Where did the slang 'doing bird' or 'doing stir' come from about prison sentences?

Question

Where did the slang 'doing bird' or 'doing stir' come from about prison sentences?

Answer 1

It comes from Alcatraz. There was a bird man of Alcatraz he got the name because he liked trying to escape. He made it his mission to escape(he never did). And when he got to old to escape they let him have birds he like to look after birds and he dreamt of the day he would fly. So came the saying, 'Doing Bird'

Doing Stir is doing nothing and going crazy.

Answer 2

I have never heard of doing bird,but doing stir was generally a cockney slang reference for prison time that referred too lumpy prison porridge,therefore doing stir

Answer 3

Doing bird from the bird man of Alcatraz, btw did the magnificent Burt Lancaster get an Oscar for that movie

Stir from Porridge a thin gruel served to prisoners in days of yore