Green’s Dictionary of Slang

sweep v.

[play on broom v.]

1. (US prison) to disappear quickly.

[US]J.L. Kuethe ‘Prison Parlance’ in AS IX:1 27: sweep. see broom.

2. (N.Z. prison) to conduct a cell search.

[NZ]D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 182/1: sweep v. 1 to search thoroughly.