The 14 types of prisons (and their psychological effects)

The prison system consists of different kinds of interrelated isolation centers.

Prisons or jails are institutions authorized by the government to incarcerate and isolate from society those individuals who have disobeyed the law. those individuals who have disobeyed the law. Prisoners are locked up and deprived of their freedom for months, years and, in some cases, a lifetime.

Although all prisons have the same purpose, they can be classified in different ways.

The prison system varies from country to country.

The prison system differs from country to country, and in some cases can be complex. The military has its own judicial system and juveniles are not treated in the same way as adults. Although the concept of "prison" may seem very abstract, its characteristics depend to a large extent on the legal, political and social context of each region, and there can be great differences in the way countries determine the operation of these institutions.

In the United States, for example, there are many jurisdictions (federal or state) and different (federal or state) and different consequences for prisoners than in Spain, as in the case of the death penalty. In Spain, on the other hand, prisons are differentiated according to the different types of living arrangements of the inmates. The objective with which the state legitimizes their use is the search for order and security for the vast majority of the population.

How imprisonment affects prisoners

Prisoners are deprived of their liberty. The situation they live in and the behavioral deprivation to which they are subjected cause their stay in prison to have different physical and psychological consequences at various levels:

• BiologicalBiological: deprivation of liberty can lead to an increase in the instinct to attack as they are unable to flee. It also causes problems of sexual or sensory deprivation (vision, hearing, ...). On the other hand, at certain ages, a state of clear isolation can cause serious developmental disorders, although this does not occur in prisons in democratic states.

• PsychologicalThe psychological effects are a reality for inmates with problems of self-esteem, drug use, anxiety, learned helplessness, dependency, etc. In addition, if used for many days at a time, isolation cells provide a deficit of sensory stimulation that has been shown in other contexts to be extremely detrimental and can create a breeding ground for psychiatric disorders to flourish. the breeding ground for psychiatric disorders to flourish.. Some of these findings were made decades ago through Harry Harlow's experimentation with monkeys.

• SocialSocial: family problems, social and occupational isolation, social learning problems, social skills and stigmatization. Especially this last element is a determining factor when it comes to learning new habits upon release from prison; a strongly stigmatized person will find it difficult to find a job and will be marginalized at the informal level.

According to research, these types of detrimental effects on inmates are associated with the length of the sentence.. In other words, the longer the time spent in prison, the worse the consequences.

The main types of prisons (classified)

Now, what types of prisons are there? what types of prisons are there? What are the different types of prisons? Below you can see the different types of prisons there are:

According to the penitentiary regime

The penitentiary regime is the process the prisoner goes through while serving his or her sentence. There are three levels: first level or closed regime, second level or ordinary regime, and third level or open regime..

1. First-degree prison

The first grade modules or prisons are for the most dangerous and unsuitable inmates.. They are regulated in art. 90.1 LOGP (General Penitentiary Organic Law) and there are two types:

• Closed regime centers or modules: for inmates who are unsuitable for the common regimes.
• Special departments: for those who provoke disturbances. For example: insulation modules.

2. Second-degree prison

The ordinary regime includes second-degree convicts, unclassified inmates and detainees and prisoners.In this type of prison, there are obligatory activities (hygiene and personal cleanliness, cleaning and tidiness, etc.). In this type of prison there are obligatory activities (hygiene and personal hygiene, cleaning and tidiness of the cell). The day starts at 7:30 a.m. and at 00:00 a.m. the lights are turned off.

3. Third grade prison

The open regime is for convicted persons, classified in third grade, who can continue their treatment in semi-release. can continue their treatment in semi-liberty.. This is necessary so that the individual can achieve normal coexistence but with the necessary rigid controls.

This type of regime can be carried out in three different penitentiary structures:

• The Social Insertion CentersIndependent centers for inmates in the third grade.
• Open SectionsDepartments that are part of a multipurpose prison, specially designed for the following purposes
• Dependent UnitsResidences that are located within a community and are managed by public or private institutions.

American prisons

In the United States, there are different types of prisons, which are summarized below.

Local jails

These types of prisons are for a short-term stay. They are local and crowded. They are usually for those who have just entered the criminal justice system.

Federal and state prisons

In the United States it is possible to find federal prisons, under the jurisdiction of the Federal Bureau of jurisdiction is vested in the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and state prisons (BOP), and state prisons, for more serious crimes and felonies.

1. Federal penal institutions

These are prisons for those criminals who have committed serious crimes (embezzlement, fraud, etc.) but who have been convicted of serious crimes. are not classified as hazardous. They are minimum security prisons.

2. Medium security federal prisons

These are medium security institutions, which usually contain security perimeters and armed guards.. They are the most commonly used infrastructure for incarcerating prisoners.

3. High security prisons

Intended for violent criminals. Offenders are dangerous people, so they need more control than prisoners in the previous prisons. They are designed to establish several layers of security and isolation between the outside and the more protected areas of these architectural complexes, so that the central parts are practically airtight.

4. State prisons

State prisons are for those convicts who have carried out very serious crimes and state crimes.. There are different types: for women, for men, for maximum security, etc. The security of these complexes is exceptional, and a large investment is dedicated to it given the seriousness of the crimes of those who stay there.

5. Death Row

Death row is the name given to the cells for inmates who have committed very serious crimes and who are serving the death penalty and awaiting execution, are serving the death penalty and are awaiting execution..

Other types of prisons

There are other types of prisons, for example, for minors, or psychiatric prisons. Here we will see their characteristics.

1. The dungeon

The dungeon is a cell that is located in the same police station or barracks.. It is used to briefly incarcerate subjects who have been arrested, especially for a later trial. A detained person can spend up to 72 hours here..

2. Juvenile Correctional Facility

Persons who have been detained and have not reached the age of majority. should serve their sentences in special centers, not in adult prisons.

3. Psychiatric prison

The psychiatric prison is usually a penitentiary inpatient facility where inmates serving their sentences are mentally ill.

4. Military prison

These are the centers where soldiers, officers and non-commissioned officers of the army are sent to serve sentences for to serve their sentences for not complying with the military penal code. This differentiation is evidence of the special importance that the State confers on the security forces that ensure the maintenance of power.

5. Norwegian-style prison

The Norwegian prison system can be considered another type of prison. In this Scandinavian country, the starting point is another conception of what a model of reeducation and social reintegration should be, which focuses on the need to help people to be well integrated into society; therefore, the punitive element of entering the prison system is eliminated as far as possible.

In this way, prisoners are provided with individual rooms equipped with amenities more typical of a hotel than of a typical prison cell..

Beyond the individual prisoner's cell, the other features of this type of prison also emulate the operation of hotels or even campgrounds. For example, the prison modules are often divided into several buildings separated by green areas, so that a community life can emerge beyond "yard hours". In some cases, the prison even draws inspiration from traditional Norwegian villages.

This type of prison operation makes it technically easier to escape from prison, but at the same time removes much of the incentive to do so. In addition, it should not be forgotten that the social and economic context of that country also helps this model to work, since there are very few prisoners nationwide and there is little urban density, making it difficult to hide and move around on foot.