Imprisonment

From Encyclopediak

Imprisonment, 1m priz n went, in the strictest sense of the term, the legal confinement of a person in a jail or prison provided by law for the purpose. In its broadest sense imprisonment means the restraint of one's personal liberty, whether or not he is forcibly detained within an inclosure. A person becomes a prisoner at the touch or command of an officer legally qualified to make arrests. Imprisonment is the punishment most commonly inflicted by courts for crime, the term depending upon the nature of the crime. The sentence varies from a few days, or even hours, to life. Persons under indictment for crime are frequently imprisoned to hold them for trial. Indicted persons can usually be released on bail. Persons wanted for witnesses at a trial are sometimes imprisoned to assure the court of their presence when needed. False imprisonment consists of illegally detaining one, and the person so detained can bring action for damages.