In the United States, a chain gang is a group of prisoners who are chained together to do work outside their prison. Chain gangs existed especially in former times.
chain gang in British English
noun
US
a group of convicted prisoners chained together, usually while doing hard labour
chain gang in American English
a gang of prisoners chained together, as when working outdoors
Examples of 'chain gang' in a sentence
chain gang
In 1810 he was sent to Van Diemen's Land, put in a chain gang and set to hew a road through the iron-hard sandstone country behind Hobart.