Prison tattoos can symbolize toughness or refusal to accept authority. They can also be gang symbols or racist signs. Before choosing a prison-style tattoo, make sure you understand its meaning.
How Prison Tattoos Are Done
Prison tattoos are done with home-made needles and tattoo guns. The "needle" might be part of a paper clip, a staple or a bit of metal guitar string. An empty ballpoint pen holds the needle. The device may be rigged up to a small motor which makes it move up and down like a professional tattoo gun.
Ink for this type of tattoo might come from a pen, or it might be made from melted plastic, burned Styrofoam or whatever else the prisoners can find.
Remember that this method of tattooing is typically reserved for those who have no other methods at hand. Always seek the skills of a licensed tattoo artist and do not attempt a prison tattoo in this manner on yourself; scarring or infection could result.
Symbols and Meanings
Prison tattoos can have many different meanings, which can vary by prison and by culture. If you're choosing a prison-style tattoo, make sure it doesn't have a meaning you don't intend. You can find more information about racist symbols and their meanings at the web site of the Anti-Defamation League, an organization dedicated to stopping bigotry and Info.PublicIntelligence.net, a resource on tattoo meanings provided by the Canadian Border Service Agency.
Gang and Racist Beliefs
Many prison tats represent racist beliefs, gang affiliation or violence.
- Double lightning bolts: This is a symbol borrowed from Nazi Germany.
- The number 88: "H" is the eighth letter of the alphabet. Double 8's stand for "Heil Hitler."
- Teardrops: In some places, a teardrop means the wearer has killed someone. It may also mean he or she has lost a close friend or family member.
- Gang names and symbols: Some inmates get the name of their gang inked on their bodies in ornate lettering. Alternately, they may choose to get a more secretive symbol of the gang. This may take the form of the broader gang ("family") or the specific crew or "clique" the inmate runs with.
- Numbers: Inked numbers are another way of displaying gang affiliation on the inside. A number may also represent the area code a prisoner comes from. The number 13 stands for the letter "M" (the 13th letter of the alphabet). It's sometimes used as a reference for marijuana use, but has also been linked to a street gang called MS13.
Jail Time
Some prison tattoos show how long the wearer has been incarcerated.
- Chains and locks: This type of tat represent loss of freedom.
- Hourglasses: An hourglass symbol stands for "doing time."
- Clock: A clock without hands is another prison tattoo that represents "doing time." It is meant to represent the nearly endless stretches of time that pass when one is locked up.
- String of numbers: A string of numbers may be the inmate's prison I.D.
- Spider webs: Tattoos of spider webs have a wide variety of meanings. Cobwebs can indicate the passage of time, in the form of a cobweb. With a spider inside, they can also represent drug addiction.
- Ships: On a prisoner, a ship tat can be an advertisement that the prisoner is actively seeking an escape plan. Prisoners with such tats are often closely watched by authorities.
Russian Prison Tattoos
Russian prison tats have become the subject of some interest in recent years. Unlike American tattoos that may vary from one block to another, Russian prisons have a very specific code regarding meanings.
- Barbed wire: A common tattoo for the forehead, barbed wire indicates the wearer has received life without parole.
- Baby Jesus and Mary: This tattoo is worn by lifetime thieves to indicate they have been criminals since childhood.
- Daggers: This type of tattoo is sometimes put on the sex offenders forcibly by other inmates.
- Occupational tattoos: In the world of the Russian prison system, a cat means one is a thief while an executioner denotes one who commits murder for hire.
Safety Issues
Although many prisoners get tattoos without any complications, prison tattoos can be dangerous.
- Sterilizing the equipment is difficult or impossible, or the person giving the tattoo may not understand how important sterilization is. Skin infections are a risk of unsterilized equipment. More important, deadly diseases like hepatitis and HIV/AIDS can be passed from one prisoner to another when needles are re-used.
- Legitimate tattoo shops use special inks that will not irritate the skin and are not likely to cause allergic reactions. The makeshift inks used in prison tattoos may not be safe; they can cause damage to the skin and permanent scarring. They can also contain chemicals that are dangerous.
Appearance
The makeshift equipment used in prison doesn't always allow for the precision of a professional tattoo, and the work may be done by someone without a lot of experience. The ink may be placed too deep, which gives the tattoo a raised surface and can cause scarring. The lines may be crooked, and the design may appear crude.
On the other hand, some prison-based tattoo artists are quite skilled. In fact, the style of tattooing called "fineline" may have originated in prisons. It reflects prison artists' use of thin lines, made with single needles, to create detailed, realistic-looking drawings. Talented prison artists can create shading, as well.
A prison tat will usually have only one color. It is most often blue or black, because those are the easiest colors to make, but if someone in the prison is able to smuggle in real tattoo ink, multi-colored tats are possible.
Pictures of Prison-Style Tattoos
There aren't many online galleries for this type of tattoo. A web search will turn up individual pictures or small photo collections. Some interesting ones are:
- The Marked Men article in Idaho Issues Online has a rich history and many detailed photos of prison and gang related tattoos.
- The Prisoner Tattoos section of EvilTattoo.com has more than 20 pages of full color photos showing prison-done tattoos. (Warning: this is an ad-heavy site.)
- The Crime Library shows close up photos of prison-done tattoos, along with their meanings.
Getting a Prison-Style Tattoo
Some people may opt for this style of tattoo even if they haven't been in prison. This may be to symbolize a lifestyle that feels like a prison, or just for an affinity for the look. Remember that prison-style tattoos are permanent, just like traditional tats. Whether you choose to get inked inside, or you choose to get a prison-style tattoo, think carefully about whether or not you really want this type of ink.
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