gassing

n. in a prison, throwing feces or bodily fluids at someone. Subjects: English, Crime & Prisons, Slang

Comments? | Cites | Permalink | Tell a Friend

Citations: 1991 Howard Mintz @ Pelican Bay State Prison, Del Norte County The Recorder (California) (Sept. 19) “Is Pelican Bay Too Tough?” p. 1: Some have been so desperate to do violence against their jailers that they’ve patiently stored the elastic from their underwear to use in constructing makeshift crossbows; others save their feces and urine to fling at the guards, a practice known as “gassing.” 1993 Phillip Matier, Andrew Ross San Francisco Chronicle (California) (Nov. 5) “Chief’s Temper Tantrum Has Chinatown Abuzz” p. A21: In fact, they say it’s downright dangerous—with inmates attacking them with homemade spears and blow darts dipped in feces. “They call it gassing.” 1994 John Hurst, Dan Morain Los Angeles Times (Oct. 17) “This is the gaping maw, the jaws through which convicts pass to be evaluated” p. 1: Officers endure bites, kicks, punches, and being doused by a brew of toilet waste that is tossed through cell door openings. Officers call it “gassing.” 2001 John M. Glionna Los Angeles Times (Apr. 21) “Guards on Death Row Face Escalating Dangers”: What Trono and others dread most are “gassings,” when prisoners hurl cups filled with feces and urine or even infected blood at the faces of guards.…Trono has been gassed six times, but never hit in the face. 2005 Ray Haynes American Chronicle (California) (Nov. 10) “The Fourth Annual Nosey Awards”: For what purpose are these prison prophylactics to be used? Inmates often indulge in a practice known as “gassing,” which is the act of using their own bodily fluids as a weapon. 2006 KTVA (Anchorage, Alaska) (Jan. 27) “Assault with bodily fluids could earn inmates extra time”: Prison inmates who spit on, or throw urine or feces at police officers and jail staff, could face extra prison time under a bill heard Friday in the House Judiciary Committee. Law enforcement agencies report the practice—called “gassing” in prison slang—is a growing problem.

Posted 30 Jan 06 | Permalink | Tell a Friend