jail or prison
When do we use jail and prison?
Word | Explanation | Example |
---|---|---|
jail | a temporary place of detention, typically for a span of less than one year | He was released after awaiting trial in jail. |
Someone awaiting trial, for example, will be kept in a jail. This is usually a place under a county or city authority in the USA. | ||
prison | If the person is convicted for, say two years, he or she would be transferred to a ›prison‹ to serve out the sentence. Prisons are under the authority of states or the federal government in the USA. | They were sent to a high-security prison in New Jersey. |
- In the UK only prison is used.
- In Australia both words can be used as synonyms.
Thanks to Jaqueline and Vicky.