False imprisonment, also known as false arrest or wrongful arrest, can occur under multiple kinds of circumstances. False imprisonment occurs when one person unlawfully restricts another's freedom of movement.False imprisonment, on the other hand, mainly focuses on the act of confinement without broader motives. 2. False arrest requires an arrest, but, false imprisonment only requires unlawful detention. False imprisonment is a second degree felony punishable up to fifteen years in prison. Essentially, unless you're a cop you cannot legally restrain another person. Both kidnapping and false imprisonment are serious crimes under Florida law, and convicted individuals face decades of jail time, if not jail time for life. A false arrest is the unreasonable seizure of someone's personality. A seizure is considered unreasonable when there is a lack of probable cause to support it. On behalf of Miami-Dade County and the Miami-Dade Police Department.