Catchword: wila

Filed Under: Crime & Prisons, Slang

Part of Speech: n.

Quotation: At the county level, gang members use letters on tiny scraps of paper called wilas, a slang term that translates to tiny writing. The wilas are hidden in all sorts of places—shoes, clothing lining, body cavities—and move between facilities as inmates are transferred, ultimately serving as updates that let gang supervisors know what’s happening in the county’s jails. Members who get in trouble with the gang can be required to use wila-style writing to pen essays with topics ranging from gang histories to instructions on how to be a better gang member, Teso said. “Some people snort wilas and keep them in their sinus cavity and hawk it up later when they get where they’re going.”

Article or Document Title:
“Gangs Sear Jail Atmosphere”

Author:
Ty Phillips

Article, Document, Publication, Web Site:
Modesto Bee

Publishing Location:
California

Date of Publication:
Apr. 17, 2005

Page Number:
A1

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