Imprisonment is the act of taking away someone’s freedom.

This can either be done by locking the

person up in a jail cell or other location, or by restricting his rights in some similar fashion. The most
common understanding of imprisonment is the act of locking someone up in a jail or prison cell as a
result of the crime he is accused of committing. The prisoner may be held in jail until the completion of
his trial. If he is found guilty, then he may be locked up for even longer, the length of the sentence
depending on the decision of the judge.

False imprisonment and kidnapping. False imprisonment or unlawful

restraint crimes are closely related to kidnapping. Both crimes involve the
unlawful restraint of someone else using force or the threat of force.
Kidnapping also requires prosecutors to show an additional element is
present. In some states, the additional element can be as little as moving the
victim from one place to another, even if the distance is a very short one. In
other states the person who is subjecting another to restraint must do so with
the intent to hold the victim for ransom, use the victim as a hostage or a
shield, to commit another crime, to interfere with political or government
functions, or to terrorize or hurt the victim or another person
False imprisonment occurs when a person intentionally restricts another person’s movement within
any area without legal authority, justification, or the restrained person's permission.[1] Actual physical
restraint is not necessary for false imprisonment to occur. A false imprisonment claim may be made
based upon private acts, or upon wrongful governmental detention. For detention by the police, proof
of false imprisonment provides a basis to obtain a writ of habeas corpus.[

a form of written command in the name of a court or other legal authority to act, or
abstain from acting, in some way.
Similar:
summons
subpoena
warrant
arraignment
indictment
court order
process
decree
citation
subpoena ad testificandum
 one's power to enforce compliance or submission; one's authority.
noun: one's writ; plural noun: one's writs
"you have business here which is out of my writ and competence"
a writ requiring a person to be brought before a judge or court, esp. for investigation of
a restraint of the person's liberty, used as a protection against illegal imprisonment

Republic Act No. 7309             March 30, 1992

AN ACT CREATING A BOARD OF CLAIMS UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FOR

VICTIMS OF UNJUST IMPRISONMENT OR DETENTION AND VICTIMS OF VIOLENT CRIMES
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Penalty is a comprehensive term with many different meanings. It entails the concept of punishm
ent—either corporal or pecuniary, civil or criminal—although its meaning is usually confined to 
pecuniary punishment. The law can impose a penalty, and a private contract can provide for its a
ssessment. Pecuniary penalties are frequently negotiated in construction contracts, in the event th
at the project is not completed by the specified date.
West's Encyclopedia of American Law, edition 2. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All
rights reserved.
Corporal punishment or physical punishment is a punishment intended to cause physical pain to
a person
A civil penalty or civil fine is a financial penalty imposed by a government agency as
restitution for wrongdoing. ... The civil fine is not considered to be a criminal punishment,
because it is primarily sought in order to compensate the state for harm done to it, rather than
to punish the wrongful conduct.

penalty
n. 1) in criminal law, a money fine or forfeiture of property ordered by the judge after conviction 
for a crime. 2) an amount agreed in advance if payment or performance is not made on time, suc
h as a "late payment" on a promissory note or lease, or a financial penalty for each day a building 
contractor fails to complete a job.
Copyright © 1981-2005 by Gerald N. Hill and Kathleen T. Hill. All Right reser

Monetary charges imposed upon individuals who have been convicted of a crime or a lesser offense.
A fine is a criminal sanction. A civil sanction, by contrast, is called a penalty.