INSIDE THE FENCE: Understanding the Language

When I arrived here at Elkton, I was hearing other inmates and staff use some terms that I was not familiar with.  So being the new person who had a persistent "deer-in-the-headlights" look about him, I had to ask for clarification on some of these terms and the process they defined.

As I move forward in this series of articles, I will be using the terms I learned (minus the vulgar adjectives or adverbs that often accompany them here in prison).  Many of these terms you may not be aware of or they may have a different meaning than what you are familiar with.  So in this article I will list some of these terms and describe the event or process which they represent.  This will give you a reference to look back on as you read future articles.  It will also save me from explaining them in each article.  My list is not alphabetical, or in any particular order.  I simply put it in the order that I recalled it.  Since I am a self-diagnosed dyslexic, these terms in a different order will be!!!!  LOL

• COP -- This is the common name for a guard in prison.  They are also referred to as Corrections Officers or "C.O.'s"  They are feared and often hated.  It is their job to enforce rules and keep the peace.  They come with different personalities.  Most are men, but there are some women cops as well.
• CONTRABAND -- This can be anything that is not permitted by the rules and is in my possession.  This could be an extra pair of socks purchased at the commissary, which is above the approved quantity.  It could be an apple that was served to you at dinner, but brought back to the cube.  The determination of an item as contraband is subjective by the COP who finds it.  For example, I am allowed to have 5 books in my locker.  I really have about 20 books in my locker right now.  Last week a COP performed a random "shakedown" on my locker, while I was at work.  He went through every thing.  He could have removed 15 books, at his discretion, but he chose not to.  He let me keep them even though he had every right to take them.
• COP-OUT -- The informal term for a request to staff.  This is an official document that an inmate can use to communicate to a staff person.  The staff person has a section to provide a response to the inmate.  Some staff are good about responding, while others do not respond and the form "disappears" without a trace.  
• CADRE -- This is a group of inmates who are housed in one of the dorms who are approved to work outside the fence.  These inmates are not sex-offenders and typically are drug offenders.  Some of them perform maintenance duties on the grounds.  Some ride the bus to a local company and perform menial tasks.  There are even a few of them who are approved as van shuttle drivers who transport departing inmates to the bus station.
• CONTROLLED MOVE -- This term is used to describe limited movement on the compound for inmates.  They also refer to them as "one way moves" or "ten-minute moves".  These controlled moves are used during bad weather, when the visibility is low.  For example, when it is foggy out, they will arrange the COPs to stand at the doorways and on the sidewalk to make sure we only move from point A to point B.
• COMPOUND -- This is the area inside the fence.  The primary area between the two common buildings we use here.  The area that has our sports fields is referred to as the "Rec Area".
• COUNT -- The roll of the B.O.P. is to make sure nobody wanders off before their release date.  So they are required to take inventory of us six times a day.  12:00 a.m., 2:30 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. (They do not require us to stand for these counts, but they go around and count us while we sleep.)  10:00 a.m. - weekdays they do a census work count.  Weekends they perform stand-up counts where they line us up either by our cube or in the visiting area.  4:00 p.m. -- this is a daily stand-up count;  9:30 p.m. -- this is a daily stand-up count.  The stand-up counts are the most important duties of the on-duty COPs.  They are sacred and require our absolute obedience to be standing in our cube on time and in complete silence.  Two COPs are required to count us and their numbers must match.  If they don't match, they perform a re-count.  If inmates interfere with their counts by not standing in their assigned cube or by talking during the count, they will be publically humiliated as the COP berates them in front of everyone.  Some COPs will assign "extra duties" to them as well.  One inmate was sleeping during the 4 p.m. count.  His "extra duty" was to pick dandelions on the compound from 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. for the whole week.  If you happen to be here to visit during the 10:00 a.m. count, you will see first hand how stern and solemn this event is for them.
• CUBE -- Also called "cell" or "house".  This is our assigned living quarters.  It is 8' x 10' and the walls are only 5' high.  There is no door except for an imaginary line that is referred to as the "Les Nessman" door (from the TV sitcom, WKRP in Cincinnati).
• RECALL -- This is a command given to us over the loud-speaker several times a day.  When it is announced, our required response is to clear the compound and return to our unit building.  This is done about 30 minutes before our scheduled count times.  They also give this command when bad weather approaches and they want us inside the building for our safety.  There are times when an inmate is exempt from obeying this command.  If you are at work and your C.O. wants you to stay, or if you are participating in an authorized activity in the mini-mall.
