(!) 'gaol' (gevangenis) spreek je net zo uit als 'jail'.
(!) Je gebruikt geen 'the' voor 'prison'/'hospital'/'church'/'school' als het gaat om het gebruik van het gebouw:
"He is in prison/in church/in hospital/at school."
Als het gaat om het gebouw, gebruik je wel 'the': "Where is the prison/the church/the hospital/the school?"

Woorden in voorbeeldzinnen:

He spent ten years in prison/jail/gaol.
The murderer was jailed for twelve years.
She was prosecuted for shoplifting.
Prosecution of shoplifting will not always take place.
A prosecutor tries to prove that a defendant is guilty.
The prosecutor is also called the prosecuting counsel.
The defence counsel defends the accused.
The prisoner killed a warder/warden/guard and escaped.
Some people say that drugs should be legalised.
One of the tasks of Parliament is legislation.
Parliament has legislative power.
The witness stated that he saw the man enter the bank.
The judge didn't believe the statement of the witness.
The thief got a very light sentence.
The drugs trafficker got a life sentence.
In Thailand two drug traffickers were sentenced/condemned to death.
A penalty is a punishment for breaking the law.
There is no death penalty in Britain.
Capital punishment is a formal word for 'death penalty'.
The political prisoner was sentenced to three years' hard labour.
It's a policeman's job to maintain the law.
The trainer sued the club that broke the contract.