in prison
Locked up inside
Incarcerated in a jail or penitentiary, serving time for a criminal conviction: Her brother has been in prison for three years.
The phrase omits the article—you're in prison, not in the prison—treating imprisonment as a state rather than a location, similar to in school or in church.
Basic unit of life
- barsRods, taverns, or measures
- cageBarred confinement structure
- lockedFastened with a mechanism
- enclosedSurrounded and sealed within
detained · captive · custody · incarcerated · behind bars · locked up · warden · guard
Complete thought, grammatically
- convictionFirmly held belief
- trialJudicial examination of claims
- verdictOfficial court decision
- guiltyResponsible for wrongdoing
felony · misdemeanor · arraignment · plea · bail · appeal · prosecution · defense
Military base store
- visitationOfficial or formal visit
- yard timeScheduled outdoor access for inmates
- contrabandProhibited trade goods
- shanksMid-leg portions, tool shafts
gangs · jumpsuit · orange · stripes · block · count · chow hall · rec time
Isolated imprisonment in cell
- segregationForced separation by group
- lockdownEnforced restriction on movement
- seclusionVoluntary withdrawal from society
- lonelinessState of lacking companions
alienation · silence · withdrawal · restricted · punishment cell · the hole · separation · cut off
Recovery from injury/addiction
- recidivismHabitual return to crime
- reentryComing back in
- education programsPlanned courses of study
- vocational trainingJob-skill education
restorative justice · overcrowding · human rights · mental health · addiction treatment · parole board · early release · community programs
cell
Basic unit of life
enclosed · detained · captive · custody · incarcerated · behind bars · locked up · warden · guard · inmate
sentence
Complete thought, grammatically
- convictionFirmly held belief
- trialJudicial examination of claims
- verdictOfficial court decision
guilty · felony · misdemeanor · arraignment · plea · bail · appeal · prosecution · defense · attorney
commissary
Military base store
- visitationOfficial or formal visit
- yard timeScheduled outdoor access for inmates
- contrabandProhibited trade goods
shanks · gangs · jumpsuit · orange · stripes · block · count · chow hall · rec time · lights out
solitary confinement
Isolated imprisonment in cell
- segregationForced separation by group
- lockdownEnforced restriction on movement
- seclusionVoluntary withdrawal from society
loneliness · alienation · silence · withdrawal · restricted · punishment cell · the hole · separation · cut off · no contact
rehabilitation
Recovery from injury/addiction
- recidivismHabitual return to crime
- reentryComing back in
- education programsPlanned courses of study
vocational training · restorative justice · overcrowding · human rights · mental health · addiction treatment · parole board · early release · community programs · second chance
- captivitycaptive, detained, incarcerated, confinement, jail
in prisonfree
Without payment or restriction
at liberty · on the outside · out · released · liberated
in prisonacquitted
Declared legally innocent
exonerated · cleared · pardoned · unconvicted · innocent
prison, prisoner, imprison, imprisoned, imprisonment, imprisoning, imprisons, imprisonments, imprisoner