Definition

Noun: A house of detention is a secure institution where individuals, typically juvenile offenders, are held for a temporary period. This confinement is usually authorized and supervised by a court, most commonly a juvenile court, while awaiting trial, sentencing, or transfer to another facility.

Usage

This term is used in legal and correctional contexts to specify a type of short-term holding facility, distinct from long-term prisons. It emphasizes the temporary and custodial nature of the confinement.

Examples

• The judge ordered the minor to be held in the house of detention until the hearing.
• The new policy aims to reduce the time juveniles spend in a house of detention.
• The house of detention provides basic supervision but not long-term rehabilitation programs.

Advanced Usage

• The phrase can sometimes be used more broadly in historical or general contexts to refer to any place of temporary confinement, though its primary modern use is within the juvenile justice system.

Variants and Related Words

• Detention center (noun): A very close synonym, often used interchangeably.
• Juvenile hall (noun): A common term in some regions for a juvenile detention facility.
• Lockup (noun): A more informal term for a local jail or short-term holding facility.

Synonyms

• Juvenile detention center
• Youth detention facility
• Holding facility
• Remand center (primarily British English)

Antonyms

• Release
• Freedom
• Rehabilitation center (focuses on treatment rather than custody)

Noun

1. an institution where juvenile offenders can be held temporarily (usually under the supervision of a juvenile court)