As a correctional institution, jails are the most versatile of all. They hold a diverse population, from pre-trial detainees to those serving up to a year and a whole host of populations in between such as transfers, illegal aliens, and probation and parole violators. As a result of this diverse, and often unstable population, ?jail work? is tough. This is particularly true in some of the nation?s largest jails, including but not limited to Rikers Island, the L.A. County Jail System, and the Harris County, Texas jail.
You can be as narrow or as broad as you like in your analysis or you can comment more generally on jails. Feel free to be creative, remember, you are ?new? to jails, your viewpoint as an outsider looking in is very informative. Refer to PowerPoint notes if needed.
The Pretrial Period and Jails
Chapter 5
Objectives
?Understand bail/bond and the ways that it is used to release criminal defendants to the community or keep them in custody.
?Learn the various types of bond and the risk factors used in assigning them.
?Identify the ways that pretrial services operate in the United States and the factors that determine pretrial outcomes.
?Explore the consequences and effects of pretrial detention as part of the correctional process.
?Learn the place of jail in the criminal justice system.
?Recognize the characteristics, social and criminal histories, and special needs of the jail population.
?Learn ways that reforms and programming have modernized the design and function of contemporary jails.
