Top 7 Weapons Confiscated From Inmates In New York State Prisons

Violence in prisons is a reality. Even minimum security prisons and jails have their share of violent incidents. Even though inmates are not permitted to have weapons, they manage to get their hands on them one way or another. Sometimes they are smuggled in by visitors, sometimes they are stolen, and sometimes they are handmade by prisoners. Regardless of where they originate, weapons in prisons can cause serious harm or death.

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These Are The Top 7 Weapons Seized From Inmates In New York State Prisons

When it comes to weapons found on prisoners in 2021 (the most recent data provided by the DOCCS), there was no shortage, especially when it comes to cutting weapons.

7. Can Lid - 140 Confiscated in 2021

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6. Scalpel/Exacto Blade - 167 Confiscated in 2021

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5. Razor Blade - 262 Confiscated in 2021

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4. Toothbrush - 292 Confiscated in 2021

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3. Ice Pick - 337 Confiscated in 2021

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2. Cutting Instrument - 338 Confiscated in 2021

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1. Shank - 421 Confiscated in 2021

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For clarification purposes, usually, toothbrushes are filed down to have a point or have some razor or sharp object attached to them. A shank is a makeshift cutting instrument, so it could be anything from a knife to a piece of a broken bottle.

Am I the only one who finds it pretty disturbing that so many ice picks found their way into prisons???

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These 7 Prisons Are The Most Violent In New York State

New York released a report with the most recent number of violent assaults on inmates in state prisons. There were 134 inmate deaths noted in the report, although it doesn't break down the prisons where each death occurred or who caused them. Here's a look at some of the general violent incidents reported for 2020, which is the most recent data reported by the state. Compared to 10 years ago, inmate assaults have almost doubled. In 2011 there were 666 and in 2020 there were 1,205 reported. These numbers do not include inmate assaults on staff members. Overall, the number of unusual incidents includes things like assaults, deaths, accidents, sexual misconduct, and disruptive behavior. According to the state,

"The number of unusual incidents has increased 132% from 5,980 in 2011 to 13,870 in 2020. These higher incident numbers were largely due to increases in assaults on incarcerated individuals (+81%), assaults on staff (+86%), contraband (+130%), disruptive behavior (+372%), and staff use of weapons (+1,035%)."

In 2020, 1,836 weapons used to cut or stab, including ice picks, razor blades, can lids and shanks were discovered in state prisons around New York.

Gallery Credit: Yasmin Young