Escaped from jail refers to ads in which the person being sought is described as having escaped from custody or jail. The term jail, in the context of slavery, might have two distinct meanings: 1) it might refer to the place where formally incarcerated people are held, or 2) it might refer to the slave pens or holding facilities in which enslaved people were confined as they awaited transport or sale. Several ads reference Lumpkin’s jail (known as "the Devil’s half acre") in Richmond, Virginia. Lumpkin's jail was one of the most notorious slave-trading compounds, known for the physical abuse and cruelty enslaved people experienced while confined.