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Paños are pen or pencil drawings on fabric, a form of prison artwork made in theSouthwest United States created primarily bypintos, orChicanos who are or have beenincarcerated.[1]
The first paños, made with pieces of bedsheets and pillowcases, were made in the 1930s. They were originally used to communicate messages. Since then, they became used for primarily artistic purposes, and are often made with handkerchiefs. Prisoners sometimes usepaños to get favors.[2] Themes made with the artwork include Catholic faith symbols, Chicano political movement imagery, and prison imagery.[3]
Prisoners often mail their artwork to their families.[4] Families who receive the art put them in a box or binder as a keepsake instead of framing them.[2]
In the 1990sGovernor of TexasAnn Richards created enrichment programs for prisons. Michael Hoinski of theTexas Monthly stated that they "had helped spawn a golden age of paño-making in Texas."[5] The programs were ended during the terms of governorsGeorge W. Bush andRick Perry, andpaños are now prohibited in theTexas Department of Criminal Justice.[5]
