Argot

Prison Argot

Prison argot is a complex and ever changing vocabulary that is used by inmates or former inmates to communicate both inside and outside the prison walls. Examples of this language can be demonstrated in terms such as crushing or crushing out, which were coined for escapees in the years 1904 and 1925, respectively. Another phrase,“back-gate parole,” from 1929, refers to an inmate who died in prison.

Argot is a shared meaning among the prisoners sanctioning their relative status and rights similar to that of a guild. Secrecy can be maintained from the prison staff and other inmates outside the group. Not all of these terms remain secret as demonstrated above, in fact, many would be recognizable to people with no real connection to the correctional system. However, there are multitude of phrases, terms, and symbols unknown to those outside prison. Even those who are within the system, such [Page 37]as guards and other inmates, may be unaware of the complex language system being used.

Identity and Language

Prison argot varies both regionally and ethnically within prison populations. Due to the ethnic variations in the United States, prison populations house differing percentages of inmates from varying regional and ethnic backgrounds. This leads not only to East Coast, Midwest, and West Coast variations in prison argot but also to differences in language between ethnic groups. Furthermore, subgroups or gangs within those prison populations can have more specific vocabularies and symbols. It is an assimilatory process for the prisoners combining argot terms with their language (most generally English, Spanish, Native American, and black English) creating a comprehensible language that is both lexically and grammatically particular.

Prison argot performs important tasks for the inmates by establishing identity and allegiance to other inmates allowing them to communicate privately, even while under surveillance. It creates clear and observable social types that have defined roles. For example, in one Santa Fe, New Mexico, prison, there are approximately 88 terms describing prisoners both inside and outside the prison walls. In the eyes of the inmate, it is very important to know exactly who another person is. Eighteen of these terms were specific in relationship to race—Anglo, Chicano, and so on.

When a prisoner arrives at the correctional facility all possessions are stripped away. The argot term that is associated with him or her is important in establishing an identity and allegiances. An inmate can discern another in a variety of ways, through tattoos, hand symbols, gang symbols, and argot terms. The distinct language of argot brings cohesiveness into prison life through specific word patterns and placements. While there is cohesiveness for the individual in particular groups, argot also contributes to the segregation and exclusion of other inmates.

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