What is shanking in prison?
What is shanking in prison?
Improvised weapons consist of weapons of opportunity (any item lying around) that are used to strike, swing or throw at staff, or weapons manufactured by an inmate for the sole purpose of injuring or killing. One of the most dangerous and feared is the “shank” or “shiv,” typically defined as any homemade prison knife.
What do people make shanks out of in prison?
A shank is typically a metal or plastic object used like a knife. It can be made from anything: scrap metal found in a workshop, a plastic utensil, a toothbrush. Inmates can attach razor blades to objects like a comb or a toothbrush to create something like a knife to slash someone.
How do prisoners sharpen toothbrushes?
In the past, residents have been known to “melt down the end of the toothbrush and submerge a piece of sharpened piece of metal into the end of it,” said Michelle DeLaura, Section Manager at the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. To inmates, she’s known as the “Canteen Lady.”
What is a prison zip gun?
Zip guns are illegal in California. A zip gun is essentially a cheap makeshift gun. A person constructs one using supplies from around their home or found at a local hardware store.
Why do prisoners shank?
Some do so to protect themselves against real or perceived threats. Other inmates make weapons to intimidate people in the prison population, to “make a name” for themselves and exert power. Another saying, ‘idle hands are the devil’s workshop’, comes to mind given the excessive time inmates have on their hands.
Where did the term prison shank come from?
Shanks did indeed mean legs – Edward Longshanks was called that for a reason: he was tall and had long legs. It was also used for the narrowest part of a golf club. In 1816, it was used to mean to send off without ceremony. Perhaps the prison meaning of getting shanked derives from this unceremonious sending off.
How do inmates get shanks?
“Shivs” or “shanks” are stabbing knives that can be made from shaved-down items like plastic toothbrushes, strips of metal or wood. A padlock inserted inside a sock can be swung against someone’s head to deadly effect. Dental floss or a light cord can be turned into a garrote for choking.
Where do inmates hide shanks?
The inmate manufactured weapons are commonly hidden in the “keester” or rectum to escape detection from prison guards during searches. The weapons are purposely left dirty to cause infections in the wounds inflicted during the attack. Sometimes the blades are swabbed with blood infected with HIV or hepatitis.
Can in a sock weapon?
A “slock” (lock in a sock) is an improvised weapon sometimes used by inmates. The design is simple; a padlock is inserted into a sock. The open end of the sock is gripped tightly and swung at a target, typically another inmate, with the intention of causing physical injury.
What is a bone crusher in prison?
At least one suspected murder weapon was recovered. Authorities said the implement was the type of weapon generally known as a “bone crusher,” an improvised metal spear larger than a typical prison shank. “They’re meant to do a great deal of damage,” said Terry Thornton, a spokeswoman for the state prisons department.
