Prison tattoos are a form of communication and means of self-expression for inmates. These Prison tattoos tell a lot about the bearer, including their association of various gangs, status in prison, relationship with family, life events, personal beliefs and values.
Do certain tattoos mean prison?
This tattoo signifies a lengthy term in prison. 15- Three Dots This tattoo illustrates “gang life style” and its secret meaning is “my crazy life”. 16- Cross on the Chest In Russia, this is the highest rank which a convict can avail. It symbolizes “Prince Of Thieves”. 17- EWMN This tattoo is used to show the relegation of some prisoners.
What are some famous prison tattoos?
Critical Thinking Questions
- Why has the Auschwitz complex become a symbol of the Holocaust?
- Besides the SS, what organizations or professions were involved in the design, construction, and operation of the camp?
- Were the German and Polish populations aware of Auschwitz, its purposes, and the conditions within? How would you begin to research this question?
What do different prison tattoos mean?
Spider-webs. Seen commonly on the elbows, the spiderweb represents time in the prison, caught behind bars. It can also mean being caught up in the gang lifestyle. As a Russian tattoo, the spiderweb along with a spider in it is seen on the heads of the prisoners, and signifies drug addictions and repeat offenders.
What is the punishment for inmates who tattoo?
As a result, inmates who are caught freshly inked or making tattoo machines can be disciplined and put into solitary confinement, sometimes for days. Eric Glisson, 43, spent 17 years in Sing Sing making tattoo machines for extra money. The state paid Glisson about $6.50 every other week for various prison jobs.
What does a 3% tattoo mean?
The law center's website says the Three Percenters moniker refers to the “dubious” claim that only 3 percent of American colonists fought the British during the Revolutionary War.28-Apr-2020
What do 3 dots in a row mean tattoo?
Three Dots Tattoo Ellipsis are used grammatically to indicate that the sentence is not fully complete. Many have used this simplistic design to indicate a concept of continuance, an unfinished journey, or a slow change of idea or thought.24-Nov-2021
What tattoo means killing someone?
teardrop tattooA teardrop tattoo is a small tattoo in the shape of a teardrop near one or both eyes. It is closely associated with gang and prison culture, where it often indicates one has served time, one has been humiliated, or one has killed.20-Aug-2018
What does a butterfly tattoo mean in prison?
a thiefworldstyles: “ “The butterfly on his torso is based on and old French prison tattoo inspired by Papillon. Traditionally it would mean the wearer is a thief – something to do with the double meaning of...
What does the 17 tattoo mean?
Meaning: '17′ is the name of XXX's debut album which released on August 25, 2017. This album has writing over it stating, “my sanity left me when I was 17, my heart broke beyond repair when I was 17, I realized the pain is and always will be a cycle when I was 17.”
What does an upside down triangle tattoo mean?
Upside-Down Triangle Tattoo Triangle tattoos usually point upwards, but an upside-down triangle tattoo has a beautiful meaning too. A triangle turned upside down represents a woman, mother, positivity, balance, and creativity. In short, an upside-down triangle is all about power and strength.21-Feb-2022
What does a 333 tattoo mean?
The most likely meaning behind Brann's “333” wrist tattoo: The number 333 is a Thelemic symbol used to represent Choronzon. Wikipedia explains: Choronzon is a demon or devil that originated in writing with the 16th century occultists Edward Kelley and John Dee within the latter's occult system of Enochian magic.02-Nov-2011
What does a 99 tattoo mean?
What does a 99 tattoo mean? People who have a 1999 birth year tattoo design believe that they are here on the earth for a special purpose. To get a 1999 birth year tattoo design means that they have a purpose to solve in life and it comes as a mission that you must serve with utmost care and affection.
What does a one dot tattoo mean?
One dot tattoo has the same meaning on how you use the dot (period ) in a sentence. It means the end of something like how you end a sentence. In the tattoo, it may be the end of a relationship or something it is something that ended in your personal life experience.
What does a spider web tattoo on the elbow mean?
