What do prison tattoos represent?
A tattoo with five dots is a common tattoo that indicates you are serving or have served time. The four outer dots represent the four walls of the prison, while the middle dot represents the prisoner themselves.
What does a 13 tattoo mean in prison?
‘La Eme,’ or The M, is the symbol of the Mexican Mafia. The MS 13, also sometimes seen just as MS or 13, is a symbol of the Mara Salvatrucha gang from El Salvador. Typically these tattoos can be found anywhere on the body, but are most often found in highly visible places like the face, hands or neck.
What does a 44 tattoo mean?
They also often sport woodpecker tattoos (all white male inmates are “peckerwoods” in AB terminology) or tattoos that read “100% Wood,” “88,” and “44.” The NLR tattoo 88 stands for “HH,” meaning Heil Hitler. H is the eighth letter of the alphabet. The number 44 is the sum of 14, 12, and 18.
How and Why Are tattoos a form of prison gang language?
Tattoos provide gangs with a coded language that serve as an informal mechanism of communication, but also as a way of differentiation against outsiders. Through the visual display of a tattoo, prisoners convey their status, rank, accomplishments, and their allegiance to a specific organization.
Why do some prisoners have their gang name tattooed on them?
Gang Tattoos – Some prisoners have their gang name inked on their bodies and the reason behind such tattoos is to profess their loyalty towards their gang. Instead of the name, they may even opt for a special or secret symbol chosen by their gang, which makes them instantly recognizable by their gang members in the prison.
What kind of tattoos do Nortenos gang members have?
Norteños gang members often have two allegiances, one to his own local street gang and the Norteños, and he or she will have several tattoos. Norteños gang tattoos include the number “ 14 ” for the fourteenth letter of the alphabet (members of the MS-13 gang often have the number “13” inscribed on their body).
What do the four dots on a prison tattoo mean?
It symbolized the affiliation to “Aryan Brotherhood”, one of the most dangerous prison gangs. It is a pattern know as “quincunx”. The four outer dots represents four prison walls and the fifth inner dot shows the criminal. This symbol shows affiliation one of the biggest Hispanic gangs in US, “Latin Kings Gang”. La Eme means “The M”.
What does a prison tattoo mean in Russia?
This tattoo illustrates “gang life style” and its secret meaning is “my crazy life”. In Russia, this is the highest rank which a convict can avail. It symbolizes “Prince Of Thieves”. This tattoo is used to show the relegation of some prisoners. It stands for “Evil, Wicked, Mean, Nasty”.