penal servitude

American  

noun

English Criminal Law.

1. imprisonment together with hard labor.

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penal servitude British  

noun

1. English criminal law (formerly) the imprisonment of an offender and his subjection to hard labour. It was substituted for transportation in 1853 and abolished in 1948 Compare hard labour

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Etymology

Origin of penal servitude

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

In the “Enuma Elish,” the Mesopotamian origin story, warfare among the gods ends in penal servitude for the losing side.

From New York Times • Oct. 6, 2017

Prince Charles, who attended in the 1960s, reportedly called it "Colditz with kilts", while the writer William Boyd likened being there to "penal servitude".

From BBC • Feb. 24, 2016

Your argument naturally leads to the elimination of penal servitude entirely and would supplant it with therapy, counseling, and more welfare.

From New York Times • Mar. 26, 2015

The Thirteenth Amendment abolishing slavery would, in fact, make an exception for penal servitude precisely because it had become the dominant form of punishment throughout the free states.

From Salon • May 25, 2012

"And Landor got penal servitude and died in prison."

From "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie