Prisons in the United States are operated by both the federal and state governments as incarceration is a concurrent power under the Constitution of the United States. Imprisonment is one of the main forms of punishment for the commission of felony offenses in the United States. Less serious offenders, including those convicted of misdemeanor offenses, may be sentenced to a short term in a local jail or with alternative forms of sanctions such as community corrections (halfway house), probation, and/or restitution. In the United States, prisons are operated at various levels of security, ranging from minimum-security prisons that mainly house non-violent offenders to Supermax facilities that house well-known criminals and terrorists such as Terry Nichols, Zacarias Moussaoui, and Richard Reid. This article describes the government of the United States. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      A U.S. state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... This article is considered orphaned, since there are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... Page I of the Constitution of the United States of America Page II of the United States Constitution Page III of the United States Constitution Page IV of the United States Constitution The Syng inkstand, with which the Constitution was signed The Constitution of the United States is the supreme... Look up Punishment in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For the record label, see Felony Records The term felony is a term used in common law systems for very serious crimes, whereas misdemeanors are considered to be less serious offenses. ... In law, an offense is a violation of the penal law. ... A misdemeanor, or misdemeanour, in many common law legal systems, is a lesser criminal act. ... Sanctions are usually monetary fines, levied against a party to a legal action or his attorney, for violating rules of procedure, or for abusing the judicial process. ... A halfway house is a term for a drug rehabilitation center or sex offender center where drug users or sex offenders respectively are allowed to move more freely than in a correctional center but are still monitored by staff and/or law enforcement. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Restitution is the name given to a form of legal relief in which the plaintiff recovers something from the defendant that belongs, or should belong, to the plaintiff. ... Supermax is the name used to describe control-unit prisons, or units within prisons, which represent the most secure levels of custody in prison systems. ... Terry Lynn Nichols (born April 1, 1955) was convicted of being an accomplice of Timothy McVeigh, the man convicted of murder in the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA, April 19, 1995), which claimed 168 lives. ... This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling. ... Richard Colvin Reid (born August 12, 1973), also known as the shoe bomber, is an individual convicted on charges of terrorism currently serving a life sentence in the United States. ...

The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world. More people are behind bars in the United States than any other country. As of 2006, a record 7 million people were behind bars, on probation or on parole. Of the total, 2.2 million were incarcerated. The People's Republic of China ranks second with 1.5 million, though China has over three times the population of the US. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... It has been suggested that Medical parole be merged into this article or section. ...

Federalism

The federal government, states, counties, and many individual cities have facilities to confine people. Generally, "prison" refers to facilities for holding convicted felons (offenders who commit crimes where the sentence is more than one year). Individuals awaiting trial, being held pending citations for non-custodial offenses, and those convicted of misdemeanors (crimes which carry a sentence of less than one year), are generally held in county jails. In most states, cities operate small jail facilities, sometimes simply referred to as "lock-ups", used only for very short-term incarceration—can be held for up to 72 business hours or up to five days—until the prisoner comes before a judge for the first time or receives a citation or summons before being released or transferred to a larger jail. Some states operate "unified" systems, where the state operates all the jails and prisons. The federal government also operates various "detention centers" in major urban areas or near federal courthouses to hold defendants appearing in federal court. A summons is a legal document issued by a court (a judicial summons) or by an administrative agency of government (an administrative summons) for various purposes. ...

Many of the smaller county and city jails do not classify prisoners (that is, there is no separation by offense type and other factors). While some of these small facilities operate as "close security" facilities, to prevent prisoner-on-prisoner violence and increase overall security, others may put many prisoners into the same cells without regard to the criminal histories of the prisoners. Other local jails are large and have many different security levels. For example, one of the largest jails in the United States is in Cook County (located in Chicago). This facility has eleven different divisions (including one medical unit and two units for women prisoners), each classified at a different security level, ranging from dormitory style open housing to super-secure lock-down. In California, to prevent violence, prisoners are segregated by race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation while held in county jails and in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's reception centers, where newly committed prisoners are assessed prior to being transferred to their "mainline" (long-term) institutions. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Flag Seal Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location Location in Chicagoland and northern Illinois Coordinates , Government Country State Counties United States Illinois Cook, DuPage Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 606. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) is responsible for the operation of the California state prison and parole systems. ...

