Overview of Incarceration in the U.S.

Flashcards created from lecture notes on incarceration in the U.S., covering key vocabulary and concepts related to corrections.

Incarceration

The act of imprisoning someone or the state of being imprisoned.

Probation

A court-imposed criminal sentence that, subject to certain conditions, releases a convicted person into the community instead of sending them to prison.

Recidivism

The tendency of a convicted criminal to reoffend.

Correctional Control

A system that includes incarceration, probation, and parole to govern individuals who have violated the law.

Supermax Prison

A type of high-security prison designed to hold the most dangerous prisoners, with extreme isolation conditions.

Solitary Confinement

The practice of holding a prisoner in isolation for 22-23 hours a day, often in a small cell.

Private Prisons

Prison facilities operated by private organizations for profit.

Shaming Penalty

A non-traditional form of sentencing that involves public humiliation as punishment.

Lifetime Likelihood of Imprisonment

The statistical chance that an individual will be imprisoned at some point in their life.

Criminal Sentences

Legal penalties imposed on a person found guilty of a crime.