The criminal justice system has its own language and navigating it without a guide is disorienting for families encountering it for the first time. This section covers the terminology that appears in court documents, facility communications, and case records, from the difference between jail and prison to what terms like disposition, detainer, adjudication, and supervised release actually mean in plain language. It also covers general questions about how prisons and jails operate, what a typical day looks like inside, how different security levels function, and what the practical differences are between federal, state, county, and private facilities. The answers here are written for people who have no prior experience with the system and need clear accurate explanations without legal jargon. If you encountered a term you did not understand this is the right place to start. See also our sections on Law Questions and Legal Terms, and Sentencing Questions.
Subject: General prison questions-terminology
A budget cut like that usually affects day to day prison operations in several ways. Corrections systems run on tight resources to begin with, so when funding is reduced, the impact tends to show up quickly.
Here is where you are most likely to see changes:
Staffing levels
Fewer corrections officers and staff can mean longer lockdowns, slower movement, and reduced access to programs. Safety can also become a concern if units are short staffed.
Programs and opportunities
Educational programs, job training, and rehabilitation services...
Read moreSubject: General prison questions-terminology
The most reliable way to get your phone number to an inmate is by mail.
Most jails do not allow staff to pass along personal messages like phone numbers over the phone. If you call, it really depends on who answers. Some staff may help, but most will follow policy and refuse to relay any message.
Your best options are:
Send a letter with your phone number clearly written
Use a service like InmateAid to send a letter quickly and make sure it is formatted correctly...
Read moreSubject: General prison questions-terminology
FCI Aliceville is a federal correctional institution for women located in Aliceville Alabama, a small town in Pickens County that is genuinely remote by any measure. The nearest major airports are Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International about two hours away and Memphis International roughly two and a half hours away. There is no direct public transportation to the facility and no formal hospitality house or organized visitor transportation program currently operating nearby.
Why Remote Federal Facilities Lack These Services
Organized visitor transportation and hospitality houses...
Read moreSubject: General prison questions-terminology
Inmates do not have access to the Internet, the website is for the loved ones to have all of the services at their fingertips
Subject: General prison questions-terminology
Corrections Corporation of America - a private prison management company
Subject: General prison questions-terminology
The Harrison County Jail in Gulfport Mississippi is run similar to most county jails in this county. InmateAid's services will work very well in accommodating your desire to communicate with your girlfriend. We recommend you set up an Inmate Profile Page for her. Once it is set up, simply click "Letter to Inmate" and type out your message. You may upload as many photos as you'd like and then send it. Our system syncs her profile to your account making...
Read moreSubject: General prison questions-terminology
Orange might seem more pervasive than it is because prisoners often change into orange when they go out in public. Sheriffs sometimes put prisoners in orange during perp walks in front of reporters, and prisoners often wear orange in court.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons issues khaki trousers and shirts. New York state actually bans the color orange among prisoners: It issues uniforms that are "hunter green," and lets them wear their own T-shirts, as long as they're not blue...
Read moreSubject: General prison questions-terminology
Not unless they have a work detail off-complex; otherwise inmates are not allowed to leave for the night.
Subject: General prison questions-terminology
We have them listed as a Medium, after reviewing their penal design from Google Earth, it would appear that they could be a Low, too but this would not be a significant different in the way they inmates are handled. Their current website does not have a security level rating.
