Banishment is a legal punishment in which a person is required by law to leave a region and not re-enter it for a period of time, or forever. Although this punishment is commonly viewed as outdated, it is still sometimes used in the United States. Typically, this punishment happens following a serious criminal offense.
Banishment can involve the removal of a person from a city, state, or even country. It is common for Native American tribes to use banishment if a member of their tribe commits a serious offense. Banishment, however, is sometimes criticized as a punishment, because it simply moves criminals to a new area, where they often commit new crimes.
Banishment was also common in Colonial America. A colonist could be banished from a community for committing certain offenses.