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prison

Prison is a generic term applied to penitentiaries and correctional institutions, both state and federal, housing people who have been convicted of or who have pled guilty of felony charges. The term is not interchangeable with jail.

Prisons may be minimum, moderate or maximum security, and may have formal names. They may be privately or publicly run institutions. Follow the AP style guide for names of prisons by capitalizing the formal name of the prison or the accepted alternative name of the prison.

Also see inmate.