35 Of The Most Creative Things Prisoners Made Behind Bars And We're In Awe
Even in jail, the spirit of creativity still lingers.
Prison is usually portrayed as a place of routine, boredom, and hard time, but these photos tell a very different story. Behind bars, some inmates turned scraps, leftovers, and whatever materials they could find into surprisingly creative works.
From handmade games and instruments to sculptures, art, and even clever escape tools, the collection shows how resourceful people can be in the most restrictive places. The results are often beautiful, strange, and a little unbelievable.
Scroll through these prison-made creations, because a few of them are far more impressive than you might expect.
1. Picture frames made out of chip bags
dickdownchickens2. Hms St George model made by prisoners of war
Tzuvembi3. Hand-crafted Mah-Jong set
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4. Miniature piano made out of cardboard, rolled paper, craft paint, bed sheets, and clear-coated floor wax
nesheelahs
5. An electric guitar called "Lady," built by a prisoner in a state prison in Pennsylvania
chicametipo
6. When inmates bugged the guards' room to listen for cell shakedowns
KarmaPharmacy
7. The Convict Cookbook from the Washington State Penitentiary
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8. Paper mache heads made by Frank Morris, John Anglin, and Clarence Anglin as they escaped from Alcatraz Prison
flysoup84
9. Beautiful chess pieces made in prison
shyter351
10. A tattoo gun
Gvazeky
11. Table made out of ramen noodles and masking tape
Jamesvaughan711
12. Dice made out of toilet paper
definetlynotfbi
13. Celluloid Bakelite ring
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14. Tin can grill
Gvazeky
Speaking of ingenuity under pressure, this feels like the practical fixes that make ordinary situations easier to handle.
15. Hand-painted cards
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16. Roses made of Jolly Ranchers
VlClOUSLY
17. This Brazilian prisoner dug an escape tunnel for five years...only to burst out of the guard room.
NarcosdaMouraria
18. Harley motorcycle sculpture
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19. Salvador Dalí art on prison linen
brownberet45
20. Art from prison made by Liv Bao Jin, which he created and sold to pay his bills.
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21. "The Last Supper" on a jailhouse door
Glittering_Concern
22. Dumbbell made of old batteries
Gvazeky
23. An inmate was asked to draw his own interpretation of the prison system while only given a blue pen. He made sure to color his work by melting Skittles and M&Ms.
gendarme_
24. Pokémon cards made in prison
mysticwelsh
25. Toy dachshund made by a prisoner of war in Bristol
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26. Made by a prisoner in Angola
Itsme_dandelion
27. This inmate knitted a hat for a cat he was given as part of a rehabilitation scheme
log00
28. Carved using only a spoon
gbrook00
29. Lamp made from popsicle sticks
widdidam
30. A soap sculpture of a guard's face made by a prisoner in Brazil
NarcosdaMouraria
31. Bleach soap carved using a plastic spoon and an empty Bic pen
tacollama82
32. Makeshift flashlight made by a prisoner
Gvazeky
33. Flip flops with a hidden phone
KarmaPharmacy
34. Chess made out of toilet paper, dried bread, and shoe paste
topher181
35. Trained cockroaches smuggling cigarettes into prison cells in June 1938
Gvazeky
You can keep anyone in a cell, but there is always an artist inside that can't be tamed, and these photos certainly prove it. Even if they may have been convicted of something morbid, it's always enlightening to see their beautiful works that have been cleverly made within their cells.
Comment with your thoughts or share this article with all your family and friends to see!
Want more odd creativity? See the most incredible collections, from strangers who collect the strangest things.
