PRISON DICTIONARY

Introduction By Ben Hall
Art by Nishat Akhtar

Unfortunately, prison in the United States has become a permanent piece of landscape. The insidious genius of the architects of this now backbreaking system was removing the punished from the view of the public.

Just as the inner workings are hidden from the public so is the culture and language within prison. I spent an unbroken stretch of 22 years in prison. More times than I can remember, we as prisoners sat in a room of volunteers from the outside and one of us used a word or phrase foreign to them.

Often outside volunteers or even family member will have to ask, “What does that mean?” Several years ago in the Penitentiary, a volunteer asked for a list of words used in prison which has led to this Dictionary and Phrases used in prison culture’s language. This is a work in progress we compiled from dozens of contributors over a period of years and it will always be expanding as we add different words and phrased from different time periods of prison.

Here is what we have so far in hopes it will help you better contextualize writings from prison.

Torpedo: One who is sent by a gang or clique to attack another inmate. This is a relatively new thing inside the Oregon prison system which many old school convicts consider a cowardly act. In the old days if you had a problem with someone it was be… — Torpedo: One who is sent by a gang or clique to attack another inmate. This is a relatively new thing inside the Oregon prison system which many old school convicts consider a cowardly act. In the old days if you had a problem with someone it was between you and him. Now a days one will be walking across the control ﬂoor or in the chow hall when a complete stranger will just come up and blast them (bomb on them). The intention is to take that person off mainline because if one is attacked enough administration will ship them out. This is often used as a way for prospects of prison gangs to get their stripes or if someone owes money a gang will wipe the debt if they go on a mission.

Hole, the: It is a prison within a prison, a place where one goes for violating the rules of the prison whether it be contraband, ﬁghting, or drugs. In the Hole or Seg. You are on lockdown 23 hours a day in a jump suit you are let out ﬁve days a wee… — Hole, the: It is a prison within a prison, a place where one goes for violating the rules of the prison whether it be contraband, ﬁghting, or drugs. In the Hole or Seg. You are on lockdown 23 hours a day in a jump suit you are let out ﬁve days a week on handcuffs and led by a dog chain escorted by two ofﬁcers to a locked shower, than you are allowed 30 minutes to walk before going back to your cell. This place is often loud and full of some the more anti-social inmates but not all of them.

Keeping Jigs: Watching for the cop or the “man”.

Fish Bowl: Is a room on the control ﬂoor with glass all around where new arrivals or people in trouble are sent. Basically you are on display to everyone walking by.

Crimie: One’s co-defendant whom they committed a crime with.

The Bricks or Streets: Referring to the free world outside of prison. Often you will hear someone say, “when I hit the bricks or street”, which means when one gets released from prison.

Cell Thief: Considered one of the lowest of the lows one that steals from another inmate’s cell.

Boomerang or Slingshot: when you send a letter to someone else on the streets to have them forward it to someone that you can’t have contact with or someone that can’t receive mail from another inmate.

Bonnaroo: Means you have something very good that maybe someone else doesn’t have like some bonnaroo shoes, pressed pants or shirt.

Arcing: Using two pieces of pencil lead stuck into an electrical outlet than tying a piece of lead in toilet paper, touching the three in order to light a cigarette or marijuana joint.