13 commonly used prison slang terms

Buck fifty - A cut on the face that requires an inmate to get at least 150 stitches.

Cell block - A group of cells that make up a section of the prison.

Check off - An inmate who asks for protective custody.

Dry cell - A prison cell with no plumbing, such as a toilet. Often used when prison officials suspect an inmate will try to flush contraband.

Gassing - When inmates throw urine or feces onto an officer or into another inmate’s cell.

Kite - A note, often secret, that inmates slide along floors and under cell doors. They’re called kites because prisoners sometimes attach string to them and fling them from their cell doors.

Letters - When a prisoner is doing life rather than a fixed number of years, his fellow inmates sometimes say: “He’s got letters.” Such inmates have little to lose.

Shank - A homemade knife made by inmates and used for attacks and self defense.

Shot caller - A high-ranking gang member with the power to order hits.

Soldier - A low-ranking gang member who must do the leaders’ dirty work.

Suitcasing - When an inmate hides contraband in his rectum.

The hole - The cell block where inmates on solitary confinement are put.

Unit manager - Supervisors who oversee a large group of inmates.

This story was originally published May 31, 2017 at 2:41 PM with the headline "13 commonly used prison slang terms."