Prison is a quite a strange place. Whenever we hear about prisons, there is always a negative picture that comes to our minds. Â But sometimes these people do stuff that most of us would even fail to dream of.
Here are few innovations that took place inside a prison.
1. Gun made of Soap
Way back in 1930’s famous convict John Dillinger made a gun out of soap
How dangerous can an innocent soap be? Well, believe it or not, John Dillinger had actually made a gun out of soap. Not only that, the model of his gun has become so famous that thousands of prisoners have tried to copy it.
2. Toothbrush
 The inventor of the modern toothbrush was actually a prisoner and it was invented inside a prison.
Though it is said that the Chinese were the first people to invent toothbrush yet it was made popular thanks to an inmate. A guy called Addis took the bone from a piece of meat to use as the handle and some bristles he bought from the guard to serve as the head and straight up invented the toothbrush.
3. Cure of septicemia
The cure for the hemorrhagic septicemia was found by a prisoner called Robert Franklin Stroud. He was known as the ‘Birdman of Alcatraz’
It might sound strange but the cure of Septicemia was actually found by a prisoner and more so the guy was not even a doctor. From 1920 to 1942, he made many great contributions to the field of avian pathology. He was not only the first person to discover a cure for septicemia, but also published two extremely influential books on his general findings.
4. The first modern novel: Don Quixote
Cervantes wrote the first modern novel when he was in a prison.
You might have heard about prison literature. But you might be quite surprised to know that the work that gave birth to the genre of the novel was actually written inside a jail cell. It is widely regarded to be one of the greatest books in the history of literature, and it also inspired some of the most revered authors of modern times.
5. The Erie Canal
Hawley single-handedly conceptualized the entire project, from start to finish, while he was held captive.
Hawley spent his imprisoned time writing 14 exhaustive essays detailing every aspect of a proposed Erie Canal.
Well, if you want to know the significance of the canal, it opened up trade between eastern and western America.
6. A rope made of bedsheets and towels.
Probably the most commonly known invention by inmates.
If you are in a prison then you know that you do not have access to many things. So, many-a-times when the prisoners need something they just build it their own. Making ropes with bed sheets and towels is probably the innovation that prison gifted to the world.
Once prison inmates made a 16-meter long rope just with dish towels and even managed to escape.
7. Immersion Heater made from razor blades.
The prisoners used it to distil alcoholic beverages forbidden in prisons.
In ‘Santa Fu’ jail in Hamburg, Germany, prison inmates made an immersion heater from just razor blades. Of all the prison innovations that we have heard of, this one surely stands out.
8. A shotgun made from iron bedposts and wood.
The ammunition was created from pieces of lead from curtain tape and match-heads. It was ignited by AA batteries and a broken light bulb.
One should seriously learn from prison inmates on how to turn a piece of crap into deadly weapons. In Celle, Germany, On May 21, 1984, two prisoners attempted to use it to escape. The took a jailer as a hostage and shot out some bullet proof glass. They then escaped by car.
9. A fake submachine gun
It was made from a grease injector, wood, a rubber sleeve, and tape.
The mock weapon was found in 1994 in a prison workshop in Wolfenbüttel prison, Germany.
10. A ladder made from the steel rails of bookshelves
Two inmates successfully used this ladder to escape.
Well as you have seen that prisoners have the capacity to turn crap into a productive thing. In Germany, two inmates did exactly that they made a ladder from the steel rails of bookshelves and escaped.
You have to admit that it is really amazing that how inmates have an endless capacity for invention and innovation.