People often mix up prisons and jails. In the U.S., prisons are run by the state or federal government for people convicted of serious crimes and serving longer sentences, while jails are typically run by sheriffs or other local officials and hold people who are waiting for their trials or serving shorter sentences. ✍️ & 🎥: Katrina Pham & Chris Vazquez / The Marshall Project #jail #prison Transcript: KATRINA PHAM: Hey, Chris? CHRIS VAZQUEZ: Hey, Katrina. KATRINA: Did you see this comment from a while back? We should explain the difference between jail and prison. CHRIS: Sure! … What is the difference? KATRINA: Come with me. Prisons are long-term facilities run by the state or federal government for people convicted of serious crimes. STATE CORRECTIONS DEPARTMENTS: Also, most prisons are run by government agencies. FEDERAL BUREAU OF PRISONS: Like us. KATRINA: Less than 10% of all incarcerated people are held in private prisons. And jail is for people who are waiting for their trials or for people who are serving shorter sentences. CHRIS: But prison is for people serving longer sentences? KATRINA: Right, and some jails are located in prisons. The U.S. incarcerates people at a higher rate than any other developed country. And conditions in both prisons and jails are often harsh. Incarcerated people can face solitary confinement, poor health care, violence from staff and more.