yardbird

noun3

1. •
   (US, slang) A chicken.
2. •
   (US, slang) A person who is imprisoned.

   • The working convict is a rare exception, sometimes envied because his time is occupied, sometimes derided for his deviance from the yardbird norm. — 1985
3. •
   (US, slang) A soldier who is required to perform menial work on the grounds of a military base.

   • As the Marines expanded to war strength, Lou Diamond was the ideal liaison between crusty old-timers and impressionable recruits. He taught quick action by threats of yardbird detail. — 1943