Crime: Life behind bars in the United States

An inmate stands in his cell at the Orange County jail in Santa Ana, California, on May 24, 2011. The US Supreme Court upheld on Monday an order that California reduce its overcrowded prisons by some 40,000 inmates to fix longtime problems with inadequate medical and mental health care. Officials plan to move low-level offenders to county jails. -- PHOTO: REUTERS 

An inmate reads a book in a gymnasium where they are housed due to overcrowding at the California Institution for Men state prison in Chino, California, on June 3, 2011. The Supreme Court has ordered California to release more than 30,000 inmates over the next two years or take other steps to ease overcrowding in its prisons to prevent 'needless suffering and death.' California's 33 adult prisons were designed to hold about 80,000 inmates and now have about 145,000. The United States has more than 2 million people in state and local prisons. It has long had the highest incarceration rate in the world. -- PHOTO: REUTERS 

Inmates serving time at Maricopa County's Tent City jail pose for a picture in Phoenix, Arizona on Aug 22, 2012. The controversial jail is run by Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who is seeking re-election for a sixth term during November's general election. Over 400,000 inmates have served time at Tent City. -- PHOTO: REUTERS  

Administrative segregation prisoners take part in a group therapy session at San Quentin state prison in San Quentin, California, on June 8, 2012. San Quentin prison is California's oldest correctional facility and houses the state's only gas chamber. -- PHOTO: REUTERS  

An inmate reads in his cell at Men's Central Jail in Los Angeles, California on Oct 3, 2012. Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca held a news conference earlier to address the Citizens' Commission on Jail Violence report on his department's management of the jail system. -- PHOTO: REUTERS  

Inmates serving a jail sentence relax at Maricopa County's Tent City jail in Phoenix on July 30, 2010. The controversial jail is run by Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who supports Arizona's new illegal immigration Senate Bill 1070 law. The jail is known for housing illegal immigrants who are caught living in Arizona without proper legal documents. An inmates serving a jail sentence does a chin-up at Maricopa County's Tent City jail in Phoenix. -- PHOTO: REUTERS  

An Orange County sheriff's deputy handcuffs prisoners as he loads them into jail in Fullerton, California, on June , 2009. -- PHOTO: REUTERS  

A prison cell along cell block 'B' is shown at Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay in San Francisco, California, on Aug 9, 2009. The US National Park Service on Sunday commemorated the 75th anniversary of Alcatraz as a federal prison. -- PHOTO: REUTERS  

A pair of pink handcuffs are displayed beside pink boxers that are issued to inmates in Maricopa county tent city jail, at the Sheriff Joe Arpaio's Youth Assistance Foundation in Tempe, Arizona on July 21, 2009. The US Department of Justice officials have launched an inquiry into Sheriff Arpaio's activities amid accusations by civil rights activists and Latino lawmakers that he carries out racial profiling of Hispanics during his crackdown on illegal immigrants. -- PHOTO: REUTERS   

Inmates serving a jail sentence eat one of two meals that are served to them a day at Maricopa County's Tent City jail in Phoenix on July 30, 2010. The controversial jail is run by Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who supports Arizona's new illegal immigration Senate Bill 1070 law. The jail is known for housing illegal immigrants who are caught living in Arizona without proper legal documents. -- PHOTO: REUTERS 

Inmates exercise at the California Institution for Men state prison in Chino, California, on June 3, 2011. The Supreme Court has ordered California to release more than 30,000 inmates over the next two years or take other steps to ease overcrowding in its prisons to prevent 'needless suffering and death.' California's 33 adult prisons were designed to hold about 80,000 inmates and now have about 145,000. The US has more than 2 million people in state and local prisons. It has long had the highest incarceration rate in the world. -- PHOTO: REUTERS  

Inmates serving a jail sentence make a phone call at Maricopa County's Tent City jail in Phoenix on July 30, 2010. The controversial jail is run by Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who supports Arizona's new illegal immigration Senate Bill 1070 law. The jail is known for housing illegal immigrants who are caught living in Arizona without proper legal documents. -- PHOTO: REUTERS  

Inmate Bobby Cortez, 29, sits in a cage at the California Institution for Men state prison in Chino, California, on June 3, 2011. Cages are for prisoners waiting for medical appointments, counselling, or permanent cells. The Supreme Court has ordered California to release more than 30,000 inmates over the next two years or take other steps to ease overcrowding in its prisons to prevent 'needless suffering and death.' California's 33 adult prisons were designed to hold about 80,000 inmates and now have about 145,000. The United States has more than 2 million people in state and local prisons. It has long had the highest incarceration rate in the world. -- PHOTO: REUTERS  

