- Court Holidays 2018
- Does the Sheriff’s Office allow citizens to pick up dead deer that have been hit and killed by a car?
- Do you do fingerprint cards?
- How do I get a background/records check on myself?
- Do you accept stuffed animals?
- How do I take hunter safety classes?
- When I go on vacation, will the Douglas County Sheriff's Office check my home?
- How can I get a copy of an incident report?
- How can I get a copy of an accident report?
- Where do I go for a municipal traffic ticket?
- What are redemption rights?
- How do I know if I live in an area served by the Douglas County Sheriff's Office?
- My license tag was stolen. Now what?
- What's unusual about calling 9-1-1 from a cell phone?
- What's the difference between jail and prison?
- How do I obtain a copy of an arrest record or a background check?
- What is the difference between a sexual offender and a predator?
- What is the difference between a criminal case and a civil case?
- What are the Kansas child passenger safety requirements?
- How do I file a complaint against a Douglas County Sheriff's Office employee?
- How can I commend a Sheriff's Office employee for outstanding service?
What's the difference between jail and prison?
Think short-term and long-term.
Jails are most often run by sheriffs and/or local governments and are designed to hold individuals awaiting trial or a serving short sentences (in Kansas, inmates serving 364 days or less serve their time in jail).
Prisons are operated by state governments and the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and are designed to hold individuals convicted of crimes.
Jails operate work release programs, boot camps, and other specialized services. They try to address educational needs, substance abuse needs, and vocational needs while managing inmate behavior. Inmate idleness contributes to management problems. State prison systems operate halfway houses, work release centers and community restitution centers - all considered medium or minimum custody. Inmates assigned to such facilities are usually reaching the end of their sentences.
There are approximately 3,600 jails in the United States.
Sheriff Ken McGovern
