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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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Another option is Castle Huntly, the open prison near Dundee, as it houses low-risk non-violent prisoners.

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026

An open prison from which three prisoners absconded on New Years' Day will be subject to a review, a government minister has confirmed.

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

It was heard he agreed with the parole board "that release at this stage would not be a good idea" and wanted "to progress via an open prison".

From BBC • Sep. 16, 2025

There is evidently a mistake in supposing that this book contains any charm for breaking open prison doors, and it is likely that Sir John Reresby was misled in this way:—There is in p.

From Notes and Queries, Number 13, January 26, 1850 by Various

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