Jail and Prisons
County
Jail
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People charged with these offenses
range from a Class "C" misdemeanor to
Capital Murder
There are three types of individuals
incarcerated in the Dallas County Jail.
*Individuals who did not post bail and
are awaiting court.
*Individuals who have been to court and
are awaiting transfer to state/federal
prison.
*Judge has summoned an individual to
appear in court from another detention
facility
There are six detention facilities within
the Dallas County Sheriffs Department.
These facilities can house more than
7500 inmates with a detention staff
of 900 employees. The Dallas County
Detention Facilities are self sufficient
and operate 24-hours a day 365 days a
year
• Typical day for an Inmate:
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You should expect an alarm to wake up at about
6:00am
then you’ll have roll call. Next, you will eat
breakfast. When you finish breakfast participate in
the work program or other activity that you are
assigned. This could be working in the kitchen,
laundry, or some sort of manufacturing job.
After lunch, there will be another roll call, then back
to work. Your evening will be spent either in your
cell or a common room
When incarcerated, all inmates are expected to wear
the Dallas County Jail uniform. This is normally a
jumpsuit or scrubs.
You will get three meals a day: breakfast, lunch and
dinner. As expected, they are very basic, but healthy.
A typical breakfast might be cereal, toast, coffee and
fruit. Lunch might be spaghetti, salad, bread and milk.
Dinner could be chicken casserole, rice, vegetables,
dessert and milk. Contrary to popular belief, prison
food has greatly improved over the years, and you
might find that it’s not much different from what you
would eat at home.
County Jail
Inmate Money:
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Inmates in the Dallas County Jail can
maintain an inmate trust fund account
and can access the funds through a bar
code on their armbands.
All cash funds in possession of the inmate
at the time of the booking process are
deposited onto their accounts.
Money is used to purchase items from the
Commissary
If someone sends a check or money order,
make sure that they write your inmate ID
on it.
The maximum amount you are allowed in
your account is $290 per month.
The commissary is the jail store. You can
purchase a number of things here, such as
toiletries, snacks and writing supplies.
Bear in mind that you will probably want
to use the commissary daily, and any
infractions will get that privilege taken
away from you.
Inmate Programs:
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The Inmate Programs Division partners with
local community agencies and volunteers , with
a shared set of desired outcomes based on a
common set of values, from the secular, social
service, and religious sectors of the community
to provide religious, educational, rehabilitative,
and re-entry programs for inmates.
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We are dedicated to making a difference in
human lives through motivation for change,
adaptation, and adjustment upon re-entry into
society based on the rule of law and respect for
individual rights.
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There are different programs that inmates can
join such as: The Religious Service section,
Religious Reading Material, Secular Educational
Programs, Law Libraries, Television and Radio
Programs, Personal Hygiene Kits, HIV/AIDS
Education, Self-Help and Social Integration
Services
State Jail Felony
A felony is a criminal act where the penalty is more than one year in
prison.
A felony can be a violation of state law or federal law. If they specify
"state crime", then it would be a violation state law.
State Jail Felony Punishment !
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (c), an individual adjudged guilty of a state jail felony shall be
punished by confinement in a state jail for any term of not more than two years or less than 180
days.
(b) In addition to confinement, an individual adjudged guilty of a state jail felony may be punished by
a fine not to exceed $10,000.
(c) An individual adjudged guilty of a state jail felony shall be punished for a third degree felony if it
is shown on the trial of the offense that:
(1) a deadly weapon as defined by Section 1.07 was used or exhibited during the commission
of the offense or during immediate flight following the commission of the offense, and that the
individual used or exhibited the deadly weapon or was a party to the offense and knew that a deadly
weapon would be used or exhibited; or
(2) the individual has previously been finally convicted of any felony:
(A) listed in Section 3g(a)(1), Article 42.12, Code of Criminal Procedure; or
(B) for which the judgment contains an affirmative finding under Section 3g(a)(2),
Article 42.12, Code of Criminal Procedure.
