Prison Tattoos represent the symbolism of ancient times. You will come across 9/10 prisoners who tattooed one of the tattoo symbols to express something, a context which we will be discussing in the details below.
Prison tattoos are prevalent among inmates, and many of them get tattooed for several reasons.
It is practiced among the inmates, and they display various classes of tattoos on their bodies as a sign of something, which we will look into in further sections.
Every tattoo has a secret meaning which inmates portray as per their likes and dislikes. Hence, you might have seen it as a commonality among the inmates.
To your surprise, every tattoo and symbol an inmate gets on inked has a secret meaning; it varies from every criminal and culture.
These can be associated with the group you are a part of while being in prison, or it might reflect the sort of crime you committed that landed you in jail and many other such reasons.
Why Did The Trend of Tattoos in Prison Hyped Up?
Now the intriguing question arises whether there is a professional staff inside the prison that does all the tattoo work or not?
Well, no. No tattoo specialists or tattoo parlors are officially designated inside the prison premises.
Instead, many inmates were found to have expertise in tattoo making. They are well-equipped to use such tools and be creative with the artwork.
There are several ways through which the inmates work on this inking process:
- The machine for tattoos is made through an electric toothbrush
- A safety razors
- A needle
- Or a spring that is usually found inside the writingpens.
The inmates use these objects to draw; however, the ink is obtained from a writing pen which they later melt.
This tattoo drawing is strictly prohibited in prison, specifically these DIY machines. Inmates usually do it secretly, and if by any chance they get caught, they are sent to solitary confinement for around a week.
Various Kinds of Prison Tattoos and Their Meaning
Before we get into the details, let us give you a quick overview of why there are different types of prison tattoos.
When they start their jail time, some of the inmates get merged into several gang groups, which is why they get inked a specific sign to be recognized as a member of that particular gang.
On the other hand, some enjoy it as artwork and an addiction. However, some get it done to have a certain aura that scares other inmates.
Among all, few have a deep meaning behind the tattoos or a story bottled up into those tiny traces of ink.
Some of the most common types of prison tattoos include:
Teardrops:
One of the most common tattoos among the prisoners is the teardrops. Dominantly, it predicts that the respective inmate murdered someone.
Or else, the outline around the teardrop indicates the attempted murder; i.e., the victim survived.
The Cobweb:
Another prison tattoo is that of the cobweb, which indicates the extended time in the prison. It is not common among the inmates, but it is typically drawn on the elbow representing the spiders trapping prey.
Three Dots:
Three dots are familiar among the prisoners and exhibit the “my crazy life” statement.
This is designed to portray an inmate’s basic lifestyle and adaptations when they become a part of a specific gang.
The most prominent gangs with this tattoo are the Mexican mafia in Southern California.
It is also known to carry some religious importance depicting the holy trinity of Christianity.
Clock With No Hands:
The tattoo Clock with no hands has quite a similar meaning to the cobweb. It tells that the person is convicted with an extensive amount of time and is not getting out anytime soon.
The inmates get this tattoo on their wrists which further enhances the meaning of this specific kind.
Cross On the Chest:
The tradition of Cross on the Chest, symbolizing “Prince of Thieves,” is mainly acquired by the Russian prisons.
This also highlights their high ranks in the mafia and has been globalized ever since. These Russian artists are famous for their delicate yet convoluted artwork.
Five Dots:
Five dots are the tattoo inked between the thumb and the forefinger. This one here is a piece that is one of its kind as they represent the time done in prison.
The four dots on the outer side mean the prison boundaries, whereas the one dot in the center represents the inmate himself. The four dots around are also referred to as the quincunx.
Other Types of Prison Tattoos
Some of the other prison tattoos include:
- 1488
- Playing Cards
- Norteño
- EWEN
- Knife Through the Neck
- Five-Point Crown
- ACAB
- La Eme
Every prison tattoo has its secret meaning, and inmates get tattooed according to the manifested feelings. T
These could originate during their time in prison, or maybe previous battles or whatnot.
The facility of prison tattoos is by the inmates themselves and is not legally allowed, in any case, due to which there are no tattoo parlors inside the prisons, and all these acts are done shadily.
