27DispatchesMade in the U.S.A.
Human lives, current events, and social
issues all produce physical artifacts.
Mmuseumm, an institution in New
York dedicated to object journalism, col-
lects material culture to tell stories about
the modern world. The items shown
here, made by inmates in the U.S. prison
system, illustrate the severity of restric-
tions imposed on prisoners as well as the
human instinct to persevere through cre-
ativity and invention.
— Alex Kalman- Toothbrush:
Prison offi cials fear
that the hard handles
of typical tooth-
brushes will be con-
verted into weapons,
so some prisoners
are given a “safety
fi ngertip toothbrush,”
which lacks a handle.
To make this con-
traband toothbrush,
a commissary order
form was rolled up
and covered in plastic
wrap, then tied to
the brush head with
white thread. - Coff ee kit:
Coff ee and creamer
containers with a
spoon. - Weight-lifting
glove: Hand-knit
using denim and
material from towels. - Electric water
heater: Made
from a piece of
appliance cord, a pen
clip, a razor blade,
rubber bands, and
a plastic utensil.
Pens: Th e casings
on pens are removed
by prison offi cials
so that inmates can’t
melt them down to
make a weapon. Th is
leaves just the inkwell,
which is diffi cult to
hold. Th ese pens were
wrapped with paper
and string so they
would be easier to use.
Tattoo gun:
Made from a pen,
a motor, guitar string,
wire, and tape.
Dice: Made from
bread. Th e white
coloring comes from
mold, and the black
dots were made with
a felt-tip pen. Because
dice are typically con-
sidered contra band,
these were made small
so that they would be
easier to conceal from
prison guards.