The historical discussion points out that the jail was not a 'planned' enterprise, but resulted from short-term expediency in response to historical events. The descriptive material on the jail covers the various forms of administration and control, recordkeeping practices, inmate characteristics, physical plant, jail personnel, operating costs, prisoner handling, jail security, food services, medical care, prisoner hygiene, inmate rights and privileges, and work and treatment programs. Fundamental problems noted are jails' efforts to perform both detention and corrections functions, inefficiency and waste in jail operations, the destructive impact of the jail experience on prisoners, and jails' resistance to reform efforts. The discussion of reform includes suggestions for criminal law reform to formulate alternatives to jail for dealing with many persons currently detained in jails. Some of the barriers to reform are noted to be public apathy and misunderstanding about the proper role of the jail, local political interests, short-term convenience, and organization by localized political boundaries. The proposed sequence of reform efforts aims at dealing with these barriers to reform. Extensive footnotes are provided.