Dictionary
You do not need to know inmate slang to conduct jail and prison ministry, but some basic terminology used frequently in prisons is helpful. The following terms are common in prisons throughout the United States.
Note: If you are preparing this manual for use in another country, you may want to remove this section and substitute one more appropriate to your institution.
Ad Seg: Administrative Segregation. Placement in a controlled unit for the safety and security of the institution. Also called the “hole.”
All day: A life sentence, as in "He's doing all day . . ."
Badge: A guard, correctional officer.
Banger: A knife. Also called a burner or a shank.
Beef: A disciplinary charge, as to "catch a beef."
Big House: Prison.
Big Jab: Lethal injection. Also called the "needle."
Blanket party: Throwing a blanket over a despised prisoner, so he or she can't identify an attacker.
Blind: Area where correctional officers cannot see.
Books: Trust fund account. All money received by a prisoner is placed into a trust account and may be withdrawn for canteen purchases, special orders, postage, and other expenses.
Box: A carton of cigarettes.
Bull: Guard.
Bunkie: The person with whom a prisoner shares a double bunk bed.
C-file: The central file. The critical information maintained on each prisoner.
Call: Time for specified events -- e.g., mail call or sick call. May be known in some jurisdictions as a call out.
Camp: Minimum security facilities for firefighting and conservation work.
Cellie: Cell mate.
Chain: Used when an inmate is transferred to another unit. "He left out on the chain yesterday."
Chrono: Informational notes by prison officials documenting classification decisions, minor disciplinary offenses, medical orders, and just about everything else that might be recorded on a prisoner.
Commissary: Prison “store” for buying stamps, toiletries, cigarettes, and other items.
Count: The institutional count, repeated at different times in the day. Everything stops while prison staff make sure no one is missing.
Date: The release date.
Ducat: Prison passes for movement in the institution. Assignments for jobs, cell changes, sick-call, and other prison programs. Trust fund withdrawals for canteen draws.
Fish: A new inmate.
Fish Line: A line used to pull items from one cell to another.
Fog line: When the fog is too thick for staff to keep a close watch, “fog line” will be called and prisoners will be restricted to their cells or unit
Good Time: Credits earned toward one's sentence.
Hard Time: Serving a sentence the difficult way.
Hit: A planned murder or stabbing.
Hole: Solitary confinement, segregation, disciplinary detention cells.
Homeboy: Another prisoner from one's hometown or neighborhood.
Hooch: Homemade (or cell made) alcohol
Ink: Tattoos.
Inside: Behind the walls.
Jacket: An inmate’s prison record.
Jail: A county facility for pretrial detainees or prisoners serving short terms.
Jailhouse Lawyer: A prisoner who assist others in filing legal actions.
Kite: Notes or letters. Any message passed to a prisoner.
Lifer: A prisoner serving a life sentence.
Lock down: An individual inmate, a specific housing unit, or the entire prison may be locked down when there is a threat to security, count doesn’t clear, or someone is missing.
Lock Up Unit: Segregated unit; the adjustment center; disciplinary detention.
L.W.O.P.: Life Without Possibility of Parole.
Mainline: Also called “general population”--as distinct from those housed on death row or in special housing units.
Make Paper: Make parole.
Man: Guard or authority -- "The Man."
Man Walking: A signal that a guard is coming.
MTA: Medical technician.
Packing: A prisoner who is carrying a weapon or drugs for sale.
PC: Protective custody.
PHU: Protective Housing Unit. Unit assigned to prisoners who cannot program anywhere else in the system and meet certain criteria.
PIA: Prison Industry Authority.
Priors: Previous prison terms, enhancing one's sentence or affecting the classification score.
Seg: Segregation (isolated or disciplinary unit).
Shakedown: A search of a cell or work area.
Shank: Handmade prison weapon -- generally a stabbing instrument. Also called a shiv or a piece.
Short-timer: An inmate who will soon be released.
SHU: Security Housing Unit. Segregation, the Hole.
Snitch: An informant. One who has given up names or activities.
Stinger: Appliance used to heat water, which may be created by attaching live electrical wires to a metal plate. Permitted in some prisons.
Street: The outside world, as in "on the street."
Yard: The exercise area. In segregation, the yard may be nothing more than a concrete "dog run" with no equipment. Other units may have a basketball court, recreation equipment, or grassy areas.
