what does d.o.c on prison uniforms means

DOC stands for Department of Corrections.

Back in the 19th century, prisoners commonly wore black-and-white stripes. Prisons started abandoning this design in the early 20th century, citing its association with chain gangs.

For a while, more demure colors were in vogue. New York state abolished prison stripes in 1904, switching to jackets and caps made of gray cloth.

North Carolina kept the stripes until 1958, when it replaced them with a color system based on custody levels: Gray uniforms for high-security prisoners, brown for medium-, and green for low-.

It wasn't until the 1970s or so that jails started putting some prisoners in orange uniforms—but usually only in special detention situations (like in a temporary facility) or in transit. In California, for example, prisoners must wear orange or red when they're being transported.

For further reading, refer to Slate.com - Orange Alert.

On the comedy-drama series, Orange is the New Black, the prison uniform is a source of immediate discussion in episode one, when the main character, Piper, is informed that she must wear orange until her new get-up arrives.

Orange is for newbies; regulation khaki for regulars. It is a sign of Piper’s middleclass attitude that she balks at the boxy, ugly uniform in the brightest orange imaginable. Another inmate tells the new meat, "Don’t be so quick to want to lose the orange, because you’d just blend in with the beige."

But what inmates really wear in prison? Find out at Racked.com.

Learn 8 Tips for an Easier Prison Stay shared by MotherJones.com