Over 15 million men, women and children are arrested and jailed every year in the United States. That equates to over 5% of the population, or one in twenty citizens. Whether they realize it or not, everyone knows somebody who is, or has been in jail. Even though some of those arrested are eventually found innocent of any crime and are released, many are held in conditions that are so beneath the dignity of this great country that they need to be exposed for treating American citizens no better than dogs in a pound. However, that is for another article.
This Article will focus on the Top 50 Jails in America and why they were chosen. With 5,955 City and County Jails in the United States, to make the Top 50 is no small feat.
To become a member of JAIL Exchange’s top 50 Jails for 2010, a jail or detention center (adult or juvenile) had to have been rewarded our JAILEX RATING of 5.0 and meet the following criteria:
Jails with a 5.0 - Highest Rating: Perfect.
This facility's online presence is captivating. The operator of this facility understands that providing complete information is essential to saving time, money and frustration for all involved, including staff, the families and friends of those incarcerated, and the taxpayer. By providing clear, relevant and meaningful online content, they have gone far beyond what over 95% of other facilities in the United States have done. These sheriffs and administrators are communication experts. They are to be commended.
Jails that made the top 50 list usually have the following information:
- Website that is professionally done, updated regularly and easy to navigate.
- Inmate Search and/or list that is updated daily.
- Clear information about the facility and contact info.
- Visitation rules and schedules.
- Information on how to send mail and what is allowed.
- Information about how to deposit money for Inmates.
- Information about Inmate Services such as Programs and Rehabilitation.
- A Most Wanted List
- A list of Active Warrants
- Virtual Tours and/or photos of the facility.
- Inmate Handbooks.
- Employment information for recruiting staff.
- Availability of information in Spanish.