Detention is the process whereby a
state or private
citizen
Citizenship is a "relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection".
Each state determines the conditions under which it will recognize persons as its citizens, and ...
lawfully holds a person by removing their
freedom
Freedom is understood as either having the ability to act or change without constraint or to possess the power and resources to fulfill one's purposes unhindered. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving on ...
or
liberty at that time. This can be due to (pending)
criminal
In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in Can ...
charges preferred against the individual pursuant to a
prosecution or to
protect a person or property. Being detained does not always result in being taken to a particular area (generally called a detention centre), either for
interrogation
Interrogation (also called questioning) is interviewing as commonly employed by law enforcement officers, military personnel, intelligence agencies, organized crime syndicates, and terrorist organizations with the goal of eliciting useful informa ...
or as
punishment
Punishment, commonly, is the imposition of an undesirable or unpleasant outcome upon a group or individual, meted out by an authority—in contexts ranging from child discipline to criminal law—as a response and deterrent to a particular acti ...
for a
crime (see
prison). An individual may be
detained due a
psychiatric disorder, potentially to
treat this disorder involuntarily. They may also be detained for to prevent the spread of
infectious diseases
An infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable dise ...
such as
tuberculosis.
The term can also be used in reference to the holding of
property for the same reasons. The process of detainment may or may not have been preceded or followed with an
arrest
An arrest is the act of apprehending and taking a person into custody (legal protection or control), usually because the person has been suspected of or observed committing a crime. After being taken into custody, the person can be questi ...
.
Detainee is a term used by certain governments and their
armed forces
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
to refer to individuals held in custody, such as those it does not classify and treat as either
prisoners of war
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held Captivity, captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold priso ...
or
suspect
In law enforcement jargon, a suspect is a known person accused or suspected of committing a crime. Police and reporters in the United States often use the word suspect as a jargon when referring to the perpetrator of the offense (perp in dated U ...
s in
criminal
In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in Can ...
cases. It is used to refer to "any person captured or otherwise detained by an armed force." More generally, it means "someone held in custody." The
prisoners in
Guantánamo Bay
Guantánamo Bay ( es, Bahía de Guantánamo) is a bay in Guantánamo Province at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the largest harbor on the south side of the island and it is surrounded by steep hills which create an enclave that is cut off ...
are referred to as "detainees".
Article 9 of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides that "
one shall be subjected to
arbitrary arrest, detention or
exile
Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...
." In
wars between nations, treatment of detainees is governed by the provisions of the
Fourth Geneva Convention
The Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, more commonly referred to as the Fourth Geneva Convention and abbreviated as GCIV, is one of the four treaties of the Geneva Conventions. It was adopted in Augus ...
.
Definition

Any form of
imprisonment
Imprisonment is the restraint of a person's liberty, for any cause whatsoever, whether by authority of the government, or by a person acting without such authority. In the latter case it is "false imprisonment". Imprisonment does not necessari ...
where a person's freedom of liberty is removed can be classed as detention, although the term is often associated with persons who are being held without
warrant or charge before any have been raised. Being detained for the purposes of a drugs search is tantamount to a temporary
arrest
An arrest is the act of apprehending and taking a person into custody (legal protection or control), usually because the person has been suspected of or observed committing a crime. After being taken into custody, the person can be questi ...
, as it is not yet known whether charges can be brought against an individual, pending the outcome of the search. The term 'detained' often refers to the ''immediacy'' when someone has their liberty deprived, often before an arrest or pre-arrest procedure has yet been followed. For example, a shoplifter being pursued and restrained, but not yet informed they are under arrest or read their rights would be classed as 'detained'.
Detention of a suspect
The detention of suspects is the process of keeping a person who has been
arrest
An arrest is the act of apprehending and taking a person into custody (legal protection or control), usually because the person has been suspected of or observed committing a crime. After being taken into custody, the person can be questi ...
ed in a police-cell, remand
prison or other detention centre before
trial or
sentencing
In law, a sentence is the punishment for a crime ordered by a trial court after conviction in a criminal procedure, normally at the conclusion of a trial. A sentence may consist of imprisonment, a fine, or other sanctions. Sentences for mult ...
.
The length of detention of suspected
terrorists, with the justification of taking an action that would aid
counter-terrorism, varies according to country or situation, as well as the
laws which regulate it.
The
Terrorism Act 2006 in the
United Kingdom lengthened the 14-day limit for detention without an
arrest warrant
An arrest warrant is a warrant issued by a judge or magistrate on behalf of the state, which authorizes the arrest and detention of an individual, or the search and seizure of an individual's property.
Canada
Arrest warrants are issued by a j ...
or an indictment from the
Terrorism Act 2000 to 28 days. A controversial
Government proposal for an extension to 90 days was rejected by the
House of Commons.
