Basic Corrections Officer Certification 2026 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

The best description of an inmate is a person committed to the custody of the Department of Corrections. This definition captures the essence of what an inmate is: someone who is currently serving time in a correctional facility as a result of being convicted of a crime and subsequently sentenced to imprisonment. Inmates are typically under the supervision of correctional staff and have limited freedom of movement compared to the general public.

The other choices, while they may describe individuals within the broader criminal justice system, do not fit the specific definition of an inmate. For example, a person awaiting trial may not yet have been convicted and therefore does not fall under the categorization of an inmate. Similarly, a person sentenced to community service remains outside of the custody of the correctional system, and someone who has never been convicted of a crime is not categorized as an inmate at all. Each of these scenarios involves different legal statuses, making option B the most accurate descriptor of an inmate.