¶ … Prisoner Demographics How would you differentiate male and female prisoner backgrounds? Is there a better solution to prisoner background classification? Explain.

The basic cognitive, psychological and emotional differences between males and females are exacerbated by the intensely stressful conditions inherent to the majority of American prisons. According to Laura E. Bedard, Ph.D., a former professor of criminology who also served as Deputy Secretary of the Florida Department of Corrections, "Men tend to externalize stress, which in prison produces more physical aggression and combative behavior." This tendency results in male prisoners forming violent gangs based on racial boundaries, while women prisoners form more familial partnerships of necessity. The fact that "women tend to internalize stress" leads to prolonged periods of introspection and "may explain why female inmates engage in self-harming behavior such as cutting, carving and burning" (Bedard, 2008). Based on her firsthand experience with prison inmates of both gender, Bedard asserts that "women have more frequent suicide attempts and use medical and mental health services at more than twice the rate of male inmates" (2008) due to the influence of their respective backgrounds.

How do state and federal prisoners differ? What issues affect state vs. federal prisoners?

The federal prisoner population consists solely of those inmates who have been "convicted...

The state prison population includes inmates who have been convicted of crimes in a particular state, as well as those who have been apprehended in one state and are awaiting extradition to another.
Because of the multifaceted differences between state and federal prisons, in terms of funding, population density, overcrowding, administration and institutional security, state and federal prisoners are forced to confront a distinct array of challenges. The combination overcrowding and underfunding common to state prisons breeds an atmosphere of repressed rage and violence which threatens the safety of inmates convicted of nonviolent crimes. Furthermore, it has been consistently observed by prison officials that "the federal prisoner population is also unique from the state prisoner population, most notably in the offense distribution" (Bureau of Justice Statistics).

What is the difference between jail inmates and prison inmates? What would happen if jail inmates were assimilated into prison systems effective immediately?

The difference between jail inmates and prison inmates is primarily a function of the length of their incarceration. Jail facilities in towns and cities are used to hold individuals who are waiting for their trial date after…