In the context of blockchain validation, slashing refers to the punitive action taken against validators who fail to generate blocks according to protocol rules. Each instance of slashing corresponds to the omission of a single block in the blockchain.

When a validator fails to produce a block, they become liable to be slashed, resulting in the forfeiture of rewards for the missed block.

Should a validator persistently miss blocks, exceeding the misdemeanorThreshold set at a default of 50 instances, they incur penalties for the entire epoch, losing their rewards accordingly.

In more severe cases, if a validator exceeds the felonyThreshold, typically set at 150 missed blocks, they are metaphorically 'jailed'. This entails a suspension from block production for a predetermined period, known as the validatorJailEpochLength, often set to approximately one week. During this period, the jailed validator is unable to receive any rewards, equating to a loss of either one week's worth or 25% of their monthly rewards.

Upon the completion of the validatorJailEpochLength, the jailed validator undergoes a release process, symbolizing their restoration to active status within the network. This release mechanism serves as a safeguard against potential issues stemming from malfunctioning or compromised validators incapable of fulfilling their duties. The validator's owner initiates the release process by invoking the function releaseValidatorFromJail(address validatorAddress). Once released, the validator promptly resumes block production upon the commencement of the subsequent epoch.