Sentencing

A judge sentences a person convicted of a crime. The length of the prison term depends upon multiple factors including the severity and type of the crime, state and/or federal sentencing guidelines, the convicted's criminal record, and the personal discretion of the judge. These factors may be different in each state and in the federal system as well. The vast majority of criminal convictions arise from plea bargains, in which an agreement is made between prosecutors and defense council for the defendant to plead guilty to a lesser charge for a lesser sentence than they would receive if found guilty at trial. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Federal Sentencing Guidelines are rules that set out a uniform sentencing policy for convicted defendants in the United States federal court system. ... A plea bargain (also plea agreement, plea deal or copping a plea) is an agreement in a criminal case in which a prosecutor and a defendant arrange to settle the case against the defendant. ...

Some prisoners are given life sentences. In some states, a life sentence means life, without the possibility of parole. In other states, people with life sentences are eligible for parole. In same cases the death penalty may be applicable. Capital punishment, or the death penalty, is the execution of a convicted criminal by the state as punishment for crimes known as capital crimes or capital offences. ...

Indeterminate sentencing

For people serving indeterminate sentences, the judge will sentence them to a range of years (e.g., 5-50 years). The legislature generally sets a relatively short minimum term one must spend in prison (e.g., 1/3 of the minimum sentence), after which a parole board sets the actual date of prison release. Some states establish a set of criteria the parole board must follow; in other states, the decision is discretionary.

Sometimes criticized, indeterminate sentences may lead to inequitable results, allowing too much subjectivity by individual members of parole boards to influence release decisions. This has resulted in charges of racial discrimination. On the other hand, others have argued that indeterminate sentences provide prisoners with an incentive to take advantage of programs designed for rehabilitation and allow prison authorities to release someone once rehabilitation occurs.

Determinate sentencing

A person given a determinate sentence either serves the entire sentence given by the judge, or the offender may earn "points which may be applied toward the incarceration length (known by different names in different states, such as comp. time, day-for-day time, etc.) based on a set of criteria established by statute and regulations. The date of release is objective and is not subject to discretion.

In the mid-1970s, most states and the federal system moved away from indeterminate sentencing toward determinate sentences (also known as "truth in sentencing"). Since 2000, there has been the beginning of a movement back toward some degree of indeterminacy in sentences. Many states have some mixture of the two. For example, Illinois' prisoners since 1978 have been given determinate sentences; however, there are various programs (such as substance abuse counseling) that will result in reduction of sentences, and the Director of the Department of Corrections has discretion to reduce every sentence by 180 days for "meritorious" activities. Official language(s) English[1] Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Largest metro area Chicago Metropolitan Area Area  Ranked 25th  - Total 57,918 sq mi (149,998 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 390 miles (629 km)  - % water 4. ...

Security levels

Prisoners reside in different facilities that vary by security level, especially in security measures, administration of inmates, type of housing, and weapons and tactics used by corrections officers. The federal government's Bureau of Prisons uses a numbered scale from one to six to represent the security level. Level six is the most secure, while level one is the least. The Federal Bureau of Prisons is a subdivision of the United States Department of Justice, and is responsible for the administration of the federal prison system. ...

State prison systems operate similar systems. California, for example, classifies its facilities from Reception Center through Levels I through IV (minimum to maximum security) to specialized high security units (all considered Level IV) including Security Housing Unit (SHU)—California's version of supermax—and related units.

As a general rule, county jails, detention centers, and reception centers, where new commitments are first held either while awaiting trial or before being transferred to "mainline" institutions to serve out their sentences, operate at a relatively high level of security, usually close security or higher.