You do not need to know inmate slang to conduct jail and prison ministry, but some basic terminology used frequently in prisons is helpful. The following terms are common in prisons throughout the United States.
Note: If you are preparing this manual for use in another country, you may want to remove this section and substitute one more appropriate to your institution.
Ad Seg: Administrative Segregation. Placement in a controlled unit for the safety and security of the institution. Also called the “hole.”
All day: A life sentence, as in "He's doing all day . . ."
Badge: A guard, correctional officer.
Banger: A knife. Also called a burner or a shank.
Beef: A disciplinary charge, as to "catch a beef."
Big House: Prison.
Big Jab: Lethal injection. Also called the "needle."
Blanket party: Throwing a blanket over a despised prisoner, so he or she can't identify an attacker.
Blind: Area where correctional officers cannot see.
Books: Trust fund account. All money received by a prisoner is placed into a trust account and may be withdrawn for canteen purchases, special orders, postage, and other expenses.
Box: A carton of cigarettes.
Bull: Guard.
Bunkie: The person with whom a prisoner shares a double bunk bed.
C-file: The central file. The critical information maintained on each prisoner.
Call: Time for specified events -- e.g., mail call or sick call. May be known in some jurisdictions as a call out.
Camp: Minimum security facilities for firefighting and conservation work.
Cellie: Cell mate.
Chain: Used when an inmate is transferred to another unit. "He left out on the chain yesterday."
Chrono: Informational notes by prison officials documenting classification decisions, minor disciplinary offenses, medical orders, and just about everything else that might be recorded on a prisoner.
Commissary: Prison “store” for buying stamps, toiletries, cigarettes, and other items.
Count: The institutional count, repeated at different times in the day. Everything stops while prison staff make sure no one is missing.
Date: The release date.
Ducat: Prison passes for movement in the institution. Assignments for jobs, cell changes, sick-call, and other prison programs. Trust fund withdrawals for canteen draws.
Fish: A new inmate.
Fish Line: A line used to pull items from one cell to another.
Fog line: When the fog is too thick for staff to keep a close watch, “fog line” will be called and prisoners will be restricted to their cells or unit
Good Time: Credits earned toward one's sentence.
Hard Time: Serving a sentence the difficult way.
Hit: A planned murder or stabbing.
Hole: Solitary confinement, segregation, disciplinary detention cells.
Homeboy: Another prisoner from one's hometown or neighborhood.
Hooch: Homemade (or cell made) alcohol
Ink: Tattoos.
Inside: Behind the walls.
Jacket: An inmate’s prison record.
Jail: A county facility for pretrial detainees or prisoners serving short terms.
Jailhouse Lawyer: A prisoner who assist others in filing legal actions.
Kite: Notes or letters. Any message passed to a prisoner.
Lifer: A prisoner serving a life sentence.
Lock down: An individual inmate, a specific housing unit, or the entire prison may be locked down when there is a threat to security, count doesn’t clear, or someone is missing.
Lock Up Unit: Segregated unit; the adjustment center; disciplinary detention.
L.W.O.P.: Life Without Possibility of Parole.
Mainline: Also called “general population”--as distinct from those housed on death row or in special housing units.
Make Paper: Make parole.
Man: Guard or authority -- "The Man."
Man Walking: A signal that a guard is coming.
MTA: Medical technician.
Packing: A prisoner who is carrying a weapon or drugs for sale.
PC: Protective custody.
PHU: Protective Housing Unit. Unit assigned to prisoners who cannot program anywhere else in the system and meet certain criteria.
PIA: Prison Industry Authority.
Priors: Previous prison terms, enhancing one's sentence or affecting the classification score.
Seg: Segregation (isolated or disciplinary unit).
Shakedown: A search of a cell or work area.
Shank: Handmade prison weapon -- generally a stabbing instrument. Also called a shiv or a piece.
Short-timer: An inmate who will soon be released.
SHU: Security Housing Unit. Segregation, the Hole.
Snitch: An informant. One who has given up names or activities.
Stinger: Appliance used to heat water, which may be created by attaching live electrical wires to a metal plate. Permitted in some prisons.
Street: The outside world, as in "on the street."
Yard: The exercise area. In segregation, the yard may be nothing more than a concrete "dog run" with no equipment. Other units may have a basketball court, recreation equipment, or grassy areas.