What Do Prison Tattoos Mean

Prison tattoos are a type of body art created by incarcerated individuals to express their identity, experiences, stories, and affiliations. This art is often used to express symbols of survival, status, fraternity, and tribal affiliation within the prison setting. Some of these tattoos may also signify a criminal’s rank or record within the criminal world. Prison tattoos are highly symbolic and come in a variety of forms such as teardrops, stars, and dollar signs. Each design will carry a slightly different meaning based on its shape, color, and size. Commonly speaking, when a person has tattoos of teardrops, it reflects a type of remorse or sorrow and could be considered a sign of regret or a life-long memorial for lost friends or associates. On the other hand, a star tattoo could be sign of recognition and loyalty. Finally, tattoos of dollar signs may indicate the inmate is related to financial crime. In short, prison tattoos have deep meaning to the people who receive them, and these symbols are used to communicate a person’s identity and various other details about their life.