The key difference between federal and state prison is that federal prions are managed by Federal Bureau of Prison while state prisons are managed by the state. Moreover, federal prisons hold white-collar criminals whereas state prisons hold more hard-core criminals.
The US prison system comprises both federal as well as state prisons. There are many state penitentiaries or prisons inside the country that have thousands of criminals incarcerated. The number of federal prisons in the US is comparatively less when compared to the number of state prisons.
CONTENT
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is a Federal Prison
3. What is a State Prison
4. Side by Side Comparison – Federal vs State Prison in Tabular Form
5. Summary
What is a Federal Prison
Federal prisons house those people who violate federal laws. Federal prison system was established under President Hoover in 1930 when the federal government started to build federal incarceration facilities. The federal system of prisons was needed with a rise in crimes that violated federal laws. The prisons in the federal system operate according to different security levels such as low, medium, or high security. Most of the inmates found in federal prisons are drug peddlers and political prisoners. Those committing bank robberies and white collar crimes are also sent to federal prisons.
What is a State Prison?
State prisons are maintained by state authorities. Violent offenders such as murderers, rapists, and other criminals guilty of gun-related offenses are sent to state prisons. Thus, they are considered to hold more violent criminals.
State prisons are typically isolated from their surrounding cities and are enclosed by high walls and other security features. There are more state prisons in the US than federal prisons.
What is the Difference Between Federal and State Prison?
Federal prions are managed by Federal Bureau of Prison while state prisons are managed by the state. Moreover, federal prisons hold white-collar criminals whereas state prisons hold more hard-core criminals. Thus, state prisons are often considered unsafe as they house a higher number of violent criminals. In addition, there are more state prisons in the country than federal prisons. However, federal prisons have higher levels of security than state prisons.
Summary – Federal vs State Prisons
State prisons and federal prisons are two types of prisons in the US. Those who violate federal law are sent to federal prisons while those who violate state laws are sent to state prions. The difference between federal and state prison stems from the type of prisoners they hold, their management, security, and facilities.
Image Courtesy:
1.”Utah State Prison Wasatch Facility” By DR04 – Self-made by the author, transferred from en.wikipedia; transferred to Commons by User:QuiteUnusual using CommonsHelper (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia