←back to thread

375 points begueradj | 1 comments | | HN request time: 0.29s | source
Show context
Demiurge ◴[] No.45672299[source]
This is slightly off-topic, but is it "jail" or "prison"? I see this switch all the time, and French does not make a difference. But, in English, and many other languages, jail is more specific than prison, and is usually for short term or pre-sentencing holding. If someone is sentenced, it's usually a different facility called "prison". Is BBC making a mistake, or are they actually saying Sarkozy will be held in in an actual jail?
replies(3): >>45672326 #>>45672355 #>>45672548 #
1. xen0 ◴[] No.45672326[source]
At least in British English usage, there is no distinction between Jail, Gaol, and Prison other than at least one of these is a dated word.

I believe only the US has a strong distinction between Prison and Jail.