When you come to this page, you may want to find out the definition of penitentiaries. You are lucky to have come to this page as here we will explain about the definition of penitentiaries. Now, let us read this entire article to get information you need.
What is the Definition of Penitentiaries?
Definition of penitentiary is a state of federal prison in the United States and Canada. Typically, penitentiaries house people who have committed serious crimes. If there is a person who commits a serious crime like a killing, then a person will not go to a jail, but he/she will be sent to a penitentiary.
The word “penitentiary” is frequently used in formal contexts. In less formal and slang usage, penitentiary is frequently shortened to pen or the pen. For example, like in the phrase “state pen.” For your information, a penitentiary run by a state government, not the federal government. Occasionally, the word “penitentiary” is also used as an adjective portraying related things.
According to research, penitentiary comes from the Latin paenitentia. It has the meaning “repentance.” Therefore, we can also define a penitentiary as a place to make repentance for a serious crime committed. Also, penitentiary can be used as an adjective to depict something performed to show penance. We get information that in the Roman Catholic Church, a penitentiary is a priest who manages the sacrament of penance or hears confessions of people.
What Does Penitentiary, Correctional Facility, and Detention Center Mean?
Need to know that places of incarceration are not always called prisons or jails. State and federal prisons are frequently called penitentiaries. In the text above, we have explained about the definition of penitentiary. Now, you may also want to know about the definition of correctional facility and detention center so that you will be able to know the differences between them.
As we explained above, the term penitentiary refers to a state of federal prison in the United States and Canada. While the term correctional facility refers to a prison and is used in the name of several prisons. The last, the term detention center is occasionally used in a general way. But the term detention center is also used more specifically to refer to facilities with functions other than long-term imprisonment, for example, holding immigrants awaiting deportation hearings or witnesses before a trial.
The Purpose of Penitentiaries
The main purpose of the penitentiary is to rehabilitate the prisoners who have committed major crimes. Usually, prisoners who are incarcerated in penitentiaries are given the necessary programs to reintegrate into society at large. This includes job training, education, and mental health treatment. It is hoped that if prisoners are rehabilitated, they will not commit crimes again once they are released. But unfortunately, programs given for the prisoners to successfully reintegrate into society do not always work according to plan. In fact, there are lots of prisoners who have been released from prison, they commit crimes again. On the other hand, there are also prisoners who have been released from prison, but they do not commit crimes again. And, they have left their bad habit. This is why it is very crucial that prisoners are rehabilitated through correctional programs while they are incarcerated in penitentiaries.
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