The words "jail" and "prison" are often used interchangeably, and incorrectly so.
Prison is supposed to be the place where people go upon conviction; jail is where people awaiting trial are held, if they represent a threat or a flight risk.
But the lines have blurred, especially as both Oregon and California have taken to using jail for convicts, to keep the state prison populations under control.
And the Vera Institute of Justice questions how many people in jail are really either threats or flight risks. Nancy Fishman's work at Vera focuses on reducing the overuse of jail in the justice system. She joins us with details of the work.
