Azkaban is the wizarding prison for serious crimes, with a separate judicial system from the muggle world. Minor crimes are handled by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, while Aurors investigate serious crimes. Sentences in Azkaban range from a few months to life, and are guarded by Dementors. The death penalty is not used, but the Dementor’s Kiss is used to remove the soul from the body. The alliance between the Ministry of Magic and Dementors is a topic of debate. Harry has interacted with characters who have been imprisoned in Azkaban.
In the Harry Potter series, wizards who have committed serious crimes are imprisoned in Azkaban, the wizarding prison. It appears that the wizarding world has a judicial system entirely separate from the muggle world, but it includes parallels such as courts and prisons. Given the size of the wizarding world and the infrequency of serious crimes warranting imprisonment, one court, the Wizengamot, seems to be sufficient to handle important trials.
Minor crimes are handled by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, which is part of the Ministry of Magic. Most of these crimes involve magic that could be seen by muggles, or magic that actively harms muggles. For crimes that require a serious investigation, Aurors are used. Aurors are wizards specially trained to handle problems relating to the Dark Arts – they appear to have above average intelligence and training to reflect their often dangerous jobs. When a wizard is sentenced to a sentence in Azkaban, an Auror has likely gathered the evidence leading up to the conviction.
Internment sentences in Azkaban appear to range in length from a few months to life. Whatever the length of the sentence, the time spent in Azkaban appears to be downright miserable. The prison is located on a windswept island that is constantly cold and dark, and is guarded by Dementors, magical creatures who suck joy and happiness out of their victims. The death penalty is not used in the wizarding world: people who commit serious crimes are subjected to the Dementor’s Kiss, a process in which the soul is sucked out of the body by a Dementor. The victim is still alive, but exists essentially as a vegetable.
The alliance between the Ministry of Magic and dark creatures like the Dementors in Azkaban is a topic of much debate and discussion in the wizarding world. Dumbledore, for example, repeatedly warns the Ministry that the Dementors are dangerous and could easily be turned to Voldemort’s side, as in the sixth book. Ministry of Magic employees also show discomfort with Dementors during visits to Azkaban.
While Harry has never been to Azkaban, he has interacted with a number of characters who have, starting with his godfather, Sirius Black, who was wrongfully imprisoned in Azkaban for many years. Rubeus Hagrid, one of Harry’s close friends and advisors, also briefly spends time in prison. In the fifth book, Harry is responsible for sending several dark wizards to Azkaban, including Lucius Malfoy. The social turmoil caused by Voldemort’s rise has rendered Azkaban essentially useless as a place of imprisonment, since the Dementors no longer guard it and law enforcement personnel are busy trying to track down Voldemort himself.
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