Department of Corrections

The Department of Corrections is the part of the Justice Department that deals with the punishments resulting from criminal court cases. As such, it runs both the Federal Prisons and the Federal Executions.

The Union laws are seen as fair and well developed, but the sentencing and management of convicts has its critics. The death penalty is common for many serious felonies such as : Murder one, rape, piracy, abduction, trade with sentient life, Califerm dealing, treason and a few other crimes. Lesser crimes carry sentences of incarceration and sometimes convicts can chose between Prison Colony or Prison.

Federal Prison System
While the incarceration of law breakers is neither the best nor the most efficient way to deal with convicted criminals, prisons still exist. Serving a sentence on a Prison Colony is less harsh but an inmate has to serve twice the time. Other criminals who are considered dangerous to their fellow inmates or of violent crimes are less likely sent to a Colony.
 * Prison Colonies
 * 1) Minimum Security - normally for sentences lasting no longer than 10 years.
 * 2) Medium Security - Normally for sentences lasting between five and 30 years.
 * 3) Maximum Security - Normally for sentences lasting more than 20 years.  No reabilitation is expected, but claims of such an event are psionically verified.
 * Penitentiaries
 * 1) Minimum Security - normally for sentences lasting no longer than 5 years.
 * 2) Medium Security - Normally for sentences lasting between 2 and 15 years.
 * 3) Maximum Security - Normally for sentences lasting more than 10 years. No reabilitation is expected, but claims of such an event are psionically verified.
 * 4) UltraMax Security - Prisoners normally are kept in alternating stages of statis and induced coma in a regen-cell.

Federal Executions
When a criminal court gives a sentence of the Death Penalty, the sentence has to be carried out in 30 days. To do so, the convict is either transported to a nearby system where an execution date has already been scheduled, or a team of Federal Executioners is sent to the site of the trial.

The form of execution depends in part of the species involved, but in some cases the court may decide the actual form between a number of legal alternatives.