How much punishment a criminal gets depends on how bad their crime was.
To help determine how bad a crime was, the crime is called either a 'felony' or a 'misdemeanor'. Felonies are more serious crimes, and misdemeanors are less serious crimes. Both can result in a jail sentence but only a felony can result in a prison sentence.
The maximum sentence a person can receive on a misdemeanor is 365 days or less. Sentences on felonies can be less than or more than a year, and can be up to life in prison. If the sentence is less than a year, the sentence is generally served in a local jail. If the sentence is more than a year the time is generally served in prison.