They were inked on the elbows to symbolize their loyalty to their group. Spider web tattoos gained popularity in prison systems all across the United States during the late 1900s. Even in modern times, the tattoo is still a popular prison tattoo.05-Jan-2022
What do tattoo dots on fingers mean?
Finger Dot Tattoo A single dot often represents a 'full stop' – the end of one phase and the start of another. A row of three dots is another popular version of this tattoo. Once often worn by gang members, today, it is associated with living life on your terms.
What does a star tattoo under the eye mean?
While many star tattoos have nothing to do with crime, they can sometimes be used to represent killings, said Kevin Waters, a criminal justice professor at Northern Michigan University and former agent with the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.04-Jun-2014
What is a prison tattoo?
Prison tattoos are usually applied with crude, homemade needles and ink made from contraband pens or other materials.
What does it mean to get a tattoo in prison?
Getting a tattoo on your face in prison generally means you're going to be there a while, and the more face tattoos you have, the longer you're inside. A few notable examples of face tattoos have gone viral, including a guy with "Satan" tattooed on his face (as well as having a surgically forked tongue) as well as numerous prisoners with curse words tattooed on their foreheads.
What does the M tattoo mean?
Variations on tattoos featuring the letter M usually signify the wearer is in the Mexican Mafia. This is a huge prison gang, with members all over the country and weilding enormous power both on the street and in the jail system.
What does the 14 represent?
N is the 14th letter of the alphabet, and tattoos of the number 14 can represent the Norteno gang, one of the biggest gangs in northern California, and the traditional rivals of southern California gangs. Of course, this 14 is not to be confused with 14s tattooed on Aryan Brotherhood members, representing the “14 words” mantra.
What does a teardrop tattoo mean?
It originally represented that the person with the tattoo was "owned" by another prisoner. The teardrop signified their pain and humilitation. But it also came to mean the wearer had slain someone in jail.
What do prison tattoos lack in beauty?
But what prison tattoos lack in beauty, they make up for in story. The tattoos a prisoner wears tells a personal story, indicates what gang they're affiliated with, where they're from, and what they did. Some simply indicate a disrespect for authority, others in prison show that the wearer is a member of the Mexican Mafia or Aryan Brotherhood ...
What does it mean to have a barbed wire tattoo on your forehead?
Barbed wire across the forehead usually means the wearer has a life sentence without possibility of parole.
History of Prison Tattoos
During the early 1890s, the tattoo machine began to gain popularity in the industry and consequently prison tattooing. Incarcerated inmates began to mock the machine’s early representations using sewing needles attached to a handle to apply the ink.
Why Tattoos Have Popularized Over the Years
It is important to note that prison tattoos are illegal in most prisons in the United States. As already alluded, these practices present a risk of spreading diseases, and as such, prisoners have invented methods of hiding the activity.
Prison Tattoos and What They Mean
Most people who get tattoos usually do so because they have a deepener meaning behind the marks. However, prisoners with these tattoos take these hidden symbols and secret meanings to different levels. Typically, there exists a tattoo for every occasion in prison, for every culture, and all kinds of criminals.
Teardrop Tattoo
A teardrop tattoo is one of the most recognizable tattoos of all. Primarily, a teardrop means that the inmate has murdered someone. However, sometimes the teardrop’s outline can indicate an attempted murder rather than the real deal. In all ways, murder is always involved in some form or shape of the tattoo.
Cross on the Chest
A cross tattoo on the inmate’s chest usually does not carry any particular meaning. However, this is not the case in Russia, its origin. In the United States, people quickly jump to religious devotion, predominantly Christianity.
Clock without Hands
Typically, many prison tattoos have a link to serving a long time in prison. The clock with no hands tattoo is one of those common ones in this category. Other inmates have it tattooed on their wrist to symbolize a watch they will never remove. This idea elevates its meaning.
Three Dots
A prisoner with the three dots tattoo is typically involved in a gang, although it does not determine which one. The three dots symbolize “mi vidaloca,” meaning my crazy life and is primarily associated with the gangster lifestyle. Again, however, it does not indicate a particular gang. Inmates most place it on their hands or around their hands.
How do inmates get tattoos in prison?
