prisoners
People behind bars
Prisoners is the plural of prisoner—people held in confinement, typically in a jail or prison.
The term extends beyond legal detention: prisoners of war, prisoners of conscience.
Figuratively, anyone trapped by circumstances: We were prisoners of the weather, a prisoner of his own success.
Metal bonds for prisoners
- chainsLinked metal restraints
- dungeonSubterranean prison chamber
- captorsThose holding prisoners
- hostageCaptive held as security
confinement · restraint · bondage · captor · ransom · abduction · kidnapping · held
Basic unit of life
- barsRods, taverns, or measures
- wardenSupervisory custodian of place
- guardsProtectors or watchmen
- penitentiaryFacility for convicted criminals
correctional · solitary · lockup · sentence · block · yard · bunk · cellmate
Judicial examination of claims
- sentencingImposing legal punishment
- convictionFirmly held belief
- verdictOfficial court decision
- guiltyResponsible for wrongdoing
innocent · prosecution · defense · attorney · judge · courtroom · testimony · evidence
One fleeing authorities
- breakoutSudden escape from restraint
- tunnelEnclosed underground route
- manhuntSearch for a suspect
- freedomAbsence of constraint
elude · flee · pursuit · hideout · searchlight · alarm · chase · evade
Recovery from injury/addiction
- reintegrationRestoration to a group
- educationSystematic development of mind
- vocationalRelated to skilled work
- therapyCurative mental treatment
counseling · recidivism · second-chance · restorative · accountability · mentoring · reentry · transformation
shackles
Metal bonds for prisoners
hostage · confinement · restraint · bondage · captor · ransom · abduction · kidnapping · held · seized
cell
Basic unit of life
penitentiary · correctional · solitary · lockup · sentence · block · yard · bunk · cellmate · canteen
trial
Judicial examination of claims
- sentencingImposing legal punishment
- convictionFirmly held belief
- verdictOfficial court decision
guilty · innocent · prosecution · defense · attorney · judge · courtroom · testimony · evidence · plea
fugitive
One fleeing authorities
freedom · elude · flee · pursuit · hideout · searchlight · alarm · chase · evade · recapture
rehabilitation
Recovery from injury/addiction
- reintegrationRestoration to a group
- educationSystematic development of mind
- vocationalRelated to skilled work
therapy · counseling · recidivism · second-chance · restorative · accountability · mentoring · reentry · transformation · empowerment
- prisoncell block, inmate, jail, warden, cellmate
- prisonsinmates, cells, penitentiary, guards, Alcatraz
- wartimerationing, war economy, war bonds, war effort, evacuations
- imprisonmentjail, cells, captivity, dungeons, inmate
- Barbary PiratesBarbary pirates, Barbary Coast, Algiers, Tripoli, Tunis
- Canadian WartimeCanadian Army, D-Day, enlistment, home front, homefront
prisonersfreemen
Those no longer enslaved
free men · civilians · the public · parolees · probationers
prisonersguards
Protectors or watchmen
jailers · prison guards · wardens · prison officers · captors
prisonerscaptors
Those holding prisoners
liberators · victors · conquerors · rescuers · kidnappers
- prisoner of warDetained military personnel
- take no prisonersPursue victory without mercy
- prisoner exchangeTrading detained individuals
- political prisonerJailed for ideology
- escaped prisonerFled inmate
- prisoner swapTrading held persons between parties
prisoner, imprisoned, prisoner's, imprisoner, prisoner of war