carceral

[ kahr-suh-ruhl ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

of or relating to prison or imprisonment, or to other formal methods of social control:
This book is a blueprint for policymakers to reform practices and for concerned citizens to understand our changing carceral landscape.
Critics claim that these policies could result in an expanding carceral state.

First recorded in 1570–80; from Latin carcerālis, equivalent to carcer “prison” + -ālis -al ¹( def )

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