Which facility is used for short-term pre-trial detention of less than 96 hours?

• A. Jail
• B. Detention Facility
• C. Lockup
• D. Prison

Answer: (C)

Short-term pre-trial detention is about holding someone briefly after arrest while awaiting court action. A lockup is the facility designed for this exact purpose: a temporary, police- or sheriff-run holding area attached to the arresting agency where a person can be detained up to around 96 hours before appearing before a judge or being released. Jails are larger facilities intended for longer-term confinement and for people who have been convicted or are serving sentences, though they may also hold some pre-trial detainees. A detention facility is a broad term that can refer to various kinds of holding spaces and doesn’t specify the brief duration, while a prison is for convicted offenders serving long-term sentences. So for the brief, immediate holding before trial, a lockup fits best.