English criminal law requires the detainer/arrestor to have reasonable grounds to suspect (
reasonable suspicion
Reasonable suspicion is a legal standard of proof in United States law that is less than probable cause, the legal standard for arrests and warrants, but more than an "inchoate and unparticularized suspicion or 'hunch; it must be based on "specif ...
) when detaining (or arresting) someone.
Indefinite detention
Indefinite detention
Indefinite detention is the incarceration of an arrested person by a national government or law enforcement agency for an indefinite amount of time without a trial; the practice violates many national and international laws, including human rights ...
of an individual occurs frequently in wartime under the
laws of war. This has been applied notably by the
United States after the
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial ...
. Before the
Combatant Status Review Tribunals, created for reviewing the status of the
Guantanamo detainees, the United States has argued that it is engaged in a legally recognizable armed conflict to which the laws of war apply, and that it therefore may hold captured
al Qaeda
Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military targets in various countr ...
and
Taliban operatives throughout the duration of that conflict, without granting them a criminal trial.
The U.S. military regulates treatment of detainees in the manual
Military Police: Enemy Prisoners of War, Retained Personnel, Civilian Internees and Other Detainees, last revised in 1997.
The term "
unlawful combatant" came into public awareness during and after the
War in Afghanistan (2001–present), as the U.S. detained members of the
Taliban and
al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...
captured in that war, and determined them to be
unlawful combatants. This had generated considerable debate around the globe. The U.S. government refers to these captured
enemy combatants
Enemy combatant is a person who, either lawfully or unlawfully, engages in hostilities for the other side in an armed conflict. Usually enemy combatants are members of the armed forces of the state with which another state is at war. In the case ...
as "detainees" because they did not qualify as
prisoners of war
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held Captivity, captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold priso ...
under the definition found in the
Geneva Conventions.
Under the Obama administration the term ''enemy combatants'' was also removed from the lexicon and further defined under the 2010 Defense Omnibus Bill:
Section 948b. Military commissions generally: (a) Purpose-This chapter establishes procedures governing the use of military commissions to try ''alien unprivileged enemy belligerents'' for violations of the law of war and other offenses triable by military commission.
Detention by country
China
There are three types of detention in the People’s Republic of China: administrative detention (security detention), judicial detention (civil detention), and criminal detention (pre-trial detention).
Administrative detention (security detention)
Refers to the most severe sanctions for general violations of the "
Public Security Administration Punishment Law of the People's Republic of China", which is a type of administrative punishment. The maximum period of public security detention is 20 days, and release upon expiration. Administrative detention shall be signed and approved by the administrative responsible person (ie, director) of the public security agency at the county level and above, and shall be executed in the administrative detention facility under the public security agency. Those who are dissatisfied with the detention may initiate administrative reconsideration and administrative litigation. According to the decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the
Chinese national security agency and
People's Armed Police
)
, abbreviation = PAP ("People's Armed Police") CAPF ("Chinese Armed Police Force"), formerly abbreviated''Wujing'' ( zh , s = 武警 , p = Wǔjǐng , l = Armed Police , labels = no ), or WJ as on vehicle license plates
, patch ...
has also been granted the power to enforce administrative detention penalties.
"Breakfast is a steamed bun, pickles and polenta. The meal will start at 6:30; at noon there will be two steamed buns. The dishes include potato beef, potato chicken, and scrambled eggs with seasonal vegetables. Instead of three dishes, choose one of three and start at 10:30." Li Yanhong was told by the man in the
water splashing incident that the "straight man went up to the tree" the inside of the Chaoyang Detention Center.
Judicial detention
One refers to activities that hinder litigation in the course of civil, administrative litigation or court enforcement, such as perjurying, attacking the court, obstructing the testimony of witnesses, concealing and transferring sealed or seized property, obstructing court staff from performing their official duties, evading execution, etc. The detention decision directly made by the people’s court is a judicial compulsory measure, based on the Civil Procedure Law or the Administrative Procedure Law. The maximum period is 20 days, and the court will deliver the detainee to the administrative detention facility of the public security department for execute. Those who are dissatisfied can apply to the court for reconsideration. During the period of detention, the court shall decide to explain in advance or release at the expiration of the term.
There is also another type of judicial detention: Article 134 of the General Principles of the Civil Law stipulates: People's courts, in hearing civil cases, may be reprimanded, ordered to repent, and confiscated property and illegal gains for serious violations of civil laws and regulations and can be fined and detained in accordance with the law. It can be seen that the detention stipulated in the General Principles of the Civil Law is a punishment method used by the people's courts to impose short-term restrictions on the personal freedom of persons who seriously violate the civil laws and regulations in the name of the country. It is the most severe punishment in civil sanctions.
Article 38 of the National Compensation Law and Article 4 of the Interpretation of the Supreme People's Court on Several Issues Concerning Judicial Compensation in Civil and Administrative Litigations clearly stipulate the principle of the state's liability for civil execution compensation.
