JAIL LIBERTIES

jail liberties.Bounds within which a jail or prison lies and throughout which certain prisoners are allowed to move freely, usu. after giving bond for the liberties. • The bounds are considered an extension of the prison walls. Historically, jail liberties were given in England to those imprisoned for debt. The prisoners were allowed to move freely within the city in which the prison was located. — Also spelled (esp. in BrE) gaol liberties. — Also termed jail limits.

“[S]tatutes were from time to time passed enlarging the gaol liberties, in order to mitigate the hardships of imprisonment: thus, the whole city of Boston was held the ‘gaol liberties’ of its county gaol. And so with a large part of New York City…. The prisoner, while within the limits, is considered as within the walls of the prison.” 1 John Bouvier, Bouvier’s Law Dictionary 1333–34 (8th ed. 1914).

[Blacks Law 8th]