Best Prison Slang Words You (Hopefully Won’t) Need To
Know
Can you translate this?
I have the keys for my Car but my Road Dogs are disappearing on me. One
was 5150 and Did the Dutch, one left on Back Door Parole, one is a BB Filler on his way
out. Two are in The Hole (one for Keistering a cell phone), one is jacked up on Brake
Fluid (he’s got L Whop), one’s a J-Cat sent to the Ding Wing, one is a Dump Truck who
caught the Ninja, one was picked up by a Meat Wagon after getting Molly whooped. The
only one left is a Fish who’s obsessed with a Kitty-Kitty. And me.”
Translation at the end of Glossary!
Prison Slang Glossary
AllDay:Alifesentence
BuckyorCelly:Cellmate
AllDayandaNight:Lifewithoutparole
Buffing:Workingoutontheexercisebarswith
water,sandbags,andcalisthenics
BackDoorParole:Todieinprison
Bug:Aprisonstaffmemberwhocan’tbetrusted.
Bats:Cigarettes
Bullett:Aone-yearsentence
BeanSlot:Theopeninginthecelldoorwherefood
isdelivered.
BBFiller:BodyBagFiller;usuallyaveryillprisoner.
Burpee:Anexerciseinvolvingasquat,apushup
andleglifts
Bid:Prisonsentence
Cadillac:Coffeewithcreamandsugar;Alsorefers
toaninmate’sbunk.
BigBitch:DeathSentence
CadillacJob:Adesirableworkassignment.
Bindle:Asmallpackagecontainingtobaccoor
drugs
Cage:Yourcell,akaHoleintheWall,House,Buck
Bonaru:Brandnewprisonclothes
Car:Thegroupthatoneassociateswithwhilein
prison(determinedbygangaffiliationorsome
othercommonalitylikeage,race,sexualidentity,
etc.)
Boneyardvisit:Conjugalvisitwithoutkids
CatchaRide:Togethighwithafriend’sdrugs
BrakeFluid:Psychiatricmeds
CellWarrior:Aninmatewhoactstoughwhen
lockedinhiscell,butisacowardface-to-face.
Brogan:Thestate-issuedworkbootsthatinmates
wear.
CatchingtheChain:Whenaninmateisleaving
Brownies:Peoplewhoworkinthekitchen
ChattedOut:Someonewhohasgonecrazy
Blues:PrisonClothes
ChokeSandwich:Apeanutbuttersandwichwith
nojelly
HastheKeys:Thepersonwhocontrolsorcallsthe
shotsforagrouporgang
Chow:Dinner
HoeCheck:Groupbeatinggiventoprisonertosee
ifhe’llstandupforhimself.
CO:Acorrectionalofficer
Hole,(the):Solitaryconfinement
Cowboy:Anewcorrectionalofficer.
Hoop:Tohidecontrabandinone’sbodycavity
Dime:10-yearsentence
Ding-wing:Aprison’spsychiatricunit.
HotMedders:Peoplewhotakeover-the-counter
medication
DinnerandaShow:Whileinmateseatglopinthe
chowhall(theDinner),theywatchotherinmates
fightandthengetpeppersprayedbytheguards
(theShow).
HotOne:Amurdercharge
DoingtheDutch:Committingsuicide.
House:Yourcell
DrySnitching:Rattingoutanotherinmateby
talkingloudlyabouthisbadbehaviorinfrontof
guards.Givinginformationwithoutnamingnames.
J-Cat:Someonewithmentalissues.Acrazyor
foolishperson
Duck:Acorrectionalofficerwho’sseenasgullible,
easilymanipulatedorbribedtosmugglein
contraband.Alsoreferstoacorrectionalofficial
whorevealspersonalinformationaboutother
prisonstafftoinmates.Sometimesreferstoa
doctor.
DumpTruck:Fat,lazyslob
FamBam:Aconjugalvisitwithchildren—vsthe
child-free“Boneyard”conjugalvisit
Fiend:Adrugaddict
Fish:Anewinmatewho’sneverbeeninprison
before
5150:Crazy
Freshmeat:AbatchofnewInmates
GetHit:Tocatchalongersentencefromthe
paroleboard.
GettingBuzzed:Gettingtattooed
HotWater:Anofficeriswalkingthetier;a
warningtoceaseinappropriatebehavior
Jody:Amansleepingwithaprisoner’s
wife/girlfriendontheoutside.
JuneBug:Aprisonerconsideredtobeaslaveto
others.
Kite:Acontrabandnotewrittenonasmallpiece
ofpaperandpassedtoothersthrough
undergroundmethods.
Keister:Tohidecontrabandinone’srectum.
Kesue:Knife
KittyKitty:Femalecorrectionalofficer
LameDuck:Avulnerableinmatestandingalonein
theprisonyard,easytopreyon
LifeJolt:Alifesentence
LWhop:Lifewithoutthepossibilityofparole
Lockdown:Whensomekindofdisturbancein
prisoncausesguardstolockallinmatesintheir
cells,indefinitely,untilcalmisrestored.Often
involvesa“shakedown.”
Grapes:411,information,gossip
GreenLight:Thego-aheadtokillapersonorgang
affiliateonsight.
Lock-in-a-sock:Aweaponcreatedfromputtinga
combinationlockinsideasockandswingingit
Mando:Mandatory
MeatWagon:Ahospitalambulance
MollyWhopped:Tokicksomeone’sassinafight
ortogetyourasskickedinafight
Programmer:Aninmatewhospendsmostofhis
timeattendingclassesandimprovinghimself:the
nerdsofprison
Monster:HIV,aka“theNinja.”
