State Prisons

US State Prisons - Departments of Correction for each State in America

Every US state and the District of Columbia maintains their own state prison system, facilities which consists of every security level; maximum, medium, and minimum, as well as facilities that focus on sober living, and halfway houses that prepare inmates for life outside of prison.

State prisons are where offenders are sent that have been convicted of felony crimes of murder, rape, assault, serious thefts and drug related offenses. These are offenses of at least one year, and all the way up to life imprisonment. Some states even have the death penalty.

While there are fewer state prisons in America than there were at the start of this decade, crime has increased dramatically in many states and major cities. In other states, specifically those who continue to mete out harsh penalties, crime has gone down. Many states are experimenting with the theory that NOT locking offenders up for their crimes will keep them from re-offending.

To search for an inmate or learn how to communicate with an inmate in any of the state prisons, start by choosing from the list of states below.

State Juvenile Detention Centers - Juvenile Detention for each State in America

Every state also oversees facilities for juvenile offenders who have been convicted of serious crimes and sentenced to detention.

When it comes to younger people, the philosophy behind putting youth in Juvenile Detention facilities is also changing rapidly in the United States.  At least 20 states closed a youth corrections facility in the past five years.

• Three states —Connecticut, South Dakota, and Vermont— have closed all state-run youth prisons.
• 15 states —Arizona, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Virginia, and the District of Columbia—  still primarily rely on one large facility to hold young people adjudicated and committed to the state.
• At least 18 states —Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Rhode Island, Utah— have at least one facility operating significantly under capacity.
• At least 11 states —Arkansas, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming— rely heavily on private placements to house committed youth.