Tattooing is very popular in prisons, as an encrypted communication between Brazilian prisoners. These messages can hide the history of a crime or reveal a life of crime. Therefore, understanding these meanings can help the police investigation and even anticipate a criminal action.
1) say my name
Brazilian legend says that to capture a saci you have to throw a sieve over a whirlpool, remove its hood (to ensure obedience) and trap it in a bottle. But in the tattoo the story of bag is another. In the world of crimethe design usually identifies drug dealers and users. The term “sacizeiro” is a common slang term among crack users – as it refers to the pipe of saci. If it belongs to a criminal linked to drug trafficking, the tattoo of saci indicates that the person works in the preparation and quality control of drugs or is responsible for distribution.
2) Crime rate
A very common type of tattoo in the Brazilian prison population is the points. Usually tattooed on the hand or face of detainee, they indicate a kind of classification of criminal. A single point represents a thief still in the initial stage of banditry, as a simple pickpocket. Two dots means that’s one rapist. Three dots indicates that it is possibly a person drug addict. Four is the mark of someone who works in the traffic. Already five points tattooed on the back of the hand is the sign that that criminal is a homicidal and who is at the top of the hierarchy of crime.
3) No repentance, no forgiveness
Due to its pernicious nature, in our culture the devil is linked to sin, chaos, addiction and the worst of human behavior. Therefore, to meet a bandit with a devil tattoo is to face personification. of bad. This is a tattoo usually done by those who take pleasure in killing. It is common to find the design of devil in gunmen and hired killers, dangerous bandits who turn the act of taking the lives of other people (mainly their rivals) into a trade. And how even in the world of crime business is business, these people who kill for hire are very cold and feel no remorse for their actions.
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4) Hunting day
In candomblé, Oxossi is the orixá of hunting. With a name that can be translated as “popular guardian”, he is also the protector of those who go out to work every day in search of sustenance. It is very common to find a tattoo of a prisoner in the prison population. archery, the symbol that represents this orisha. In addition of meaning related to a “great hunting warrior”, criminals draw this symbol to Protect yourself from arrests and ambushes. With the same objective of having a “closed body”, some prisoners tattoo the figures of Saint George It is of archangel Michael, also symbols of protection against onslaught of enemies.
5) Explosive bandits
The tattoo of a wizard or a witch involves meanings that the figure itself represents, such as strength, protection, wisdom and magic. In the world of crime, this tattoo has a less noble character. Many detainees with a history of robberies of buses and commercial establishments they have a witch tattooed on their bodies. Some of these «magicians» of crime” are specialists in weapons and explosives, having among their favorite targets stores with safes and ATMs.
6) Thief fame
The drawing of a scorpion was the first tattoo used inside and outside São Paulo prisons to identify members of First Command of the Capital (PCC), known criminal faction with origin in the state of São Paulo. Likewise, the yin-yang tattooed on the body also indicates members of that organization. This brand was chosen because it represents a way of balancing good and evil with wisdom. Another well-known limb tattoo of PCC is the number 1533 – a reference to the 15th letter of alphabet (P) and the third (C). Some criminals in the faction have their own initials tattooed on their arms. Several of the former leaders of the organization who are currently in prison, such as Marcos Willians Herbas Camacho (Marcola), have one of these tattoos on their bodies.
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7) Criminal loyalty
Although this image may have different meanings on other people, rest assured that a bad guy who tattoos a tattoo on his back cross with a skull in the middle he was already condemned by the Justice. This type of tattoo is the password that it is a thug extremely loyal to his cellmates – that is, the person has been in prison at some point. Whoever wears this drawing on their body is seen as someone who knows how to keep a secret and who other detainees can trust.
8) Drug experts
Mythological creature, the elf is the European equivalent of saci – and like our pererê, he also makes a lot of mess. Similarly, criminals who tattoo a leprechaun on their bodies have a rowdy history, usually associated with the drug use and trafficking. In the prison population, the leprechaun tattoo also suggests past narcotics treatment activity. These are usually people who did a meticulous job of refining, packaging, and quality testing the drugs.
