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Simple English definitions for legal terms
jail
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A quick definition of jail:
A jail is a place where people who have been accused of a crime or convicted of a minor crime are kept. It is different from a prison, which is where people who have been convicted of serious crimes are sent for a longer period of time. Jails can be found at the federal, state, and local levels and are used to hold people until their trial or for short sentences.
A more thorough explanation:
A jail is a place where people are held while they are waiting for their trial or have been sentenced for low-level crimes. Jails are different from prisons because they are used to hold people who have committed misdemeanors, while prisons are used to hold people who have committed felonies and are sentenced to more than one year of imprisonment.
For example, if someone is arrested for shoplifting, they may be taken to a local jail to wait for their trial. If they are found guilty, they may be sentenced to a few months in jail. Another example is if someone is arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, they may be taken to a city jail to wait for their trial. If they are found guilty, they may be sentenced to a few weeks in jail.
These examples illustrate how jails are used to hold people who have committed low-level crimes and are awaiting trial or have been sentenced to a short period of imprisonment.