Meanings
red band1
plural red bands
- UKA trusty; a trusted prisoner given special privileges.
It was an extension of the American Trusty system, as was the appointment of other selected prisoners to be 'Red Bands'.
1967, Harley Cronin, The Screw Turns, page 511 more example
A red band was a trusty prisoner who could go anywhere in the prison. His job was taking mail to the main office and delivering any other messages for the screws or staff. Red bands had a bad name amongst the rest of the prisoners.
2012, Charlie Seiga, Killer, page 75
red band2
- USnot comparablebroadcastingR-rated
Origin
red band · adjective
From the red color of the horizontal bar on the cinematic rating screen at the start of the show.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
red band. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/red%20band
“red band.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/red%20band. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “red band,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/red%20band.
Source: red band on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.