Being locked up doesn't mean that a person is of no use at all, in fact some of the inventions confiscated from the prisons are really creative. Anyway, with all the spare time in the world, inmates have to do something to pass the time and that is when things get interesting. Today, we present some of the most amazing prison gadgets ever found.
No 12. Smoking pipe
This smoking pipe made from an empty horseradish tub looks completely innocent when rolled up. After getting hold of weed, prisoners need some pipe to smoke, they used pretty much every material available but this one is really unique.
No 11. Candles
Candles can be used to set fire, so automatically they aren't allowed in prison. But to cater for their late-night activities prisoners have come up with crude candles made out of empty yogurt or applesauce containers, baby oil and threads.
No 10. Board games
Obviously it’s easy to get bored in prison, so some inmates came up with a nice idea to play some boards games for which they used paper mache, which in prison consists of toilet paper, water and glue. The dices and chessboard above are in fact pretty well made.
No 9. Tattooing Needle
Made from a toothbrush handle, a ball pen and an electric motor; confiscated in 'Santa Fu' prison in Hamburg, Germany. Tattooing instruments are a popular and common source of income among inmates but are banned as 'illegal objects' due to the danger of infection (Aids, Hepatitis, etc.).
No 8. Table
This nice looking table made from ramen noodle packages and masking tape, is perfect for playing dice on or enjoying your snack on.
No 7. Lighter
When an inmate needs to light a homemade candle or hard-earned cigarette, obviously he can’t just pull a lighter out of his pocket because, well, those aren’t allowed in prison. The assembly pictured above is result of an intelligent idea by one inmate which requires you to just connect the free end of the wire with the naked terminal of the battery. Doing this will heat up the exposed part of the wire in the middle; great for a little spark.
No 6. Chocolate as weapon
Prisoners melt down candy bars on hot plates and then throw the molten mess into the face of their target. Rapid cooling of chocolate makes it very difficult to take off after it severely burns off the skin owing to its high specific heat.
No 5. Radio Receiver
Sometime in the seventies an inmate of Ludwigsburg prison, Germany, built this radio on the sly and hid it inside an encyclopedia. It was probably commissioned by another inmate who had no electronic expertise himself.
No 4. Shotgun
Made from iron bedposts; charge made of pieces of lead from curtain tape and match-heads, to be ignited by AA batteries and a broken light bulb. On May 21, 1984 two inmates of Celle prison in Germany, took a jailer as a hostage, showed off their fire power by letting go at a pane of bullet-proof glass, and escaped by car.
No 3. Killing blade
This intelligently hidden blade was made by an inmate in the prison workshop in a German prison. Generally, prisoners use materials such as chicken bones, sharpened toothbrush handles, and melted and hardened trash bags or Styrofoam cups for their weapons but this one was really worked on.
No 2. Liquid heater
Used to probably heat tea or coffee or whatever, this immersion heater is made from razor blades and an electric cord giving you an idea of inventiveness and creativity of the inmates.
No 1. Stove
Made by a prisoner in Germany using a broken heater, aluminum foil and some wire, this heater is a good invention for those prisons where use of hot plates is not allowed. What’s better than cooking your own food?
sources: realitypod & techeblog
