penal servitude; imprisonment with hard labor
A historical and legal term for a sentence of imprisonment that includes compulsory labor. In modern Japanese law, this term has been replaced by 懲役 (ちょうえき), but it may still appear in historical or comparative legal contexts.
Under the old penal code, 徒刑 was a punishment involving hard labor.
この歴史小説には徒刑の描写がよく出てくる。
Descriptions of penal servitude often appear in this historical novel.