8.120 Hostage Taking (18 U.S.C. Sec. 1203(a)) is a criminal offense that involves the use of violence, force, or threats to detain a person against their will in order to compel action or gain a concession from a third party. It is punishable by up to life in prison. There are two types of hostage taking: (1) unlawful seizure or detention of a person to compel a third person or government to do something, and (2) taking of a hostage in order to facilitate the commission of a felony or flight thereafter. Hostage takers may use physical force, the threat of harm, or psychological pressure to coerce their victims.