H-Blocks: Modular prison complex built at Long Kesh, County Antrim (aka Maze prison)
HMP: Her Majesty’s Prison
Hooch: Homemade alcohol
Home Office: Administrative body comprising the Prison Department and other state agencies in England and Wales
International Marxist Group: Trotskyite political grouping in Britain
International Socialists: Left wing political grouping in Britain linked
Irish National Caucus: Washington DC-based Irish lobbying group
Irish National Liberation Army: Illegal, republican, socialist, paramilitary organization linked to the IRSP
IPHC: Irish Political Hostages Campaign
Irish Republican Army: Illegal, republican, paramilitary organization (proscribed in Britain in November 1974); armed element of the Republican Movement (aka Óglaigh na hÉireann)
Irish Republican Socialist Party: Legal, left wing, socialist, republican party linked to the INLA
ITGWU: Irish Transport and General Workers’ Union
Joint Action Committee: Coalition of prisoners rights’ groupings
Lie-down: See ‘Cooler’
Lifer: Prisoner serving a life sentence
Liquid Cosh: Dosing of prisoners with tranquilizing pharmaceuticals
Long Kesh: County Antrim site of internment and prison camp
Long War: Conflict in Ireland, c. 1968-98
Loyalist: Term for pro-British paramilitaries, specifically members of the generally illegal Ulster Volunteer Force, Ulster Defence Association and Red Hand Commandoes; may denote persons who support maintaining legislative union with Great Britain by non-violent methods
Maguire Seven: Persons wrongly convicted of assisting the IRA in England
MO: Medical Officer
MOD: Ministry of Defence
MP: Member of Parliament (Westminster)
MI5: British intelligence organization
MI6: British intelligence organization
MUFTI: Minimum Use of Force (and) Tactical Intervention, squad of staff officers deployed to counter perceived incidents of prisoner indiscipline
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