Myah made this
Who assigns you to a jail and how?
• The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) is a
department of the government of the U.S. state of Texas.
• The TDCJ is responsible for statewide criminal justice for…
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Adult offenders.
Managing offenders in state prisons.
State jails and private correctional facilities.
Funding and certain oversight of community supervision.
Supervision of offenders released from prison on parole or
mandatory supervision.
• The TDCJ operates the largest prison system in the United
States.
Myah made this one too
Who assigns you to a jail and how? Cont.
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The State Classification Committee (SCC) and designated Classification and
Records Office (CRO) staff members assign each institutional prisoner to his
or her first unit after the prisoner completes his or her tests and interviews
• Offenders are not allowed to choose their units of assignment.
 The state assigns each state jail offender to the unit closest to his or her
county.
• Death row offenders and offenders with life imprisonment
without parole enter the TDCJ system through two points.
 Men enter through the Byrd Unit in Huntsville, and women enter through the
Reception Center in Christina Crain Unit, Gatesville.
 From there, inmates with life without parole sentences go on to their assigned
facilities.
 Male death row offenders go on to the Allan B. Polunsky Unit.
 Female death row offenders go on to the Mountain View Unit.
Marcus W.
Private Prisons
• A private prison or for-profit prison is a place
in which individuals are physically confined or
interned by a third party that is contracted by
a government agency.
Minimum Security Prison
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Dormitory housing
Low staffing
Limited or no perimeter fencing
People who go there are there for short sentences
Most who are there have committed lesser crimes
Conjugal visits available
More freedom with commissary
More outside time
In-House-Job
• When an inmate is given work
while serving a prison sentence,
such as farming or making license
plates
• Meant to:
– reduce the cost to taxpayers to
maintain the inmate population
– teach inmates the skills they will
need to find work once they leave
prison
• Eliminates the need for some job
positions outside the prison
system
Josh Houpy
Melanic Osegueda
Work Release
• Definition:
 This is a program under which prisoners may work outside
of prison while serving their sentences.
• Purpose:
 The focus of this program is to establish or re-establish
non-violent offenders into the work force who may have
had gainful employment prior to incarceration or may
possess marketable job skills.
• Requirements:
 If the person is classified by the sheriff as a low-risk
offender under the classification system, they are eligible
to be part of the program. (TEX CR. CODE ANN. § 42.034 : Texas Statutes Article 42.034: COUNTY JAIL WORK RELEASE PROGRAM)
Melanic Osegueda
Work Release (Continued)
• Participation in this program is court ordered.
• The inmates will be allowed to work outside the jail and are
strictly supervised by a designated officer.
• They are given specific check-out and return times to and
from the jail and are also subject to random field visits and
drug tests.
• Days off are always spent in jail.
• These inmates remain in the work release program until
their mandatory release date.
• Low Risk Offender
 This refers to a criminal offender who has lesser tendencies to
re-offend and is of minimal risk to the community. In most of
the cases they may be first time offenders.
Cathie Soriano
Trustees:☺
• What is a trustee?
-1. A convict regarded as worthy of trust and therefore granted special privileges.
-2. A trusted person.
• Who can be a trustee?
-Inmates volunteer for the position of jail trustee and must meet certain criteria. They
must keep their nose clean and be on good behavior.
• What trustees usually do:
-Trustees perform a number of duties, without pay. Usually called “inmate workers”.
-Ex. Mop floors, do the laundry, re-paint the walls when needed, take out the trash,
and unload trucks.
http://www.connectmidmissouri.com/news/story.aspx?id=50080
Emily Tefft
Visitation
Conjugal Visit:
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a scheduled period in which an inmate of a prison is permitted to spend several hours or days in
private with a visitor, usually their legal spouse. The parties may engage in sexual intercourse, and the
generally recognized basis for permitting such visits in modern times is to preserve family bonds, and
increase the chances of success for a prisoner's eventual return to life outside prison.
