If you see someone with a three-dot tattoo, run as far away as you can.
Tear
This tattoo is one of the most well-known in the prison world and can have different meanings. Most often, if you see a prisoner with a teardrop tattooed under their eye, it means they are serving a long sentence or have already committed murder. In this context, the teardrop symbolizes the sadness and grief felt for the mother of the murdered person.
The tattoo can also mean that the person has attempted to commit murder or that a friend of the prisoner has been killed and he wants revenge.
Essentially, an ink-filled teardrop signifies that the prisoner already has at least one crime to their name, and with each subsequent murder, a new teardrop is added.
If the teardrop isn’t filled, it may indicate that the “job” isn’t finished: the prisoner is expressing a desire for revenge after the death of a loved one, a friend, or even a cellmate. This shows that he doesn’t feel vengeful and that only when he achieves that goal will he be able to “fill his teardrop” and sleep peacefully… in his cell.
Many rappers and celebrities have popularized this prison tattoo to look tough and rebellious.
ACAB Inscription
This is a British tattoo that means “All Cops Are Bastards” (“All cops are bastards”).
A clock without
hands symbolizes time spent in prison. It is appropriate for prisoners serving life sentences or extremely long terms. It’s a way of showing that time is frozen and relentlessly marches on. For prisoners who wear this tattoo, time has lost its value and no longer matters.
This image is often found on the bodies of those sentenced to life imprisonment who do not want to count the days behind bars. The clock without hands symbolizes a meaningless and wasted life for those awaiting execution.
Furthermore, a clock tattoo can take different forms: a pocket watch, a wall clock, or even a watch without a strap.
History and Meaning of Tattoos:
Since ancient times, tattoos have been a form of graphic expression, similar to tribal tattoos, indicating clan affiliation. They are also a form of body decoration, favored by millions of people from different regions, cultures, and social classes.
Beyond their aesthetic value, tattoos reveal many other aspects, permeating any environment. They appear on the street and infiltrate prisons; they adorn rap and sports stars; they become a means of discrimination or distinction, but they always carry with them an air of rebellion and nonconformity.
And while tattoos are commonplace today, they were initially a practice of minorities, marginalized individuals, and even metal or punk fans. But in the prison environment, tattoos take on a completely different meaning.
What do these tattoos mean?
In fact, among prisoners, some tattoos have a strictly defined meaning. They can express membership in 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 interpret them. They reveal information such as the number of years in prison or their criminal past, and therefore serve as true identifiers.
As Jérôme Pierre, author of the book on prison tattoos Bad Boys , co-written with Eric Guyon, pointed out in an interview with Mediapart:
“At first glance, these tattoos may seem like simple decorative signs. But for the initiated, they are a true identity card.”
In this article, we present a list of tattoos analyzed by experts on criminal groups and prison officials. We will show that these tattoos not only serve an aesthetic purpose but also convey a specific, and sometimes terrifying, message.
Here are 14 prisoner tattoo designs with unsettling meanings that will make you think twice before getting a tattoo. It’s a decision that should never be taken lightly.
