Ever heard the term bid meaning a prison sentence ?

Where did you see/hear it and what do you take it to mean ?

Also tell me what nationality you are so I get an idea where this may have originated from.

I've been reading some 70's 'noir' fiction and it pops up occasionally in the writing but my research suggests it might be more likely to be a mispronounced version of 'bit'.

I'll explain what that's about in a while.