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This Online Group Shares Wholesome, Creative, And Illegal Things Made By Prisoners Behind Bars (35 Pics)
A prison is like a little city. It has a library, a beauty shop (which is just a fancy name for a hair cutting room), a medical wing, a rec yard... Of course, facilities vary from institution to institution, but if we exclude countries that have a different philosophy on incarceration altogether, most places are pretty similar.
So we're told. For the average person, life behind bars remains a mystery. And quite an intriguing one. How do people organize themselves under such extreme circumstances? What do they miss? How do they spend their days? A TV show, for example, might give us an idea but if we constructed our worldview based on what we saw on the screen, we'd end up like Truman Burbank. In an illusion.
Instead, let's take a realistic look at how inmates get by — the subreddit r/PrisonWallet is perfect for this job.
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Prisoners From Indiana Were Given Cats To Look After As Part Of A Rehabilitation Scheme. Here Is One Prisoner With A Hat He Knitted For His Cat!
I read somewhere abou similar project (possibly this one), that it significantly reduced prisoner recidivism.
“Lady”, An Electric Guitar Built Illegally By An Inmate In A Pennsylvania State Prison
Naturally, not everything that gets made in a cell is as innocent as you see in these pictures. "I'd, unfortunately, say one of the most common items to craft in a prison is a shank, [probably] due to how easy it is and the inadequate system of rehabilitating prisoners," a representative of this subreddit's moderator team told Bored Panda. "Many of them stick to crime or violence while inside of prison."
"Zip guns utilizing .22 ammunition are also popular because [the rounds] are easy to sneak in. Not to mention the fact that when you break down a gun to its bare bones, it's a simple machine that's quite easy to replicate."
However, we decided to leave guns out of the equation. We already know about them, plus there's so much more! "I [also] see a lot are tiny figures or artworks made of what is practically trash," the person running the subreddit added. "It allows prisoners to express their creative intentions while locked up."
These Are The Best Chess Figures I Have Ever Seen And These Were Made In Prison
Andy Dufrense finally finished his chess pieces before he decided to leave...
Prison Issued Bleach Soap Carved With A Plastic Spoon And Empty Bic Pen
If this is the sort of things that inmates are crafting, I say let them keep them.
Asked An Inmate To Draw His Interpretation Of The Prison System. They Are Only Allowed A Blue Pen. Color Was Done By Melting Skittles And M&ms
This displays a great deal of talent and meaning. I hope this is on display somewhere.
Interestingly, in 2019, the U.S. incarceration rate fell to its lowest level since 1995, according to recently published data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), the statistical arm of the Department of Justice. (It is not yet clear how the coronavirus pandemic may have affected these numbers as statistics for 2020 are not expected to be released until later this year.) But despite this downward trend, the United States still puts more people behind bars than any other country for which such data is available.
The American criminal justice system holds almost 2.3 million people in 1,833 state prisons, 110 federal prisons, 1,772 juvenile correctional facilities, 3,134 local jails, 218 immigration detention facilities, and 80 Indian Country jails as well as in military prisons, civil commitment centers, state psychiatric hospitals, and prisons in U.S. territories.
Made Out Of Rolled Paper, Cardboard, Craft Paint, Bed Sheets, And Floor Wax (Clear Coat)
Model Of Hms St George Made By Pows Of The Seven Years War
The Face Of A Guard Made With Soap By A Prisioner In Brazil. All Made With Soap Even The Eyes
Anytime You Feel Life Isn’t Nice, Remember This Brazilian Prisoner Who Dug An Escape Tunnel For 5 Years To Burst Out In A Guard Room...
The moderator of r/PrisonWallet who took their time to reply to us considers the subreddit's community pretty diverse in their background and intention of joining. "I've talked to members who are former police officers, former prisoners, some interested in the craftsmanship of the people stripped of their freedom, some similar to me in the way I greatly care about prison system reform."
If you took a look at the subreddit's newest posts, you wouldn't see many. The latest one goes back 21 days. However, members are still engaging with them. "The community is somewhat active but ... and you can even notice older posts getting comments, showing new members are fairly common as well!" Maybe you want to be one of them?
The Paper Mache Heads Made By Frank Morris, John Anglin And Clarence Anglin When They Escaped Alcatraz Prison
Found This In A Small Town Museum Today. Made By A Prisoner In Angola Prison Out Of Match Sticks And Pebbles From Prison Grounds
A Way Prisoners Make Rose's For Their Loved Ones Made Of Jolly Ranchers
Never bite down on a jolly rancher. They're so sticky.... I had a crown and I was kinda biting one and it stuck to my crown and pulled it right off.
Asian Prison Art Made By Liv Bao Jin, A Chinese Refugee, Made And Sold To Pay Legal Bills, 1993
Two Picture Frames Made Out Of Chip Bags An Inmate Had Given My Mom Whilst Working The Jail As A Nurse
Trained Cockroach Smuggles Cigarette Into Prison Cells, June 1938
Carved By A Death Row Inmate Using Only A Spoon
Flashlight Made By Prisoner
There is great ingenuity in prison, too bad that took prison to discover it.
DIY Dumbbell Made Of Old Battery’s Crafted In Jail
Hand Crafted Mah-Jong Set By A Japanese Prisoner Of War, Ww2
I LOVE this game! Beautiful set! *Made the year my dad was born too!
