There seems to be a clear association between body and criminal behavior in prison inmates. Still, there has been less research on tattoos and crime outside of prison settings, and more importantly, whether there is a causal link. Despite this gap in the literature, over the past 40 years, there has been a large body of research on the relationship between tattoos and various psychological problems, including mental disorders, personality traits, and risky behaviors.
(Jennings, Fox and Farrington, 2014)
The Number 1488:
The number 1488 can be found in white supremacist/Nazi prisoners. It is also possible to use the numbers 14 or 88 alone, which can sometimes cause confusion. 14 stands for fourteen words, a quote from Nazi leader David Lane: “We must ensure the existence of our people and the future of white children.” 88 is short for HH, the eighth letter of the alphabet, which stands for Heil Hitler. Usually, these tattoos can be found anywhere on the body.
The Cobweb:
A spider’s web usually represents a long prison sentence. Symbolism has to do with spiders catching their prey, or criminals stuck in jail. This tattoo usually appears on the elbow. It means your elbows have been on the table long enough that the spider has spun a web on your arm, but it can also be located on the neck. If you see a multicolor mesh, it’s probably not a prison tattoo; tattoo “artists” in prison rarely have access to colored ink.
A Teardrop:
One of the most well-known prison tattoos, the meaning of teardrops varies from region to region. In some places, the tattoo can mean a long prison sentence. While in others, it means the wearer is guilty of murder. If the teardrop is just a silhouette, it can symbolize attempted murder. It could also mean that a prisoner’s friend has been murdered and they are seeking revenge. Teardrops have recently become popular with rappers and other celebritiesbut remain a prison staple. Novices who go to prison with teardrop tattoos quickly make a lot of enemies.
Five-point crown:
It’s the logo of the Latin Kings Gang, one of the largest Hispanic gangs in the United States, and their headquarters are in Chicago. Crowns usually bear the letters ALKN for the all-powerful Latin king state. These five points are due to the fact that the Latin Kings are an affiliate of the Peoples National Gang, which is represented by the number five. The Latin Kings were powerful in and out of prison, with sources dating back long before the 1940s. Further details of the crown, like the dots at the top of the crown, and the color of its jewels, may have completely different hidden meanings.
Three points:
The three-point tattoo is a common prison tattoo that stands for “mi vida loca” or “my crazy life.” It has nothing to do with any particular gang, but it has to do with the gang lifestyle itself. These tattoos usually appear on the hands or around the eyes. This kind of tattoo can also carry some religious meaning in more detail, like the Christian Trinity. Three-point tattoos are usually made using the stick-and-poke method and require very simple tools.
Five dots:
The dots are quite different from the previous tattoos – the five dots represent time completed in prison. Also known as the club shape, the outer four dots represent the four walls, and the inner fifth dot represents the prisoner. The tattoos can be found internationally, among prisoners in both the United States and Europe. These points are usually found on the prisoner’s hand, between the thumb and index finger. Other parts of the body have five dots tattooed with different meanings, such as its association with an ethnic gang.
(Staff, 2014)
References
Staff, C. (2014). 15 prison tattoos and their meanings. [online] Corrections1. Available at: https://www.corrections1.com/prison-gangs/articles/15-prison-tattoos-and-their-meanings-pzgKItC7WYoa1wvk/ [Accessed 20 November. 2022].
Jennings, W.G., Fox, B.H. and Farrington, D.P. (2014). Inked into Crime? An Examination of the Causal Relationship between Tattoos and Life-Course Offending among Males from the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development. Journal of Criminal Justice, 42(1), pp.77–84. doi:10.1016/j.jcrimjus.[Accessed 20 November. 2020].
