History and Function of Jails

• Jails have origins in the "gaols" of feudal England, operated by sheriffs to hold accused persons awaiting trial.
• The English jail model was adopted in the Colonies with the same primary function.
• In the 1800s, jails began housing those convicted of minor offenses with short sentences and were also used for the mentally ill and vagrants.
• The development of separate juvenile justice and state hospitals reduced the burden of caring for juveniles and the mentally ill.
• Today's jails serve local criminal justice systems by providing secure detention at various points in the legal process.
• Commonly serve agencies include local law enforcement, state police, wildlife conservation, and federal authorities.
• Jails respond to many needs in the criminal justice system and play a crucial role in every tier of American criminal justice.
• Running a jail is complicated due to the diverse population it serves, unlike the relatively homogenous populations in prisons.
• Jails accommodate men, women, children, and adults, including both serious and minor offenders.
• Jails often house individuals with mental illness, alcoholism, and drug addiction.
• Jail staff must accomplish two major functions: intake and custody.

Booking and Intake

• Booking and intake provide a secure environment to assess potentially dangerous individuals and determine the risk they pose to the public.

Custody

• Custody involves depriving individuals of their liberty for reasons such as pretrial detention and punishment.

Pretrial Detention

• Jails hold accused persons pending arraignment and awaiting trial, conviction, or sentencing.
• Over half of jail inmates are accused of crimes and awaiting trial.
• The average time between arrest and sentencing is about six months.
• Jails also hold probation and parole violators and absconders for judicial hearings.
• The main purpose of pretrial detention is to protect the public and ensure the accused appear at trial, not to punish.
• There are about 3,300 jails in the United States, primarily a local concern.
• Jails safely and securely hold a variety of offenders for short periods.
• Jails hold criminal defendants awaiting processing and those convicted of crimes with jail sentences; hold prisoners for other agencies such as departments of corrections.
• Jail size varies widely depending on the jurisdiction and population density.
• Rural jails tend to be small, while jails in large population centers are massive complexes.
• Jurisdictions are combining jails into regional detention facilities to increase efficiency, security, and prisoners’ rights.

Punishment

• Jails house criminal defendants after arrest, defendants appear before a judge.
• Judges consider the charges against the defendant and the defendant’s risk of flight when determining bail.
• Defendants may be remanded to jail custody until trial, released on bail, or released on their own recognizance.
• Jails house offenders sentenced to jail terms for misdemeanor offenses, usually for less than one year.
• Jail sentences aim to deter offenders from future crimes (specific deterrence) and dissuade potential criminals (general deterrence).
• Rehabilitation and reintegration are secondary goals due to the jail environment and limited resources.
• Counselors provide some opportunities for counseling to change future behavior.

Functions

• Jails transfer and transport inmates to other authorities.
• Jails also hold mentally ill persons awaiting transfer to mental health facilities, individuals wanted by the armed forces, individuals for protective custody, individuals for contempt of court, and witnesses for the courts.
• Overcrowding in prisons has led to state and federal inmates being held in jails.
• Community-based sanctions are common tasks, such as work details engaged in public services.

Jail Populations

• Arrestees often have complex problems such as substance abuse, alcohol dependency, and mental issues.
• Inmates may have medical, psychological, and emotional problems; jail staff may see fear, anxiety, etc.
• Emotional states are mirrored in behaviors, and staff must deal with noncompliant, suicidal, or violent inmates.
• Jails are responsible for the health and wellbeing of inmates in custody.
• Jail administrators have little discretion over who goes to jail.
• Laws, policies, probation, parole officers, law enforcement, and judges, determine who goes to jail, and for how long.
• Community attitudes are important because voters influence arrest and prosecution rates.

Juvenile Detention

• Jails temporarily detain juveniles pending transfer to juvenile authorities.
• Juvenile incarceration is trending toward lower numbers and local facilities.
• The juvenile offender population dropped 14% from 2010 to 2012.
• For the first time since 2000, more offenders were in local facilities than state-operated ones in 2015.
• Security in juvenile facilities varies widely by jurisdiction.
• Locking youth in "sleeping rooms" is a measure of security; state agencies (61%) are more likely to do this than private agencies (11%).
• More than half of all facilities have one or more confinement features like locked doors and gates.
• Juvenile detention occurs in different environments; the most common type of facility is residential treatment centers followed by detention centers.
• Classifications such as group home, training school, shelter, wilderness camp, and diagnostic center are also used.
• Group homes and shelters tend to be privately owned, while detention centers are often state-run.
• Inmates entering a prison system are assessed at a classification or reception facility for various factors.
• The goal of assessments is to determine dangerousness and treatment options.
• Prison personnel assign offenders to a facility based on assessment results.
• The primary concern is safety, followed by bed space and inmate needs.
• Prisoners have almost no control over where they are confined.
• Transfers to facilities closer to family may be allowed, subject to security and bed space.
• Female inmates may be housed far from family due to the limited number of female facilities.