Tattoos: The meanings behind the most famous prison tattoos

Teardrop: this means the prisoner has already committed a murder.

An empty teardrop: this means the prisoner didn’t successfully murder someone. Once the deed is fully done, the person can fill in the tattoo.

A watch with no hands: this tattoo means the prisoner has received a life sentence, hence the time on the clock not mattering.

Eyes on the stomach: this means the prisoner is homosexual.

Five dots: this tattoo represents the prisoner confined within the walls of the prison. One dot surrounded by 4 outer dots.

3 leaf clover: while traditionally this symbol has Irish roots, the tattoo has been adopted by certain white supremacists to show their affiliation.

Spider web on the elbow: like the five dots, this tattoo is once again representative of time spent in prison. The further the web is extended, the longer the stay in prison.

A dagger that crosses through the neck: this tattoo is typically found in Russian gangs and is used to show the bearer is not afraid to take a life and is ready and able to do so for whoever needs – for a price of course.

Barbed wire: in prison, each barb represents a year of imprisonment.

Three dots by the eye: this tattoo means “mi vida loca” or “my crazy life”. The prisoner is most certainly affiliated with a gang.

EWMN: this tattoo means “Evil, Wicked, Mean, and Nasty”.

A rose with thorns: this tattoo means the person was imprisoned at 18 years of age. It’s also common among Russian and Asian gangs.

ACAB: this tattoo means “All Cops Are Bastards”. This one has roots in the British prison system.