"Painting in Prison" Topic

Anybody know if painting miniatures is popular amongst the prison population? Imagine how many figures you'd turn out if you didn't have the distractions of work, family and friends eroding your time. Admittedly the loss of personal freedom might be trying and the neighbours could leave a little to be desired. Someone must be able to shed some light on this.

How would you clean them with access to files, knives or clippers?

Why, what did you do…?

Dom ;-)

Converting and flash removal might be problematic without having a knife at hand, though.

Griefbringer

Pictors has it right. I also use a razor saw and box cutters…
And a Dremel with rotary cutting wheel.

They may let you paint oil or watercolor landscapes (from memory) and portraits ("Nude on a Bunk"), but I think the logistics of miniatures painting would preclude their use as prison recreation.

You guys know that you can have knives in prison?

Only certain people are not allowed them.

GW figs wouldn't be allowed. The oversized swords could be used as "shivs".

Cheers!
~OD

Over the years we have had many customers in different prisons. We have shipped printed material, magnet, glue, Krylon Sprays, RI Paints & Gels.

It looks like somone was painting figs. Im sure there is a big differance between Max and Mini security prisons.

Jay Wirth
Renaissance Ink
renaissanceink.net

Do 28mm scale prison escape games.
"No Sir, it's just a game sir, it's a coincedence the scenery just looks identical like here in St. Quentin Sir! We're not planning anything Sir."

How would you clean them with access to files, knives or clippers?

You have never been incarcerated have you…

These items are more prevalent than newspapers, magazines and books in the library.

No, I never have been incarcerated, but Jaime's brother spends about half his time locked up. I can't imagine that he wouldn't be dead if they had knives in prison.

They don't allow paint or paint brushes in prison. There was an article not long ago about a prisoner who made his own brushes from his hair and "paint" from M&M's

tinyurl.com/rnorx

What an inmate can own as personal property varies from state to state and also depends on what level of security they are classified at. There are strict rules on sanctioned property that can be bought from the prison store.

Prisons go to great lengths to remove anything that can be converted into a shank (homemade weapon) or used to manufacture shanks. Inmates can become quite creative with the most basic of items.

phillilphall:

I believe that was only because the guy was serving 3 life sentences in solitary confinement. He wasn't allowed brushes because they could be sharpened and used to commit more harm, or to commit suicide. Paints would also be prohibited because may if ingested are poisonous.

Paint can also be used as a cosmetic to change your appearance , conceal items and hide tampering with the prison environment.

"Prisons go to great lengths to remove anything that can be converted into a shank (homemade weapon) or used to manufacture shanks. Inmates can become quite creative with the most basic of items."

They had a show on over thanksgiving about two guys making cross bows out of newspaper, homemade glue and underpants elastic. The one was quite dangerous looking and sunk it's bolt (rolled up newspaper) into a dummy about three inches. Certainly could have been deadly with a good enough shot.

One more audience for prepainted minis?

I'd think gaming and game related crafts would be one more
incentive to take part in screened and supervised activity
sessions.

These would not only make good recreational outlets but
they could give inmates a career for when they get outside.

Forgive my ignorance but can inmates run e-Bay businesses
or the like?

If they didn't have to have physical contact with
merchandise and their earnings could go to their families,
victims,whatever,that might be one way they could perform
positive work on their own behalf or for the benefit of
a charity or the state.

Alas,the misbehaviour of a few could get cotton balls
banned.

The New Hampshire State Prison does allow inmates to paint figures; at least they did 5-6 years ago. I know this for a fact, because they have a "Prison Store" across the road that sells goods and crafts the inmates have made. A portion of the proceeds goes to the inmates themselves, etc, etc.

Anyway, the wife drags me in, and there were some painted metal D&D minis (Partha, if I remember correctly) on sell. So the answer is, "yes, in at least one prison, miniature painting is/was allowed."

The ideal game: link

@Quantumcat

Where I work (new job) they don't have access to the internet and their mail is screened. Unskilled labor earns 10 cents per hour. Skilled labor earns up to 50 cents per hour. The money is used to buy personal hygiene items, stamps, letters, sodas and junkfood etc… Larger items they can own are TV and radio. They have a strict list of what they can buy and what they can own. If they choose they can pay the victims of their crimes damages.

