Like of troy said, Bingley. "Jail" is a facility run by a local authority to incarcerate someone for a short term. In Michigan, a jail is owned by a city or county, and a sentence of a year or less may be served in a jail. Jails also serve to hold persons before sentencing, whether pending trial without bail or after conviction but before imposition of the sentence. "Prison" refers to a state-run facility, and is used for prisoners sentenced to longer terms.