The difference between a jail and a prison

The duration of the prisoners’ stays is the primary distinction between a jail and a prison. We would consider both the short-term and long-term in this situation. Inmates are housed in facilities managed by municipal governments and law enforcement organizations while they await trial. To assist inmates in changing their behavior, jails typically offer work release programs, educational opportunities, drug misuse counseling, and vocational training. These programs are provided by jails as a means to give inmates a chance to avoid repeat visits and to keep them busy. (HG Org, 2017). Prisons, on the other hand, are owned and run by Federal Bureau of Prisons or state government. They are put in place purposely to hold individuals with more serious crimes such as a felony. Prisons similarly provide various programs to the inmates depending on the level under which the prisoner is kept custody. Since they are designed to hold inmates for a long-term, they developed better to hold big populations (HG Org, 2017).

Possible sentences to a drug offender

The people convicted of drug offenses face a wide range of penalties at sentencing. Penalties for simple possession of drugs may attract a fine fetching less than $ 100. The culprits can as well spend a few days in jail to several years in prison for the similar offense. Simple drug possessions need to be given light penalties, and those convicted of manufacturing drugs need to be given heavier penalties. Other drug offenders will need to be enrolled in drugs for cases of felony drug defendants (Redonna, Bennet & Nora, 2009). The offenders can be enrolled in such programs before appearing in court for trial.

Delinquent act and status offense

The status offender is a term referring to a juvenile that has committed an offense only due to the age of the juvenile. Suppose they were adults, the offense wouldn’t have been committed. They are offenses that are committed and are violations of the existing laws at any other age. Thus, the status offender is based on the age and not what is done.

Juvenile offenders, on the other hand, causes problems in the judicial system due to the varying age of the offender. While dealing with delinquent offenders, placement needs to be assessed on the age of the offender and the degree of criminality of the child. Older delinquents are always charged in adult courts. The sentences given to delinquents is based on the opinion ad the current trends.

Discretion in criminal justice

Discretion refers to the power or the right of deciding or acting according to individuals own judgment. Components of the justice system are faced with discretionary choices to make throughout the process of criminal justice. The criminal justice process starts with an arrest that is made by the enforcement officer (Jonathan, 2015). Upon forwarding of the case, it creates avenues for discretionary decisions available for solving the case.

Although available research suggests that discretion in the criminal justice is essential, there is disagreement about the role it plays. The two roles played by discretion in the judicial system include either serving as a means of changing the broad social norms in criminal justice or means through which social norms prevent the implementation of social changes in the justice system (Daniel & Ann, 1997). Discretion is a key part of the criminal justice system and forms the elements of the judicial process.

References

Daniel P. Kessler & Ann M. Piehl. (1997). The Role of Discretion in the Criminal

Justice System. Retrieved on 7 Dec 2017 from http://www.nber.org/papers/w6261

HG Org. (2017). What is the difference between jail and prison. Retrieved 7 Dec 2017

from https://www.hg.org/article.asp?id=31513

Jonathan Rothwell. (2015). Drug offenders in American prisons: The critical

distinction between stock and flow. Retrieved on 7 Dec 2017 from https://www.brookings.edu/blog/social-mobility-memos/2015/11/25/drug-offenders-in-american-prisons-the-critical-distinction-between-stock-and-flow/

Redonna K. Chandler, Bennet W. Fletcher and Nora D. Volkow. (2009). Treating

Drug Abuse and Addiction in the Criminal Justice System: Improving public Health and Safety. Retrieved 7 Dec 2017 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2681083/