@pictors
Numchucks made out of rolled magazines dipped in chemicals to make them hard as a rock. The rope holding them together was made out of woven toilet paper.

Blowguns made out of any tube.

Garrote made out of woven toilet paper.

Any piece of wood, plastic or metal sharpened to a point.

Ping Pong paddle sharpened to a point.

Most assaults do not involve weapons just alot of guys recruited through various means to beat someone to a pulp. Violence is quick and brutal before an officer can react or occurs when he is distracted.

@TurboPig
I would bet the inmates that painted those miniatures in New Hampshire were low level (non-violent) custody inmates.

I've worked in prison for 15 years. The usual weapon of choice for an assault (not a hit) is several combination locks in a sock. Quick to make, gets your point across and easily disposed of or transformed back to its intended use.

There are several security concerns with the items needed to paint minis. It would depend on the security level, but most general art supplies are allowed. The biggest question would be what else could they make using the minis? Kids do some of the darnest things.

"How would you clean them with access to files, knives or clippers?"
Sandpaper.

Hmm, some of the above is putting me off the idea of going to prison altogether.

I live on a ship, a ship that DOESN'T see much port time…not too much for me to imagine!

I was just thinking about this topic night before last. i was watching that Locked up news show in CNN or one of those news networks and they where talking about what inmates do for leasure.
In an Alabama prison inmates where shown to be assembling model boat kits and two guys where even shown to have made working electric guitars. Another guy was shown to have been painting.
I personaly think they are given to many outlets and we should lock up all criminals and throw away the key, then again I am a fan of the Frank Castle method of justice.

A bit of roleplaying trivia: TSR actually experienced a dice shortage back in 1979, so for most of that year, the D&D Basic Set shipped with a set of numbered cardboard chits instead of dice. According to Frank Mentzer, that version of the set was popular in prisons because a lot of prisons forbid prisoners from owning dice. (I assume that's because of concerns about gambling.) Some of TSR's old-timers still call the 1979 D&D box "the prison edition".

So, it's a two-part problem: Even if the prisoners are allowed to paint miniatures, are they able to play with them?

@bewowulfdahunter

Outlets are a management tool to keep inmate populations under control. A lifer needs to have something to gain or lose other than his freedom. I would rather have them watching reality TV instead of plotting my demise or working on a method of escape.

Frank Castle method of justice sounds good. I think we should use them as penal squad troopers, a great way to repay their debts to society.

So, it's a two-part problem: Even if the prisoners are allowed to paint miniatures, are they able to play with them?

At least in some prisons, they arent. I read an article some time back where the prison spokesperson stated that games where the players assume roles that are combative or involve gaining power over/dominating others were strictly prohibited. D&D was specifically mentioned but I dont think they limited it to that.

Made me wonder how a "classical" wargame would be recieved under those rules…I imagine it would not be allowed.

So is chess also verboten?

I have seen chess sets.

I know at least one employee of the prison system who hired inmates to do some of his hobby projects.

He had two 25mm Greek galleys that were absolutely gorgeous. Museum quality. He used a nail clipper and non-metalic emery board. They also did some painting for him. He did have to prep them himself. Files and blades not being aloud of coure. He got a good price and the inmates made more then they could have any other (legal) way.

Depends on the prison and inmate I guess.

My parents own a painting done by an inmate at the Oklahoma state prison, he was death row inmate in the mid-late 70s. No information as to his eventual end.

I've been a Prisoner Escort Officer for awhile now , this concept strikes me as very odd indeed .
I am yet to meet a prisoner that has been interested in wargaming or military history studies let alone the painting of miniature figures ,in addition the prisons i work from will not allow the inmates the luxury of a diversion such as wargames to pass the time , and in many cases rightly so.
The majority of them are in there for good reason .

cheers t

Okay, say that minis are banned and you're in the can. I really don't want to think about where I might need to hide some of those GW big-weapon minis! YOWCH!

Actually, a friend of mine was in prison and they played D&D, but had to make their own dice out of paper because they were not allowed to have real dice because they could be used for gambling.