--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Prosecution I have managed to avoid; but…" description: "\"Prosecution I have managed to avoid; but I have been arrested, charged in a police court, have refused to be bound over, and thereupon have been uncond..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae2/laurence-housman-21576_arrested_prosecution-i-have-managed-to-avoid-but_2052682.jpg" --- # Prosecution I have managed to avoid; but I have been… ![“Prosecution I have managed to avoid; but I have been arrested, charged in a police court, have refused to be bound over, and thereupon have been unconditionally released - to my great regret; for I have always wanted to know what going to prison was like.” quote by Laurence Housman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae2/laurence-housman-21576_arrested_prosecution-i-have-managed-to-avoid-but_2052682.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae2/laurence-housman-21576_arrested_prosecution-i-have-managed-to-avoid-but_2052682.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae2/laurence-housman-21576_arrested_prosecution-i-have-managed-to-avoid-but_2052682.jpg) > “Prosecution I have managed to avoid; but I have been arrested, charged in a police court, have refused to be bound over, and thereupon have been unconditionally released - to my great regret; for I have always wanted to know what going to prison was like.” [Laurence Housman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-housman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He wishes to know prison life but missed the chance due to early release. **In simple terms:** He wanted prison experience but was freed. Key Takeaway Accept that some experiences remain inaccessible. Themes regret curiosity justice Mood reflective somber Type personal historical When to use this quote - legal system - personal ambition - historical context - prison reform Key Concepts existential inquiry personal freedom Questions to Reflect On - What does this regret reveal about his values? - How might he explore prison life ethically? A Different Perspective He cannot learn firsthand without actual imprisonment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arrested](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arrested/) [Avoid Arrested](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/avoid-arrested-3875821/) [Court](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/court/) [Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) [Going Prison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-prison/) [Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/police/) [Prison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prison/) [Prosecution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prosecution/) [Regret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret/) [Regret Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret-wanted-1310676/) [Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted/) ## Related quotes > [Never regret anything, as once it was what you wanted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-regret-anything-as-once-it-was-what-you-wanted/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Regret is something I wanted to write a lot about because once you make a decision, regret doesn't do anything except linger inside you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crystal-hana-kim/regret-is-something-i-wanted-to-write-a-lot-about-because-once-you/) [Crystal Hana Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crystal-hana-kim/) > [I've been with beautiful women, had my share of highs and lows. But I have a regret - I wanted to be a hero.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-christo/i-ve-been-with-beautiful-women-had-my-share-of-highs-and-lows-but-i/) [Bob Christo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-christo/) > [“Ignorance must be prosecuted when arrested. The only way for its arrest is by information and the only way for prosecution is through reading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/ignorance-must-be-prosecuted-when-arrested-the-only-way-for-its/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [ \[Robert Downey was being singled out for\] selective prosecution. He's a sweet guy who never did harm to anyone except himself. He's been doing… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-toback/robert-downey-was-being-singled-out-for-selective-prosecution-he-s-a/) [James Toback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-toback/) > [On Tuesday 26 July 2011, I was arrested in front of the White House along with a dozen other pro-immigrant advocates and clergy. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-gutierrez/on-tuesday-26-july-2011-i-was-arrested-in-front-of-the-white-house/) [Luis Gutierrez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-gutierrez/) > [I haven't heard from Bobby since May when we had our conversation, but then this thing broke last week, where they arrested him, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-bond/i-haven-t-heard-from-bobby-since-may-when-we-had-our-conversation-but/) [Tommy Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-bond/) > [I just put myself in a hotel and was smoking coke for a while. Then I met up with the wrong people. I ended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-wallice/i-just-put-myself-in-a-hotel-and-was-smoking-coke-for-a-while-then-i/) [Marc Wallice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-wallice/) > [Helen Crawfurd and the Women's Peace Crusade, made a march on the City Chambers, distributing an illegal leaflet in front of police and even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-gallacher/helen-crawfurd-and-the-women-s-peace-crusade-made-a-march-on-the-city/) [Willie Gallacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-gallacher/) > [Police in Texas arrested a man who was using the alias 'Barack Obama' while trying to steal money from 35 ATMs. They could tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-fallon/police-in-texas-arrested-a-man-who-was-using-the-alias-barack-obama/) [Jimmy Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-fallon/) > [I am now going from a prison to a palace: I have finished my work, and am now going to receive my wages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-love/i-am-now-going-from-a-prison-to-a-palace-i-have-finished-my-work-and/) [Christopher Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-love/) > [One