What is a Jailbird?
A current inmate of a jail or prison cell is commonly called a jailbird, although the term can also be applied to those fortunate souls who have recently been released from those correctional facilities. A jailbird who snitches on his or her fellow inmates may also earn the title of canary or stool pigeon, since he or she chose to “sing” to the authorities. The origin of the word jailbird can be traced back at least to medieval England, where convicts were often placed in iron cages suspended several feet above the ground. These cages were generally visible to passersby, who were routinely inspired to refer to the caged occupants as jailbirds, since they resembled real domesticated birds kept in real birdcages. While the suspended prison cages may have given way to proper ground-level cells with improved hygienic and bedding conditions, the idea of viewing a convicted felon as a caged jailbird still continues to this day. Some released prisoners still refer to themselves as former jail
