The Role of Correctional Administrator at Prison Vs Jail - An Essay Sample

The terms jail and prisons are used to mean the same thing, but legal perspectives indicate that they mean different things hence the differences in roles assigned to officials working in the two areas. Jail is the first place that a criminal is first taken immediately after apprehension but before any trials are conducted. The major functions of the jail are to protect members of the public from any unprecedented harm by the criminal (Seiter, 2011). Therefore, the people held in the jails are often awaiting judgment hence considered innocent and afforded all their requirements though in a restricted environment for a maximum period of one year. On the other hand, the prisons are used to incarcerate only suspects after they have been subjected to the rigorous due processes in line with criminal justice procedures. The period that one spends in prison depends on the severity of their offenses.

The role of jail administrators is to hold a suspect awaiting due process temporarily. In essence, they have an obligation to treat the inmates as mere suspects whose guilt or otherwise will only be determined based on the veracity of presented evidence (Seiter, 2011). During the jail period, the officials monitor the behavior patterns of the criminal, afford the suspect all the privileges and obligations enjoyed by other people except the right to free movement. They also need to prepare relevant legal documents and collect pieces of evidence necessary to sustain a strong case in the event that the crime committed proceeds to full hearing (Seiter, 2011). The need for humane treatment of criminals in jail while at the same time gathering incriminating information is to avoid backlashes in case the criminal is determined to be innocent before the court.

On the other hand, prison administrators prescribe and enforce the different treatments to which offenders are subjected based on the nature of their offenses and the guiding laws. Since the prisoners are people who have undergone the due process, their culpability has been determined hence the officials strictly implement particular correctional procedures aimed at fostering behavior and perception change (Davis & Freeman, 2010). Various rights can be denied to prisoners if such deprivations are reasonably perceived to have a possibility of leading to exit from crime. One of the primary roles of the officials is to rehabilitate the inmates so that they gain not only a changed perception of their purpose in life but also to incline them towards constructive contributions to the society upon release (Davis & Freeman, 2010). The prison administrators also track the progressive changes in the lives of inmates during the jail term. The aim of criminal monitoring by jail officials is to prevent recidivism after release from prison which is a risk to the lives and property of unsuspecting members of the public.

References

Davis, A. Y., & Freeman, S. (2010). Are Prisons Obsolete? New York: Seven Stories Press.

Seiter, R. (2011). Corrections an introduction (3rd edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. Print