Prison officers seize 3,500 weapons

More than 3,500 makeshift daggers and other deadly weapons were seized by prison officers working in jails during the past five years — an average of two every day.

Last year alone, 435 weapons were recovered from inmates serving time in the State’s 14 prisons.

The most commonly seized weapons are makeshift daggers, typically fashioned from blades or sharpened objects attached to small handles made from toothbrushes or pens. Easily concealed, they potentially can be used to cause catastrophic injuries.