This is an extract from a piece of fiction:

> 基本的に『除隊』は『レベル・ゼロ』という特殊牢送りを指す『The Tower』において、彼が職を辞すには正式に引退する必要があったのだ。

I am having a bit of trouble understanding what "送りを指す" means in this context
and it's not a phrase I've come across yet in my studies. How is it being used
here?

From my attempt at a translation, I think it would be something like:

> Basically, as for a "discharge from military service" it was necessary to
> officially retire in order to quite his job at "The Tower" [送りを指す] which is
> special prison called "Level Zero".

So what could the 送りを指す mean?

To me the best I can think is:

> Selected to be sent

Which doesn't seem to fit in the sentence at all. I think there's a
possibility it's some sort of set phrase that can't be translated too
literally since I've seen a lot of that in Japanese. But if someone could
clarify that would be awesome, I'm really curious about what the extract is
actually saying!
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2017-06-12T00:45:51.147
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question
meaning syntax set-phrases word-usage
Meaning/usage of "送りを指す"?
まず、日本に住んでいて‘’特殊牢送り‘’という言葉を使った事がありません。 タイピングで変換にすら出てきません。

ちなみに、使い方は‘’牢送りを指す‘’ではなく単に‘’指す‘’ですが、｢〇〇を指す｣という感じで使います。

英語だと、「If you say "boot" in the southern US, it refers to the trunk of a car.」
「アメリカの南部では「boot」と言ったら、車のトランクのことを指す。」みたいな感じで使います。
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2017-06-12T09:34:23.987
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> 特殊牢送りを指す

This is parsed as others said as:  
特殊牢送り + を + 指す

指{さ}す is a verb that means _to indecate or mean something_.

特殊{とくしゅ}牢{ろう}送{おく}り is a combined noun made of 特殊牢{とくしゅろう} and 送{おく}り.  
特殊牢{とくしゅろう} is a contraction of 特殊{とくしゅ}な牢屋{ろうや}, where 特殊な meanas _specil_
and 牢屋 means _jail/prison_ ", so 特殊牢 means _a specila jail_.

**ＡＡＡ送{おく}り** means _to be sent to ＡＡＡ_ , where ＡＡＡ is a special place which
usually, but not always, has a nuance of the last place after being given a
decision.

特殊牢送りを指す means, as a whole, _it/this/that indicates to be sent to a special
jail_.

## Examples of ＡＡＡ送{おく}り:

  * 検察{けんさつ}庁{ちょう}送り to be sent to Public Prosecutor's Office
  * 東京{とうきょう}送りの品{しな} goods to be sent to Tokyo
  * 爆殺{ばくさつ}奈落{ならく}送りの術{じゅつ} martial arts like killing with a bomb that sends someone to hades
  * 異界{いかい}送り to be sent to the underworld/ spirit world
  * 黄泉{よみ}送り to be sent to the world of the dead
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> 基本的に『除隊』は『レベル・ゼロ』という特殊牢送りを指す『The Tower』において、彼が職を辞すには正式に引退する必要があったのだ。

See the other answer for what 特殊牢送り means. Here, 送り itself means the action of
sending (see [this answer](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/32311/5010)).
牢屋送り is a relatively common set phrase meaning _imprisonment_. Everything
before "The Tower" is a relative clause that modifies "The Tower". So the
whole sentence means:

> In _The Tower_ , where "discharge" basically meant being cast into a special
> prison called _Level Zero_ , he had to officially retire in order to quit
> his job.
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2017-06-13T02:30:43.443
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