Civil prisoner

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In English law, a civil prisoner is a person who has been imprisoned for an offence that is not a crime.

According to the Prison Reform Trust website, persons who do not pay child support or other legally due money may be civilly imprisoned.

History

Civil imprisonment is much less common in the 21st century than in the past.

Under New York law, insolvent debtors who filed for bankruptcy were able to avoid civil imprisonment, as of 1905.

References

↑ "Citizens Advice - 2012 - Prisoners" (PDF). Citizens Advice. 2012. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
↑ "Prison Reform Trust - Civil prisoners" (PDF). Prison Reform Trust. n.d. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
↑ Thomson, John Crawford (1905). N.Y. Code of Civil Procedure, §§ 2188-2199, in The New York Code of Civil Procedure, Containing All Amendments to June 1, 1905, with Notes of Decisions to Date, Also the State Constitution, General Rules of Practice and Municipal Court Act of New York City. With a Complete Topical Index. Retrieved July 2, 2026.