detention center

American  

[dih-ten-shuhn sen-ter] / dɪˈtɛn ʃən ˌsɛn tər /

noun

1. a facility maintained by the civil authorities for persons charged with a crime, immigrants awaiting deportation rulings, or sometimes witnesses before a trial.

2. juvenile detention center.

---

Etymology

Origin of detention center

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

The humanity of that scene “in contrast to a 5-year-old being dragged off to a detention center” may end up in a future Nihill show.

From Los Angeles Times

The reality is that though one community may succeed in pushing out a detention center, the story doesn’t end there.

From Slate

Mayors and town councils are finding out after the fact, when purchase agreements are nearly final, with virtually no opportunity to offer input on whether a community has the resources to support a detention center, let alone address residents’ concerns about having such a facility in their backyards.

From Slate

Roxbury, New Jersey, is a town that has been actively organizing against an immigrant detention center since January, shortly after the Washington Post revealed the small conservative town was on DHS’ list for a warehouse.

From Slate

She was worried that if ICE’s detention center plans went through, “Roxbury will be known as the concentration town.”

From Slate