9) Sex doll
have the inscription «A Mother’s Love» or a heart cut by an arrow tattooed on the body can mean a lifetime of sexual servitude in jail. These images are almost always forcibly taken by other detainees. Rapists they are also usually “marked” with these tattoos. Thus, the criminal can be recognized by others and becomes a potential target for sexual abuse within the prison. It is also common for the phrase “Amor só de Mãe” to be accompanied by a female name. In this case, it’s usually an apology of criminal to his own mother.
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10) Sins of each one
Typically, the tattoo of Jesus it can have the meaning of strength and hope. But it can also indicate a homicide, if the bearer of the image is an inmate. This tattoo is a message that, like Jesus, the person was also condemned by men. The design usually has the crucified Christ, with the crown of thorns, the name or simply his initials – JC. depending on the part of body it is located on, this tattoo can have different meanings. On the arms, legs and chest, it is indicative of larceny (robbery followed by death). If it is located on the back, it could be a request for protection. of criminal.
11) Police Killer
There are those who see no grace in clowns. With reason. Criminals who carry this tattoo are usually involved in theft, conspiracy and killing of police officers. Closely associated with trickery, the figure of clown is usually tattooed with a sarcastic and ironic smile. Details are important: if the tattoo has black tears, it means that friends were killed by rivals. If you have red tears, the comrades were killed by the police. And if the drawing of clown is accompanied by skulls, it is almost certainly a cop killer. The amount of skulls marks how many police officers he has killed.
12) Brand of rape
Let’s combine: have a penis tattooed on the body is not pleasant at all, even more so if the tattoo has been done against one’s will. ‘Cause that’s the stigma that goes with criminals arrested for rape. Strictly treated by a kind of “code of ethics” of banditry, rapists usually have a penis drawn on their back or in another place that is very visible. This is a punitive mark: a penis tattooed on the body means that that person will be a sex slave for the years he spends in jail, and that he will be systematically raped by other inmates.
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13 and 14) Bandit who robs bandits
This is another punitive tattoo. Also made by force, the image of a barbed wire denotes that the prisoner is snitch, the popular “X-9”. Having a tattoo of this type reveals that the person is treacherous, capable of making any kind of negotiation to get out from behind bars. Very common in robbers, the tattoo of a barbed wire (most often found on one of the arms) can also mean that that person has been in prison for a long time. a variation of barbed wire is the tattoo of a snake, also common in traitorous criminals.
15) Criminal connections
Forget Peter Parker and Spider-Man. In the world of crimehave one spider tattooed on the body means that that is a bandit who act in a group. And more: just like the spider, a predator that patiently catches and then kills its prey, the criminal who flaunts this figure is often dangerous. If the tattoo shows a spider climbing the web, it means that the individual is on the rise in the «career». And the greater the amount of spiders or webs stamped on the body, the greater the position that the criminal occupies in the group – as an accountant, adviser or even leader.
16) Touching terror
The character is from Tasmania, but the bandit may be acting close to you. the popular cartoon taz it is the best representation for criminals indicted for theft and robbery, and who act in a group. Like the character, who moves in a whirlpool, there are many records of criminals with this tattoo who participate in raids and gang robberies. And, if Taz has a boundless appetite and devours everything in sight, this type of bandit also tends to steal everything possible: money, jewelry, purses, phones and even people’s clothes.
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17) Sneaky camouflage
One of the smartest animals of sea, the octopus it is always associated with its ability to escape predators. Perhaps that is why it is very common to find this animal tattooed on people accused of theft and break-ins – usually bandits adept at escaping. The octopus illustrates features much desired by any criminal, such as camouflage and the ability to counterattack his enemies. Sneaky, the octopus when chased releases a dark ink to escape and is even able to change the texture of its own skin to confuse and then attack its victims.