1jail also Brit gaol 
/ˈʤeɪl/ noun
plural jails /ˈʤeɪl/ noun : a place where people are kept when they have been arrested and are being punished for a crime [count] ▪ He was locked up in the county jail. [noncount] ▪ He was arrested and sent/sentenced to jail. ▪ He went to jail for his crimes. ▪ He just got out of jail a few weeks ago. ▪ He was kept in jail overnight.
synonyms jail, prison, and penitentiary all refer to places where criminals are kept. In U.S. English, jail usually refers to a small local place for holding criminals.
▪ He was arrested for drunkenness and spent a night in the city jail. Prison refers to a much larger building for more serious criminals, such as murderers. ▪ He was sentenced to 40 years in a state/federal prison. Penitentiary always refers to a large state or federal prison. ▪ He is serving a life sentence at a federal penitentiary. In British English, there is no clear difference between jail and prison, and the word penitentiary is not now used.
▪ He was arrested for drunkenness and spent a night in the city jail. Prison refers to a much larger building for more serious criminals, such as murderers. ▪ He was sentenced to 40 years in a state/federal prison. Penitentiary always refers to a large state or federal prison. ▪ He is serving a life sentence at a federal penitentiary. In British English, there is no clear difference between jail and prison, and the word penitentiary is not now used.