out of 100 citizens of the U.S. is going to prison, and it's not that the system is making criminals, it's that it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-kilmer/one-out-of-100-citizens-of-the-u-s-is-going-to-prison-and-it-s-not/) [Val Kilmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-kilmer/) > [It's all the stuff I've been through in my life. From family struggles, people doubting me, things I went through as a child and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-lewis/it-s-all-the-stuff-i-ve-been-through-in-my-life-from-family-struggles/) [Derrick Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-lewis/) > [You wake up one day and you realize that all these years have gone by and I have this mortgage and I have this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-shelton/you-wake-up-one-day-and-you-realize-that-all-these-years-have-gone-by/) [Lynn Shelton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-shelton/) > [It was my first time in prison. I was there to volunteer with Defy Ventures, along with 500 teammates Tara Graham, Brian Wang, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-tsai/it-was-my-first-time-in-prison-i-was-there-to-volunteer-with-defy/) [Christine Tsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-tsai/) ## More by Laurence Housman > [I had never thought of myself as a dramatist, and, for really good technical results, the thought came too late: a man of letters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-housman/i-had-never-thought-of-myself-as-a-dramatist-and-for-really-good/) [Laurence Housman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-housman/) > [I still think that if the human race, or even one nation, could only get right about its God the rest would follow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-housman/i-still-think-that-if-the-human-race-or-even-one-nation-could-only/) [Laurence Housman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-housman/) > [The man who bears my name, and who claims to be me, was born on July 15, 1865, the sixth in a family of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-housman/the-man-who-bears-my-name-and-who-claims-to-be-me-was-born-on-july-15/) [Laurence Housman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-housman/) > [A saint is one who makes goodness attractive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-housman/a-saint-is-one-who-makes-goodness-attractive/) [Laurence Housman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-housman/) > [If I live for another ten years I shall probably have written all that I want to write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-housman/if-i-live-for-another-ten-years-i-shall-probably-have-written-all/) [Laurence Housman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-housman/) > [It is right and natural that generous minds while in the twenties should think the books which try to reform the world's wrong the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-housman/it-is-right-and-natural-that-generous-minds-while-in-the-twenties/) [Laurence Housman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-housman/) > [Suicide is possible, but not probable; hanging, I trust, is even more unlikely; for I hope that, by the time I die, my countrymen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-housman/suicide-is-possible-but-not-probable-hanging-i-trust-is-even-more/) [Laurence Housman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-housman/) > [I have always been a writer of letters, and of long ones; so, when I first thought of writing a book in the form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-housman/i-have-always-been-a-writer-of-letters-and-of-long-ones-so-when-i/) [Laurence Housman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-housman/) > [I shall not die young, for I am already near seventy: I may die old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-housman/i-shall-not-die-young-for-i-am-already-near-seventy-i-may-die-old/) [Laurence Housman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-housman/) > [If I loved all the world as I do you, I shouldn't write books to it: I should only write letters to it, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-housman/if-i-loved-all-the-world-as-i-do-you-i-shouldn-t-write-books-to-it-i/) [Laurence Housman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-housman/) > [Father eternal, ruler of creation, Spirit of life, which moved ere form was made Through the thick darkness covering every nation Light to man's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-housman/father-eternal-ruler-of-creation-spirit-of-life-which-moved-ere-form/) [Laurence Housman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-housman/) > [It is the sincerest thing I have written, caught by the drama of a soul struggling in the contrary toils of love and religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-housman/it-is-the-sincerest-thing-i-have-written-caught-by-the-drama-of-a/) [Laurence Housman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-housman/) > [That was luck: I should not then have been a conscientious objector; but I am quite sure that the abominations of war would have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-housman/that-was-luck-i-should-not-then-have-been-a-conscientious-objector/) [Laurence Housman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-housman/) > [It was then, I think, that I discovered that the best way of bringing a medieval subject home to my generation was not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-housman/it-was-then-i-think-that-i-discovered-that-the-best-way-of-bringing-a/) [Laurence Housman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-housman/) > [A saint is one who makes goodness attractive. Surely, a great teacher does the same thing for education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-housman/a-saint-is-one-who-makes-goodness-attractive-surely-a-great-teacher/) [Laurence Housman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-housman/) [Explore all 29 Laurence Housman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-housman/) ## More Arrested quotes > [Impulse arrested spills over, and the flood is feeling, the flood is passion, the flood is even madness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/impulse-arrested-spills-over-and-the-flood-is-feeling-the-flood-is/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [On stage you're free. You can say and do things that if you said and did any place else, you'd be arrested.