Gassing (prison slang)

Gassing, also known as chucking, is prison slang for the act of throwing feces or some other bodily fluid such as urine, blood, semen, or saliva at a jail/prison staff member or other inmate.[1]

Gassing is an act of rebellion by inmates against custodial staff and is a felony in most U.S. states.

Victims of gassing are encouraged to undertake medical testing for possible infectious diseases. Gassing may occur spontaneously – such as when an inmate spits in the face of a correctional officer – or in a planned encounter – such as when an inmate mixes urine or feces with another liquid substance and throws it at a staff member when given the chance. In the state of California, for example, since 1998 a conviction for gassing has carried a sentence of up to five years segregation in prison.