Punishments for misdemeanors range from community service to incarceration and fines up to $4,000. Felonies carry up to life imprisonment or death penalty and up to $375.000 in fines. The American prison system is divided into jails and prisons. Those committing misdemeanors are confined to jail for a short period of time with a sentence of less than 12 months. Local police departments and county sheriffs administer jails. On the other hand, individuals convicted of felonies go to prison for longer periods with sentences of more than a year. A state or the federal government administers the prison system.
The facilities in which individuals who violate state and federal laws serve their time depends on the length of their sentence, the degree of the infractions they committed, or the types of convictions they received. This series talks about the American prison system, and most importantly, it establishes the differences between jail and prison and which one of these two criminals go to for misdemeanor or felony conviction.
But before I dive into the differences between jail and prison, allow me to explain to you the two degrees of convictions that land criminals in jail or prison. The two degrees of conviction are misdemeanor and felony. For a misdemeanor conviction, the perpetrator receives a short-term sentence and goes to jail. In contrast, for a felony, the perpetrator receives a long-term sentence and goes to prison.
A misdemeanor is typically a crime punishable by less than 12 months in jail or a crime where the punishment is community service, probation, fines. Vandalism, trespassing, disorderly conduct or crimes whose monetary penalty is no more $4,000 is a misdemeanor.
A felony is a high-seriousness crime with a potential punishment of over a year of incarceration. However, in certain felony cases, the defendant may receive a sentence of under a year of incarceration. For felonies, the penalties range from two years to life imprisonment without parole or death penalty.
Now that I have explained to you what misdemeanor and felony are and their consequences, let me explain to you what jail and prison are.
So what is jail?
Jail is for short-term detention for low level or less serious crimes. Local law enforcement and local governments, such as police departments and county sheriffs, have jurisdiction over the jail system. Each police department has a jail, not only to incarcerate criminals who committed misdemeanors but also to hold individuals who are awaiting trial or individuals who are waiting to be transferred to regular prisons.
When a police officer arrests an individual for whatever reason, the officer takes him first to jail for processing. Once that individual goes to trial, and the judge convicts him, if the judge sentences him for a misdemeanor, he will return to the police department or county jail. However, if the judge condemns him of a felony, whether it is for less than a year, the sheriff’s deputy will transport him to prison.
So, what is prison?
When you hear someone goes to prison, know that that person becomes the state of federal property because the state government or the Federal Bureau of Prisons runs the prison system. Prisons incarcerate for long term individuals convicted of more serious crimes, such as murders, sexual assault, drug related crimes. Prisons range from low security to maximum security.
In summary, punishments for misdemeanors range from community service to incarceration and fines up to $4,000. Felonies carry up to life imprisonment or death penalty and up to $375.000 in fines. The American prison system is divided into jails and prisons. Those committing misdemeanors are confined to jail for a short period of time with a sentence of less than 12 months. Local police departments and county sheriffs administer jails. On the other hand, individuals convicted of felonies go to prison for longer periods with sentences of more than a year. A state or the federal government administers the prison system.
Before I let you go, let me ask you a question. When a person is sentenced to 18 months of incarceration and another is on death row, in which type of facility do you think they will serve their sentence? Text your answer to 618-823-8701.
But before I dive into the differences between jail and prison, allow me to explain to you the two degrees of convictions that land criminals in jail or prison. The two degrees of conviction are misdemeanor and felony. For a misdemeanor conviction, the perpetrator receives a short-term sentence and goes to jail. In contrast, for a felony, the perpetrator receives a long-term sentence and goes to prison.
A misdemeanor is typically a crime punishable by less than 12 months in jail or a crime where the punishment is community service, probation, fines. Vandalism, trespassing, disorderly conduct or crimes whose monetary penalty is no more $4,000 is a misdemeanor.
A felony is a high-seriousness crime with a potential punishment of over a year of incarceration. However, in certain felony cases, the defendant may receive a sentence of under a year of incarceration. For felonies, the penalties range from two years to life imprisonment without parole or death penalty.
Now that I have explained to you what misdemeanor and felony are and their consequences, let me explain to you what jail and prison are.
So what is jail?
Jail is for short-term detention for low level or less serious crimes. Local law enforcement and local governments, such as police departments and county sheriffs, have jurisdiction over the jail system. Each police department has a jail, not only to incarcerate criminals who committed misdemeanors but also to hold individuals who are awaiting trial or individuals who are waiting to be transferred to regular prisons.
When a police officer arrests an individual for whatever reason, the officer takes him first to jail for processing. Once that individual goes to trial, and the judge convicts him, if the judge sentences him for a misdemeanor, he will return to the police department or county jail. However, if the judge condemns him of a felony, whether it is for less than a year, the sheriff’s deputy will transport him to prison.
So, what is prison?
When you hear someone goes to prison, know that that person becomes the state of federal property because the state government or the Federal Bureau of Prisons runs the prison system. Prisons incarcerate for long term individuals convicted of more serious crimes, such as murders, sexual assault, drug related crimes. Prisons range from low security to maximum security.
In summary, punishments for misdemeanors range from community service to incarceration and fines up to $4,000. Felonies carry up to life imprisonment or death penalty and up to $375.000 in fines. The American prison system is divided into jails and prisons. Those committing misdemeanors are confined to jail for a short period of time with a sentence of less than 12 months. Local police departments and county sheriffs administer jails. On the other hand, individuals convicted of felonies go to prison for longer periods with sentences of more than a year. A state or the federal government administers the prison system.
Before I let you go, let me ask you a question. When a person is sentenced to 18 months of incarceration and another is on death row, in which type of facility do you think they will serve their sentence? Text your answer to 618-823-8701.