7.9. Types of Prisons
David Carter and Kate McLean
Prisons in the United States can be categorized by jurisdiction, and the by intensity of their supervision. By jurisdiction, we are referring to who manages the prisons. A prison warden is generally considered the managerial face of the institution. However, a prison warden and the prison itself is usually within a much larger organizational structure, typically defined at the state level. There are a few jurisdictions at other levels that manage or operate prisons. This includes the federal government, which runs its own prison system (Bureau of Prisons), but also jurisdictions below or different from the state level, such as major cities like New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. Puerto Rico also has a prison, as does the U.S. territory of the Virgin Islands.
State Prisons
Typically, the organizational structure that manages state prisons is called the “Department of Corrections,” and is run by a Director or Secretary, who is usually appointed by the state governor. For example, in Pennsylvania, we have the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, with George Little as the current head (Secretary) of this organization (2021-present). The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections currently overseas 23 State Correctional Institutions (or SCIs). While Eastern State Penitentiary is no longer in operation, the oldest working SCI – Huntingdon – opened in 1889, and followed the model of the Elmira Reformatory in New York. More information about the PDOC’s SCIs can be found here.
Federal Prisons
The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) was established in the early 1930s as a result of the need to house an increasing number of individuals convicted of federal crimes. There were already some federal prisons in place prior to this time, but it was not until 1930 that the U.S. Congress passed legislation to create the BOP, housing it under the justice department. Sanford Bates became the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, based on his long-standing work as an organizer and leader at Elmira Reformatory in New York. As more federal legislation was passed, the need for more prisons became apparent.
Today, the BOP has 109 prisons, along with numerous additional facilities (camps) adjoining at these locations. There are also military prisons, alternative facilities, reentry centers, and training centers that are managed by the BOP. The federal prisons are separated into six region: the Mid-Atlantic Region, the North Central Region, the Northeast Region, the Southeast Region, the South Central Region, and the Western Region.
Within these regions are regional directors, which is similar to state-level directors of departments of corrections. Below is a detailed map of the regions of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. As is depicted, there are several different types of facilities within each region. A central office is also designated for each of the six regions. Notice the concentration of federa