It seems like humans have a need for certain kinds of rules and norms and will find a good or bad way to fulfill that. This discussion around prisons forming their own governance structure from a vacuum reminds me of the beginning of Common Sense by Thomas Paine. He outlines the idea that it is impossible to have true anarchy. The case he makes is that some sort of power structure will always arise fairly naturally if you have a large enough group of people, even if that power structure isn't a very good one.
In the United States, at least, a prison is where convicts go. The inmates have had a trial and been sentenced to a prison term. The inmates in a jail have been arrested, but have not had a trial. If you are unfortunate enough to get arrested, the police will take you to a jail, not a prison.
Thanks. I don't think the terms are used in the same way in the UK (indeed I think the same institutions are often used for both purposes, although cons and non-cons are separated). To my mind the two terms were synonymous.
It seems like humans have a need for certain kinds of rules and norms and will find a good or bad way to fulfill that. This discussion around prisons forming their own governance structure from a vacuum reminds me of the beginning of Common Sense by Thomas Paine. He outlines the idea that it is impossible to have true anarchy. The case he makes is that some sort of power structure will always arise fairly naturally if you have a large enough group of people, even if that power structure isn't a very good one.
What's the difference between a prison and a jail?
In the United States, at least, a prison is where convicts go. The inmates have had a trial and been sentenced to a prison term. The inmates in a jail have been arrested, but have not had a trial. If you are unfortunate enough to get arrested, the police will take you to a jail, not a prison.
Thanks. I don't think the terms are used in the same way in the UK (indeed I think the same institutions are often used for both purposes, although cons and non-cons are separated). To my mind the two terms were synonymous.