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-williams/on-stage-you-re-free-you-can-say-and-do-things-that-if-you-said-and/) [Robin Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-williams/) > [a TEN-YEAR-OLD lad in Indianapolis who was arrested for picking up coal along the side of railroad tracks is now in jail. If the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-jones/a-ten-year-old-lad-in-indianapolis-who-was-arrested-for-picking-up/) [Mother Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-jones/) > [Fame is like a big eraser. It's strange, now that I'm famous. In my parents' opinion, all the shitty things - all the wreckage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobcat-goldthwait/fame-is-like-a-big-eraser-it-s-strange-now-that-i-m-famous-in-my/) [Bobcat Goldthwait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobcat-goldthwait/) > [When men are arrested without any legal basis and for political reasons, it's merely a routine, everyday occurrence in Russia, and hardly anyone has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-navalny/when-men-are-arrested-without-any-legal-basis-and-for-political/) [Alexei Navalny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-navalny/) > [Helen Crawfurd and the Women's Peace Crusade, made a march on the City Chambers, distributing an illegal leaflet in front of police and even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-gallacher/helen-crawfurd-and-the-women-s-peace-crusade-made-a-march-on-the-city/) [Willie Gallacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-gallacher/) > [I just put myself in a hotel and was smoking coke for a while. Then I met up with the wrong people. I ended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-wallice/i-just-put-myself-in-a-hotel-and-was-smoking-coke-for-a-while-then-i/) [Marc Wallice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-wallice/) > [My father was pretty independent. He was - he was arrested once in Nashville when he was on one of his sales trips because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/my-father-was-pretty-independent-he-was-he-was-arrested-once-in/) [Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/) > [I was arrested on graduation night for breaking and entering into the high school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-anderson/i-was-arrested-on-graduation-night-for-breaking-and-entering-into-the/) [Gillian Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-anderson/) > [On my recent trip to the Mexico border, Border Patrol agents in California told me they have arrested the same coyotes 20 times, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ric-keller/on-my-recent-trip-to-the-mexico-border-border-patrol-agents-in/) [Ric Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ric-keller/) > [You tell people that all the time, 'Jail's the worst place ever and you don't want to go there,' which is true but at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-glover/you-tell-people-that-all-the-time-jail-s-the-worst-place-ever-and-you/) [Stephen Glover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-glover/) > [“But Daddy, I never knew that's what you expected of me. I mean on the plus side, I've never been arrested or anything..”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-smith/but-daddy-i-never-knew-that-s-what-you-expected-of-me-i-mean-on-the/) [Andrea Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-smith/) > [There is the possibility to be suddenly arrested for hacking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-elbakyan/there-is-the-possibility-to-be-suddenly-arrested-for-hacking/) [Alexandra Elbakyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-elbakyan/) > [“I don’t do drugs, I’ve never been arrested, and from what I hear, I’m not too shabby in bed. Not that any of you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-peterfreund/i-don-t-do-drugs-i-ve-never-been-arrested-and-from-what-i-hear-i-m/) [Diana Peterfreund](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-peterfreund/) > [ I'd been arrested many times by then. I'd been an organizer, so many things had changed over those three years \[from 1965 till 1968\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/i-d-been-arrested-many-times-by-then-i-d-been-an-organizer-so-many/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) [Browse all 480 Arrested quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arrested/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Prosecution I have managed to avoid; but I have been arrested, charged in a police court, have refused to be bound over, and thereupon have been unconditionally released - to my great regret; for I have always wanted to know what going to prison was like.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Laurence Housman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-housman/prosecution-i-have-managed-to-avoid-but-i-have-been-arrested-charged/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Arrested" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-housman/prosecution-i-have-managed-to-avoid-but-i-have-been-arrested-charged/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae2/laurence-housman-21576_arrested_prosecution-i-have-managed-to-avoid-but_2052682.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae2/laurence-housman-21576_arrested_prosecution-i-have-managed-to-avoid-but_2052682.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae2/laurence-housman-21576_arrested_prosecution-i-have-managed-to-avoid-but_2052682.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Prosecution I have managed to avoid; but I have been arrested, charged in a police court, have refused to be…” — Laurence Housman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Laurence Housman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-housman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Prosecution I have managed to avoid;...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-housman/prosecution-i-have-managed-to-avoid-but-i-have-been-arrested-charged/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-housman/prosecution-i-have-managed-to-avoid-but-i-have-been-arrested-charged/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```