In Britain in the past, a borstal was a kind of prison for young criminals, who were not old enough to be sent to ordinary prisons.
borstal in British English
(ˈbɔːstəl)
noun
1.
(formerly in Britain) an informal name for an establishment in which offenders aged 15 to 21 could be detained for corrective training. Since the Criminal Justice Act 1982, they have been replaced by youth custody centres (now known as young offender institutions)
2.
(formerly) a similar establishment in Australia and New Zealand
Word origin
C20: named after Borstal, village in Kent where the first institution was founded
Borstal in American English
(ˈbɔrstəl)
noun
[sometimesb-]
any of a number of British correctional institutions to which convicted young offenders (16 to 21 years old) are sent for reeducation and training
Word origin
after Borstal, town in England
Examples of 'borstal' in a sentence
borstal
After a couple of stints at an approved school and a dose of borstal he had worked on building sites as a labourer and dumper truck driver.