What is the difference between Jail and Penitentiary?

A lot of people assume that jail and penitentiary are the same things, but if you want to become more precise, you should realize that these two things are different. A penitentiary is a place wherein the people who would stay there have been charged with felony crimes. They would usually need to stay there for about a year or so. The main goal of the penitentiary is to show people that they can change.
A prison is reserved for those who have created more serious crimes. Some of them would need to stay in prison for the rest of their lives. Some of them would take years before they are released. Some people say that life in prison is always going to be harder as compared to the penitentiary.