Glossary of terms

Glossary of Terms

         This is a list of words, terms and expression that I use in stories about prison. I learned this vocabulary while I worked as a psychologist in the prison system. It is by no means exhaustive. Inmates often thought it was funny when I used them.
Ain't nothing free - if someone does you a favor, he will expect to be paid back. No free lunch.

Ad Seg - administrative segregation - housing in a cell alone, perhaps, but not necessarily, due to disciplinary reasons. The inmate would be escorted in handcuffs to recreation for one hour every or every other day and to shower or to medical appointments or visits. Sometimes it is referred to simply as seg.

Boss - any officer or employee. Anyone who gives an inmate instructions or orders may be referred to as a Boss. The derivation of the term is said to stand for "sorry son of a bitch." The order was reversed to protect the guilty. I personally was not addressed as "Boss;" however, I would be included in a statement like this: "All you bosses are rich."

case - a charge written by an officer or employee against an inmate for some infraction of a rule. For this he must attend a disciplinary court and face punishment such as loss of class or good time or solitary confinement.

catch the wall - place both hands on the wall. see also "stand on the wall"

cellie - cellmate in a two person cell

general population - inmates who are not restricted beyond the basic rules of prison. They go to work and meals unescorted and to appointments in several areas with a pass.

girl - a homosexual male who presents himself as a girl. He uses a girls name to friends.

grievance - Inmates file grievances against officers, employees, and the system. They usually write grievances about their maltreatment or denial of rights.

hit him in his backside or hit from behind - sex act, not necessarily consentual.

hold court in the street - This expression means that the inmate would force a shoot out and die before he would return to prison.

money - Inmates may have an account administered by the system to keep money sent to them from family or friends. Real money, called green money, is contraband. When inmates speak of money, they may mean trade goods, such as coffee, soap, toothpaste, or writing material.

pass - written documentaion giving an inmate permission to be in a given area.

protection - housing that offers increased security for an inmate who has enemies or is weak in some way.

rabbit on the ground - escape.

run - walkway in front of the cells.

stand on the wall - face the wall, form a queue.

What goes around, comes around - a street proverb that means that whatever you do to a person, will be done to you. It is usually meant negatively.

writ writer - an inmate who has become very skilled in using law books and in writing writs to get a case back into court. Other inmates may pay for their services.

wreck - argument, disagreement, trouble
I got in a wreck with my cellie and he busted my lip.