prison | Onelargeprawn

Recently Austria’ Josef Fritzel was sentenced to life in a psychiatric hospital for incest, rape, forced imprisonment, and coercion for holding his daughter captive underground for 24 years and fathering her seven children. The penalty should have much worse and one hopes he won’t be heading to “Justice Center Leoben” in Austria which happens to look more like a 5-star hotel than it does a prison.

Prisoners enjoy living in well-designed cells, and have access to a gym and a basketball court. Apparently the only complaint is the lack of a computer and Internet access in the cells. Hell, this looks more like a vacation than a jail sentence, I wouldn’t be surprised if some Austrian folk leave their rented rooms to go live in the better surroundings.

More images at EatnineGhost.

Marked Men: The Meaning of Prison Tats

You’ve seen them in countless movies, heck you’ve even witnessed Michael Scoefield use them to escape in Prison Break. Prison-made tattoos are a form of communication for inmates, and telling each other about gang affiliations, prison status, family bonds, and spiritual beliefs.

Here are some shots from a collection by Peter Wollheim.

With tattoos dating back to age 13, this inmate was working toward a “full shirt” of tattoos — chest, back and arms fully tattooed. The Harley-Davidson Evolution motorcycle commemorates the beloved, customized bike his ex-wife sold in their divorce.

This 24-year-old inmate got his small teardrop tattoo at age 15 and says it means “somebody’s mother doesn’t have a son anymore.” The dragon and demon emerging from slits rendered in his chest (left and right) are common prison tattoos and generally represent the wearer’s evil nature breaking out and causing harm.