The pokey is where you go if you have been bad, or are
suspected of being bad. It is
jail,
lockup, where they
fingerprint,
photograph, and get information about you. If they have lots of
dirt on you, then you do not get to leave.
Ima goin to the pokey.
more specifically (doubling up on my node, neat)
The
county jail. "
The clatter (patrol wagon) backed up to Sadie's nautch-joint (brothel) and whipped the broads down to the pokey.
- american underworld dictionary - 1950