Florida BRT Corrections - Officer Safety Practice Exam

What is the most common inmate weapon found in correctional facilities?

1. Firearms

2. Homemade knives (shanks)

3. Toxic materials

4. Cell phones

The correct answer is: Homemade knives (shanks)

The most common inmate weapon found in correctional facilities is indeed homemade knives, often referred to as shanks. These weapons are typically created by inmates using readily available materials within the facility, such as metal from bed frames, pieces of plastic, or broken glass. The ease of access to these materials allows inmates to craft weapons that can be easily concealed and used for self-protection, intimidation, or attacks on other inmates or staff. The prevalence of shanks is largely due to the controlled environment of a correctional facility, where more conventional weapons like firearms are heavily restricted and not readily obtainable. In contrast, other options like toxic materials and cell phones also present serious concerns but are less common in terms of actual use as weapons. Toxic materials may require specific conditions for use and are less likely to be found in significant quantities, while cell phones, although they can be used to orchestrate criminal activity, are not physically used as weapons in the direct sense like shanks.