Jim, Rex, et. al--
I appreciate your willingness to share your experience with us here on the forum. MBC surely is fun to practice, but as the most critical goal is self-protection I find your (and other) reality-checks valuble to bear in mind at each training session.
My current question is: what type of objects have been used in the edged-weapon attacks you've encountered? You've specifically mentioned actual knives, but I'm curious about to what extent--and what type of--improvised weapons are used by inmates (or street criminals, for you LEOs who care to share).
Just taking an informal poll, I guess. I used to work on hospital psychiatry units, so I've seen that a motivated mind--even an impaired one--can be mighty creative in finding ways to do bodily harm.
Thanks for helping us to benefit from your experience,
Vince
"...the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack."--R. Kipling
? for corrections officers & LEOs
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Concord_Bob
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Mr. V: I'm curious about to what extent--and what type of--improvised weapons are used by inmates >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I could write volumes on this, but you guys would want to kill me. :-)
Improvised weapons. Gosh, there's a plethora. Of course, there is the sharpened metal shanks. What do they sharpen them on? Sometimes, the grinding wheels in the prison shops, most of the time on the concrete floor. Very effective.
Of late, the crooks have been using Plexi-Glass, in order to defeat our metal detectors in the prison. Found quite a few of these,in fact, just over the past week on the cell block where I work. Things there are heating up.
Often, they melt razor blades (from disposable razors) into toothbrush handles. Other times, they sharpen the toothbrush handle itself into a point.
The wire handle from a 5-gallon bucket makes a few dandy shanks. So do the metal slats that inmates break off their beds.
A newspaper can be wetted with water, shaped, and left to dry. When it's dry, it becomes very hard, and a spear can be made from it.
Inmates have made dart guns with ball point pens to shoot at COs in the Hole. The ink shaft is the projectile (after being sharpened to a point), and can be dipped in a crook's blood or other bodily fluids to transfer disease to the unsuspecting staff member. It's propelled by the pen's internal spring.
Other weapons I've seen used: Take a padlock, put it into a sock, and you've got an instant mace. VERY effective. Also works with cans of soda, bars of soap, batteries, or any solid object to place into the sock.
I've seen an inmate murdered with a pair of shears from the prison clothing shop.
A captain in our prison was murdered by a baseball bat-wielding inmate years ago.
Crooks seem to make weapons from anything and everything. The above list is real quick and sketchy, I've left out more than I've remembered, but it'll give you a rough idea of what inmates can do with LOTS of time on their hands.
After all....idle hands are the devil's workshop.
Sniper -- One Shot, One Kill Email: ST8PEN01@aol.com
I could write volumes on this, but you guys would want to kill me. :-)
Improvised weapons. Gosh, there's a plethora. Of course, there is the sharpened metal shanks. What do they sharpen them on? Sometimes, the grinding wheels in the prison shops, most of the time on the concrete floor. Very effective.
Of late, the crooks have been using Plexi-Glass, in order to defeat our metal detectors in the prison. Found quite a few of these,in fact, just over the past week on the cell block where I work. Things there are heating up.
Often, they melt razor blades (from disposable razors) into toothbrush handles. Other times, they sharpen the toothbrush handle itself into a point.
The wire handle from a 5-gallon bucket makes a few dandy shanks. So do the metal slats that inmates break off their beds.
A newspaper can be wetted with water, shaped, and left to dry. When it's dry, it becomes very hard, and a spear can be made from it.
Inmates have made dart guns with ball point pens to shoot at COs in the Hole. The ink shaft is the projectile (after being sharpened to a point), and can be dipped in a crook's blood or other bodily fluids to transfer disease to the unsuspecting staff member. It's propelled by the pen's internal spring.
Other weapons I've seen used: Take a padlock, put it into a sock, and you've got an instant mace. VERY effective. Also works with cans of soda, bars of soap, batteries, or any solid object to place into the sock.
I've seen an inmate murdered with a pair of shears from the prison clothing shop.
A captain in our prison was murdered by a baseball bat-wielding inmate years ago.
Crooks seem to make weapons from anything and everything. The above list is real quick and sketchy, I've left out more than I've remembered, but it'll give you a rough idea of what inmates can do with LOTS of time on their hands.
After all....idle hands are the devil's workshop.
