Breaking jail

The act of a prisoner in effecting his escape from a place of lawful confinement. Escape, while denoting the offense of the prisoner in unlawfully leaving the jail, may also connote the fault or negligence of the sheriff or keeper, and hence is of wider significance than "breaking jail" or "prison-breach."Breaking of arrestment.

In Scotch law

The contempt of the law committed by an arrestee who disregards the arrestment used in his hands, and pays the sum or delivers the goods arrested to the debtor The breaker is liable to the arrester in damages.

See Arrestment.