This is the dumbest of the most dumbest things Canada Corrections has instituted. This is an excellent way to encourage drug use, gang infiltration and a very good use of taxpayer's money. As far as I'm concerned, the head of Corrections Canada needs a wake-up call in the wake of the sponsorship scandal. Thank you.

chevy, i think it's important to realize that instituting a tattoo program is a harm reduction strategy; a lesser of two evils. inmates are going to get tattoos regardless, so why not make it as safe as possible, attempting to minimize the spread of disease and further forbidden activities? that being said, how much of a difference a 'condoned' tattoo program will really make is certainly debatable if no gang or racist tattoos will be allowed, as there will obviously still be 'underground' tattooing catering to people wanting such work done. i'm really not sure how a tattoo program will encourage drug use, as you suggest. perhaps you should know that not all people who get tattoos neither indulge in, nor encourage drug use. wakey, wakey.

Interesting insight to the way symbols are used by a sub-culture. Living in a such visual culture, tattoos interestingly have become a part to signify identity.

To all , in a country that does not require a blood test to ascertain say herion addiction and also tacitly pays for the drugs with a dispense cash under the guise of " welfare",what can one expect? The number of credentialized university grads far exceeds the need ,it can be expected an over indulgence in public sector endeavours. Ever notice most dramas on TV are public sector occupations, perhaps giving a certain celebrity to the so called do gooders. Tattoos will never be stopped outside prison,some people never lose the mentality of prison life.Perpetuation is our goal? Until the prisoners are separated and not allowed to socialize or touch or hear another would it be possible to stop the display of differences, engendering of envy etc. Most prisons in canada do not lock the cell doors but open them for hours a day,an idea that just naturally creates a culture,a social process.I contend that this freedom of movement is the core problem in prisons in canada allowing all sorts of allegences, domination etc. not nice things to occur after incarceration as well as during.

jeff has many good points that i agree with. and i also realise that harm reduction is a hard concept for some to wrap their heads around. this program is flawed, but not as flawed as ","'s understanding of the situation. people in prison are exactly that - people. they are social beings who crave the contatct of others. restricting their "freedom of movement" will not solve the problem as you so ignorantly suggest. it will only serve to further aggravate anti-social behaviour. and as a social worker (and former parole officer) employed by a tragically underfunded ministry, i can assure you that reconciling the realities of my job with its supposedly glamorous portrayal on TV dramas is not my biggest challenge. my biggest challenges are a) struggling to help a population growing more desperate in the face of an increasingly callous and uncaring government and b) dealing with opinionated and dangeroulsy misinformed people like you.

tattoos allow everyone to express themselves in thier own unique and individual way. they can make people feel good about themselves, which everyone has a right to.now let's all just hope that they train the prison artists well so we don't have anyone as illiterate as dirty souf sider tattooing people who have enough other problems without a bad tattoo.

It's a shame Martha Stewart is penned up in the states. She'd have some great ideas on how the boys could ink themselves with gang identity in subtile stylish patterns.

this makes me cry

So?! Show us how to read a prison tattoo... Please! Making the esoteric exoteric is a powerful way to demystify prison culture. It's important to realize how Amerikan (aka JesusLand) mass incarceration of the poor, especially of visible minorities, is seeping into our "mosaic". With the neolib/neocon dissolution of the social safety net , more youth and de-advantaged groups will turn to gang and criminal tribalism for protection, support and social identity. Gee what tat does a liberal democrat wear? "$"

i think reading prison tattos isnt hard at all i myself was a inmate from the age of 18 to 25 and i have proudly coverd my entire upper body exsept my head and i also was a artist in the prison system which givesme a unique perspective on things all my tattoos look professional and u cant tell the diffrence. even tho i do have cetain tattoos that dipict me as a felon thats all i have to say about that

Tattoos are great...until you get older and your skin sags.... Gangs wouldn't be so objectionable if only they concentrated on making the world a better place for all -- not just to enrich themsleves and/or slate their jaded desires over the rights and freedoms of others. Everyone has talents and some people misuse them. Or warp them, and hurt others. If there were no thieves, rapists and bullies, we'd never need to lock our doors...or to lock people up.

Intresting site,You should get more pics of tattoos.

all i want to say is that hello chris i miss you and i love you i know that you are so far away but that is how much i love you k mate love you zara xxxx

Oh my God, frikin weirdos on here but gave me a laugh anyway. see ya. BNP (British National Party)

i think that tattoos are a way for everyone to destinguish themselves in a different way and i also think that its the best way to understand people .: i love all my tattoos .: and fuck off if u dont like them.: