Prison tattoos and their meaning
Prison tattooing is the practice of creating and displaying tattoos in a prison setting. They are often used to represent gang membership, prison status, family ties, spiritual beliefs, and are often used as a form of code and have hidden meanings. Tattoos are prohibited in most prisons and are therefore done in secret, with makeshift tattoo kits. Within the sprawling prison system, both inmates and their guards take tattoos seriously. Tattoos obtained while locked up in prison have a special meaning for both the prisoners themselves and those on the streets.
Methods of tattooing in prison
There are two standard types of prison tattoo guns, the rotary and the relay. The relay gun is much better than the swivel gun and is now more widely used. An inmate breaks his most prized possession, a radio, and removes the transistor. The thin copper wire is then removed which wraps around a screw which provides an automatic relay when turned on. The inmate must then somehow acquire the bristles of a wire brush from maintenance and sharpen them to provide the needle. The barrel is made from a quality mechanical pencil and the armature bar is made with a flexible vane band and a dime-sized magnet. The tattoo gun is then powered by the transistor of another radio. Therefore, having one of these tattoo “guns” is quite expensive, and in prison it can be difficult to get “money”.
Obviously, without this equipment, the old pick-and-push method with some kind of pin works too.
Prison Tattoo Ink Recipe
Get a metal container, a soda can cut in half is best, and put baby oil and cotton in the can. Next you will need a flat piece of metal that can be placed over the opening of the can, without covering it. Burn the baby oil and cotton wool allowing the smoke to hit the metal sheet and blacken it as darkly as possible. It will then scrape off all the black powder and repeat. You want to use a credit card or something similar to do this, as razor blades and other metal scrapers can leave shards behind in the dust. Put your tattoo powder in a small container, a toothpaste cap is what I recommend, and fill the cap half full. Then add a couple of drops of clear, odorless shampoo. Stir well. Your full ink should be the consistency of ballpoint pen ink, or maybe a little thicker. To thin the ink add shampoo and to thicken it add more powder.
Some inmates will simply use ink from a pen. There are several methods of crafting an ink recipe, and all of them have probably been used at one time or another.
Due to the lack of proper equipment and sterile prison environments, tattooing in prison poses health risks such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis. However, the prisoners are ominously aware of this and take every possible precaution given the conditions in which they operate.
Many inmates in prison who do tattoos are very talented artists. Having quality prison tattoo skills is a very lucrative skill to possess. Experienced prison tattoo artists have a much better chance of making “money” than, say, the inmate who is trying to sell drugs behind the scenes. They also earn the admirable respect of other prisoners, as well as prison officials themselves. Unlike other mind-blowing pursuits like gossip or gang-related stimuli, the tattoo artist occupies his mind with skin and art.
Some Prison Tattoo Meanings in North America
Three points arranged as a triangle – this design is most commonly found between the prisoner’s forefinger and thumb. The design means “mi vida loca”, which means “my crazy life”.
tear tattoo – this design is worn by the eye. Indicates that the user has killed someone or that the person had a friend killed in prison.
Clover – this design is worn anywhere on the body and is often found on those belonging to the Aryan Brotherhood. In this case, the clover often also includes the number 12, with the 1 representing “A” and the 2 representing “B”.
ace of spades – Worn anywhere on the body, this design is mostly worn by those who belong to the Aco Town or Asian Boyz gang. The A, which is often placed in the middle of the spade, symbolizes the Asian, while the spade symbolizes theft.
number 13 – This tattoo indicates belonging to the Mara Salvatrucha 13 gang.
the number 14 – this tattoo indicates membership with Nuestra Familia, which is a prison gang. This gang is affiliated with the Norteños, a street gang.
area codes – Many gang members wear their neighborhood area code like a tattoo, although this can become obsolete as area codes change.
clock without hands – Most commonly placed on the upper arm, this tattoo symbolizes “doing time”.
spiderweb – Usually found on the elbow, this tattoo is used by white supremacists to show that they have seriously injured or killed one of their “opponents”. The design is also commonly found on people who have been in prison.
clock faces without hands – Making time
tombstones with numbers – the years they were inside
Tombstones with numbers and RIP – mourning the death of a friend
crying woman face – has someone outside waiting
SWP – supreme white power
100% pure – pure white or Anglo
Cell window with sun or bird showing – waiting to leave
Other countries like Russia, Australia, France, UK, China and others have prisons with inmates wearing tattoos with significant meanings. In fact, Russia and its former republics have a very elaborate variety of tattoo meanings.
A very important point that inmates consider when getting tattooed is getting caught. If an inmate is caught getting a tattoo, he is subject to 15 days of solitary confinement. Being suspected of getting a tattoo, as perhaps indicated by reddening of the skin where a new tattoo has been inked, can still have repercussions, such as being charged. But hey, if you’re doing life without the possibility of parole, does this really bother you that much?
The concept of prison tattoos is not modern. There is evidence to suggest that prisoners were tattooed as early as Egyptian times. As with many of the tattoos worn by prisoners today, these tattoos also carried significant meaning. For example, king or pyramid tattoos were worn by those who were very dangerous, such as assassins, top bosses, and masterminds.