prison: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

Nov. 12, 2026

News •

Early prison releases: Why some prisoners are being freed after a third of their sentence • Nov. 9, 2026, 11:51 AM ET (BBC)

Facts

Also Known As	penitentiary

Photos and Videos

former penal settlement at Kingston

Leavenworth: United States Penitentiary

prisoner rehabilitation

See All Videos and Images →

Topics

prison privatization jail medium-security prison death row supermax prison Today in History—March 21: Alcatraz Is Shut Down Today in History—August 11: America’s Escape-Proof Prison Opens Today in History—July 22: Pablo Escobar Escapes His Own Prison boot camp Today in History—March 22: The Most Ingenious Prison Escape Panopticon capital punishment retributive justice restorative justice diversion 8 Unusual Punishments Inflicted on Women Throughout History house arrest corporal punishment probation shunning

Key People

Latrobe, Benjamin

Benjamin Latrobe

American architect

default image

George Dance, the Younger

British architect and artist

Thomas Mott Osborne

Thomas Mott Osborne

American penologist

default image

Lewis Edward Lawes

American penologist

default image

Gresham M. Sykes

American criminologist

Hagia Sophia. Istanbul, Turkey. Constantinople. Church of the Holy Wisdom. Church of the Divine Wisdom. Mosque.

Architecture: The Built World