A lot of people use the terms jail and prison interchangeably; however, they are completely different entities and have distinct differences. If you are facing incarceration you should know the differences between a jail and a prison.
Jail
A jail is operated by the county it is situated in. It is close to where the convicted person lives. Because it is a county basis there are approximately 3,600 jails in the United States. If you are being held in custody before a trial has started and were recently arrested you will be in a local county jail, not a prison. If you are in a jail you have been convicted of a minor crime and sentences do not usually exceed a year or two.
Prison
Prisons are operated by the State Government or by the Federal Government. A prison could be very far away form a person’s home. There are only approximately 100 federal prisons in the United States, so chances are you will be held far away from where you actually live. If you have been convicted of a state crime you will be in a state prison. If you have been convicted of a federal crime you will be held in a federal prison. Prisons are for people serving longer sentences because they have been convicted of more serious crimes. A person could be facing decades or a lifetime in prison.
There are differences between jails and prisons and people convicted of crimes such as DUIs in Georgia should know the difference. Most likely for a DUI you would be facing jail time, unless you have been convicted several times for a DUI. If you are facing jail or prison in Fulton County, Alpharetta, or any of the surrounding areas, you should contact the Law Office of Scott Miller. I am an experienced defense attorney in Georgia who has helped many clients stay out of jail. Contact my office today at 770-408-1001 to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.
