Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Wiktionary
n. (label en law enforcement) lawful confinement of a person or close supervision of his or her movements, on a voluntary or involuntary basis, by authority in order to safeguard that person from attack or other dangers.
Wikipedia
Protective custody is a type of imprisonment (or care) to protect a person from harm, either from outside sources or other prisoners. Many administrators believe the level of violence, or the underlying threat of violence within prisons, is a chief factor causing the need for PC units. This factor was cited by Anderson (1980) and Vantour (1979), with the following broad elements noted as contributing to the problem. Prisoners have the opportunity to request protective custody if they get the impression that the environment they are living in is harmful to their well being. Their request may be granted if the officials rule that the prisoner is truly at risk. Protective custody might simply involve putting the person in a secure prison (if the threat is from the outside), but usually protective custody involves some degree of solitary confinement. For people who are threatened because of their association with a certain group, moving them to another section of the prison may be sufficient.
Usage examples of "protective custody".
All I need is for you to look for him and take him into protective custody, and call me ASAP.
Anyone who might need protective custody in order for you to testify?
And even if she did, she'd demand to know the whole story, and after I'd told it to her, she'd try to take me into protective custody or something ridiculous like that.
I think if Luke had the manpower, he'd put every woman in both of these cities in protective custody.
You tell me, and I get you transferred to a protective custody cell.
My father planned to ask you to call the FBI at once so that we could be taken into protective custody.
Is it his contention that the child would have died by her own hand in Parvati System before the specially trained Swiss Guard troops aboard his ship could have forced entry and taken the child into protective custody?
He remains amazed that the FBI is aware of him and of the forces pursuing him, that they have intervened in this matter, and that they actually think they have a chance of locating him and taking him into protective custody before his enemies can find and destroy him.