Friday, January 2, 2015

Prison Tattoos

1488:
"1488" "1488" is an Aryan Brotherhood tattoo that stands for the number of words in the prominent Neo-Nazi David Lane quote:

"We must secure the existence of our people and a future for White Children".

The 88 stands for the 88 precepts laid out by David Lane in his white power manifesto.

Aryan Brotherhood:
The gang was founded by Irish-Americans and as such much of their iconography is celtic, with Shamrocks being a common feature in A.B. tattoos.

Cobweb:
A cobweb is a frequent tattoo seen in prisons and it means a lengthy prison sentence. Usually the cobwebs are found on the elbows with the symbolism being that the inmate is sitting on his elbows for so long he is collecting cobwebs.

A spider web with a spider tattooed inside of it can bean a drug addiction.

E.W.M.N
"E.W.M.N." across the knuckles means "Evil. Wicked. Mean. Nasty". The tattoo doesn't have any gang affiliation, it is more of a way of life.

Tattoos across the knuckles became popular in the United States in the 1950s and many different variants exist.

Five Dots:
Five dots on the hand stands for the amount of time a prisoner has done in a prison. The four dots on the outside represent the walls of the prison and the dot in the center represents the inmate bearing the tattoo.

Clock with no hands:
A clock with no hands is a symbol for the inmate and being in prison. The lack of hands on the clock depict that the prisoner has an extra-ordinarily long sentence.

A set of cards:
A set of cards indicates an inmate that likes to gamble, both inside and outside of prison. The suit of cards can carry many different meanings with diamonds meaning the inmate is an informant or a heart which can mean the inmate is available for romantic partnership (both suits would be unwillingly applied).

Teardrop:
The teardrop is the most famous prison tattoo.

The teardrop can indicate many different things, such as that the bearer has murdered someone, or has had someone close to them murdered or even the amount of times they have been raped in prison.