Convict

A convict is "a person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court" or "a person serving a sentence in prison".[1] Convicts are often also known as "prisoners" or "inmates" or by the slang term "con",[2] while a common label for former convicts, especially those recently released from prison, is "ex-con" ("ex-convict"). Persons convicted and sentenced to non-custodial sentences tend not to be described as "convicts".

The label of "ex-convict" usually has lifelong implications, such as social stigma or reduced opportunities for employment. The federal government of Australia, for instance, will not, in general, employ an ex-convict, while some state and territory governments may limit the time for or before which a former convict may be employed.[citation needed]

  1. ^ Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language, p. 311 (2d Coll. Ed. 1978).
  2. ^ Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language, p. 292 (2d Coll. Ed. 1978).