prison code
Convict communication system
Prison code is the unwritten set of rules governing behavior among inmates.
These conventions typically emphasize loyalty to fellow prisoners, silence about others' activities (especially to guards), self-reliance, and respect hierarchies.
Violations can result in violence or ostracism: He broke the prison code by snitching to the warden.
The code varies by institution and culture but generally prioritizes solidarity against institutional authority.
- inmateConfined facility resident
- convictJailed offender after trial
- doing timeServing a prison sentence
- unwrittenNot set down formally
- silenceTotal lack of sound
no snitching · snitches · loyalty · honor · respect · gang · yard · cellblock · solitary confinement · hierarchy · rat · omerta · survival · keep your head down · rules · solidarity · hustle · contraband
- prisoncell block, inmate, jail, warden, cellmate
- criminal slangdrug slang, cant, numbers racket
- secret codescipher, password, passphrase, cipher key, ciphers
- UnderworldHades, Tartarus, netherworld, Sheol, Styx
prison codestatutory law
Legislature-made legal rules
written law · legal code · administrative rules · due process · state law
prison codesocial etiquette
Conventions governing polite conduct
professional ethics · polite society · civil society · civilian life · free society
prison, prisons, prisoner, prisoners, imprisoned, imprisoning, imprisonment, code, codes