noun
- a type of prison for young offenders in Britain
Usage: British; historical
Examples
- He was sent to borstal after being convicted of theft.
- The borstal system was designed to rehabilitate young criminals.
- Many borstals were closed in the 1980s.
- Life in borstal was harsh but aimed at reform.
- The judge decided borstal was more appropriate than adult prison.
- Former borstal inmates often struggled to find employment.