Toilet Paper Dice
Pen Art On Prison Linen
Prison Lamp Made From Popsicle Sticks
If this was made by one person eating ice cream, I think he has been locked up for some time now.
Pokemon Cards Made While In Prison
Hand Painted Playing Cards Made By French War Prisoners, Hampshire 1796
Prison Chess Set Made In The 1950s - Made Out Of Toilet Paper, Dried Bread & Shoe Paste
Toy Dachshund Made By A Prisoner Of War In Bristol, Gifted To A Family Near The Prison, Ww2
This makes me so sad and beyond the obvious, I don't quite know why.
The Convict Cookbook, Made By Convicts At Washington State Penitentiary For Charity
Prison Made Harley Motorcycle Sculpture
"The Last Supper" As Carved By An Inmate On A Jailhouse Door
Flip Flops
Table Made From Ramen Noodles And Masking Tape
Prison Made Celluloid Bakelite Ring, Gifted To A Prison Guard, 1930s Ww2
Inmates Bug The Guards’ Rooms With “Bugs” To Listen For Cell Shakedowns
This Prison Tattoo Gun
This Tin Can Grill
19th Century Carved Bone Prison Ring, Made In Libby Prison, Richmond, Virginia
A Snazzy New York Prison Crafted Box, Circa 1866
9 1/2" Sabre Tooth Tiger Made In Folsom Prison
Not trying to be nitpicky, but it could very well just be a panther. Bit short teeth for "sabre tooth"
This Water Heater Made In Prison
1970s Prison Made Japanese Kokeshi Doll
Embroidered Belt Made By A Prisoner Of War, Ww1
I'm slayed! As I scroll through, the most poignant posts to me are the POW posts. The items displayed show so many ways human beings, the human brain, is capable of doing to keep itself alive. As aware most of us are of just how unspeakable POW camps/prisons were .... are, to have the amazing ability to not only collect the items needed ...... I can't even. Totally Slayed.
This Radio
Someone really smart is behind the bars it seems, but how long??
19th Century Prison Made Bone Corpus Christi
A Canteen Radio Made By Pow Brian Hitchison From A Ww2 Prison Camp
A Tattoo Gun Made In Prison. Functions Off Of Vibration. This One Is Powered By An Electric Toothbrush Motor
Carved Skull Beads Made By A Napoleonic Prisoner Of War
Prison Made Kool Cigarette Purse, Clutch And Case Made From Folded Cigarette Packs
“The Cross” Created By A Woven Winston Packaging And Made At The Louisiana State In Penitentiary, Angola
The final line should read "Made in the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, LA."
1943 Colorado State Penitentiary Prison Art Pyrography Box
Pyrography or pyrogravure is the free handed art of decorating wood or other materials with burn marks resulting from the controlled application of a heated object such as a poker. It is also known as pokerwork or wood burning.
When I Saw This Subreddit I Immediately Thought About These Inmates That Built A Computer Near My Hometown
Prison Made Cooking Device, Made By Prisoners Of War In Germany, Ww2
A Guy Was Sent To Lockup And I Was Tasked With Cleaning His Cell. I Found This Left Behind In His Locker
Toilet Paper, Toothpick And Toothpaste Chess Pieces
Inmates used toothpaste as glue to put up pictures. Also they'd patch up cracks to keep out bugs, but I was told by a pest control guy that the bugs get attracted to the sugar so it was pretty self defeating.
Interlocking Heart Of Playing Cards, Made By A Florida Doc Prisoner
My mom used to make these things from gum wrappers. She was never in prison though lol
Cellphone Chargers
Water Powered Tattoo Gun
I really hope some of these people realize their skills when they get or got out.
German Prisoner Of War Made Trench Art Box, Us Camp #16, France, 1945 Ww2
Chess Pieces And Board From An Abandoned Prison In NY
Literal Prison Wallet. Made By East Tn Inmates 4 Years Ago
The other definition of "Prison Wallet" is not something you can put a picture of on this website... Google "suitcasing in prison"
Pruno; Wine Made In Prison Using Fruit And Yeast From Bread. This Bag Was Found Inside The Base Of A Sink In A Prisoner’s Cell
Just Read The Text On The Sign, Title Is Unnecessary
Prison Made Folded Purse And B Cup Bra
Pipe Made In Prison
Dice Made From Ibuprofen, Courtesy Of @rianjean11 On Tik Tok
Prison Glue, Not Toothpaste
If you muddle them up, you'll only be able to figuratively grind your teeth about it ^-^
FACTS: U.S. has 5% of world population, but over _24%_ of the prison inmates. Google, and see!
Fact: the majority of prisons in the USA are owned by private companies that have contracts with the local, state, and Federal governments. These contracts require the government to maintain a minimum population at each prison to gaurentee profits. If the prison population drops below the minimum, the government must pay a fine to the company. PRISONS SHOULD NOT BE BUSINESSES!!!!
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FACTS: U.S. has 5% of world population, but over _24%_ of the prison inmates. Google, and see!
Fact: the majority of prisons in the USA are owned by private companies that have contracts with the local, state, and Federal governments. These contracts require the government to maintain a minimum population at each prison to gaurentee profits. If the prison population drops below the minimum, the government must pay a fine to the company. PRISONS SHOULD NOT BE BUSINESSES!!!!
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