Seen as an incentive.
Non conjugal Visit:
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Highly regulated and the complete opposite of conjugal. Can be in an open area or behind bullet proof glass.
No touching is aloud, just in case someone tries to slip something to the prisoner.
Gaby Baldizon
Prison Gangs
• Referred to as security threat groups (STG) by law
enforcement
• Each are made-up of different races (Hispanics, Whites,
Blacks)
• Known for their viciousness and violence and use this
reputation to maintain power and control over other inmates
• Prisoners join prison gangs in order to have protection from
others in the rival gangs
• Use tattoos to distinguish one gang from another
Luis Herrera
Prison Health Care
• The Correctional Managed Health Care Committee (CMHCC) is responsible
for providing comprehensive health care services to all adult offenders
incarcerated in Texas state prisons and state jails.
• The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and the University of Texas
Medical Branch at Galveston are partnered with the Texas Department of
Criminal Justice and are required by state law to provide medical care to
151,000 convicts at 111 state prisons.
• Medical, dental, and health services are available.
• The offender may be assessed a $3.00 co-payment fee.
• Classifications of levels of care
I.
Medically Mandatory
II. Medically Necessary
III. Medically Accessible
IV. Limited Medical Value
Mental Health in Prison
2 Types of Mental issues
Criminally Insane
Temporary Insanity
-If the a person is
found responsible for
the crime but not guilty
by reason of insanity,
then they will not go to
prison but to
psychiatric hospital
until the individual id
not a threat to society
-the person was insane at
the time of the crime but
is not sane.
-the defendant is not
committed to a
psychiatric facility and is
found not guilty of the
offense. The individual is
given treatment rather
than punishment.
By: Yennifer Martinez (:
Emily Tefft
Contraband
Definitions:
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Prison Contraband refers to property that is illegal to possess inside a prison.
Anything not being used for its original purpose.
Types:
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Drugs
Pornography
Shanks
Liquor
Electronic Devices
(Liquor)
Maximum Security
Maximum security prisons
generally hold prisoners
serving long sentences for:
• Murder
• Robbery
• Kidnapping
• Treason
• Or Other serious crimes
Maximum security prisons are
usually surrounded by big walls or
chained fences, the walls have
detection devices and spotlights.
• An inmates day usually consists of being in
their cell for 23 hours. The other hour is for
the inmate to shower and eat!!!!!
• The number and length of visits are limited
and when people visit inmates, they are
separated by thick glass or wire!!!!!
• Visitors also go through an x-ray device to
make sure they do not have any weapons or
drugs!!!!!!!
Eligibility For Parole
-People serving for life usually considered after serving 14 years (violent) or 7 years
(drugs)
Exceptions:
• 1) life in prison without parole if the crime is bad enough OR warrants the death
penalty OR the crime is your second serious felony
• 2) death sentence is changed to life in prison, must serve 25 years before eligible for
parole consideration
• 3) convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison and previously imprisoned
under a life sentence must serve 25 years before eligible for parole consideration
Unless otherwise specified, non-life people are eligible for parole after serving 1/3 of
their sentence
• 1) Not eligible for parole if they aren’t serving for a serious crime. Not eligible after
serving 10 years on a sentence greater than 10 years. Offender convicted for any of
these offenses (not sentenced to life) will serve their whole sentence without parole
• 2) If they committed 3 felonies before they will never be considered for parole in the
future for their whole sentence. Only exception is for a capital felony sentence.
• The board or parole choses which
offenders are eligible for parole and
what condition they’ll have to go
by. They use the parole guidelines
to predict each offenders probability
for a successful safe parole.
• They also determine whether to
revoke an offenders parole if they
don’t follow the conditions.