Criminal detention
Refers to the criminal compulsory measures taken by public security agency, national security agency, or the People’s Procuratorate’s Anti-Corruption Bureau or the Malfeasance Investigation Bureau in accordance with the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Law against current criminals or major suspects during criminal investigations. The criminal detention of the public security agency shall be approved by the person in charge of the administration of the public security agency at the county level (ie, the director). Article 69 of the Criminal Procedure Law stipulates that if the public security organ considers a detained person to be arrested, it shall, within 3 days after detention, submit it to the investigation and supervision department of the People's Procuratorate for review and approval. Under special circumstances, the time for requesting review and approval can be extended by 1 to 4 days. For major suspects who commit crimes on the verge of committing crimes, committing multiple crimes, or ganging up to commit crimes, the time for review and approval can be extended to 30 days. The People's Procuratorate shall make a decision to approve the arrest or not to approve the arrest within seven days after receiving the public security agency’s request to approve the arrest. If the People’s Procuratorate does not approve the arrest, the public security agency shall release it immediately after receiving the notice, and promptly notify the People’s Procuratorate of the execution. Those who need to continue the investigation and meet the conditions for release on bail pending trial or residential surveillance shall be released on bail pending trial or residential surveillance in accordance with the law.
Article 15 Item 1 of the original version of the "National Compensation Law of the People’s Republic of China", which was implemented from January 1, 1995 to December 31, 2012, stipulates that: Detained by mistake", the detainee can apply for state compensation.
Article 17 Item 1 of the revised "National Compensation Law of the People's Republic of China", which came into effect on January 1, 2013, provides for the issue of state compensation for criminal detention. Divided into two situations:
Taking criminal detention measures illegally
In the case of legally taking criminal detention measures but subsequently terminating the investigation of criminal responsibility, the victim must be detained beyond the detention period (up to 37 days) for the right to obtain compensation.
Netherlands
Article 9, part 1a of
Wetboek van Strafrecht
The Netherlands uses Civil law (legal system), civil law. The role of case law is small in theory, although in practice it is impossible to understand the law in many fields without also taking into account the relevant case law. The Dutch system ...
states that there are 4 kinds of primary punishment. Two of them are two kinds of detentions, which are called ''gevangenisstraf'' and ''hechtenis'', where the first is a heavier punishment than the second. The two other kinds of punishment is light community service and fines.
Prisons are designed in several ways and there are 5 levels of regimes (which depends on the crime committed).
Nieuw Vosseveld
Nieuw Vosseveld is a prison in Vught, Netherlands, part of the Custodial Institutions Agency (Dutch language, Dutch: ''Dienst Justitiële Inrichtingen'', DJI) of the Ministry of Justice and Security within the Dutch criminal justice system. ''Peni ...
is a long stay prison with the heaviest regime for the most dangerous criminals. The prison is meant for criminals that have been sentenced to 5 years of imprisonment and longer.
Turkey
According to the Criminal Procedure Law, detention is restriction of one's freedom temporarily until either he stands trial in court or is set free to go. Contrary to arrest, which is ordered by juridical decision, detention is ordered by prosecution office. Public prosecutor can order detention only if the measure is a requisite for investigation and there is concrete evidence that one is suspicious of a crime.
See also
*
Arbitrary arrest and detention
*
Civil liberties
Civil liberties are guarantees and freedoms that governments commit not to abridge, either by constitution, legislation, or judicial interpretation, without due process. Though the scope of the term differs between countries, civil liberties may ...
*
Defence Regulation 18B
*
Detention of suspects
Remand, also known as pre-trial detention, preventive detention, or provisional detention, is the process of detaining a person until their trial after they have been arrested and charged with an offence. A person who is on remand is held i ...
*
Extrajudicial detention
Administrative detention is arrest and detention of individuals by the state without trial. A number of jurisdictions claim that it is done for security reasons. Many countries claim to use administrative detention as a means to combat terrorism ...
*
Grounding (discipline technique)
Grounding is a general discipline technique which is restriction of children at home from going out. During this time period, any positive reinforcement is taken away and other privileges, such as but not limited to using the Internet, playing vide ...
*
Human rights
*
Illegal combatant
*
Immigration detention
*
Legal awareness
*
Older prisoners
The term older prisoners is used by the U.S. Department of Justice and/or state departments for corrections when referring to individuals that are 50 years of age and older. Conventionally, individuals are not usually classified as having reached ...
*
Prison reform
*
Quasi-criminal
*
Remand
*
Restorative justice
*
Security certificate
*
Summary jurisdiction
References
External links
*
Human Rights Watch on DetaineesPenitentiaire Inrichtingen in VughtDienst Justitiële Inrichtingen
{{DEFAULTSORT:Detention (Imprisonment)