Statistics

According to CNN, the U.S. prison system had 7.1 million people in jail, prison or on probation in 2007. This equates to about 1 in 31 U.S. adults' experiencing some level of incarceration.

Function

Judicial systems use incarceration because it acts to prevent some people from committing crimes and as punishment to motivate a criminal not to partake in crime in the future.

Types

Incarcerated individuals are sentenced to a containment facility based on the severity of their offense and the risk to others, as determined by a judge. Low- or minimum-security facilities have fewer guards and less fencing than a facility containing highly dangerous criminals.

Criticism

In 2007, black inmates made up four times more of the incarcerated population than whites, despite accounting for only 12.9 percent of the total U.S. population. In the United States, some people criticize this disparity in incarceration statistics between the different ethnic groups as a sign of inequity in the justice system and incarceration.

Prevention/Solution

People are often able to bargain for probation instead of true incarceration. People on probation are not held in a prison facility, but must frequently meet with a correctional officer to make sure they are not violating the terms of their parole.

Source:

Princeton University: WordNet Search--Incarceration

CNN: Study: 7.3 million in U.S. prison system in '07

Encyclopedia Britannica: The purpose of imprisonment

More Information:

Federal Bureau of Prisons: Prison Types & General Information

ExpertLaw.com: Sentences: Fines, Jail and Probation

U.S. Census: The Black Population: 2000