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.