A
prison (from
Old French prisoun), also known as
gaol or
jail, is a place in which people are physically confined and usually deprived of a range of personal
freedoms.
Imprisonment or
incarceration is a legal
penalty that may be imposed by the
state for the commission of a
crime. Other terms used are penitentiary, correctional facility, remand centre, detention centre, and gaol or jail. In some
legal systems some of these terms have distinct meanings.
A criminal
suspect who has been charged with or is likely to be charged with criminal
offense may be held
on remand in prison if he or she is denied or unable to meet conditions of
bail, or is unable or unwilling to post bail. A criminal
defendant may also be held in prison while awaiting
trial or a trial
verdict. If found guilty, a defendant will be
convicted and may receive a custodial
sentence requiring imprisonment.
As well as convicted or suspected criminals, prisons may be used for
internment of those not charged with a crime. Prisons may also be used as a tool of
political repression to detain
political prisoners,
prisoners of conscience, and "
enemies of the state", particularly by
authoritarian regimes. In times of
war or conflict,
prisoners of war may also be detained in prisons. A prison system is the organizational arrangement of the provision and operation of prisons.