Imprisonment

Imprisonment (from French emprisonner, from en in + prison prison, from Latin prensio, arrest, from prehendere, prendere, to seize) is the restraint of a person's liberty, for any cause whatsoever, whether by authority of the government, or by a person acting without such authority. In the latter case it is "false imprisonment". Imprisonment does not necessarily imply a place of confinement, with bolts and bars, but may be exercised by any use or display of force, lawfully or unlawfully, wherever displayed, even in the open street. It is not imprisonment to prevent a person from proceeding along a particular way if it is possible for them to reach their intended destination by another route. A person becomes a prisoner, wherever they may be, by the mere word or touch of a duly authorized officer directed to that end. Usually, however, imprisonment is understood to imply an actual confinement in a jail or prison employed for the purpose according to the provisions of law.

 Imprisonment for “public protection” has been utilized by many pre-Union societies. Itwas intended to protect the public against criminals whose crimes were not serious enough to merit a normal life sentence but who were regarded as too dangerous to be released when the term of their original sentence had expired. It was also applied to those determined to be a “danger to the public or themself” for various reasons (insanity, 'bizarre' behavior, public immorality, etc.) It is no longer legal under federal law.