Learn the difference between the tort and the crime of false imprisonment, the elements of a claim, and how it differs from false arrest and kidnapping. Increased reliance on authority figures, heightened alertness, psychological withdrawal, diminished self-esteem, and PTSD are some of the potential effects.False imprisonment occurs when a person intentionally restrains another person without their consent or without legal authority to restrain them. Suspensions of Rule. False arrest, sometimes known as false imprisonment or wrongful arrest, occurs when someone wrongfully holds you against your will or takes you into custody. Every wrongful detention is different, and there is no pre-determined way to secure the safe release of a person who has been wrongfully detained overseas. Amendment retaliation against investigator. Defendant. The penalties in a criminal case, of course, can be much more severe: Prison or jail time, fines, or restitution to crime victims. A person commits false imprisonment when they engage in the act of restraint on another person which confines that person in a restricted area. Tried without ever being placed in a custodial arrest.