in custody
Held by police
In custody describes being held by legal authorities—police, courts, or corrections.
A suspect taken into custody is under arrest.
A prisoner in custody awaits trial or serves a sentence.
The phrase also appears in family law: a parent with custody has legal responsibility for a child.
The children are in their mother's custody.
Court-set release payment
- arraignmentCharge-reading court session
- defendantParty facing charges
- hearingPerceiving sound waves
- chargesAmounts owed or alleged
prosecution · defense · lawyer · magistrate · plea · bond · remand · pretrial detention
Detention facility
- prisonConfinement for offenders
- cellBasic unit of life
- lockupTemporary detention facility
- holdingMaintaining physical possession
incarceration · imprisonment · detained · confined · remanded · awaiting trial · pretrial · booking
Captured or comprehended
- handcuffedWrists locked together
- taken inFooled by false pretenses
- bookedArranged in advance
- suspectBelieve to be likely
accused · seized · restrained · patrol car · squad car · cuffed · nabbed · collared
Of mothers and fathers
- visitationOfficial or formal visit
- guardianProtective caretaker of another
- wardProtected person; division
- minorScale with lowered third
caretaker · family court · divorce · dependent · foster · social services · welfare · safekeeping
bail
Court-set release payment
- arraignmentCharge-reading court session
- defendantParty facing charges
- hearingPerceiving sound waves
charges · prosecution · defense · lawyer · magistrate · plea · bond · remand · pretrial detention · habeas corpus
jail
Detention facility
holding · incarceration · imprisonment · detained · confined · remanded · awaiting trial · pretrial · booking · processing
apprehended
Captured or comprehended
- handcuffedWrists locked together
- taken inFooled by false pretenses
- bookedArranged in advance
suspect · accused · seized · restrained · patrol car · squad car · cuffed · nabbed · collared · picked up
parental
Of mothers and fathers
- visitationOfficial or formal visit
- guardianProtective caretaker of another
- wardProtected person; division
minor · caretaker · family court · divorce · dependent · foster · social services · welfare · safekeeping · care
- captivitycaptive, prisoner, detained, imprisoned, incarcerated
- Status phrasesat home, in town, on site, in transit, on location
in custodyreleased
Set free from confinement
free · at liberty · acquitted · discharged · set free
in custodyfree
Without payment or restriction
at liberty · released · at large · unconfined · on the loose
in custodyat large
Free and evading capture
on the run · on the loose · at liberty · fugitive · escaped
custody, custodian, custodians, custodial, child custody, custodianship, noncustodial, joint custody, legal custody