1. plural of borstal; British reform schools for young offenders
Usage: British; historical

Examples

• The borstals were established to rehabilitate young criminals.
• Many borstals were closed during prison reforms in the 1980s.
• He spent two years in one of the local borstals.
• The government reviewed conditions in borstals nationwide.
• Former borstals were converted into other types of institutions.
• Critics argued that borstals failed to reduce youth crime effectively.