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state prison

state prison

27 4.3
A prison run by a state government for people found guilty of serious crimes
  • noun
  • /steɪt ˈprɪzən/
  • US
translation icon : prisión estatal
  • Some of the women will be released; some will be sent to state prisons.
  • state prison inmates
  • programs in state prison
  • years in state prison

When I left, my very first teaching position was at Indiana State Prison teaching for Ball State University.

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Examples

  • The court is sentencing her to 15 years in the state prison, requiring that she serve 7 1/2 years of that term, and then be released and placed on probation for 7 1/2 years, subject to the following conditions.

  • Every weekend, she and Barb pack a picnic lunch and drive to the state prison to visit Lance.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • I hear they got a pretty good band up in state prison.

  • "Write me in the pen," it said, and gave the address of the state prison.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • We had others who were losers, did time in state prison, then were released and claimed "depression."

    Blog text (4)
  • Additionally, data revealed that approximately 36% of violent offenders in state prisons were not diploma holders.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Approximately one-half of the prisoners released from state prisons in 2001 were released in California, Florida, Illinois, New York, and Texas.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Many drug traffickers arrested by federal forces are held in poorly funded and understaffed state prisons.

    Academic text (2012)
  • Furthermore, many county jails and state prisons sponsor prerelease programs that train inmates to become in-home care providers.

    Academic text (2007)
  • After being convicted of theft, he was sentenced to serve five years in a state prison for his crime.

Synonyms

prison
vsstate prison
1.0

A building where people are kept as punishment or while waiting for trial

is run by a state government and usually holds felony offenders
penitentiary
vsstate prison
  • US
73 7.9

A prison for people found guilty of serious crimes

is run by a state government and usually holds felony offenders rather than only serious cases
correctional facility
vsstate prison
  • Formal
10 4.2

A building like a prison where people are kept as punishment and given training

is operated by a state and primarily houses felony offenders rather than emphasising rehab
correctional institution
vsstate prison
  • Formal
2 4.9

A place where people who broke the law are kept as punishment or while they wait for trial

is specifically operated by a state and mainly holds felony offenders
prison house
vsstate prison
1 4.6

A building where people are held as punishment or while waiting for trial

is run by a state government and usually holds felony offenders

Antonyms

1.0

The right to act, speak, or think as you want without being stopped

279 1.8

An act of letting someone or something go free from being held

Surface Forms

state prison singular
state prisons plural

Morphology

state + prison

The meaning 'a prison run by the state government' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'state' (government/regional authority) with 'prison' (a detention institution). This attributive noun construction (government + prison) is common cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

State prison comes from the simple idea of a state (the state government) running a prison. Picture a prison with the state flag and state officials in charge, so it means 'a prison run by a state government, usually for serious crimes'.