State Prisons vs. County Prisons in Pennsylvania

If a person has never been incarcerated before, they may think that getting locked up is all the same, and that there is not much difference between State prisons and County prisons in Pennsylvania. But, there are actually many differences between and offender serving time in a County or a State facility. The main difference between these two types of institutions is who runs them, but a State facility is more often referred to as a “prison”. The County is what runs a “jail”, but sometimes a County-ran facility can be referred to as a prison, too. The jail may even have the word “prison” in its facility’s name, but the rules are still that of a County jail.

 County jails and State prisons in Pennsylvania have many of the same differences that correctional facilities across the nation have in State vs. County facilities. For example, when it comes to sentencing, an offender will most of the time serve a longer sentence in a prison instead of a jail. This is not to say that a person could not do a lot of time in jail – they could actually have a few years to do behind bars there. But, in the offender’s eyes, he or she would likely rather be at a State facility vs. a County one if they have to serve an extended sentence.

One reason an offender would want to go to prison instead of a jail for, say, a two year sentence, is because of the fact that many times a jail will cater more to people who are not going to be there for a long period of time. The amenities at a County jail are many times only set up to provide the bare necessities. At a prison, most of the time the daily living is better, with things such as work release programs, vocational training, and even entertainment.

Someone who has recently been sentenced for a crime should consult with their criminal defense attorney constantly. Being that their lawyer is the main point of contact between them and the County or State officials who control where they serve their sentence, expressing how they feel about where they are currently being held (or where they will be being sent to serve their time) could render good results. And, if they are looking at a longer sentence, they should take this opportunity to express to their lawyer how they feel about doing their time in State prisons vs County prisons in Philadelphia.