Prison Tattoos and Their Secret Meanings

11. MS 13

Anytime you see someone with a tattoo of 'MS13' or just 'MS' or '13', this represents the Mara Salvatrucha gang from El Salvador. The tattoos could be anywhere, but it's very common for MS-13 members to have identifying tattoos on highly visible areas like their face, neck, and/or hands. La Mara Salvatrucha was started in the Los Angeles area by El Salvadoran immigrants. There are now MS-13 chapters all over the United States and even some in Canda. They have over 70,000 members and are known as one of the most brutal gangs in America. Their illegal industries range from dealing drugs to child prostitution. The US Treasury has even listed MS-13 as Transnational Criminal Organization! If you were wondering where they got their name, 'La Mara' is the name of a street in San Salvador and the Salvatrucha were an army of guerrilla fighters in the El Salvadoran civil war.

12. Playing Cards

Playing cards or suits of the deck general indicate an inmate who likes to gamble. This applies to gambling games in prison as well as in the more general sense: someone who views life as a gamble. In Russian prisons, each suit of the deck of cards has it's own meaning. The spade symbolizes a thief, while clubs symbolize criminals in general. The diamonds are reserved for stoolpigeons and informants, and this tattoo is usually applied by force. The heart symbol represents someone who is looking for a romantic partner in the prison. This is another one that may be forcibly applied.

13. EWMN

EWMN stands for 'Evil, Wicked, Mean, Nasty.' This does not represent affiliation with any prison gangs, but it simply represents the general disposition of some prison inmates. The history of knuckle tats goes way back. They were first popularized by the 1955 movie 'The Night of the Hunter.' In the movie, Robert Mitchum plays a sociopath preacher with the words 'love' and 'hate' tattooed on his knuckles. Many criminals associated with the character and also got love and hate tattoos on their hands. There are lots of other variants now, like 'Rock/Roll' or 'Stay/Down'. Knuckle tattoos are even sported by many people these days who are not convicts or criminals. These people are probably unemployed.

14. Cross on the Chest (In Russia)

In the Russian prison system, a tattoo on the chest symbolizes a 'Prince of Thieves'. This is the highest rank a Russian convict can achieve, and these are generally worn by high-ups in the mob. Russian convicts have one of the most intricate tattoo cultures of any group of people. There are literally dozens of Russian criminal tattoos, each with it's own distinct meaning. For example, a man with stars on his knees does not bow down to any authority. A man with a tiger on his chest is aggressive towards the police. A web with a spider in it symbolizes a drug addiction. Bells symbolize freedom while roses mean a wasted youth. A manacle represents a 5-year prison term, while a bear is reserved for professional safecrackers. The list goes on and on.

15. A.C.A.B.

ACAB is an acronym very commonly found inked on the bodies of British prisoners. It stands for All Cops Are Bastards. Some with the tattoo claim that ACAB stands for 'Always Carry A Bible', but it's widely believed that these are just people who regret their decisions or are trying to make a good impression. It seems like it must make things easy for the cops in England, having all of the criminals self-identify with this tattoo. It is often found on the knuckles. These days many British youths who have never gone to prison have ACAB tattoos to signify their willingness to go to prison for their crew or gang.

16. 1488

The numbers 1488 can be found on the tattoos of white supremacist/nazi inmates. 14 or 88 on their own can also be used. This can create confusion, as the Nuestra Familia gang also uses the number 14 in their tattoos. In the case of white supremacists, the 14 represents 14 words. The 14 words are a quote by nazi leader David Lane: "We must secure the existence of our people and a future for White Children" The 88 is shorthand for the 8th letter of the alphabet twice, HH, which represents Heil Hitler. These tattoos can be found anywhere on the body, it doesn't have to be on the forehead, like this gentleman is displaying. Ladies, we hear he's single . . .

17. The Cobweb

Cobweb tattoos have become very popular these days with people who were never convicts, but the cobweb is most definitely a prison tattoo. People get cobwebs to symbolize a lengthy term in prison. The symbolism of the cobweb is the association with spiders trapping prey and criminals being trapped behind bars. The spider web represents the prison (that's deep bro.) This tattoo is commonly found on the elbow because it also represents a lot of time with your elbows on the table. I.E. you've been sitting in prison doing nothing for so long that a spider is weaving a cobweb on your elbow. Convicts also often get the cobweb tattooed on their necks as well. If you see a multi-colored web, it's probably not a prison tat; prison tattoo artists rarely have access to colored ink.

18. Teardrop

One of the most widely recognized prison tattoos is the teardrop. But the meaning of the teardrop varies geographically. In some places a teardrop represents a long prison sentence, in other places the teardrop represents that the bearer committed a murder. Sometimes the teardrop is empty. This can symbolize an attempted murder, or that one of the inmate's friends was murdered and that they are seeking revenge. Rappers and other celebrities have popularized teardrop tattoos, which has led to many non-convicts getting the prison tattoos just for the 'hard' look it creates. If you are considering getting a teardrop tattoo, be warned: If you go to prison for the first time while sporting an unauthentic prison tattoo, you will make a lot of enemies, real fast.

19. 1488

The numbers 1488 can be found on the tattoos of white supremacist/nazi inmates. 14 or 88 on their own can also be used. This can create confusion, as the Nuestra Familia gang also uses the number 14 in their tattoos. In the case of white supremacists, the 14 represents 14 words. The 14 words are a quote by nazi leader David Lane: "We must secure the existence of our people and a future for White Children" The 88 is shorthand for the 8th letter of the alphabet twice, HH, which represents Heil Hitler. These tattoos can be found anywhere on the body, it doesn't have to be on the forehead, like this gentleman is displaying. Ladies, we hear he's single . . .

20. The Cobweb

Cobweb tattoos have become very popular these days with people who were never convicts, but the cobweb is most definitely a prison tattoo. People get cobwebs to symbolize a lengthy term in prison. The symbolism of the cobweb is the association with spiders trapping prey and criminals being trapped behind bars. The spider web represents the prison (that's deep bro.) This tattoo is commonly found on the elbow because it also represents a lot of time with your elbows on the table. I.E. you've been sitting in prison doing nothing for so long that a spider is weaving a cobweb on your elbow. Convicts also often get the cobweb tattooed on their necks as well. If you see a multi-colored web, it's probably not a prison tat; prison tattoo artists rarely have access to colored ink.