Protective Custody Legal Meaning and Definition

Here is a simplified definition of the legal term Protective Custody.

Protective Custody (noun): A safety measure taken by legal authorities where an individual is housed somewhere other than their usual residence due to perceived threats to their safety. Such threats might come from someone they know or someone involved in a criminal activity they have witnessed. This term is commonly used when referring to safeguards for women facing domestic violence threats, children facing abuse, or witnesses to serious crimes who are at risk of retaliation.