• UNIT BUILDING -- This is a large two-story building that houses all 600 inmates.  The unit is broken up into four sections of dorms or barracks, each holding 150 men.  The 2nd floor is labeled the "H" Unit or often called "Hotel" Unit.  Then each side is labeled "A" or "B".  The lower level is labeled the "G" or "Golf" unit and is broken down into "A" and "B".  I live in the G-Unit on the "A" side.
• MINI-MALL -- There is a large building on the compound on the opposite side of the unit building.  The building is long and is shaped like the letter "E".  This mini-mall houses the services available to the inmates.  These services include:
• Dining Hall (seats 196)
• Law Library
• Reading Library
• GED Classrooms
• Indoor Rec Room
• Work Out Room
• Chapel rooms and Chapel
• Barber Shop
• Commissary
• Institutional Laundry
• Medical Services
• Maintenance
• Compound Office
• Visitation Area
• R & D (Receiving and Discharge)
• MAIN LINE -- This is the name give to the line for meals.  They release the inmates by unit to join the main line.  Usually 300 at one time (and remember the dining hall only holds 196)
• SHORT LINE -- This is the early meal served for workers in the dining hall and other departments who qualify for an early meal.  This line is much shorter and often has extra food or special treats that are not served on the main line.
• PILL LINE -- Some medications are given directly to the inmate in bottles that we can keep in our cubes.  Other medications that are more powerful, must be dispensed by a nurse.  Twice a day at 6:15 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., the medical office opens the pill line for people who use the stronger meds and insulin.  Fortunately for me, my medications are for maintenance and can be kept in my house, including the M&M's!!!
• HYGIENE LINE -- Every Friday the laundry opens early for the inmates to pick up free Hygiene products.  In the span of 45 minutes, 600 inmates pass thru a single door to the laundry room to receive two rolls of toilet paper, one single blade razor, one small tube of toothpaste and one bottle of soap.
• ORDERLY -- This is another name for janitor.  Each of the four units or dorms has a team of orderlies who are paid to clean their assigned areas.
• FOG WATCH -- This term is used when we are experiencing low visibility due to weather conditions.  The prison is set on a large hill above Beaver Creek and not far from the Ohio River.  We are prone to foggy conditions here and heavy snowfall.  If the visibility drops below what the acting Lieutenant deems as "safe", they declare a Fog Watch.  They announce a Recall and lock us down in the units.  They will likely do an extra stand-up count to make sure no one got lost in the fog.  In some cases, they will close the visitation or they will shut down the mini-mall.
• SHAKE DOWN -- This is a term used to describe the process of looking for contraband.  This can be a random event done by the on-duty COP or it can be a massive sweep of the entire unit performed by additional staff brought in for the strategic attack.  They go through our lockers with a fine-tooth comb looking for any violation of the rules.
• SHU -- (SPECIAL HOUSING UNIT) This is the same as the classic name that is most commonly used -- "The Hole".  Our government likes to use names that sound human and pleasant, so the use of "special" to describe it.  Don't be fooled by that.  The "Hole" is a small two-man cell with no privileges.  They use this for punishment or if they feel the "safety" of the inmate is in jeopardy.
• SHOTS -- A shot is a charge to an inmate for breaking a rule.  This is another disciplinary tool that hangs over our head.  Depending on the severity of the rule broken, the level of the shot increases.
• STAND-UP COUNT -- This is a count that requires inmates
• TEAM -- This is a representation of the staff who oversee the inmates.  The team consists of three people, but usually only two of the three are present.  The first is the Unit Counselor.  The second is the Case Manager and the third is the Unit Manager.  The Unit Manager rarely participates in any of the team meetings.  Every 6 months, the team is required to meet with each inmate to make sure they are on target to meet the required program.  At my last meeting I was ordered to the office of my Case Manager along with my Counselor.  I entered the office and stood in front of both of them as there was no chair for me to sit in.  I was given a piece of paper and asked to sign it.  After which I was given a packet which described my program.  No explanations were given nor were there any instructions.  The meeting was over.  I took my packet and reviewed it at my bunk.  I wrote a list of questions and returned to the Case Manager's office to ask my questions.  They obliged my requests but answered them with short and curt responses.  It was a cold and stubbly experience.
• B.O.P. -- Acronym for the Bureau of Prisons.  This acronym is used here many times a day.  It is the organization that manages the prisons.  The reference to the BOP is not used kindly by the inmates and the staff.  It is usually used with severe sarcasm and hatred.  It is the antithesis of common sense.  Many have reassigned the acronym to mean "Backwards On Purpose"!!

These terms will help you to follow along in these upcoming entries that I will be writing.  Many of these have become part of my vocabulary, so as I write I don't have to explain the definitions repeatedly. There will be a test on these terms!!!!  

McFreedom