History and Meaning of Tattoos
Since ancient times, tattoos have been a form of graphic expression, similar to tribal tattoos, which denote belonging to a clan. But they are also body decoration, preferred by millions of people from different regions, cultures and social strata.
In addition to their aesthetic values, tattoos reveal many other aspects, penetrating any environment. They appear on the street and infiltrate prisons; they adorn stars from rap music and sports; They become a means of discrimination or distinction, but they always carry with them the smell of sulfur, rebellion and nonconformism.
And if today tattooing is something ordinary, then in the beginning it was the practice of minorities, the marginalized and even fans of metal or punk. But in the prison environment, tattoos take on a completely different meaning.
What do these tattoos mean?
Indeed, among prisoners, some tattoos have a strictly defined meaning. They may express belonging to a particular group or simply denote a personal identity, but they can also represent a kind of “summary” of the prisoner – for those who know how to read them. They reveal information such as the number of years in prison or his criminal past, and therefore serve as true identifiers.
As Jérôme Pierre, author of the prison tattoo book Bad Boys, co-written with Eric Guyon, noted in an interview with Mediapart:
“At first glance, these tattoos may look like ordinary decorative signs. But in the eyes of the initiated, they are a real identity card.”
In this article, we try to present a list of tattoos analyzed by experts on criminal groups and penitentiary officials. We will show that these tattoos do not only serve aesthetics, but convey a concrete and sometimes terrifying message.
Here are 14 prisoner tattoo designs that have scary meaning and will make you think twice before getting a tattoo. This is a decision that should never be taken lightly.
