Prison | EPFL Graph Search

Are you an EPFL student looking for a semester project?

Work with us on data science and visualisation projects, and deploy your project as an app on top of GraphSearch.

A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, British and South African; historically used in Canada and Australia), penitentiary (North American English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correctional facility, lock-up, hoosegow or remand center, is a facility in which convicted criminals are confined involuntarily (against their will) and denied a variety of freedoms under the authority of the state as punishment for various crimes. Authorities most commonly use prisons within a criminal-justice system: people charged with crimes may be imprisoned until their trial; those who have pled or been found guilty of crimes at trial may be sentenced to a specified period of imprisonment. In simplest terms, a prison can be a building or camp in which people are legally detained as a punishment for a crime which they are believed to have committed. Prisons can also be used as a tool of political repression by authoritarian regimes. The powers that be may detain perceived opponents for political crimes, often without trial or other legal due process; this use is illegal under most forms of international law governing fair administration of justice. In times of war, belligerents or neutral countries may detain prisoners of war or detainees in military prisons or in prisoner-of-war camps. At any time states may imprison civilians - sometimes large groups of civilians - in internment camps. In American English, the terms prison and jail have separate definitions, though this is not always strictly adhered to in casual speech. A prison or penitentiary holds people for longer periods of time, such as many years, and is operated by a state or federal government. A jail holds people for shorter periods of time (e.g. for shorter sentences or pre-trial detention) and is usually operated by a local government, typically the county sheriff. Outside of North America, prison and jail often have the same meaning. In New Zealand, the terms "jail" and "prison" are commonly used, although the terms "correctional facility" and "prison" among others are in official usage.

About this result

This page is automatically generated and may contain information that is not correct, complete, up-to-date, or relevant to your search query. The same applies to every other page on this website. Please make sure to verify the information with EPFL's official sources.

Related concepts (87)

Related lectures (4)

Corrections

In criminal justice, particularly in North America, correction, corrections, and correctional, are umbrella terms describing a variety of functions typically carried out by government agencies, and involving the punishment, treatment, and supervision of persons who have been convicted of crimes. These functions commonly include imprisonment, parole, and probation. A typical correctional institution is a prison.

Non-reformist reform

Non-reformist reform, also referred to as abolitionist reform, anti-capitalist reform, revolutionary reform, structural reform and transformative reform, is a reform that "is conceived, not in terms of what is possible within the framework of a given system and administration, but in view of what should be made possible in terms of human needs and demands". On the other hand, reformist reforms essentially maintain the status quo and do not threaten the existing structure.

Criminal justice

Criminal justice is the delivery of justice to those who have been accused of committing crimes. The criminal justice system is a series of government agencies and institutions. Goals include the rehabilitation of offenders, preventing other crimes, and moral support for victims. The primary institutions of the criminal justice system are the police, prosecution and defense lawyers, the courts and the prisons system.

Historic Floods of the Rhône ENV-418: River eco-morphology

Explores the historic floods of the Rhône river and the evolution of flood protection measures over time.

Implicit Functions Theorem MATH-105(a): Advanced analysis II

Covers the Implicit Functions Theorem, providing a general understanding of implicit functions.

Michel Foucault: Birth of Biopolitics and Panopticism AR-365: Theory and architectural culture

Explores Michel Foucault's critical analysis of power, knowledge, and discipline in society, focusing on surveillance, punishment, and the birth of the prison system.