Prison slang abbreviation for 'administrative segregation' — the bureaucratic term for solitary confinement. Inmates in ad-seg are isolated from the general prison population, typically in a small cell for 22–24 hours a day, often ostensibly for safety or security reasons. The term is used inside prisons by both inmates and staff, and has entered journalistic and activist discourse around criminal justice reform. Typically carries a loaded connotation given the documented psychological harm of prolonged isolation.
After the altercation in the yard, he was sent to ad-seg for thirty days with no contact from other inmates.
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
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Prison slang and administrative shorthand for administrative segregation, solitary confinement used as a management or disciplinary measure rather than formal punishment. Widely known by both inmates and staff throughout the prison system. Ad-seg is distinct from disciplinary solitary in theory but often functions similarly in practice. Used in journalism, prison reform advocacy, and inmate communication. Critics argue that administrative segregation is used as a catch-all management tool rather than a genuine safety measure, contributing to mental health crises among inmates.
He spent fourteen months in ad-seg before anyone from legal aid managed to visit him.
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(North America) : solitary confinement in prison.
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