Learning Objectives

  1. To understand the functions of jails and their role in the larger criminal justice system.
  2. To gain a sense of who is in jail, for what reasons, and how long they stay there.
  3. To learn the basic procedures applied to those who are arrested and taken to jail.
  4. To understand the connections among mental illness, women, people of color, and jail.
  5. To be introduced to basic facts about jails—such as their location, size, and design—and how jails are administered.
  6. To learn about some of the alternatives to jail.
  7. To grasp the challenging realities of everyday life in jail for inmates and staff alike.