Gassing is prison slang for the act of throwing feces or some other bodily fluid such as urine, blood or saliva at a jail or prison staff member.
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 1997 a conviction for gassing carries a sentence of up to four years in prison.[1]