About Prison Inmates

Sentencing

Prison inmates have varying sentences. In most cases a prisoner who is incarcerated for a misdemeanor will serve a sentence less than one year. A prisoner who was charged with a felony can be incarcerated for life, if the crime is serious. Prison terms are given out in two ways--flat days or sentence terms. A prisoner sentenced to flat days knows exactly how long the jail time will be. Those inmates usually leave prison on probation. A prisoner who is incarcerated under sentence terms usually serves a portion of his sentence and leaves prison on parole. A prisoner incarcerated under those terms usually has an estimated release date but, the final release date is determined by a parole board.

The cost of keeping an inmate incarcerated is covered by the agency which placed the inmate in custody. For example, the cost of keeping a federal inmate in jail is covered by the federal government, even if the inmate is housed in a county or state facility. The pay these facilities receive for housing the inmates is fairly low. As a result, many facilities have a system that allows the inmates to work on projects that will make the facility money. Some inmates make clothing that is sold to other facilities. Others make license plates or wood furniture.

Prisoners lead a life built on schedules. Because of the security risk associated with the inmates, correctional officers must monitor and control every minute of an inmate's day. Most inmates will eat breakfast, go to work or school, eat lunch, return to work or school, eat dinner, relax, shower and go to bed. These schedules are meant to keep order in prison, while teaching the inmates self control.

Prison inmates are provided with basic medical care. This includes only necessary treatments. For example, an inmate with a staph infection will be provided with medications needed to cure it. But an inmate with eye problems won't be provided with Lasik surgery. Some facilities have policies that require inmates to pay for over the counter medications, prescription medications, doctor visits and other medical expenses if the inmate has money in his account. If he doesn't the state will end up footing the bill. Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) or nurses provide most of the medical care in prisons. Only the most serious medical conditions are treated by doctors. Inmates may also receive mental health counseling in some prisons.

Family members and friends are allowed to send inmates money. The inmate can use this money to buy things from the commissary. While prisons provide inmates with basic necessities, including toilet tissue, clothing, soap and three meals per day, many inmates find that this isn't suitable for day-to-day life. This is especially true for inmates who are incarcerated for extended periods of time. Items such as shampoo, snacks, paper, writing instruments, feminine products and extra clothing are some of the things available through most prison commissaries.