This document discusses and compares American jails and prisons. Jails are run by local governments and hold those awaiting trial or serving sentences less than one year. Prisons are run by state or federal governments and incarcerate those convicted of felonies serving over one year. In recent decades, privatized prisons owned by corporations have emerged, though there is debate around their impact and incentives. The document also describes a specific county's plans to replace an overcrowded jail with a new larger facility.

1. LOCKUP Inside American jails And prisons Steven Severt

3. Jails in the United States

7. Percentage of detainees being held before trial and conviction A 2005 report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics shows that 62% of inmates In U.S. Jails have not yet been convicted. (Jail, n.d.) The other 38% would have Been convicted, but they Are serving less than 1 year.

11. Prisons in the United States

20. Privatized Prisons

25. New Mercer County Jail project

31. References

32. References Cox, T. (2007). Mercer County jail tax barely passes. Retrieved from http://www.dailystandard.com/archive/story_single.php?rec_id=4504 On 12/14/08. Incarceration in the United States. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisons_in_the_United_States On 12/14/08. Jails. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jail On 12/13/08. Jail Facts and Figures. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://userpages.bright.net/~wkki/outlook/jail.htm On 12/13/08. Prison. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prison On 12/14/08.