Dorene Cornwell Aug 22, 2011:

Modern US usage: work release work release is the term in modern US usage for a prisoner who is allowed out to work during the day. I think it's possible there is some equivalent historical usage in the US but off the top of my head nothing is coming to mind.

Kiwiland Bear Aug 22, 2011:

I'm not too sure... ... what to call it in English since, as far as I know, there is no 1-to-1 correspondence there.

Those were also known as "ukazniki" - derived from"ukaz" a long forgotten executive order which gave local police (Militia) powers to detain and send to forced labour people for smaller offences of the misdeamenor kind like "drunk and disorderly" in a public place, or (more importantly) no known place of domicle or employment.

Maybe a "vagrant" will do? If you can twist it somehow into a criminal offence. Although I'll admit it's a bit of a srtetch.

Aleksey Chervinskiy Aug 22, 2011:

It's some one Who is sentenced to a super short prison term, usually 15 days, I think. They would be kept in jail at night and would be doing community service work during the day.