The prison tattoo method has changed over the years, but it always involves the tools that inmates have access to. Back in the 1990s, one inmate — who worked as a shoe shiner for the officers — said he would make ink out of the heels of the warden’s boots. But this incredibly risky method led to inmates constantly getting infections.
What are the meanings of prison tattoos?
There are different reasons that people get tatted up in prison. Some people are just into tattoos as a form of body art and expression, and they would get inked up no matter if they were behind bars or not.
Teardrops are very common
A teardrop underneath the eye is a common prison tattoo that usually means a person has killed another. Whether or not that teardrop is filled is often based on how much time the inmate did because of the crime. When it’s not filled in, that can be a sign of an attempted murder.
Other common prison tats and their meanings
Another common prison tattoo is a clock with no hands. Sometimes, it means that the person is doing life without parole, and will never get out. Other times, it’s just a symbol of a lengthy sentence and how time has no meaning to a prison inmate.
Teardrop
A teardrop is probably the most well-known tattoo of all the prison tattoos. Although there are many stories behind the tattoo, they symbolize murder or crime and prison. Teardrops can be empty, half-filled, or filled.
Spiderwebs
Spiderwebs usually represent an idea of being trapped or the passage of time. The tattoo symbolizes a length of stay in prison, trapped behind bars or spider traps to catch prey.
A Clock Without Hands
A clock with no hands stands as one of the prison tattoos that represent serving for a very long time. The tattoo shows how time loses meaning or stands still while behind bars.
Five-Point Crown
The western hemisphere is undoubtedly the king of the five-point crown. The crown is the official symbol of the Latin King gang, the most prominent Hispanic gang in Chicago. In addition, the crown is accompanied by three letters, ALKN. ALKN stands for Almighty Latin Kings Nation.
Knife Through The Neck
A knife through the neck tattoo can be quite scary. The tattoo is, to a large extent, associated with Russian prisons. The tattoo shows the wearer is with no doubt ready and willing to take a life.
ACAB
Prisoners with ACAB symbols are enemies of the police. The tattoo is worn by people who have clashed with the police and would do so again if given a chance.
Three Dots
The three dots tattoo is widespread in prisons associated with no gang and has several meanings. It is said to represent “mi vida loca,” or “my crazy life.” It also carries religious importance and may mean Christianity’s holy trinity.
Why do prisoners get tattoos?
Many prisoners do so in order to affirm and convey gang membership, indicate their rank in that gang, or to display their ability to endure pain, while others choose designs that symbolize their time inside or use the tattoo as a sign or code to display their crimes on their skin for all to see.
What does it mean to get a tattoo on your face?
Getting inked on the face or hands is a serious step, as getting one there marks you for all the world to see. There are few people willing to go through life with a "brand" on their faces, especially one that marks them as a criminal. In prisons and jailhouses, the face and hand tattoos are the most telling of all.
What is the Hells Angels tattoo number?
Jon on September 24, 2012: One gang tattoo that has yet to be mentioned is 666, one of the two support numbers used by the Hells Angels motorcycle club along with the number 81 , particularly is those tattoos are in red ink. Lela (author) from Somewhere near the heart of Texas on September 23, 2012:
Why do tattoos look rough?
Lack of equipment and sterile conditions can lead to health risks like infection or diseases (including hepatitis, HIV, tetanus, and many others). This is why most prison tattoos look rougher than professional ones and represent an additional level of danger and risk.
What does a tattoo on your elbow mean?
Other Common Prison Tattoos. Spiderwebs, often seen on the elbow, usually represent a long time in prison — so long the wearer is covered in cobwebs. This design represents how the wearer is stuck behind bars like a fly in a spiderweb.
Why are Native Americans gangs?
Native American Gangs have formed all over the country in response to the other gangs crowding in on them. Native Americans may be associated with outlaw biker gangs. They do tend to protect Native American interests in and out of prison. At best, these gangs help protect Native Americans.
What do the three dots on a gang's face mean?
The three dots are also closely associated with the Sureños. You frequently see them on gang members' faces. They sometimes signify a high rank in the gang. Usually, only people who have actually gone to prison will have the three dots on their face.
