stay with their mothers until such time as the child is no longer dependant.

Minimum Security facilities house inmates who are considered to pose little or no threat to the public. These facilities often allow inmates a lot of freedom on the compound. Medium Security facilities a step up from Minimum in so much as they do lock the inmates in their cells at night, but they still provide freedom to roam the compound by day.

Maximum Security facilities are extremely secure and are mostly for violent offenders. Sometimes inmates are locked in their cells for up to 23 hours a day. SuperMax facilities are for extremely dangerous and violent offenders, and often house high profile inmates such as serial killers. The security is extremely tight and the conditions are so harsh that they are often flagged by human rights groups. Why not research into the types of facilities found in your area?