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Inside American Prisons and Jails

NCJ Number
179469
Author(s)
George E. Rush Ph.D.
Date Published
1997
Length
208 pages
Annotation
This volume describes the history and contemporary nature of prisons and jails and provides profiles of the correctional systems and adult correctional institutions of each State.
Abstract
The text is intended to serve as a reference source for criminology and criminal justice students, persons aspiring to enter the occupation of corrections, practitioners, and those with an interest in the topic. The introduction describes the correctional reforms that grew out of the 18th century Enlightenment and notes that prisons as they are now known in the United States and Europe had their beginning in the eastern United States in the early 19th century. They were intended to emphasize reform instead of punishment and to correct the poor conditions and inmate idleness that characterized local jails. The text continues with a description of contemporary prisons and jails and a discussion of the increasing acceptance of podular direct supervision jails, which are often called new generation jails. The profile for each State lists the address of the State Department of Corrections; the name, location, opening date, capacity, average daily population, security level, and main purpose of each adult correctional institution; and the numbers of juvenile and community-based correctional facilities. Military facilities and Federal prison construction are also discussed. Figures and tables