Supermax

Supermax prison facilities provide the highest level of prison security. These units hold those considered the most dangerous inmates. These include serial killers, inmates who have committed assaults, murders or other serious violations in less secure facilities, high-profile criminals such as Theodore Kaczynski, Terry Nichols, Zacarias Moussaoui, and inmates known to be or accused of being prison gang members. Supermax is the name used to describe control-unit prisons, or units within prisons, which represent the most secure levels of custody in prison systems. ... Serial killers are individuals who have a history of multiple slayings of victims who were usually unknown to them beforehand. ... The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ... Terry Lynn Nichols (born April 1, 1955) was convicted of being an accomplice of Timothy McVeigh, the man convicted of murder in the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA, April 19, 1995), which claimed 168 lives. ... This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling. ... Prison gang is a term used to denote any type of gang activity in prisons and correctional facilities. ...

The United States Federal Bureau of Prisons operates one such facility: ADX Florence, built specifically as a supermax facility in 1994. United States Penitentiary, Marion was a supermax but has been downgraded to a medium security facility. Utilizing a penal construction and operation theory known as the "control unit" prison, the conditions of these facilities are considered harsh by some human rights watchdog organizations. Inmates generally spend 23 or more hours per day in their cells, with the additional hour spent either in a supervised one-man shower, or in an "outdoor" recreation area, generally a solid-walled pen twice the size of a cell, also used in solitary confinement. The United States Federa Bureau of Prisons (FBP) is a subordinate directorate of the United States Department of Justice. ... The ADX Florence facility from the outside The United States Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility (ADX) in Florence, CO. is a supermax prison in Florence, Colorado, USA. It is unofficially known as ADX Florence, Florence ADMAX, Supermax, or The Alcatraz of the Rockies. ... U.S. Penitentiary at Marion, Illinois. ... Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ... A watchdog originally referred to a dogs job, but now has been used in additional contexts with the same implication of watching or safeguarding: For the dogs job, see guard dog. ...

The cells in ADX Florence minimize social contact and increase isolation between cellmates and the external prison workings. The cells, usually 3.5 x 2 meters (7 ft x 12 ft) are constructed with solid doors, with no windows and a locked food port, and are nearly completely soundproofed. Drains and drainpipes leading to the cells, which in USP Marion provided a method of communication and passage of contraband between cells, route to a central damping location. Telephone privileges are virtually non-existent, as is any access to the internet. All mail, except pre-announced legal communications, is opened, read, and censored. No physical contact is allowed with visitors. Prisoners receiving visitors are isolated in sealed compartments and speak by telephone. The windows of the cells are very small and designed to give no actual view of any other part of the prison (in order to prevent a prisoner from knowing his location and thus discouraging escape attempts). Access to ADX Florence is through a tunnel, and the prison is explicitly designed to be defensible against armed attacks from the outside. The United States Penitentiary is a supermax classified prison located in Marion, Illinois. ... U.S. Marshals observing a prisoner transport to prevent escapes Escape from prison via helicopter is seen as a major threat. ...

Some prisoners at ADX Florence are part of a step-down program, where they are gradually rewarded for good behavior by being allowed more common-area interactions. These prisoners, if they complete the program, will transfer back to a maximum-security facility.

Although the U.S. federal government only operates one facility of this nature, many states are following suit by building segregation units in existing prisons or whole new facilities (such as the Ohio State Penitentiary) built on the same model. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Maximum security

In a maximum security prison or area, all prisoners have individual cells with sliding doors controlled from a secure remote control station. Often prisoners are confined in their cells 23 hours per day, but in some institutions, prisoners are allowed out of their cells for most of the day. When out of their cells, prisoners remain in the cellblock or an exterior cage. Movement out of the cellblock or "pod" is tightly restricted using restraints and escorts by correctional officers.

Close security

Under close security, prisoners usually have one or two person cells operated from a remote control station. Each cell has its own toilet and sink. Inmates may leave their cells for work assignments or correctional programs and otherwise may be allowed in a common area in the cellblock or an exercise yard. The fences are generally double fences with watchtowers, housing armed guards, plus often a third, lethal-current electric fence in the middle.

