Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (Aus./UK/US prison) a convict who on the grounds of good behaviour and trustworthiness is allotted a privileged position in the jail; may also be an informer on other prisoners.

1855		S.F. Citizen 2 Oct. 2/3: Two ‘trusties’ named Scottie and Greene, escaped in a whale boat from the State Prison grounds on Sunday night [DA].
1859		Calif. Police Gazette 10 Apr. 1/2: A portion of the prisoners denominated ‘trusties,’ and who have been distinguished for good behavior, were frequently sent on errand. [...] It is believed that most who are now at large have escaped by this ‘trustie’ system.
1881		Dallas Dly Herald (TX) 7 Aug. 5/2: He was put in the calaboose for assaulting a negro woman [...] when the ‘trusty’ took some water to the oriusoners Bell knocked him down and made his escape.
1889		Portland Intelligencer 12 Feb. 3/1: Worley [...] enjoyed the confidence of the sheriff to such an extent that he was made a ‘trusty’ [DA].
1889		Manchester Courier 28 Aug. 3/6: He is stilll a ‘trusty’ at the prison.
1893		J. Hawthorne Confessions of Convict 64: He is a stout [...] illiterate ‘trusty’ (informer).
1898		Nat. Trib. (DC) 24 Nov. 1/7: [He] enjoyed the privileges of a prisoner-at-large, or ‘trustee’ as a Yankee jailer would say.
1900		Flynt & Walton Powers That Prey 103: The conference took place in Milly’s cell, where Minick called on him according to instructions delivered by a ‘trusty.’.
1902		Fitzroy City Press (Vic.) 24 Oct. 4/4: He was soon in favour with the prison authorities, and [...] was promoted to the ranks of the ‘trusties’.
1910		J. Sullivan ‘Criminal Sl.’ in Amer. Law Rev. LII (1918) 891: A ‘prison stool pigeon’ is a ‘trusty.’.
1912		D. Runyon ‘From a Gentleman Inside’ 30 Sept. [synd. col.] They’s a banker that’s a trusty workin’ on the warden’s books.
1914		Queenslander (Brisbane) 30 May 43/3: A trusty passed directly behind the governor.
1925		G.H. Mullin Adventures of a Scholar Tramp 206: We lined up single file at a long table where two trusties were hacking loaves of bread into ungainly slabs.
1933		‘Goat’ Laven Rough Stuff 78: Then we were turned over to one of the prison favourites that had a job as a ‘trusty.’.
1944		C.B. Davis Rebellion of Leo McGuire (1953) 221: A trusty came in [...] and clipped my head and shaved it so the electrodes on the chair headpiece could clamp down.
1952		J. Jones From Here to Eternity (1998) 629: Two days later he was a trustee, and moved over to Number One, the east barrack, where the trustees bunked together. [Ibid.] 631: I even got scared I might even turn into a trusty.
1954		Courier-Mail (Brisbane) 26 Oct. 1/3: A ‘trusty’ convict who escaped from Yatala prison farm [...] was arrested.
1961		Rigney & Smith Real Bohemia 168: I sounded a passing trustee for cigarettes.
1961		J. Sparks Burglar to the Nobility 141: How long before I’d be pushing a prison broom like other tired old prison trusties I’d known.
1967		P. Thomas Down These Mean Streets (1970) 258: Sometimes the trusties or outside gang brought in wild marijuana.
1977		G.F. Newman A Prisoner’s Tale 18: A trusty was close at hand to assist the reception screw.
1982		H. Beaton Outside In I ii: When you get to ‘Trust’, y’can have pretty curtains an’ table cloths an’ bedspreads an’ things, eh, Ma?
1984		B. Ellem Doing Time 199: trustie: a person who is given a position of trust by the authorities.
1986		J. Campbell Gate Fever 148: ‘Trusties’ are trusted prisoners – trusted, that is, not by the cons but the staff.
1988		J. Healy Grass Arena (1990) 95: A trustee tripped him up and he fell on the tiles.
2004		T. Winton ‘Long, Clear View’ in Turning (2005) 198: A constable comes by with a trusty from the prison farm.
2009		J. Stahl Pain Killers 17: You didn’t get to be gift shop trustee by slipping the hacks free cup holders.
2016		Mother Jones July/Aug. 🌐 Some ‘trusties’ even get to work in the front office, or beyond the fence washing employees' personal cars.
2021		T. Pluck Boy from County Hell 188: He’d seen trusties turn, with that taste of power.

2. attrib. use of sense 1.

1859		Calif. Police Gazette 10 Apr. 1/2: A portion of the prisoners denominated ‘trusties,’ and who have been distinguished for good behavior, were frequently sent on errands [...] It is believed that most who are now at large have escaped by this ‘trustie’ system.
1922		O.F. Lewis Amer. Prisons and Prison Customs 177: [I]t is the earliest instance we have found in the new system of anything approaching the ‘trusty’ system.
1974		Clement & La Frenais ‘New Faces, Old Hands’ Porridge [TV script] Watch out for the bath-house cleaners. [...] Lot of trustee poofs work the bath-house.

3. (US teen) a friend, a dependable individual.

1959

‘Paul Merchant’ ‘Sex Gang’ in Pulling a Train’ (2012) [ebook] With trusties around to help out in a tough bind, it was the one place to settle.