Prisoners have their own language. Part of this is because of the fact that prison is the ultimate “melting pot”. In the free world people tend to intermingle with people that are already within their own groups. In prison there is no such luxury – inmates from all socioeconomic classes, ethnic groups, nationalities, religions, educational levels, sexual orientations, and just about any other dividing quality you can think of, are forced to live, work, eat, sleep, and otherwise interact together. In order to communicate effectively, and in a way that prevents most of the guards from knowing what is going on, prison slang or lingo has evolved. While much of it is common in many or most prisons and regions, there is also a good portion of it which will be unique to certain geographic regions, levels of incarceration, or just plain local variances.
Who should read this book
Inmates who are new to the system, or about to go in. Not just because of the fact that they will have a quicker and easier time adapting, but also because reading the phrases and what they mean gives insight into how the prison language, and thus inmate mindset(s), operate. There is a certain amount of “matter-of-factness” to the slang, along with a fair amount of dark humor. Both of those qualities help remind the participants to stay sane in a situation that is inherently maddening.
Inmates who have been in the system for a while. There is a fair amount of humor in the phrases included in this book, and for an inmate to be able to sit and read about his or her genuine experiences and culture, well, it gives them the ability to smile a little bit. It reminds them that they are part of a larger human experience.
Families of inmates. Family members who communicate with loved ones in prison will often find phrasing that they don’t fully understand in letters, phone calls, and direct communication during visitation. Oftentimes they won’t understand the phrasing and will be hesitant to ask what it means. As a result, communication between the incarcerated person and their caring family members can falter. This book will hopefully help families not only understand the phrases that their incarcerated loved ones pick up, but will give insight into the mindset inside. It can be dark, but there is a humor to almost all of it.
I mean, come on—how can you not appreciate calling the death penalty a “stainless steel ride”? It is bitter wit—it is acknowledging the darkness of death while joking about it. It is culture created to tell the staff they can go fuck themselves—the inmates retain control of their language and to a large extent the rules they choose to follow, and the rules they choose to break.
Anyone interested in prison culture. Frankly it always amazes me that anyone would be interested in prison culture. I suppose it’s a little bit like studying the damned souls in Dante’s Inferno, and gives one a sense of… I don’t know precisely what. What I do know is that for some reason, we as humans have an innate desire to look in on the macabre at least touch it a little bit. I don’t know why, all I know is that based upon the numerous movies and television shows surrounding prisons, inmates, crime, and all the rest, people who are interested in prison culture may very well find this book to be interesting.
Who should read this book
Inmates who are new to the system, or about to go in. Not just because of the fact that they will have a quicker and easier time adapting, but also because reading the phrases and what they mean gives insight into how the prison language, and thus inmate mindset(s), operate. There is a certain amount of “matter-of-factness” to the slang, along with a fair amount of dark humor. Both of those qualities help remind the participants to stay sane in a situation that is inherently maddening.
Inmates who have been in the system for a while. There is a fair amount of humor in the phrases included in this book, and for an inmate to be able to sit and read about his or her genuine experiences and culture, well, it gives them the ability to smile a little bit. It reminds them that they are part of a larger human experience.
Families of inmates. Family members who communicate with loved ones in prison will often find phrasing that they don’t fully understand in letters, phone calls, and direct communication during visitation. Oftentimes they won’t understand the phrasing and will be hesitant to ask what it means. As a result, communication between the incarcerated person and their caring family members can falter. This book will hopefully help families not only understand the phrases that their incarcerated loved ones pick up, but will give insight into the mindset inside. It can be dark, but there is a humor to almost all of it.
I mean, come on—how can you not appreciate calling the death penalty a “stainless steel ride”? It is bitter wit—it is acknowledging the darkness of death while joking about it. It is culture created to tell the staff they can go fuck themselves—the inmates retain control of their language and to a large extent the rules they choose to follow, and the rules they choose to break.
Anyone interested in prison culture. Frankly it always amazes me that anyone would be interested in prison culture. I suppose it’s a little bit like studying the damned souls in Dante’s Inferno, and gives one a sense of… I don’t know precisely what. What I do know is that for some reason, we as humans have an innate desire to look in on the macabre at least touch it a little bit. I don’t know why, all I know is that based upon the numerous movies and television shows surrounding prisons, inmates, crime, and all the rest, people who are interested in prison culture may very well find this book to be interesting.