Medium and minimum security

Prisoners that fall into the medium security group may sleep in dormitories on bunk beds with lockers to store their possessions. They may have communal showers, toilets and sinks. Dormitories are locked at night with one or more correctional officers supervising. There is less supervision over the internal movements of prisoners. The perimeter is generally double fenced and regularly patrolled.

Prisoners in minimum security facilities are considered to pose little physical risk to the public and are mainly non-violent "white collar criminals". Minimum security prisoners live in less-secure dormitories, which are regularly patrolled by correctional officers. As in medium security facilities, they have communal showers, toilets, and sinks. White-collar crimes (a term coined by Edwin Sutherland in 1939) or Business crimes are those crimes specifically performed by white collar employees. ...

A minimum-security facility generally has a single fence that is watched, but not patrolled, by armed guards. At facilities in very remote and rural areas, there may be no fence at all. Prisoners may often work on community projects, such as roadside litter cleanup with the state department of transportation or wilderness conservation. Many minimum security facilities are small camps located in or near military bases, larger prisons (outside the security perimeter) or other government institutions to provide a convenient supply of convict labor to the institution. Many states allow persons in minimum-security facilities access to the internet.

California

San Quentin State Prison

The California penal system (which had 170,588 inmates as of 2007 - 475 inmates per 100,000 state residents) has been the focus of attention for growing influence upon the state's political arena. Former Governor Gray Davis was accused of favoring the prison guard union more than the interests of education. Allegations of prisoner abuse gave rise to increased attention of the prison oversight committees. Accusations of police guard favoritism by these committees have occurred as well. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (3072x1465, 257 KB) Summary I took this photo from the parking lot Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (3072x1465, 257 KB) Summary I took this photo from the parking lot Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The sprawling San Quentin prison complex. ... Joseph Graham Davis Jr. ...

The California system has been a focus and origin of many trends in prison conditions within the United States as a whole. The state's large and diverse population, large size, large urban areas, history of gang and drug-related crime, tough sentencing laws and its status as an entry point to the U.S. for both immigrants and drugs has given California a large and complex prison environment. With more than 170,000 prisoners occupying facilities designed for 83,000, California prisons are overcrowded, with most facilities holding more than 200% of their design capacity, forcing prisoners to triple-bunk in open gymnasiums and day rooms. For other uses, see Gang (disambiguation). ... DEA Operation Mallorca, 2005 Drug deal Illegal drugs are related to crime in multiple ways. ... Immigration is the act of moving to or settling in another country or region, temporarily or permanently. ... Map of countries by population density (See List of countries by population density. ...

The system, like the state as a whole, lacks a racial/ethnic majority among the population, with Hispanic inmates making up approximately 37% of the population, black and white inmates each representing about 27%, and other inmates representing 8% as of 2006. Prisoner identification and affiliation is tied closely to race and region of the state, which has contributed to tension and violence within the system. There has been a long running racial tension between African American and Mexican American prison gangs and significant riots in California prisons where Mexican inmates and African Americans have targeted each other particularly, based on racial reasons.^[1] California is the birthplace of many of the country's most powerful and best-known prison gangs, such as the Aryan Brotherhood and Surenos 13 that branch of another powerful and best-known prison gang the Mexican Mafia. State efforts against these gangs made California a pioneer in the development of Security Housing Unit "supermax" control-unit facilities. Hispanics in the United States, or Hispanic Americans, are American citizens or residents of Hispanic ethnicity who identify themselves as having Hispanic Cultural heritage. ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... The term white American (often used interchangeably with Caucasian American[3] and within the United States simply white[4]) is an umbrella term that refers to people of European, Middle Eastern, and North African descent residing in the United States. ... This is a chronological list of riots: // 121 BC - Roman Election Riot of 121 BC (Rome, Roman Empire) 113 BC - Roman Election Riot of 113 BC (Rome, Roman Empire) 390 - Hippodrome Revolt (Thessaloniki, Byzantine Empire). ... The Aryan Brotherhood, (also known as the AB or The Brand) is a prison gang numbering about 15,000 members in and out of prison. ... The Mexican Mafia (MM) or La eMe (eMe) is a Mexican-American criminal prison gang in the United States. ... Supermax is the name used to describe control-unit prisons, the most secure prisons in the prison systems of the United States and other countries. ...