Sniper -- One Shot, One Kill Email: ST8PEN01@aol.com
I grew up perhaps 15 miles from Auburn prison, which maintains, and sometimes displays, a collection of weapons taken from inmates. While most of the weapons in the collection are the spike wrapped with tape variety, a few are very well made. I particularly remember a double edged knife with perhaps a six inch blade that looked at least commercial quality, not considering heat treatment.
Auburn Prison had an early electric chair. There was (and still is) a bar across from the main prison gate. When an execution was scheduled, friends of the murder victim(s) gathered at the bar. Here the story varies. In one version, the patrons waited for a radio announcement. In the more picturesque version, they waited for the lights to flicker. Either way, the house bought a round for those present. Auburn was a tough town.
Qship
Auburn Prison had an early electric chair. There was (and still is) a bar across from the main prison gate. When an execution was scheduled, friends of the murder victim(s) gathered at the bar. Here the story varies. In one version, the patrons waited for a radio announcement. In the more picturesque version, they waited for the lights to flicker. Either way, the house bought a round for those present. Auburn was a tough town.
Qship
Auburn was a tough town.
Qship >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I've heard of it.
From the picture you paint, an image of the prison in the Shawshank Redemption comes to my mind. Or perhaps the prison from The Green Mile.
In my time in the department, I've worked with characters on both sides of the law every bit as colorful as those in the movies (and a few who were even more colorful).
Speaking of television, I was on again the other night. Years ago, the Disovery Channel was in our prison, filming a special for the network. I was lucky enough to get into about a ten-second film clip, which has been shown on the Discovery Channel and the History Channel dozens of times. Man, I should get royalties!
The prison where I work is among the top five largest in the nation, so we get a fair amount of media coverage, though most of it is not positive.
Sniper -- One Shot, One Kill Email: ST8PEN01@aol.com
Qship >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I've heard of it.
From the picture you paint, an image of the prison in the Shawshank Redemption comes to my mind. Or perhaps the prison from The Green Mile.
In my time in the department, I've worked with characters on both sides of the law every bit as colorful as those in the movies (and a few who were even more colorful).
Speaking of television, I was on again the other night. Years ago, the Disovery Channel was in our prison, filming a special for the network. I was lucky enough to get into about a ten-second film clip, which has been shown on the Discovery Channel and the History Channel dozens of times. Man, I should get royalties!
The prison where I work is among the top five largest in the nation, so we get a fair amount of media coverage, though most of it is not positive.
Sniper -- One Shot, One Kill Email: ST8PEN01@aol.com
Vince: There's no better teacher than experience. This is one area in which I'm trying to AVOID experience, however, so it's valuble to be able to benefit to some degree from yours.>>>
I truly enjoy passing on my knowledge of knife fighting to others, so they might not have to learn the hard way.
For a very short time, I participated at TacticalForums.com. Until, that is, a moderator there disagreed with some points I brought up about knife fighting. Simply put, we disagreed on tactics.
The man became so angry that he denied me access to post any more, so I haven't been able to return since. Oh well, that's his loss.
I think the reason for this is often that people are afraid of being found less than cridible when faced with someone who has actually been there and done it. They're worried that their following might follow the experienced person and leave them in the dust. 'Course, I could be wrong, but....
I'm just glad to find so many open-minded people here. Being flexible is our greatest asset.
Sniper -- One Shot, One Kill Email: ST8PEN01@aol.com
I truly enjoy passing on my knowledge of knife fighting to others, so they might not have to learn the hard way.
For a very short time, I participated at TacticalForums.com. Until, that is, a moderator there disagreed with some points I brought up about knife fighting. Simply put, we disagreed on tactics.
The man became so angry that he denied me access to post any more, so I haven't been able to return since. Oh well, that's his loss.
I think the reason for this is often that people are afraid of being found less than cridible when faced with someone who has actually been there and done it. They're worried that their following might follow the experienced person and leave them in the dust. 'Course, I could be wrong, but....
I'm just glad to find so many open-minded people here. Being flexible is our greatest asset.
Sniper -- One Shot, One Kill Email: ST8PEN01@aol.com
Today, on the cell block where I work, an inmate was sliced in the face by a weapon that we never recovered.
The block is becoming more volatile by the day, and we can all "feel" that something is going to happen very soon.
Sniper -- One Shot, One Kill Email: ST8PEN01@aol.com
The block is becoming more volatile by the day, and we can all "feel" that something is going to happen very soon.
Sniper -- One Shot, One Kill Email: ST8PEN01@aol.com
