jail
A building or space for confining accused persons, usually temporarily or while they await trial, distinct from a prison.
A jail is a building or space used for the confinement of persons accused of crimes, usually when awaiting trial or being held temporarily. It is distinguished from a prison, where the official sentence of punishment is served.
The confinement concerns accused persons and is commonly temporary or connected with awaiting trial. The definition does not depend on whether the holding space occupies a separate building or shares premises with another judicial or police function.
A prison is distinguished here by incarceration to serve a sentence after conviction. The confinement function and the stage of the proceedings supply the distinction between these uses.
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Related definitions
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courthouse
A government building housing courtrooms and judicial chambers, with supporting spaces for hearing and trying legal cases. -
prison
A site where people convicted of crimes are confined to serve their sentences, distinguished from detention before conviction. -
prosecutor's office
Offices for government lawyers who press charges and accusations against a defendant in court.