The overcrowded conditions and accusations of inadequate medical facilities and mistreatment have caused the federal courts to intervene in the system's operation since the 1990s, appointing special oversight and enforcing consent decrees over the system's medical system and the SHU units and capping populations at several facilities. As of 2007, the state has plans to continue to expand the system and to involuntarily transfer inmates to other states or federal prisons. Also as of 2007, by order of federal courts, the system's medical system is under federal receivership, and a federal court may impose a mandatory limit on the system's total population by June 2007. Bankruptcy is a legally declared inability or impairment of ability of an individual or organization to pay their creditors. ...

Population statistics

[[1]]

In recent decades the U.S. has experienced a surge in its prison population, quadrupling since 1980, partially as a result of mandated sentences that came about during the "war on drugs" and despite the decline in violent crime and property crime since the early 1990s^[2]. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (465x1339, 338 KB) I made this map with data collected from the 2006 ACA Directory of Prisons I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (465x1339, 338 KB) I made this map with data collected from the 2006 ACA Directory of Prisons I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Massive mark-ups for drugs, areas/drugs/index. ...

As of 2004, the three states with the lowest ratio of imprisoned to civilian population are Maine (148 per 100,000), Minnesota (171 per 100,000), and Rhode Island (175 per 100,000). The three states with the highest ratio are Louisiana (816 per 100,000), Texas (694 per 100,000), and Mississippi (669 per 100,000). ^[3] Official language(s) None (English and French de facto) Capital Augusta Largest city Portland Area  Ranked 39th  - Total 33,414 sq mi (86,542 km²)  - Width 210 miles (338 km)  - Length 320 miles (515 km)  - % water 13. ... Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Area  Ranked 12th  - Total 87,014 sq mi (225,365 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 400 miles (645 km)  - % water 8. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... Official language(s) No official language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Largest metro area Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ...

In terms of federal prison, 57% of those incarcerated were sentenced for drug offenses. Currently, considering local jails as well, almost one million of those incarcerated are in prison for non-violent crime. ^[4] This is a list of U.S. federal prisons. ...

In 2002, 93.2% of prisoners were male. About 10.4% of all black males in the United States between the ages of 25 and 29 were sentenced and in prison, compared to 2.4% of Hispanic males and 1.2% of white males. ^[5]

In 2005, about 1 out of every 136 U.S. residents was incarcerated either in prison or jail.^[6] The total amount being 2,320,359, with 1,446,269 in state and federal prisons and 747,529 in local jails.^[7]

Comparison with other countries

Compared with other countries, the United States has among the highest incarceration rates in the world. More people are behind bars in the United States than any other country, according to available official figures. As of 2006, a record 7 million people were behind bars, on probation or on parole. Of the total, 2.2 million were incarcerated. China with 20% of the world's population ranks second with a reported 1.5 million followed by Russia with 870,000. However, China's true prison population has been speculated to be considerably higher by activists such as Harry Wu. The United States has 5% of the world's population and 25% of the world's incarcerated population.[2] Professor Harry Wu (in Chinese Wu Hongda 吳弘達) (born 1937) is an activist for human rights in the Peoples Republic of China. ...

In 2006 the incarceration rate in England and Wales is 139 persons imprisoned per 100,000 residents while in Norway it is 59 per 100,000 and in Australia and France it is around 100 inmates per 100,000. In many countries, it is common for prisoners to be paroled after serving as little as one third of their sentences. In the U.S., most states strictly limit parole, requiring that at least half of a sentence be served. For certain heinous crimes, there is no parole and the full sentence must be served. For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... This article is about the country. ...