Pruno:Ahomemadealcoholmadefromfruit,
breadandanythingwithsugar,i.e.jelly,cookie
cream,sodas,tootsierolls,etc.andlefttorot
underabunkforthreedays.Noonedrinksitfor
thetaste…
Mud:Coffee
Pumpkins:Newinmates
Nettedup:Someonewhogoescrazy
Punk:Derogatoryforatranssexual/homosexual
ORanyweakindividual
MonkeyMouth:Aprisonerwhogoesonandon
aboutnothing.
Newbooties:Inmateswithfirst-timeconviction
Newjacks:New,inexperiencedCOs
Nickle:5-yearsentence
Ninja,(The):HIV/AIDS;sometimesusedforSTDsin
general
115:Thedocumentusedtochargeaprisonerwith
aninfraction
Ontheline:Hasmanymeanings,butusually
meanssomethingisforsale
O.G.:An“originalgangster;”alabelofrespect
giventoolderinmateswhohasbeenintheprison
systemalongtime.
PC:ProtectiveCustody;acategoryofsolitary
confinementwheretheinmateneedsprotection
fromotherinmates.
PermanentPocket:Referstoaperson’sanus
PlayingonAss:Gamblingwithoutmoney
PorcelainTermite:Aprisonerwhobustsupthe
toilet/sinkincellwhens/hegetsupset
RaceTraitor:Someonewhosocializesoutside
theirracegroup
Ratchette:ANurse
RealTalk:Synonymfor“seriously”or“forreal”—
usedtoletothersknowthatyouaretalking
honestlyandsincerelyandthatwhatyouare
expressingisnotajoke.Alsousedtoaffirmwhat
othersaresayingistrue.
Rec:Recreation;thehouradayallowedoutsidein
theyard.
RideLeg:Tosuckuptostafftogetfavors
RoadDog:Prisonerswhowalkthetracktogether
during“rec”;alsomeansclosefriends
Rollupyourwindow:Arequesttostop
eavesdroppingonanotherinmate’sconversation,
especiallydonotcommentontheconversation
uninvited
StoLife:Abasketballgamewithoutrules
Sancho:Thepersonyourwife/girlfriendiswithon
theoutside
PrisonPocket:Referstoaperson’sanus
SexPlay:Toverballyorphysicallycommunicatein
asexualmanner
PrisonSafe:Thesafestplacetokeepdrugs,
shanks,dice,etc.duringcellinspectionsand
transfers:seePrisonPocket.
Shakedown:Whenprisonguardstearapart
inmates’cellslookingforcontraband.
PrisonWolf:Aheterosexualprisonerwhoengages
insexwithmenwhileincarcerated.
Shitonasingle:Abreakfastmealthathasfake
groundbeefwithwatereddowngravy
Shiv:HomemadeKnife
S.I.S.:SpecialInvestigativeService,theCIAof
prisonguardswhoinvestigateincidentsinprison.
underwear,2t-shirts,andalittlebagwith1hotel
barsoap,1minitoothpaste,aminipencil,a
shavingrazor,cup,andspoon
Skittles:Overthecountermedications
Takeflight:Toattackapersonusingfists
SpiderMonkey:Someonedoinghardtime
Spread:Gourmetprisonmeal;oftenusedto
describebigpotluckmealsputtogetherforagroup
ofinmatesbyadesignatedcookortwo;Includes
rice,ramensoups,fish,chili,tortillachipsetc
Strapped:Whensomeoneiscarryingaweapon
StressBox:Thepayphonebooths
Stingers:Ariggedheatingelementcreatedoutof
metal,designedtogetwatertoboil.
Inmateswillconnecttwowiresfromanysource,
TVplugsheadphonesorevenhandmadewirefrom
aluminumfoiltoany2separatedmetalobjects,
usuallymetal-plates.Byconnectingthetwowires
totheoutletanddroppingthestingerinthewater
theACcurrentwillpassthroughthewaterheating
itup.
SuckerDucker:Someonewhostaysawayfrom
peoplewhocausetrouble
SurvivalKit:Apillowcaseorsheetrolledupwitha
sheet,blanket,pillowcase,2pairsofsocks,2
TimetoFeedtheWarden:Meaningonehastogo
tothebathroom.Ifthewardenisgoingtofeedus
crappyfood,we’regoingtofeeditbacktohim…
digested.
Torpedo:Prisongangsarekindoflikesubmarines.
Youhavethecaptain,theShotCaller,andhis
faithfulenforcer,TheTorpedo.
Vampire:Peoplewhodrawblood
Vick:Avictimorsomeonewho’sabouttobe
victimized
Viking:Someonewhoisextremelylazyand
unwillingtokeeptheirlivingspaceorthemselves
clean.
Violators:Repeatoffenderswithtwoormore
timesinprison
Whamwhams:Cookiesandcandies
Zoomzooms:Cookiesandcandies
Translatehere:
Now here’s the translation of the first paragraph!
“I’m the leader of the group/gang I hang out with, but my buddies are disappearing on me.
One went nuts and committed suicide, one died in prison, one is very ill and dying. Two are
in solitary confinement (one for hiding a cell phone in his anus), one is jacked up on
psychiatric medication (he has life without parole), one is a crazy fool who was sent to the
psych unit, one is a lazy slob who got HIV/AIDS, one was taken away in an ambulance after
getting beaten up. The only one left is a new first-time offender who’s obsessed with a female
prison guard. And me.”