Jail vs. Prison

There’s a big difference, in terms of time spent and living conditions (and the nature of your fellow inmates). Here are some specifics:

• Jails are operated by local governments, whereas a prison is part of a state-wide system.
• Jails house people who are awaiting trial and have not posted bail. They also house people convicted of misdemeanors, and sometimes felons who have been given a short stay in the local jail and a period of probation.
• In most states, jail inmates who have been convicted of misdemeanors stay no more than a year. By contrast, state prisons accommodate sentences of up to life in prison.
• Jails are full of relatively short-term residents, with a constantly changing roster of inmates, whereas a prison consists of a more stable population.

The stresses associated with each are accordingly different: Some jail residents have never been incarcerated and are bewildered and confused; prison inmates who are inside for a number of years are at least used to their surroundings.