12 Prison and Gang Tattoos and Their Meanings [2024 Guide] (2024)

The following article discusses common prison, gang, and hate tattoos. Unfortunately, there are a lot of them.

This story is not an endorsem*nt for these types of tattoos, but an article that can be used for identification purposes and for greater understanding of what these tattoos are used for within prison and gang systems, and to the wider world.

I found this assignment both repugnant and fascinating. In my opinion, these tattoos are a lingering stain on the world of tattoo that stop our industry from gaining the full acceptability it deserves as an art form and choice of expression.

The use of control and power for the deployment of these types of tattoos was something I had never considered – like a branding onto cattle, or the slave identification tattoos of Greek Antiquity – this body modification could never be considered art in any fashion.

They are inherently ugly.

Read on to learn about 12 types of hate tattoo, and explore how and why these tattoos have taken such a large place in collective consciousness.

1. Aryan Brotherhood Prison Tattoos

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons, Created in Canva by Jono

Aryan Brotherhood tattoos come in many sizes, shapes and designs. Allof them signifymembership to the primary gang forCaucasiansinprison and are often accompanied by other forms of white supremacistbody art (more below).

The Aryan Brotherhood iscomparativelysmall innumbers buthave the reputation for ready murder and ruthless retaliation when crossed.Most Aryan Brotherhood tattoos reference the initials A.B.

The examples here are from a pair of Texas branches of the prison gang.

Note the poor quality in design – they were almost certainly done by a prison ‘scratcher.’ As tattoos are illegal within jail, needles, ink, andrudimentary machines are often cobbled together from all sorts of refuse, from pens and plastic to workshop offcuts.

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons, Created in Canva by Jono

2. Nortenos vs. Surenos

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons, Created in Canva by Jono

According to author Karen Kinnear, in 1968 California prison inmates were separated into two rival groups,Norteno(northerner) andSurenogangs (southerner). This separation was based on the locations of the prisoner’s hometowns.

TheSurenogang uses the number 13, representing the thirteenth letter of the alphabet, the letter M, in order to mark their allegiance to the Mexican Mafia prison gang. They’re strongest in the Southern part of California, Arizona and New Mexico.

TheNortenogang– linked to the Nuestra Familia mafia prison outfit – are strongest to the north of Los Angeles in the Bay Area and California’s prison and gang system.Nortenosuse the number 14 in their gang tattoos.

3. Spiderweb Tattoos

The spiderweb tattoo has a lot of different meanings but is most often associated with a criminal tattoo signifying the process of doing time in prison.

One meaning of the spider web symbolizes being trapped and tangled in the prison system, or having cobwebs form due to inaction and inactivity that comes with spending time in a cell.

According to the Anti-Defamation league, who track body art symbolism in white supremacy groups, to be a bona fide white supremacist one must have killed a minority to earn a spider web tattoo.

4. Latin Kings Prison and Gang Tattoos

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons, Javier Ramirez via Wikimedia Commons CC BY SA 3.0

The five–pointed crown is the symbol of the Latin Kings gang, which is one of the biggest Hispanic gangs in the U.S.A. The crown will often be accompanied by the letters ALKN, which stands for Almighty Latin Kings Nation.

Latin Kings have a huge presence– they’re estimated to be a larger force on the ground than bothNortenosand Surenos.

Other parts of the crown, such as the jewel and points, often denote rank orpositions within the gang.

5. African American Gang Tattoos

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons, Created in Canva by Jono

Any teen growing up in the 1990s heard about and watched films about thefeuding LA gangs theCrips and Bloods. These gangs are still in operation today–however in prison they tend to band together.

Another large prison gang isBlack Guerilla Family (BGF). Their motifsdisplay a black dragon attacking a prison gun tower.

Other, more localized African gangs are also heavily represented in prison, or which thePlayboyzexample is just one.

6. The Japanese Yakuza

See Also

15 Fine-Line Tattoos That Are Truly Screenshot-Worthy

Image Source: El Mimmo via Flickr, CC BY 2.0 Created in Canva by Jono

Japan’s extraordinary underworld and their distinct tattoos have been featured in more than half a century’s film and television, from The Simpsons to Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill trilogy.

While these vibrantly inked hooligans have been depicted across Japanese culture in a variety of different ways, they remain a very real group of criminals.

Despite their criminal success and brutal tactics, it is Yakuza gang members striking and colorful traditional full body tattoos that have caught the imagination of the West, helping to promote their exotic and glamorous identity over the day to day drudgery of criminality.

7. Russian Prison Tattoos

While elements have been co-opted into the US prison system, inmates from the former Soviet Union are literally walking bibliographies of crime at every level.

From 1948-1976 a man named Danzig Baldaev drew over 20,000 pictures of Russian criminal tattoosandtook photosof all manner of prisoner.

Russian prison and gang tattoosfeaturea highly developed, complex structurethatdelineatesdifferent types or prisoners, their hierarchy, crimes, and status.

A good way to learn about the complex history of Russianprisontattoos isbyvisitingthe archive

8. MS-13

Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13, is an international gang that originated in Los Angeles. The gang was initially set up to protect Salvadoran immigrants from other gangs in the Los Angeles area, but has since grown into one of the most fearsome gang outfits in the world.

Their ties to the number 13 mean that MS-13 is often affiliated with the aims of theSurenogang, although their vicious methods and often scorched earth policy mean they’re feared by rivals more than admired.

Many of their members have matching tattoos in highly visible areas, such as the face, neck, or head.

9. Swastika and White Supremacy Tattoos

The Swastika is now a universal symbol of hate made prominent by the Nazi Party of Adolf Hitler. It is a popular tattoo choice for any racist looking to promote their brand of hate, whether it’s a tattooed prisoner or soccer hooligan.

The Swastika is used along with othermarks of Hitler’s genocidal regime, such as the Eagle of the Third Reich, the number 1488,the SS Insignia,or even Hitler’s birthdate.

As far as horribleand hatefultattoos go, the Swastika goes at the top of the list.

10. 3 Dots Tattoos

3 dot tattoos represent“Mividaloca” or my crazy life.These designs area testament to the unpredictable and violent nature of gang activity itself than affiliated tospecificgangs.

Within prison and gang life, to be crazy means to be dangerous: an unpredictable person that is willing to do anything for their clique with no consideration of the consequences, particularly prison sentences, is not someone to be trifled with.

Often placed on the hand, between the thumb and fore finger, or on the cheekbone below the eye, these alternative tattoos are used to communicate the wearer’s status as a lifelong gang member, and punctuation mark of acceptance of the violence and erratic elements that are common in this lifestyle.

11. The Teardrop Tattoo

Of all the different stereotypes and made-for-TV interpretations of life behindbars,one of the mostpervasiveand dramatizedelementsis the teardrop tattoo.

A teardrop on the left side of the face means that an inmate has killed someone. Many argue that there is a one to one ratio for teardrops and murders, although this may not necessarily always be the case.

Teardrops on the right side of the face are more often associated with a dead family member or friend.

12. The Quincunx

Just like the 3 dots tattoo, the quincunx is most often found on the handbetweenthe thumb and forefinger.

Four dots form a square and the fifthdotsitsinside. The four dots signify the walls of a cell, and the fifth represents the inmate trapped withinthe prison.