noun
ex-convict; former prisoner
Colloquial and somewhat rough term for someone who has been released from prison. Often carries a negative or stigmatizing nuance.
あの男はムショ上がりだって噂だ。
Rumor has it that guy is an ex-con.
ムショ上がりと知って、みんな距離を置いた。
When they found out he was a former prisoner, everyone kept their distance.
Compound of ムショ (slang for 刑務所, prison) and 上がり (from 上がる, meaning 'to come out' or 'to be released'). The exact origin of ムショ is uncertain, but it is a common abbreviation in underworld and colloquial speech.