open prison

British

noun

a penal establishment in which the prisoners are trusted to serve their sentences and so do not need to be locked up, thus extending the range of work and occupation they can safely undertake

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

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It added that Farhi "needed to reflect" on "why he failed to be open and honest with the professionals managing his case" but this "could be achieved" in an open prison.

From BBC • Jan. 17, 2026

During the session, she faced a number of questions about why the three men had been considered eligible for release, and whether the crisis surrounding prison capacity had motivated their move to open prison.

From BBC • Jan. 5, 2026

The psychologist said his recommendation was that Norris did not reach the threshold for release from prison or a move to an open prison.

From BBC • Oct. 8, 2025

The panel hearing the evidence could also recommend that he move to an open prison, or direct that he should remain in a closed prison.

From BBC • Oct. 7, 2025

Would not a lie be holy if it should open prison doors and allow a guiltless man to go forth and battle with the guilty?

From When Egypt Went Broke by Day, Holman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023