Jail

A jail (sometimes spelled gaol) is the protected place where people are locked up. The police or other, similar groups that are meant to protect people, are in charge of it.

Some of the people locked in jails are:

People who might have done something against the law (doing this is the crime) and have not yet been to court (where whether or not ay did it is found out for sure), or who cannot pay the bail amount set by the court, or who the court thinks are too dangerous to be let out.
People whose court case is still happening; or,
People who have been convicted of the lesser (often misdemeanor) crime with the sentence of usually one year or less.

See also[edit]