A federal
prison
A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, corre ...
is operated under the jurisdiction of a
federal government
A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government ( federalism). In a federation, the self-gover ...
as opposed to a state or provincial body. Federal prisons are used for
convicts who violated federal law (U.S., Mexico),
inmate
A prisoner (also known as an inmate or detainee) is a person who is deprived of liberty against their will. This can be by confinement, captivity, or forcible restraint. The term applies particularly to serving a prison sentence in a prison.
...
s considered dangerous (Brazil), or those sentenced to longer terms of imprisonment (Canada). Not all federated countries have a legal concept of "federal prison".
Australia
The
Australian federal government does not directly control most prisons or detention facilities. There are a relatively small number of federal detention facilities, consisting of military detention facilities (such as the
Defence Force Correctional Establishment),
immigration detention facilities, and holding cells in
Australian Federal Police
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) is the national and principal federal law enforcement agency of the Australian Government with the unique role of investigating crime and protecting the national security of the Commonwealth of Australia. ...
stations in some territories.
The vast majority of criminal prosecutions in Australia take place within
state or territory court systems under state or territory law, however a relatively small number of prosecutions in state and federal courts occur under federal law (such as the
Crimes Act 1914).
Section 120 of the Constitution of Australia provides that:
Every State shall make provision for the detention in its prisons of persons accused or convicted of offences against the laws of the Commonwealth, and for the punishment of persons convicted of such offences, and the Parliament of the Commonwealth may make laws to give effect to this provision.
Accordingly, civilian federal offenders who are remanded in custody or sentenced to imprisonment are detained in state or territory prisons.
Brazil
The Brazil federal prison system (Sistema Penitenciário Federal) was implemented in 2006 based on the provisions of the 1984 law "Lei de Execução Penal". It receives the most dangerous criminals who would be disruptive in state prisons.
Canada
In Canada, the
Correctional Service of Canada operates federal penitentiaries, which house inmates with sentences of two years or more; provincial prisons are responsible for those with shorter terms.
Germany
The
prisons in Germany are run solely by the
federal states, although governed by a federal law.
Mexico
The federal prison system in Mexico is run by the
Secretariat of Public Security and receives prisoners sentenced and being processed for federal crimes.
Russia
All penal establishments in the
Russian Federation
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
are governed by the
Federal Penitentiary Service.
United States
The
Federal Bureau of Prisons
The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is a United States federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Justice that is responsible for the care, custody, and control of incarcerated individuals who have committed federal crimes; that i ...
(BOP), established with the passing of the Three Prisons Act of 1891, is responsible for the administration of federal prison facilities in the United States, as well as the custody and welfare of federal inmates. The BOP also provides researchers with background information and statistics regarding the Federal Prison System.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Federal Prison
Prisons