L.A. SPEAK

Prison slang, gathered from sources at Tehachapi Correctional Institution:

boneyard visit n. A conjugal visit.

border brother n. Illegal alien.

car n. A group of five associates or friends; e.g. a Crip car. “You get your car and I’ll get mine and we’ll ‘ride.’ ”

convict n. An older inmate who behaves by a certain code of honor. “He’s a convict, so you can trust him.”

Don’t sweat my program. “Let me do my time in peace.”

fish n. A rookie guard or new inmate.

kicking it v. Resting, socializing. “Me and my ‘road dog’ were just kicking it.” knot n. A wad or roll of bills. “He’s got a knot in his sock.”

raising up v. Getting out of prison.

ride v. Fight.

road dog n. Buddy. Also “dog” or “bunky.”

take a fall v. Go to prison. “He took a fall but he’ll be ‘raising up’ soon.”

soup n. Money or bargaining items. Packets of dehydrated soup, cigarettes and coffee are the currency of the prison.

Talkahachapi n. Tehachapi is so riddled with snitches that inmates often refer to it as Talkahachapi or Tellahachapi.

wood n. A white inmate. From “peckerwood.”