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Criminal Law & Justice vocabulary · Prisons, Probation & Parole

Prison

Meaning in criminal law & justice, with examples

/ˈprɪzn/nounCore term

In criminal law & justice, prison means: A secure building where people are kept as punishment after a conviction or while they wait for their trial.

In Turkish: cezaevi, hapishane, ceza infaz kurumu

How it is used

Without an article for the institution's purpose: 'go to prison', 'in prison', 'released from prison'. With an article for the building: 'a high-security prison'. In American English a 'jail' is a local facility for short stays and people awaiting trial, while a 'prison' holds people serving longer sentences.

Example sentences

  1. He spent ten years in prison before he was released.

  2. If convicted, she could go to prison for up to seven years.

  3. The new prison will hold 1,200 inmates.

Common collocations

  • go to prison
  • in prison
  • released from prison
  • prison sentence
  • prison officer
  • inmateA person who is kept in a prison, whether they have been convicted or are waiting for trial.
  • imprisonmentThe punishment of being kept in prison for a period of time; also the state of being in prison.
  • paroleEarly release of a prisoner before the end of the sentence, on condition that they obey certain rules; they can be sent back to prison if they do not.
  • custodyThe state of being held by the police or kept in prison, for example after an arrest or while waiting for trial.
  • sentenceThe punishment that a judge gives a person who has been found guilty; as a verb, to give someone a particular punishment.

More terms: Prisons, Probation & Parole

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not legal advice.