Inmate Jamar Allah flips his tassel as a graduate before receiving his High School GED (General Equivalency Diploma) along with 26 others at a graduation ceremony for inmates at the George Motchan Detention Center at New York City's Rikers Island correctional facility on June 26, 2012. Two New York City agencies, the Department of Education and the Department of Correction share the responsibility for providing education to incarcerated men and women through the East River Academy on Rikers Island where inmates can earn their GED or High School diploma, and education staff assist in helping students to transition back to schools in the community upon their release. -- PHOTO: REUTERS  

The execution chamber at the Utah State Prison is seen after Ronnie Lee Gardner was executed by a firing squad in Draper on June 18, 2010. Four bullet holes are visible in the wood panel behind the chair. Gardner, 49, was pronounced dead at 0620 GMT (2.20pm Singapore time) after being shot in the chest by a five-man firing squad at the Utah State Prison in Draper, a suburb of Salt Lake City. Gardner was condemned to die for the 1985 courthouse shooting of attorney Michael Burdell during an escape attempt. Gardner had been in court to face a charge of murdering a bartender. -- PHOTO: REUTERS  

Prisoners congregate at the Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, California on Feb 13, 2007. The prison, which houses murderers, child molesters, thieves and other criminals, is one of the most overcrowded in California. Some inmates have to share triple bunk beds in large public areas including gyms because of a shortage of prison cells. -- PHOTO: REUTERS  

An inmate patient is shown in his cell at the California Medical Facility (CMF) in Vacaville, California, on March 17, 2010. CMF was established to provide a centrally located medical and psychiatric institution for the health care needs of California's male felon population. -- PHOTO: REUTERS  

Maricopa County female inmates are padlocked by the ankle for chain gangduty in Phoenix, Arizona on Oct 21, 2003. The women are padlocked together by the ankle and marched military style to a van to be transported to their work site. The women volunteer for chain gang duty to get out of lockdown,where four prisoners are shut in a cell 8 x 12 feet wide (2.44m x 3.65m) 23 hours a day. If they spend 30 days on the chain gang, picking up trash, weeding or burying bodies, they can get out of the punishment cell. -- PHOTO: REUTERS   

Inmates sit in a classroom at the Orange County jail in Santa Ana, California on May 24, 2011. The US Supreme Court upheld on Monday an order that California reduce its overcrowded prisons by some 40,000 inmates to fix longtime problems with inadequate medical and mental health care. Officials plan to move low-level offenders to county jails. -- PHOTO: REUTERS   

An inmate serving time at Maricopa County's Tent City jail lies on her bed in Phoenix, Arizona on Aug 22, 2012.  The controversial jail is run by Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who is seeking re-election for a sixth term during November's general election. Over 400,000 inmates have served time at Tent City. -- PHOTO: REUTERS 

Inmates are charged by a bull during 'Convict Poker' at the Angola Rodeo, a prison rodeo at Louisiana State Prison in Angola, Louisiana on April 21, 2012.  'Convict Poker' is a game that involves four inmate cowboys who sit at a table in the middle of the arena with their hands on the table, and a wild bull is released, leaving the last man remaining seated, as the winner. The Angola Rodeo was first held in 1965 and features prisoners and staff competing in events ranging from bareback horse riding to Guts and Glory, in which inmates attempt to grab a poker chip that has been tied to the back of a Brahma Bull. -- PHOTO: REUTERS 

An inmate stands in his cell at Men's Central Jail in Los Angeles, California on Oct 3, 2012. Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca held a news conference earlier to address the Citizens' Commission on Jail Violence report on his department's management of the jail system. -- PHOTO: REUTERS 

Inmates sort laundry at the Orange County jail in Santa Ana, California, on May 24, 2011. The US Supreme Court upheld on Monday an order that California reduce its overcrowded prisons by some 40,000 inmates to fix longtime problems with inadequate medical and mental health care. Officials plan to move low-level offenders to county jails. -- PHOTO: REUTERS 

An inmate waits for a visitor at the California Institution for Men state prison in Chino, California, on June 3, 2011. The US Supreme Court has ordered California to release more than 30,000 inmates over the next two years or take other steps to ease overcrowding in its prisons to prevent 'needless suffering and death.' California's 33 adult prisons were designed to hold about 80,000 inmates and now have about 145,000. The United States has more than 2 million people in state and local prisons. It has long had the highest incarceration rate in the world. -- PHOTO: REUTERS