Stars on the shoulders of an inmate symbolizes some sort of authority held. Medals are tattooed on the body to symbolize a defiance of the Soviet regime.

One more Russian prison tattoo we’ve seen are devils on the shoulders. It represents a hatred of the prison structure and authority.

Irish Prison Tattoos

Many Irish prison tattoo revolve around notable Irish symbols that many Irish people; locked up or free, get inked. Shamrocks are always one we see on Irish prisoners. In addition, a dot under the eye is called a “jail dot” and is inked using Indian ink and this is done by ex-prisoners.

Three Dots Tattoo

The three dots tattoo for prisoners is one that represents a lifestyle. It stands for “my crazy life” or “mi vida loca”. This tattoo represents the lifestyle more than a gang affiliation. People with this tattoo are just into the gangster life.

However, you might find someone of the Christian faith with this tattoo as well. It is also said to represent the holy trinity which is the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.

We talked about one gang tattoo but there are many of them that could be talked about. However, this gives you an idea of some of the more common prison tattoos and the meaning behind them. Be careful with having tattoos that look similar or someone might think you’re the wrong kind of person. Getting prison tattoos isn’t sanitary and many get sick from using dirty needles. However, some feel like the risk is worth as they are locked up anyways.