Learning Objectives

  1. To understand how prisons are different from jails and the basic characteristics of prisons, including their physical design.
  2. To grasp how and to what extent prisons function as part of the larger correctional system.
  3. To understand the basic facts of the state prison system versus the federal prison system.
  4. To gain basic fluency in prison demographics.
  5. To understand prison classification systems and risk levels.
  6. To grasp some of the extremes in the system such as crowding, the supermax, and isolation.
  7. To know about basic types of prisoner services and understand some of the challenges involved in delivering them.
  8. To gain a basic sense of the prison environment.