Prisoner Demographics How Would You Differentiate Male

¶ … 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 of violating Federal laws" and "persons convicted of a felony under District of Columbia laws," as well as "individuals awaiting trial for violating Federal laws" ("Differences between federal," 2011). 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 being arrested, detainees housed in the "drunk tank" while they sober up, and inmates convicted of petty crimes which require short sentences. State and federal prisons are reserved expressly for criminals who have already faced trial and been convicted by judge or jury. As such, "state and federal prisoner populations differ from the jail inmate population in terms of conviction status, offense distribution, and average length of stay" and it has been found that "prison facilities differ from local jail facilities in average size, treatment and programming resources, and crowding, among other characteristics" (Bureau of Justice Statistics). Additional points of divergence between these institutions include the fact that "jails are most often run by sheriffs and/or local governments and are designed to hold individuals awaiting trial or a serving short sentences" while "prisons are operated by state governments and the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and are designed to hold individuals convicted of crimes" (Broward Sheriff's Office).