Depending on the seriousness of
the violation they can decide
whether to add extra conditions or
take the offender to an intermediate
sanction facility, or use alternatives
to revoking parole, even sending
them back to prison
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To figure out whether an offender is
eligible for parole the board will
consider:
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Criminal history
Nature of crime
Drug or alcohol involvement
Time served
Felony offense
Gaby Baldizon
Requirements and
Qualifications:
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Must have a bachelor’s
degree (common ones
include: criminal
justice, corrections,
social work, psychology,
counseling, and other
related fields)
At least one year of
graduate degree work
Valid driver’s license
Complete training and
certifications required
by the state, county,
and federal regulations
License to carry a
firearm
Pass a background
screening and drug test
Pass a psych evaluation
Some states require at
least two years of work
experience in
corrections or
counseling
Parole Officer
Description:
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Parole officers work with
individuals who have
been released from
prison before their
sentence is up
Help parolees adjust
back into society and
avoid any actions that
would threaten their
parole status
Develop a plan with
their parolee before
they’re released (plans
consist of employment,
housing, health care,
education, drug
screening and other
activities that help
parolees' rehabilitation)
Heavy workload (70-130
active cases on average)
Dangerous (which is why
they carry firearms)
Salary and Job Outlook:
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Salaries depend on
experience and education
Average salary in the US
for 2012-2013 was
$47,200
Job outlook is solid with
growth resting at 18%
through 2020
Parole Rules cont.
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Parolees, their residence, and their belongings can be searched
at any time with or without a warrant and with or without a
reason
– Done by parole agent or police officer
Parolee waives extradition if they are found out of state
Obligated to
– tell parole agent where they live and work
– Report upon release from prison or jail
– tell parole agent about new address before they move
– Tell parole agent if they get a new job within 3 days
– Report to their parole agent when told to report or a
warrant can be issued for their arrest
– Follow their parole agent’s instructions
– Ask permission from parole agent to travel more than 50
miles from their residence before they travel
– Receive a travel pass before they leave the county for more
than 2 days or if they're leaving the state
– Obey ALL laws
– Tell parole agent immediately if they get arrested or a ticket
– Not be around guns, or things that look like real guns,
bullets , or any other weapons or own one
– Cant have a knife with a blade longer than two inches
except a kitchen knife (must be kept in their kitchen)
– Sign their conditions of parole
failure in doing these can result in parolees return to prison
Conditions of Parole – Written rules
that you have to follow
Special Conditions - Added written
rules that help your chances of finishing
parole.
Parole Violation
By: Emily Tefft
Conditions:
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Must remain in state of incarceration or state crime was committed in.
Check in with parole officer on a routine basis. (decided by P.O. must be reasonable)
Must maintain or attempt to maintain steady employment or continue on education track
Notify of change of address
Submit to drug testing
Submit to warrantless search and seizure and searches conducted without probable cause
When parole is violated:
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Parolee may be charged in a separate criminal proceeding for any criminal offense even where
the parolee is charged with violation of parole for the same conduct
Until the 1970's, a parole officer who was in charge of the parolee was able to use his discretion
to decide what happened after a parole violation.
Under the current law, in order to provide the parolee with due process the consequences of a
parole violation are determined at a parole violation hearing
Types:
• Technical violation: when someone has broken a condition of their parole
• Parolee is accused of committing another crime, may be reason for revocation
Release From Parole
• You can serve parole the whole time or you
can be released early.
• Inmate is eligible for release on parole when
the inmate's actual calendar time served plus
good conduct time
• Equals one-fourth of the sentence imposed or
15 years
Release from Parole (CONT.)
To get released early:
Criminal has served 1/2 the time of their sentence.
During the preceding two-year period, the releasee has not committed any
violation of the rules or conditions of release
during the period of supervision the releasee's parole or release to
mandatory supervision has not been revoked
that the releasee has made a good faith effort to comply with any
restitution order imposed on the releasee by a court
that allowing the releasee to serve the remainder of the releasee's
sentence without supervision and reporting is in the best interest of society
Rights of ex-convicts
by: Nikki Lechler
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A convict is "a person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court" or "a person
serving a sentence in prison“, Convicts are often called prisoners or inmates.