The prison population in China was 111 per 100,000 in 2001 (sentenced prisoners only), although this figure is highly disputed. Chinese human rights activist Harry Wu, who spent 19 years in forced-labor camps for criticizing the government, estimates that 16 to 20 million of his countrymen are incarcerated, including common criminals, political prisoners, and people in involuntary job placements. Even ten million prisoners would mean a rate of 793 per 100,000.^[8] Professor Harry Wu (in Chinese Wu Hongda 吳弘達) (born 1937) is an activist for human rights in the Peoples Republic of China. ...

Conditions of imprisonment

The non-governmental organization Human Rights Watch raised concerns with prisoner rape and medical care for inmates.^[9] In a survey of 1,788 male inmates in Midwestern prisons by Prison Journal, about 21% claimed they had been coerced or pressured into sexual activity during their incarceration, and 7% claimed that they had been raped in their current facility.^[10] “NGO” redirects here. ... Human Rights Watch Banner Human Rights Watch is a United States-based international non-government organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. ... Custodial rape is a form of rape which takes place while the victim is in custody and constrained from leaving, and the rapist or rapists are an agent of the power that is keeping the victim in custody. ... This article is about the Midwestern region in the United States. ...

In August 2003, a Harper's article by Wil S. Hylton estimated that "somewhere between 20 and 40 % of American prisoners are, at this very moment, infected with hepatitis C". Prisons may outsource medical care to private companies such as Correctional Medical Services, which, according to Hylton's research, try to minimize the amount of care given to prisoners in order to maximize profits. “Harpers” redirects here. ... This page is for the disease. ... Outsourcing became part of the business lexicon during the 1980s and refers to the delegation of non-core operations from internal production to an external entity specializing in the management of that operation. ...

Also identified as an issue, within the prison system is gang violence, because many gang members retain their gang identity and affiliations when imprisoned. Segregation of identified gang members from the general population of inmates, with different gangs being housed in separate units often results in the imprisonment of these gang members with their friends and criminal cohorts. Some feel this has the effect of turning prisons into "institutions of higher criminal learning."^[11] // When one conjures up an image of street gangs in the U.S. it is usually influenced by media portrayals of gun-toting youths engaged in disputes over territory and disrespect. ...

Privatization

In recent years, there has been much debate over the privatization of prisons. The argument for privatization stresses cost reduction, whereas the arguments against it focus on standards of care, and the question of whether a market economy for prisons might not also lead to a market demand for prisoners (tougher sentencing for cheap labor). While privatized prisons have only a short history, there is a long tradition of inmates in state and federal-run prisons undertaking active employment in prison for low pay. This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... A market economy (also called a free market economy or a free enterprise economy) is an economic system in which the production and distribution of goods and services take place through the mechanism of free markets guided by a free price system. ...

The three leading corporations in the private prison business in the U.S. are the Corrections Corporation of America, the GEO Group, and Cornell Companies. Official Logo Corrections Corporation of America (NYSE: CXW) (CCA) is a company that manages public prisons and other facilities[1], and has concessions for many others. ... The GEO Group is an international corporation that works in privitizing correctional facilities. ... Cornell Companies NYSE: CRN is a large American corporation primarily concerned with providing corrections services and facilities to state governments on a contract basis. ...

Private companies which provide services to prisons combine in the American Correctional Association, which advocates legislation favorable to the industry. The American Correctional Association is an association of providers of services to United States. ... Legislation (or statutory law) is law which has been promulgated (or enacted) by a legislature or other governing body. ...

Illegal immigration

270,000 illegal immigrants served jail time in 2003, representing 21% of the federal prison population. It is estimated that currently 27% of federal prison inmates are criminal aliens, noncitizens convicted of crimes while in this country legally or illegally.[3] Illegal immigration is the act of moving to or settling in another country or region, temporarily or permanently, in violation of the law or without documents permitting an immigrant to settle in that country. ...

