Meanings of Prison Tattoos
While it is interesting to study the various meanings of prison tattoos, it is not recommended that you get one unless you know what it symbolizes.
Tattoos that are done within the confines of prison are often created by using a makeshift tattoo gun. Homemade needles are created by using the end of a paper clip, a staple, or part of a guitar string. The ink is usually provided by a pen or by melting Styrofoam or the bottom of a shoe. In order to make a true tattoo gun, the homemade needle is filled with the ink, tied to a string, and then attached to a small motor. Remarkably, most prisons never have an infection from this kind of tattoo, though some of them contract HIV or skin poisoning. With this process in mind, let’s talk about the meanings of prison tattoos.
Most tattoos that are created in prison represent racist, gang, or violence related beliefs. A few popular tats include: double lightning bolts (representing Nazi Germany); the numbers “88,” which roughly stand for “Heil Hitler;” teardrops on the face represent the fact that the inmate has killed someone or lost a family member; chains and locks (representing freedom); hourglass design (means that someone has done time); or a line of numbers that may represent a person’s inmate identification.
If you are going to opt for any kind of tattoo that might be found in a prison, make sure that you know the meanings of prison tattoos before you get any. You don’t want to be affiliated with a gang or some other belief that you do not know about. For this reason, it is best not to choose any kind of prison related tat. Though some people may think that they look great, they are best left for those that are inside of prison. Incidentally, some prisons are experimenting with actual tattoo shops inside of the prison itself. This is one way that government are trying to prevent the spread of HIV amongst prisoners.
You may find that some prisons containing tattoo shops trained inmates to become skilled artists using sterilization methods. However, most prison tattoos appear blue or black in color due to the fact that other colors are not usually available.
The meanings of prison tattoos are interesting to research. Only…if you plan on getting one be sure that you know exactly what it means.