Find Legal Topics > Prison Laws > How Federal Prisons Function in the US

How Federal Prisons Function in the US

How Federal Prisons Function in the US

A federal prison is a form of correctional facility in the United States, which is solely run by the federal government. Correctional facilities or prisons can be run by state, county or local authorities; as a result of its advanced and extended resources, a federal prison is able to maximize security precautions and enable the correctional facility to harbor the most dangerous or unsafe criminals. That being said, federal prisons in the United States possess varying levels of security, and in many cases, simply harbor those individuals who commit white collar, or non-violent crimes.

As of 2008, the Federal Bureau of Prisons oversaw and maintained over 105 federal prisons. As stated before, the levels of security vary; in total the federal prisons housed over 195,000 inmates, or 9% of the total prison population of the United States. Similar to the security levels, prison sentences within a federal prison will vary. A federal prison will house those individuals who are convicted of any federal crime, however, individuals may also be transported there if their original was overcrowded, or an increase in security is needed.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons has categorized federal prisons into five distinct security levels. A minimum security facility contains a limited amount of the 4th category, a low security Federal Correction Institution contains double-fenced perimeters, and inmates live in cubicle or dormitory housing. A medium security federal prison is classified to hold medium-security inmates. A medium security federal prison has strengthened perimeters, which consist of double fences and electronic detection systems. Although a medium security has the label "medium" it is typically considered a high-security facilities. These facilities, which comprise the remaining classifications, are highly secured with reinforced fences, and walls. 

Related Topics