Criticism

Some feel the high levels of incarceration are due to the long sentences mandated under American law, especially for nonviolent crimes like theft and drug possession. Some also feel that repeat offenders are not properly handled and that more focus should be on rehabilitation, and that shorter sentences would even reduce the criminal culture in general and especially reduce re-arrest rates for first-time convicts. A survey showed that among the nearly 300,000 prisoners released, 67.5% were rearrested within 3 years, and 51.8% were back in prison. ^[12] However, the study found no evidence that spending more time in prison raises the recidivism rate, and found that those serving the longest time, 61 months or more, had a significantly lower re-arrest rate (54.2%) than every other category of prisoner. This is most likely explained by the older average age of those released with the longest sentences, and the study shows a strong negative correlation between recidivism and age of release. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Three strikes laws are a category of statutes enacted by state governments in the United States, beginning in the 1990s, to mandate long periods of imprisonment for persons convicted of a felony on three (or more) separate occasions. ... This theory of punishment is based on the notion that punishment is to be inflicted on a offender so as to reform him, or rehabilitate him so as to make his re-integration into society easier. ...

Some have criticized the United States for having a high amount of non-violent and victimless offenders incarcerated;^[13][14] half of all persons incarcerated under state jurisdiction are for non-violent offences, and 20% are incarcerated for drug offences.^[15][16] "Human Rights Watch believes the extraordinary rate of incarceration in the United States wreaks havoc on individuals, families and communities, and saps the strength of the nation as a whole."^[13]

The United States spends an estimated $60 billion ^[17] each year on corrections. The population of inmates housed in prisons and jails in the United States exceeds 2 million, with the per capita incarceration population higher than that officially reported by any other country. Because of its size and influence, the U.S. prison industry is often referred to as the prison-industrial complex. Criminal justice policy in the United States has also been criticized for the disproportionate representation of African Americans and other minorities. ^[17] To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The prison-industrial complex refers to interest groups that represent organizations that do business in correctional facilities, like prison guard unions, construction companies, and surveillance technology vendors, who become more concerned with making more money than actually rehabilitating criminals or reducing crime rates. ... United States criminal justice system flowchart. ...

See also

• Extraordinary rendition
• Federal Bureau of Prisons
• International Centre for Prison Studies
• Prison education
• United States Department of Justice
  • List of U.S. federal prisons

Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Image File history File links Wikibooks-logo. ... Image File history File links Wikiquote-logo. ... Image File history File links Wikisource-logo. ... Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Image File history File links WikiNews-Logo. ... Image File history File links Wikiversity-logo-Snorky. ... Extraordinary rendition and irregular rendition are terms used to describe the extrajudicial transfer of a person from one state to another with the intent of legally torturing them outside of the jurisdiction of a state which prohibits it. ... The Federal Bureau of Prisons is a subdivision of the United States Department of Justice, and is responsible for the administration of the federal prison system. ... The International Centre for Prison Studies was established in the School of Law, Kings College London, United Kingdom in April 1997. ... Prison education involves vocational training or academic education supplied to prisoners as part of their rehabilitation and preparation for life outside prison. ... The Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building in Washington, D.C. “Justice Department” redirects here. ... This is a list of U.S. federal prisons falling under the jurisdiction of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. ...

Notes

Events Aelfheah (St. ... is the 343rd day of the year (344th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 164th day of the year (165th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 164th day of the year (165th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 164th day of the year (165th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 164th day of the year (165th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Human Rights Watch Banner Human Rights Watch is a United States-based international non-government organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. ... is the 22nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... The Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building in Washington, D.C. “Justice Department” redirects here. ... The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) is the branch of the United States Department of Justice that focuses on crime prevention through research & technology development, assistance to state and local law enforcement and criminal justice agencies through grants, and assistance to crime victims. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 154th day of the year (155th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Bureau of Justice Statistics - Prisoners in 2005
• Women in Prison: How It Is With Us, by Assata Shakur
• Ken Silverstein - U.S.: America's Private Gulag
• "Orleans Parish Prison before and after Katrina" from Dollars & Sense magazine