With around 1.9 million people incarcerated, the United States maintains the highest amount of incarcerated people per capita in the world.
This means that, at some point, you’ve probably heard the terms “inmate” and “convict.” Both terms describe people in relation to the prison system. And while a lot of people use these terms interchangeably, they mean very different things.
The biggest difference comes down to the context of the words. Keep reading to learn about the differences between a convict vs inmate.
What Is an Inmate?
The context of the term “inmate” relates to if a person is being held in the prison system. An inmate is someone who is being housed in an institution with other people, usually against their will, such as in a prison or jail.
This typically applies to all levels of prison, from jails to state prisons to federal prisons. Inmates are also sometimes called prisoners or detainees. Sometimes people are detained as inmates before they have been legally charged with a crime.
This means a judge or jury has not determined the person’s guilt yet. And in the cases where someone can’t afford bail, is deemed a flight risk, or is awaiting trial for a dangerous crime, they are still detained and are inmates until the trial.
With so many people in the prison system, it can be really hard for friends and families to know where their loved ones are. Luckily, there are some means of finding information about inmates.
What Is a Convict?
The context of the term “convict” relates to the legal process of determining guilt for a crime. A convict is someone who has been convicted or charged guilty of a specific crime. If the crime was a felony, that person is referred to as a convicted felon.
Depending on the crime, there is a wide range of sentences a convict can potentially serve. If their sentence includes prison time, they will be an inmate for the duration of their stay in prison.
But once they are out of prison, they are still a convict since their legal charge for that crime is not removed. A convict who does not serve prison time and instead is sentenced to a fine or community service is still a convict.
Differences Between a Convict vs Inmate
While there is some overlap in the definition of convict vs inmate, they mean very different things. In a country with such a pervasive prison system, it’s important to understand the different terminology.
While most inmates are convicts, there is a period where some inmates are not convicts yet. And once someone is out of prison, they are no longer an inmate, but they are still a convict for that crime.
Simply put, not every inmate is a convict, and not every convict is an inmate.
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