I realized after I finished my last entry that I forgot one of the important ingredients of tattooing; ink! Well so here I am to tell the real deal.

Ink is the thing that is left under your skin when the tattooing is done. In the early days before prisoners had any cassette players to make tattoo guns out of, they just used a sewing needle with string wrapped around it and the string was soaked with ink.

The easiest and obviously the most expensive way to get ink was to pay a staff member to bring you some into the prison. But they also made their own ink. One thing you must know is that you cannot use just ballpoint ink. it breaks down in the body and there goes your tattoo.

To make your own ink they used items they have or buy in the store (called “the commissary”). The process I know of uses vaseline, toilet paper, an old pop can, rubbing alcohol, water, and their lockerbox.

Ok I know you’re dying to know so here’s the process: You turn the can upside down and fill the bottom with vaseline. then you wrap up some toilet paper really tight to make a wick. put vaseline all over the wick except for the end you’re going to light. Then you stick it down into the vaseline in the can as if you’re making a candle. Then you stick it in the lockerbox, light the wick,  and close the lid (except for a thin crack so that your candle can get some air to burn). After about a half hour to an hour the vaseline is all burnt up (and yes vaseline is flammeable). Now you scrape the soot off of the top of the lockerbox lid and you have the main ingredient for your ink. You then take the soot and mix it with some rubbing alcohol (this is aquired through the Doctor’s office in the prison). After that is shaken up really good, you get your water as hot as possible (yes there are microwaves in prison), and mix it with the soot and rubbing alcohol. The water to alcohol ratio is about 50-50 and there you have it. The water will dissolve under the skin and all that’s left is the soot/ink.

Now I know what you’re thinking . . . where’s the guard while all this is going on? Burning, mixing, not to mention the actual act of tattooing? Well it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that the guard is in on it, too lazy to keep an eye on things, sleeping, or just doesn’t care.

Well there you have it! There will be more to follow later, Take care.

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