Mutiny: Term for participation in a prison riot and lesser infractions
Na Fianna Éireann: Republican scouting organization
Nationalist: Supporter of non-violent achievement of Irish reunification
NCCL: National Council for Civil Liberties (United Kingdom)
National Graves Association: Voluntary organization tasked with building and maintaining republican memorials
National Front: Right wing political organization in Britain
NICRA: Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association, non-violent civil liberties organization founded in 1967
NIO: Northern Ireland Office
NORAID: Term applied to the pro-Republican Movement Irish Northern Aid organization in the USA
No Wash: See ‘Dirty Protest’ [sic]
Nutted off: See ‘Sectioned’
O/C: Term for IRA leader (Officer Commanding) of a unit or grouping
Official IRA: Illegal, left wing, republican, paramilitary organization linked to Official Sinn Féin (later The Workers Party)
Official Republican Movement: Collective term for the Official IRA, Official Sinn Féin, Official Na Fianna Éireann and allied republican groups following the 1969/1970 split. Does not denote automatic support for specific or illegal elements
Old Bailey: Central Criminal Court, London
Open Visit: A prison meeting in which family and friends are permitted limited physical contact with the prisoner
People’s Democracy: Left wing political grouping founded in Ireland in 1968 which supported non-violent civil rights agitation
Placed on report: A prisoner accused of an infraction of regulations
POW: Prisoner of War
Prevention of Terrorism Act: UK special powers legislation introduced in November 1974
PRINDUS: Prison industrial schemes employing inmates
Principal Officer: Senior prison staff officer
Prisoners Aid Committee: Legal body which supported republican prisoners
Prison Department: Constituent of the Home Office responsible for administration of prisons in England and Wales (aka Prison Service)
Preservation of the Rights of Prisoners: The National Prisoners Movement (Britain)
Provisionals: See Irish Republican Army (aka ‘Provos’)
Provisional Category A: Prison Department term for remand prisoners expected to be classified Category A if convicted
Quartermaster General: IRA GHQ position regarding armaments and munitions
Reception: Area of prison from which newly arrived inmates are processed
Recess: Area of prison with running water facilities
Remand: Term for prisoners who have been charged but untried whether released on bail or held in custody
Republican: Person who supports the establishment of a democratic unitary republic but not necessarily violent or illegal methods to achieve the objective
Republican Clubs: Pre-split Sinn Féin in the North of Ireland and post-split Official Sinn Féin in North America
Republican Movement: Collective term for the IRA, Cumann na mBan, Sinn Féin, National Graves Association, republican youth and marching bands which emerged from the 1969/1970 split. Does not denote automatic support for specific or illegal elements
Royal Ulster Constabulary: Armed police force in the Six Counties in 1970s
Rule 43: Regulation regarding segregation of a prisoner from general population
Saor Eire: Historic name used by separate Dublin and Cork ultra left revolutionary organizations in 1970s
Sectioned: Slang term for committal to a psychiatric prison wing or institution under the Mental Health Act
Security Officer: Prison officer with security specialization
Segregation Unit: Area of prison used for solitary confinement
Scéal: Irish for ‘story’, i.e. news.
Scotland Yard: Headquarters of the London Metropolitan Police
Screw: Slang for prison officer
Shank: See ‘Chiv’
Sinn Féin: Legal republican political party supporting the objectives of the IRA. ‘Official’ prefix denotes affiliation with pre-December 1969 Republican Movement. ‘Provisional’ prefix indicates association with breakaway Republican Movement. Generally used in relation to the non ‘Official’ party from the mid-1970s
Six Counties: Northern Ireland (aka the ‘North’/ ‘Ulster’/ the ‘Province’ [sic])
Slopping Out: Emptying portable toilet receptacles
Social Democratic and Labour Party: Moderate nationalist party in the Six Counties from 1970
Special Branch: Detective units dealing with political offences
Special Category A: Unofficial term for IRA prisoner in England (aka ‘Irish Category A’)
Special Criminal Court: Juryless court in Dublin used to try political offences
Special Secure Unit/ Block: A small cellblock area or building for long-term segregation of prisoners
Split: Schism within the IRA in December 1969 and Sinn Féin in January 1970 creating rival Provisional and Official Republican Movements
Spring: External assistance in a prison escape
Spin: Cell search
Spur: A small section of a wing
Stiff: Written message or letter smuggled out of prison
Stormont: Devolved regional assembly outside Belfast administering the Six Counties (prorogued in 1972)
Strangeways: Manchester prison
Strip cells: Spartan cells for temporary confinement of prisoners
Strongbox: Double-gated small cells used for punishment
Submarine: Leicester Special Unit
Sunningdale: Failed power-sharing initiative in the Six Counties which excluded the Republican Movement and Loyalists in 1973-4
Supergrass: Person who gives evidence in court against multiple former associates
Swapping: Replacement of an IRA prisoner with another in a wing or prison
Sympathizer: Person supportive of the general aims of a political organization
Tanáiste: Irish Deputy Prime Minister
Taoiseach: Irish Prime Minister
Tariff: The minimum number of years to be served of a sentence
Tossed: See ‘spin’
Tout: Slang for informer
Troops Out Movement: British non-violent, pro-republican campaigning organization
Twenty-Six Counties: Republic of Ireland (aka the ‘South’ [sic])
Ulster Defence Association: Loyalist paramilitary organization (aka Ulster Freedom Fighters)
Unaligned: Activist who endeavours to support the objectives of a political organization or grouping to which they do not belong
Uninvolved: Person of no political connection
UK: