Prison

The prison at a police station in Germany

A prison is a building where convicted criminals are held.

Prisons are run by the government. Other words for prison include "penitentiary", "jail" or "gaol" (pronounced like "jail"), and "correctional facility".

A person who has been charged with a crime, but has not yet been convicted for it in a court, may be sent to prison if:

• the police have arrested the person and are deciding whether to send them to court,
• the court thinks that the person may not come to their trial,
• the court thinks that the person may be a danger to the community, or
• the court has asked for bail but the person cannot pay the amount.

People held in prisons are called inmates or prisoners. The word convicts may also be used, but only if they have been sentenced to prison because of a crime.

People who have been sentenced to death are also kept in prison until their execution.

In some countries, prisons are also used for political prisoners (people who disagree with the country's leader or government). In times of war, prisoners of war may also be held in prisons.

Prison buildings and facilities

Male and female inmates are usually kept in separate locations or in separate prisons. Prisons are usually surrounded by walls and gates. There are usually many locked gates inside the prison to control the inmates.

The inmates sleep in small locked rooms called cells. Cells have a bunk bed, a toilet, and a sink. Inmates are allowed to leave their cell every day for exercise. Some inmates work in the prison during the day, either in a factory or doing cooking or cleaning. Law enforcement officers called prison guards watch the inmates. The manager of a prison is called the warden.

Prisons usually also include other buildings and facilities, such as a chapel, a library, an exercise yard, a gymnasium, an infirmary (small hospital), visiting rooms (for visits from family and lawyers), kitchens, and accommodation for prison staff.

The United Nations made the "Standard Minimum Rule" for human treatment for prisoners in 1955. Also the Article 10 of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights also affirm the treatment with humanity for them in prison.

Prisons for young people

There are special prisons for people under the age of 18 who commit crimes. These inmates are called young offenders or juvenile offenders.

Controversy

Prisons are a controversial topic that people have different views about.

• People who think that we should have prisons say that removing people who commit crimes from society prevents them from committing more crimes and punishes them for their behavior. They also say that putting people in prison may also prevent others who are likely to commit similar crimes from committing them.

• People who think that we should not put people in prisons say that being put in prison makes people more violent and angry. People who commit minor crimes that are sent to prison meet violent criminals. As well, when people are sent to prison, they cannot see their family or children, which can cause problems for their family.

Number of people in prison

As of 2006, there are currently nine million people in prison in the world. The United States currently has the most people in prison; it has more than 2 million people in prison. In 2002, both Russia and China also had over 1 million people in prison. In 2003, the United Kingdom had 73,000 people in prison; France and Germany had a similar number of people in prison.

Famous prisons in history

• Alcatraz, San Francisco (historical)
• Attica Correctional Facility, Attica, New York, scene of the most infamous prison riot in United States history
• The Bastille, Paris, France (historical) In French
• Devil's Island French Guiana (historical)
• Leavenworth, Kansas, site of a federal prison and the military's primary prison, the United States Disciplinary Barracks.
• Rikers Island, New York City, US (since 1884)
• Sing Sing Correctional Facility, Ossining, New York, U.S. (since 1828)
• The Tower of London, London, England (historical)

Cultural references to prisons and prison life

There are many books and poems about prisons or prison life, such as The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, père and The Ballad of Reading Gaol by Oscar Wilde.

There are also films that depict prison life, including:

• A Clockwork Orange (1971) directed by Stanley Kubrick
• Papillon (1973) directed by Franklin J Schaffner
• Stir Crazy (1975) directed by Sidney Poitier
• Midnight Express (1978) directed by Alan Parker
• Escape from Alcatraz (1979) directed by Don Siegel
• The Shawshank Redemption (1994) directed by Frank Darabont
• Dead Man Walking (1995) directed by Tim Robbins
• The Green Mile (1999) directed by Frank Darabont

There have also been television programs, such as Prisoner: Cell Block H (1979–1986) and Prison Break (2005–2009).

Related pages

• County jail, term used for prisons in each county of the United States

References

• Michel Foucault, Discipline and Punish: the Birth of the Prison, New York: Random House 1975.