The Argentine Penal Code lays the foundation for prosecuting criminal cases. According to Argentine law, the FPS is a national security force charged with providing custody of persons who have received penal sanctions. The FPS consists of the National Directorate, 28 assigned institutions, personnel from the Federal Penitentiary Corps, specialized civilian personnel, and other organizations. Federal prisoners in Argentina are predominantly young, male, urban, less educated, and blue collar. Most are first offenders, and most are in pretrial confinement and are released without further judicial action. More than one-third are confined for crimes against persons, and another one-third are confined for crimes against property. About 31 percent of sentenced prisoners have confinement terms of less than 5 years. Another 41 percent have sentences ranging from 6 to 10 years. The National Penitentiary Law supplementing the Penal Code directs that penal authorities use rehabilitation, education, and other programs to rehabilitate prisoners and prevent further crime. An appendix lists FPS prison units. 23 references and 3 tables