A Brief History of Alcatraz Island

Alcatraz Island, located in the chilly waters of San Francisco Bay, has a long and layered history, evolving from a military fortress to one of America’s most infamous federal prisons.

Originally named La Isla de los Alcatraces (“Island of the Pelicans”) by Spanish explorers in 1775, the island remained largely unused until the mid-1800s. In 1850, President Millard Fillmore reserved Alcatraz for military use, and by the 1860s, it was fortified with cannons to defend the Bay during the Civil War. Around the same time, it began housing military prisoners, becoming the first long-term Army prison in the U.S.

U.S. Prison Slang & Acronyms Glossary

General Prison Slang

• Bid – A prison sentence (e.g., “He’s doing a 10-year bid.”)
• Doing Time – Serving a sentence
• Down – Currently incarcerated (e.g., “He’s been down for five years.”)
• On the Inside – Inside prison
• Fish – A new inmate
• Ride or Die – Loyal inmate or gang member
• Shot Caller – A high-ranking inmate who makes decisions for a group or gang
• PC (Protective Custody) – Housing unit for inmates at risk from the general population
• The Hole / SHU – Solitary confinement (Special Housing Unit)
• Kite – A written note or message passed between inmates
• Jack – Homemade prison alcohol
• Gassing – Throwing bodily fluids at staff or other inmates (extreme form of assault)
• Keistering – Concealing contraband in the rectum
• Green Light – An order to assault or kill someone
• Catch a Case – To be charged with a crime, especially while incarcerated
• Pulling Chain – Being transferred between prisons
• Boneyard – Visitation area for conjugal visits
• Jody – A man who sleeps with a prisoner’s partner while they are incarcerated

Legal & Sentence-Related Acronyms

• A&O (Admission & Orientation) – Initial classification process for new inmates
• GED (General Educational Development) – High school equivalency offered in prison
• LWOP (Life Without Parole) – A life sentence with no chance of parole
• SHU (Special Housing Unit) – Solitary confinement
• CDC or CDCR – California Department of Corrections (and Rehabilitation)
• BOP – Federal Bureau of Prisons
• R&O (Reception & Orientation) – Similar to A&O, used in many states
• RHU (Restricted Housing Unit) – A form of segregation
• PREA – Prison Rape Elimination Act
• ISP (Intensive Supervision Program) – Post-release supervision
• I/M – Inmate (often seen in reports or ID tags)

Prison Gangs & Group Terms

• Woods – White inmates (often gang-affiliated)
• Bloods / Crips / Norteños / Sureños / Aryan Brotherhood / Black Guerrilla Family (BGF) – Major prison gangs
• STG (Security Threat Group) – Institutional term for prison gangs
• Car – A group of inmates from the same race or region who stick together

Inmate Roles & Labels

• Trusty / Trustee – An inmate given extra privileges for good behavior
• Snitch / Rat – Someone who informs on other inmates
• Bug – An inmate considered mentally unstable
• Cellie – Cellmate
• Chomo – Child molester (inmate slang; considered the lowest-status inmates)
• Ciddo – Short for Child Indecency, Dangerous & Deviant Offender (inmate slang; considered the most dangerous of sex offenders)
• Turnkey – Derogatory term for a correctional officer
• J-Cat – A mentally ill inmate (California-specific term)

Drugs & Contraband Slang

• Suboxone / Sub – A commonly abused prison drug
• Hooch / Pruno – Homemade alcohol
• Strap / Burner – Hidden weapon
• K2 / Spice – Synthetic marijuana, frequently smuggled into prison
• Whip Up – To prepare drugs or alcohol