What is the purpose of the State prison system?

Question

What is the purpose of the State prison system? I know its to keep criminals off the street and away from the general public, but there has to be more to the answer? Can anyone enlighten me??

Answer 1

Punishment of course. I've heard jail isn't that pleasant.

Answer 2

I will give a slightly different answer than the rest: it should enlighten you!

Take a dog, a bad dog.  He bites your leg.  You sit him down and say no, no biting.  He bites you again.  You put him in a room by himself and let him out after 10 minutes.  He comes out, prances around, and bites you again.  You spank him.  He bites you again but harder.  

The only time the bad dog was not biting you or any other person is when he was in a room alone.  

Answer 3

Jails are run by Cities and Counties, and are used for people awaiting trial or serving short sentences for minor crimes.

State Prisons are for people who have been convicted of Felony or Capital STATE Crimes.

Federal Prisons are for people who have been convicted of Federal Crimes.

Answer 4

You know. We could have local jails to warehouse our criminals. But the state prison systems serve a purpose of congregating the dangerous in a place where they can be professionally watched, guarded and kept under lock and key.

Answer 5

You are correct in your answer; but the state prison system is supposed to rehabilitate the prisoners so they don't return.  This is done by trying to instill some goals and teach them a trade!  If that doesn't work they need to be shot when convicted again.  Seriously why try to rehabilitate the un-rehabilitatable

Answer 6

The purpose of a State run facility is to classify the offenders by levels of 1-6. The lower class is in prison as all others but is not staying long and is not been into prison before.

As the level goes up, so the severity of the inmate incarcerated and the crime(s) they have been charged with.

Inmates are sentenced to the State Prison system for long stay lock up. (Anything over a year and a day is State time)

A local Jail or Facility is housing inmates awaiting trial to be found innocent and set free or to be found guilty and sentenced for their crime(s).

A State prison is made for the rehabilitation of the individual to be returned to society as a productive citizen and to hopefully have learned that crime does not pay.

Programs are offered to many of the inmates at a trade school in the crafts of, upholstery, Auto Body and Ferestorationr, restoration, GED, ADL, Electrical, Masonry, Carpentry etc so an inmate can obtain a job skill once released.

Answer 7

Originally, it was intended to remove the unwanted garbage from the public.  Then it became a place for people who had made mistakes to change, reform, and become productive members of society.  Now, it is just a business.

Take Michigan for instance.  Up until 1995, until the leadership of Governor Engler's administration, the MDOC was not only selfsuficient, it generated a surplus from industry and the sale of farm produce.  After 1995, under the hand of Engler, most of that was dimantled.  The MDOC is now responsible for over 25% of the state's budget, and is one of the largest employers in the state.  I won't get started on the corruption in the system here, it would take far too long.

This might help you too: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prison

Answer 8

you provided the answer to your own question.

Answer 9

Yeah so they can get free dental work, free food and doctor checkups,

they learn alot in prison we the tax payers pay for their health and

living quarters and education.  

Answer 10

I think you answered your own question.

Answer 11

state prison is for those who have broken the laws of a state. they also serve as a place to detain inmates that are awaiting transfers to federal and county prisons.

Answer 12

Incarceration is really thought of as a deterrent to crime, although it rarely works that way. This means that people would not want to commit the crime, because they do not want to go to jail.

Basically trying to say your decisions have repercussions.

But there are many reasons why this doesn't actually work as a deterrent. Such as the instances of gangs not only starting in prison, but thriving there, and so many of those gang members don't fear prison, because all their friends are already there. (A very simplified explanation.)

Answer 13

Prison keeping criminals off the street helps keep you safe. My sister is a prison gaurd and says there are some bad mo-fos in there so be glad there is a Prison System