Descriptionary

put a contract out on to arrange to have someone killed.

racketeer one who obtains money through var­ious illegal means, such as fraud, bootlegging, or extortion.

racketeering taking part in extortion, bootlegging, or fraud.

rat see canary.

shake down to blackmail or frighten someone for money.

skim to take gambling profits without declaring them on one's taxes.

soldier a low-ranking member.

squealer see canary.

swag stolen goods.

underboss in the Mafia, one who is second in command.

waste management business euphemism for the Mafia or organized crime. Also known as the garbage business.

whack to murder. wiseguy see mafioso.

Witness Protection Program legal and physical protection offered by U.S. federal government for those who would testify in court with evidence of unlawful activities.

prison slang

agitator any prisoner who stirs up trouble, espe­cially in provoking fights.

all day a life sentence.

bail property or money held by a court to allow a suspect to avoid jail time until a trial.

bean slot a narrow opening in a cell through which a meal tray may be passed or the prisoner may be handcuffed before leaving the cell.

bird on the line an alert that someone is eaves­dropping.

bitch a homosexual or someone who is considered weak.

black market an illegal selling and buying of goods, such as bootleg alcohol, drugs, or cigarettes, by barter system by inmates.

blanket party throwing a blanket over someone and beating him. Because the victim cannot see, the person actually landing the blows may remain anonymous.

bone the dominant one in a relationship, especially a sexual one.

bong a can wrapped with several windings of toilet paper, which is lit on fire and allowed to burn slowly, used to heat water for cooking.

brig a jail on a ship.

brogan a state-issued work boot.

bullet a one-year sentence or period of time.

bunkie one who shares a bunk bed with an inmate.

capital punishment the death penalty.

cell block the section of a prison that contains the cells.

cell gangster one who talks tough while in the safety of his cell but who becomes quiet and submissive on the outside. Also known as a cell warrior.

cellie slang for a cellmate.

cellmate one who shares a prison cell with another. chair electric chair.

checking saying something offensive to someone to see if they will dare to say anything back, a method of dominating without fighting. It may go so far as punching someone in the chin, to determine how far he or she can go with keeping a weaker inmate in check.

clique any group of prisoners who hang out together, forming a strong defense against rivals.

cliqued on when a group of prisoners who hang together beat up an individual outside the clique.

C.O. a corrections officer.

commissary a kind of in-prison store where prison­ers may purchase approved goods with money placed in their account, either from doing various prison work or sent from family members.

con a convict.

conjugal visit a visit from a spouse, in a private room, for sexual purposes.

contraband any forbidden items, such as drugs or alcohol or weapons.

cooler slang for a prison.

count a check or headcount of prisoners, taking place several times a day.

death row an area of prison cells that hold those awaiting execution. May also refer to being sentenced to death, as in on death row.

dime slang for a 10-year sentence.

drop an item delivered or smuggled to someone in prison, often from an outdoor work detail.

dropped taken down to the floor by a corrections officer.

dungeon solitary confinement.

eyeballing staring at, as an inmate, sometimes for intimidation purposes.

fishing line any string or torn sheet used as a line to toss items down to another's cell.

fishing pole any contrivance, but especially a rolled newspaper with a paper clip on one end, used to retrieve kites or other items thrown over from anoth­er's cell.

fix up to give another inmate more food than he is due, as a favor.

funky describing an inmate who neglects to shower.

gasser one who throws blood, urine, or excrement on a prison staff member, behavior that is considered a felony in many states.

gated released from prison.

hard time a sentence served in a maximum security prison.

hole any cell used for solitary confinement or segre­gation purposes, but especially one that is cold, dark, and windowless.

hustle one's means for making money or bartering value, including drugs, tatooing, sexual favors, etc.

incarcerate to put in jail or prison.

infirmary a prison's medical facility.

ink tatoo

inmate a prisoner.