PRISON SHANK 003

Private collection
PRISON SHANK 003
Private collection

Collection

  • American Prison System
  • Weapons

Origin

Wyoming Correctional Facility
Attica, New York, USA

Medium

Steel and tape

Association

Manufactured by an incarcerated individual for close-quarters combat within a correctional facility.

Description

Improvised prison weapon constructed from a flat steel bar with a squared profile, fitted into a compact handle wrapped with multiple layers of tape. One end of the steel has been ground to a blunt chisel-like point, while the opposite end forms the striking end of the handle. The blade retains much of its original coating, with areas of surface wear and localized corrosion visible near the tip. The tightly wrapped handle provides improved grip and concealment, reflecting the improvised construction typical of inmate-manufactured edged weapons within correctional institutions.

PRISON SHANK 003

1/2

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550BC is an independent publishing house based in Amsterdam, founded in 2018. Specializing in the complex realities of organized crime and conflict, we explore these subjects through the lens of visual anthropology. Our photo books provide rare, first-person perspectives from within otherwise inaccessible worlds, often created in direct collaboration with those involved. 550BC is also home to a private collection of over 2,000 unique physical items, preserved artifacts from the worlds we document. A selection is presented in our online archive.

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