Pre-trial detention, also known as jail, preventive detention, provisional detention, or remand, is the process of detaining a person until their trial after they have been arrested and charged with an offence. A person who is on remand is held in a jail, prison or detention centre or held under house arrest. Varying terminology is used, especially from country to country; the term "remand" is generally used in common law jurisdictions and "preventive detention" elsewhere. In the United States, "remand" is rare except in official documents, and "jail" is the most commonly used term. Detention before charge is commonly referred to as custody and continued detention after conviction is referred to as imprisonment.
Because imprisonment without trial is contrary to the presumption of innocence, pre-trial detention in liberal democracies is usually subject to safeguards and restrictions. Typically, a suspect will be remanded only if it is likely that they could commit a serious crime, interfere with the investigation, or fail to come to the trial. In the majority of court cases, the suspect will not be in detention while awaiting trial, often with restrictions such as bail.
