Contraband: The Name

In a prison setting, contraband is anything that an inmate is not allowed to possess.  This can cover a wide array of items, from too many books or too much toilet paper to tobacco or knives.  Anything forbidden by policy is considered contraband.  Most contraband is "soft contraband," nuisance items and things that are hoarded for various reasons.  Soft contraband will usually result in verbal or written warnings. Some contraband is "hard contraband," the bad stuff - weapons, drugs, and the like.  Hard contraband will result in time in solitary and a structured disciplinary procedure.  Either way, contraband is an ever-present problem in prisons and the game between inmates trying to get it in and staff trying to stop it is never-ending.