well over half…maybe more.

Excellent question John!! You have me really intrigued now. I don’t know the answer to that (my cousin the corrections officer sez all of them). But I’m going to look around and see what I can find on the subject

Rider (inked but not in prison)

Tattooing inside prisons isn’t about getting a cute little pink star or a fancy Polynesian sleeve that you’ve spent the last year fine-tuning with your artist. Tattooing inside prisons is both an important part of the social structure, and is essential for keeping the individual alive, sane, and in control of their identity to at least a small extent. To state it in its simplest terms, the cohesion tattooing provides helps keep people alive, and half of all prisoners are tattooed while behind bars. Removing tattooing from prisons simply isn’t going to happen. A hundred years of efforts have had no effect, and a hundred years more won’t change it either. People will continue to leave prison with more tattoos than when they entered. It’s how the system works, and it’s how people survive the system.

No idea what percentage (and most jailhouse tats are bad due to lack of proper equipment and one color of ink) but I have a good idea of why:
1. Boredom
2. Identity (with an ideological, ethnic or racial group)
3. Boredom
4. Symbolism/status (tear drop on cheek = cop killer)
5. Boredom

i would think the percentage is rather high, just based off of the number of imprisoned gang members. it’s a really interesting question. of the prisons/jails i’ve visited, most of the prisoners had visible tattoos (on their arms or neck), so who knows how many had them on their backs, etc. now i want to know

Well over half. I’d say, based on my experience of actually being there for 14 months, that it is closer to 75% of inmates. I think the percentage is higher in Closed custody though, and less in Med or low security prisons.

LO who answered the question before me made a great point. probably the best answer, by saying: “Tattooing inside prisons is both an important part of the social structure, and is essential for keeping the individual alive, sane, and in control of their identity to at least a small extent.”

I also think the type of people who are independednt thinkers and non conformist are the type of people that end up breaking the law because they A: are usually entrepeneurs who want to make an easy dollar and end up either stealing or selling drugs, or B: live life with no rules and do whatever they please, to put it bluntly

Now, contrary to what others say, I have seen some excellent, professional work come out of prisons. I have also seen a ton of horrible work. Mostly stick and polk. If it was done with an actual gun, and an artist that makes a living that way on the outs, then nothing is stopping the work from looking very good quality. Tat machines are made from a cassette player’s motor and ac adapter, a toothbrush, a bic ballpoint pen’s outer shell (inside removed), a guitar string and tape.

And ink is not used from ballpoint pens. I don’t think it would stick that way. It can be made from melting plastic spoons and such and then collecting the smoke residue, burning pages of books and then collecting the ashes (the ink is still in there), or rubbing a graphite pencil across a surface forever and collecting the dust onto a piece of paper. then it is mixed with a tiny bit of water and toothpaste. to test whether the ink will stick, you flick a tiny bit into the toilet. if it sinks to the bottom, it will stick.

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atleast 75% there is nothin else to do in prison> And to tell the truth prisoners and ex convit have some of teh best black and grey tattoos. Mr Cartoon was in prision and this is where he picked up his skills