What is a key difference between jails and prisons?

The key difference highlighted in the correct answer is that jails are typically used for short-term confinement while prisons are intended for long-term incarceration. Jails serve as facilities primarily for individuals awaiting trial, sentencing, or serving short sentences, usually less than a year. This short-term focus often accommodates a variety of offenders, including those charged with misdemeanors or awaiting proceedings, which contributes to a transient population.

On the other hand, prisons are designed for individuals who have been convicted of crimes and are serving longer sentences, generally for a year or more. Prisons house inmates who have been sentenced for felony offenses and offer a more structured and prolonged environment as part of the correctional system, where the focus can also include rehabilitation efforts over the long term.

This distinction between the temporary nature of jails and the more permanent establishment of prisons is fundamental to understanding the correctional system and the different roles these facilities play in the administration of justice.