What is a prison tattoo?
As the name suggests, prison tattoos are adorned by prison inmates. These tattoos can be worn as indication of multiple stories, like the time spent in prison, the extent of criminal activity, gang-based affiliations, personal attributes, or disrespect for authority.
What is an American prison tattoo?
These tattoos are a reflection of the prisoner’s individual story and life history. American prison tattoosalso include the extensive body of art that has been developed by Native American gangs.
What does it mean to have a tattoo on your face in prison?
Like the name suggests, prison face tattoo sare done on the face. They generally denote how hardcore a criminal is. The greater the amount of tattoos on their face, the more the number of crimes that they have committed. Nonetheless, some inmates use prison face tattoosto showcase their identity or simply make a point.
What does a teardrop tattoo mean?
In some prisons, a teardrop tattoo can simply imply that a person has lost a loved one, while in other prisons, it can be interpreted as a symbol of long-standing revenge. Additionally, a teardrop tattoo can also depict a murder conviction, a lengthy sentence, or a personal loss. 3. Prison Gun Tattoos.
What does a playing card tattoo mean?
For most inmates, a playing card tattoo symbolizes how their lives have been turned into a gamble and each passing day is dealing them a bad hand.
What does MOB stand for in tattoos?
The gang tattoosthat their members adorn, generally consist of the alphabets MOB (Members Of Blood), the cipher 13/13, or the letters OYBBQ (which stands for ‘blood’). These tattoos can be worn on any part of the body, but they are usually done on the forearm. 5. Russian Prison Tattoos. digglertattoo / Instagram.
What is a black gang tattoo?
Black gang tattoos are normally worn by members of the African-American community. These tattoos act as a symbol of unity and integration.Black gang tattoos also provide people of color with sufficient motivation to fight for their cause.
What is the tattoo that a Russian inmate has?
Epaulette. This tattoo is one of the many intricate pieces of artwork that Russian inmates place on their skin. Military insignia and epaulette tattoos are used to signify criminal accomplishments or other parts of a prisoner’s history. Skulls generally designate murders.
What does a cat tattoo mean?
Cats. A cat tattoo is representative of a thief. One cat means they worked alone; several means they were part of a gang. A cat tattoo can also be indicative of an inmate who does not like law enforcement, especially if worn on the chest.
What is a crip tattoo?
The Crips are a primarily but not exclusively African-American gang, and one of the largest in California. This tattoo shows the word ‘CRIP’ tattooed largely across a gang member’s back. (Photo Federal Bureau of Investigations)
What does the tattoo of birds flying over the horizon mean?
The bearer of this tattoo enjoys freedom and is escape-minded. An image of birds flying over the horizon means "I was born free and should be free." (Photo Russian Criminal Tattoo Encyclopedia Vol. II)
1. Aryan Brotherhood Prison Tattoos
Aryan Brotherhood tattoos come in many sizes, shapes and designs. All of them signify membership to the primary gang for Caucasians in prison and are often accompanied by other forms of white supremacist body art (more below).
2. Nortenos vs. Surenos
According to author Karen Kinnear, in 1968 California prison inmates were separated into two rival groups, Norteno (northerner) and Sureno gangs (southerner). This separation was based on the locations of the prisoner’s hometowns.
3. Spiderweb Tattoos
The spiderweb tattoo has a lot of different meanings but is most often associated with a criminal tattoo signifying the process of doing time in prison.
4. Latin Kings Prison and Gang Tattoos
Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons, Javier Ramirez via Wikimedia Commons CC BY SA 3.0
5. African American Gang Tattoos
Any teen growing up in the 1990s heard about and watched films about the feuding LA gangs the Crips and Bloods. These gangs are still in operation today – however in prison they tend to band together.
6. The Japanese Yakuza
Japan’s extraordinary underworld and their distinct tattoos have been featured in more than half a century’s film and television, from The Simpsons to Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill trilogy.
7. Russian Prison Tattoos
While elements have been co-opted into the US prison system, inmates from the former Soviet Union are literally walking bibliographies of crime at every level.