Slang words for prison are a reflection of the culture and the people inside, and they allow inmates to build a sense of community and solidarity in a heavily restrictive environment. Learning the language of the incarcerated can be an eye-opening experience, and it can help outsiders better understand the struggles and challenges that inmates face on a daily basis.
While some of the terms may be derogatory or offensive, many others are clever, creative, and even humorous, serving as a source of entertainment and escape from the harsh reality of incarceration.
20 slang words for prison
1. The Big House
- Meaning: (noun) A slang term for prison.
- Example: He’s been sent up to the big house for five years.
- How To Use: Use this term colloquially to refer to the prison system or facility.
2. The Joint
- Meaning: (noun) Another slang term for prison.
- Example: He got caught stealing and was sent to the joint.
- How To Use: Use “the joint” as a casual or ironic term for prison.
3. The Slammer
- Meaning: (noun) A common slang term for jail or prison.
- Example: He’s been in and out of the slammer for years.
- How To Use: Use “the slammer” to describe the prison or jail system in general.
4. The Clink
- Meaning: (noun) An old-fashioned term for prison.
- Example: He was sent to the clink for his crimes.
- How To Use: Use “the clink” primarily in a historical or period setting, or for ironic effect.
5. The Cooler
- Meaning: (noun) Another slang term for prison, especially used for short-term incarceration.
- Example: I spent the night in the cooler for a bar fight.
- How To Use: Use “the cooler” to describe a short-term stay in jail or prison, especially for misdemeanors.
6. The Hole
- Meaning: (noun) A slang term for solitary confinement.
- Example: He was sent to the hole for breaking the rules.
- How To Use: Use “the hole” to describe the punishment of being placed in solitary confinement within the prison system.
7. The Penitentiary
- Meaning: (noun) A formal term for a high-security prison facility.
- Example: He’s serving his sentence in the penitentiary.
- How To Use: Use “the penitentiary” to describe a high-security prison facility or complex.
8. The Big Cage
- Meaning: (noun) Another slang term for prison or jail.
- Example: He’s headed to the big cage for his crimes.
- How To Use: Use “the big cage” as an informal or slangy term for prison or jail.
9. The Graybar Hotel
- Meaning: (noun) A slang term for prison, often used to convey the boredom and monotony of being incarcerated.
- Example: He’s spending the next ten years at the graybar hotel.
- How To Use: Use “the graybar hotel” to describe the experience of being imprisoned, particularly for long periods of time.
10. The Tank
- Meaning: (noun) A slang term for the communal holding cells in a county jail.
- Example: I spent the night in the tank after my arrest.
- How To Use: Use “the tank” primarily to describe the communal holding cells in a county or city jail.
11. The Camp
- Meaning: (noun) A slang term for a minimum-security prison facility.
- Example: He’s serving his sentence at the camp downstate.
- How To Use: Use “the camp” to describe a minimum-security prison facility, often situated far from urban areas.
12. The Concrete Hotel
- Meaning: (noun) Another slang term for prison, often used to convey the harsh and unforgiving nature of the environment.
- Example: He’s doing a ten-year stint in the concrete hotel for armed robbery.
- How To Use: Use “the concrete hotel” as an ironic or sardonic term for prison or jail.
13. The Club Fed
- Meaning: (noun) A slang term for a minimum-security prison facility, often jokingly referred to as a luxurious or comfortable experience.
- Example: Martha Stewart famously served time at Club Fed for insider trading.
- How To Use: Use “Club Fed” ironically or sarcastically to describe a minimum-security prison facility.
14. The Cage
- Meaning: (noun) Another slang term for prison or jail.
- Example: He’s been in and out of the cage since he was a teenager.
- How To Use: Use “the cage” to describe prison or jail, often implicating the idea of being trapped or confined.
15. The Rock
- Meaning: (noun) A slang term for the infamous Alcatraz penitentiary, but also used more generally to describe any prison facility.
- Example: He’s serving a life sentence on the Rock.
- How To Use: Use “the rock” to describe any prison facility, or specifically the former Alcatraz penitentiary.
16. The Cooler
- Meaning: (noun) Another slang term for jail or prison, particularly used for short-term stays.
- Example: He spent the weekend in the cooler for a DUI.
- How To Use: Use “the cooler” to describe a short-term stay in jail or prison, particularly for misdemeanors.
17. The Pound
- Meaning: (noun) A slang term for prison, often used to describe a particularly oppressive or punishing environment.
- Example: He’s been in the pound for two years, and he’s barely hanging on.
- How To Use: Use “the pound” to describe prison, particularly with an emphasis on the difficult or oppressive nature of the environment.
18. The Big Top
- Meaning: (noun) Another slang term for a maximum-security prison facility.
- Example: He’s spending the rest of his life in the big top.
- How To Use: Use “the big top” to describe a maximum-security prison facility, often with an implication of danger or severity.
19. The Iron Bar Hotel
- Meaning: (noun) Another slang term for prison, often used to emphasize the harsh conditions and unforgiving environment.
- Example: He’s doing time at the iron bar hotel for a string of burglaries.
- How To Use: Use “the iron bar hotel” as an ironic or sardonic term for prison or jail, emphasizing the harsh conditions and harshness of the system.
20. The Dungeon
- Meaning: (noun) A slang term for a particularly unpleasant or uncomfortable prison facility.
- Example: He’s been in the dungeon for a month, and he’s already losing his mind.
- How To Use: Use “the dungeon” to describe a particularly unpleasant or uncomfortable prison facility, often with an emphasis on the mental and physical toll it takes on inmates.