Detention (imprisonment)
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Detention generally refers to a state or government holding a person in a particular area (generally called a detention centre), either for interrogation, as punishment for a wrong, or as a precautionary measure while investigating a potential threat posed by that person. The term can also be used in reference to the holding of property, for the same reasons. The process of detainment may or may not have been preceded with arrest. The prisoners in Guantánamo Bay are for example referred to as "detainees".
Any form of imprisonment can be called detention, although the term is associated with persons who are being held temporarily without warrant or charge. For example, the alleged Taliban supporters captured by the United States in the War in Afghanistan (2001–present) have never been classified as "prisoners" by the federal government of the United States, but have consistently been referred to as "detainees", suggesting that they are only being held temporarily while their status is investigated.
The length of detention of suspected terrorists, with the justification of taking an action that would aid counter-terrorism, varies according to country or situation, as well as the laws which regulate it. Indefinite detention of an individual occurs frequently, especially in by United States after the September 11, 2001 attacks. The Terrorism Bill 2005 in the United Kingdom wishes to lengthen the current 14-day limit for detention without an arrest warrant or an indictment. This is unorthodox, as regular criminal law requires law enforcement to have articulable suspicion when detaining someone.
