The Department of Corrections plays a pivotal role in the justice system, overseeing the incarceration and rehabilitation of offenders. In the United States, each state operates its own department, with over 1.2 million individuals in state prisons as of 2021, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. New Zealand's prison service, also known as the Department of Corrections, manages both the custodial sentence and the reintegration of offenders, with a prison population rate of 195 per 100,000 people as reported by the World Prison Brief. Meanwhile, Correctional Services in Canada and Australia undertake similar responsibilities, with Canada having an incarceration rate of 107 per 100,000 based on the Government of Canada's data. These agencies are essential in maintaining public safety, providing correctional programs, and facilitating the successful re-entry of former inmates into society.
A department of corrections normally operates a variety of prisons that hold male or female adult prisoners as well as separate facilities for the detention of juvenile offenders. Maximum security prisons house felons who have been imprisoned for committing serious offenses, such as murder. Inmates who have been sentenced to death are normally housed in maximum security prisons, and very often these prisons contain facilities where executions of prisoners are carried out. People convicted of less serious crimes are housed in other prisons where prisoners have more access to recreational facilities and spend less time in their cells. Prior to release some prisoners spend time in open prisons, from which inmates can make occasional outside visits.
Correctional facilities employ individuals to work as guards. The guards are responsible for maintaining discipline within the confines of the correctional facility as well as ensuring that inmates do not escape. Physicians are employed by the department of corrections, and inmates are entitled to regular medical examinations. Prison physicians also handle the treatment of prisoners suffering from serious illnesses or other medical treatments. A prison governor or warden overseas the day-to-day management of a prison and liaises with the department of corrections and law enforcement on matters pertaining to the transfer and confinement of prisoners.
Prior to sentencing, people are normally sent to locally operated jails that are not administered by the department of corrections. If found guilty at trial, prisoners are then transferred by local law enforcement officers to a prison. When a prison becomes overcrowded, the department of corrections can transfer prisoners to other facilities within its jurisdiction.
The Department of Corrections receives funding from the government, but in some areas the running of prisons has been contracted out to private security firms. Outsourcing prisons enables governments to save money by reducing the government payroll. Prisons run by private companies are regularly inspected by government officials and must abide by government standards pertaining the treatment of prisoners. Contracts to operate prisons are renewable, and competing firms can gain control of a prison when a contract comes up for renewal.