Why is a validator jailed, and for how long?

A validator is jailed when it violates network rules, typically due to:

• Downtime – Failing to stay online and participate in block validation.
• Double signing – Signing conflicting blocks, which threatens network security.
• Other protocol violations – Breaking staking or governance rules.

The length of the jail period is currently 4 epochs, but this is subject to change with governance proposals.