Ex-convict is a common way of referring to a person who has been released from
prison.
The legal label of "ex-convict" has much wider lifelong implications, so the person may
suffer long-term handicaps and social stigma, including restricting access to certain
categories of employment. In the Australian context, the Federal government generally
will not employ an ex-convict, but some other state organizations may or may not have
a time limit restricting employment.
Texas
• Individuals convicted of a felony are ineligible to vote while incarcerated, on parole, or
on probation. Voting rights are automatically restored upon completion of all
supervised release. Ex-offenders should re-register to vote.
• Voting age citizens convicted of a felony are barred from voting for at least some period
of time. Laws vary in each state, and while some restore voting rights automatically,
other states permanently disenfranchise some ex-felons or require that they petition
the governor or a government board to have their right restored.
Jail Healthcare
• Jails are required to give “adequate” healthcare to
inmates. (There is no ball)
• Amounts of healthcare may differ by state.
• Neglect to treat can result in the violation of the 8th
amendment.
• In public interest. Don’t want inmates spreading the
diseases to the public when they get released.
• In Estelle v. Gamble the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that
the government has an obligation to provide medical
care to those whom it incarcerates, and that failure to
provide such care may violate inmates’ constitutional
rights.
“Hard labour”
• Also considered as Penal Labour
• The work may be light or hard,
depending on the context by the
judge.
• Large-scale implementations of penal
labour include labour camps, prison
farms, and penal colonies.
Solitary Confinement
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Also considered as “the hole”
Inmates are sent to these units not for crimes
they have been convicted of, but for acting up
in prison.
Prisoners go through degrading treatment or
punishment, concluded that even 15 days in
solitary confinement constitutes torture or
cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or
punishment, and 15 days is the limit after
which irreversible harmful psychological
effects can occur
It is a “special” form of imprisonment in
which a prisoner is isolated from any human
contact, except prison staff.
It is sometimes employed as a form of
punishment beyond incarceration for a
prisoner for violating prison regulations.
Police Stations
• A police station is a
building which serves to
accommodate police
officers and other
members of staff.
Temporary holding cells,
have access to
bathrooms, provided
with food and water.
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Texas Department of Criminal Justice
(TDCJ)
The TDCJ is responsible for statewide criminal
justice for adult offenders, including managing
offenders in state prisons, state jails and private
correctional facilities, funding and certain
oversight of community supervision, and
supervision of offenders released from prison on
parole or mandatory supervision. The TDCJ
operates the largest prison system in the United
States.
TDCJ also deals with Capital Punishment
Parole Rules cont.
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Parolees, their residence, and their belongings can be searched
at any time with or without a warrant and with or without a
reason
– Done by parole agent or police officer
Parolee waives extradition if they are found out of state
Obligated to
– tell parole agent where they live and work
– Report upon release from prison or jail
– tell parole agent about new address before they move
– Tell parole agent if they get a new job within 3 days
– Report to their parole agent when told to report or a
warrant can be issued for their arrest
– Follow their parole agent’s instructions
– Ask permission from parole agent to travel more than 50
miles from their residence before they travel
– Receive a travel pass before they leave the county for more
than 2 days or if they're leaving the state
– Obey ALL laws
– Tell parole agent immediately if they get arrested or a ticket
– Not be around guns, or things that look like real guns,
bullets , or any other weapons or own one
– Cant have a knife with a blade longer than two inches
except a kitchen knife (must be kept in their kitchen)
– Sign their conditions of parole
failure in doing these can result in parolees return to prison
Conditions of Parole – Written rules
that you have to follow
Special Conditions - Added written
rules that help your chances of finishing
parole.