Ink in the Clink: Prison tattoos explained

Though cultural acceptance has changed over recent years, tattoos have traditionally marked their wearers as outlaws, rebels, historically worn by sailors, bikers and criminals outside American society and across the globe.

In prison, tattoos often have specific codified meanings. Some may be general indicators of the criminal life. Other tattoos are very specific about the wearer's rank, affiliations, criminal accomplishments or punishments.

The means of applying tattoos in prison are crude due to restrictions on tools that could be used for attacking guards or other inmates. Improvised items include paperclips, staples, refashioned ballpoint pens or guitar strings, for example.

Permanent ink may be taken from pens, or by mixing soot with shampoo, or other less-sanitary mixtures.

Here are a few of the widely seen tattoos found in many prisons across the country and the world. This list is far from comprehensive, as convicts are possessed of plenty of time to innovate.

"Mi vida loca," or "My crazy life": Indicates one's dedication to the gangster lifestyle. However, in French prisons, it means "Death to cops."

Multi-denominational: Represents the individual in prison. The center dot is the inmate, surrounded by the four corners or watchtowers of prison.

Traditionally or "West Coast style," a black or filled-in teardrop denotes a murder, each drop representing a victim, and an unfilled drop signified the intent to murder a target, or revenge.

Newer meanings have developed that denote, with unfilled drops, the loss of someone close. They may also represent the amount of time served in prison.

Denotes time "stuck" in prison. The amount of rings of a web may indicate the amount of years served. A spider outside the web may indicate an ex-convict's achievement of freedom.

Affinity for gambling. However, tattoos with different suits have special meaning in Russian prisons.

Life in prison or lengthy sentence.

"All Cops Are Bastards"; alternately "Always Carry A Bible." Sometimes symbolized with dots in between the knuckles on the hand.

Spanish for "the M": Black handprint; "Eme"; "Emero"

"MS 13", "13", "MS", devil horns

Affiliated under Nuestra Familia: "XIV" for the 14th letter "N"; "::" representing "14"; the Warbird

Affiliated under the Mexican Mafia: "Sur 13" for 13th letter "M"; three dots over two bars signifying "13"

"18", "X8", "XVII", "666", "99"

5-pointed crown

"21", "XXI", "BA"

Crossed swords, machetes, rifles; "BGF" or "276"; horned dragon around tower

Crowns, six-pointed stars; "211" ("B", "K", meaning "Blood Killer," in reference to rival Bloods gang)

"M.O.B." for Member Of Blood; dog paw; three dots burned on shoulder (representing dog paw)

White supremacist tattoos have various signifiers alluding to Adolf Hitler, Nazism and white supremacy. Norse mythology and pagan symbols also feature in their iconography.

"88" = 8th letter of alphabet, "H", as in "Heil Hitler", "14" for a 14-word quotation by white supremacist leader David Lane.

Aryan Brotherhood ("AB") and Nazi Low Riders ("NLR") use similar white-supremacist designs.

Russian prison gangs, whether in the U.S. or in Mother Russia, use a highly codified system of symbols indicating rank and crime specialty, often with multiple meanings.

Eight-pointed star = high-ranking thief; Stars on shoulders = high rank

Stars on knees = "Will kneel before no man"

Religious icons (saints, angels, Virgin Mary) = Thievery

Snake around neck = drug addiction

• Bow-tie on neck = thief who betrayed (forcibly applied)

• Cat = thief

• Skulls, coffins = murder conviction

• Lighthouse = desire for freedom

• Wrist manacles = 5 years served for each

• Eyes on chest = High rank, overseeing others

• Eyes on lower abdomen = homosexuality

• Rose on chest, with thorns = "I turned 18 in prison"

• Rose on chest, no thorns = initiation tattoo in prison

• Gun-toting cowboy = high-risk thief

• Skull and crossbones = life term

• Mermaid = child molestation

• Dagger through neck = murder committed in prison

• Dagger = sex offender

• Barbed wire = years served

• Domes of churches = sentences served (crosses indicate completion)

Playing card suits indicate:

• Spade = thief

• Clubs = general criminal

• Diamonds = informants (applied by force)

• Hearts = looking for love (may also have been applied by force)