Surrounded by silver tools and colorful inks, a needle penetrates the forearm of an inmate at 30,000 punctures per minute, in rapid succession. The hum of the tattoo machine is heard while cell doors shut in the background, and an inmate is bent over with careful concern at the artwork being sketched onto the skin of another offender.

After a two-hour tattooing session, the inked inmate walks out of the Tattoo Parlor, back to his cell, and admires the new addition to his skin.

This scenario might sound odd to American corrections officers and officials but in Canada, it's the first step of a pilot program aimed at reducing the instance of inmate HIV and Hepatitis C infection. The program was created by Correctional Service Canada (CSC) to reduce the spread of HIV and Hepatitis C among inmates -- as well as the general public they come in contact with after release.

“The idea of controlling infectious disease has been with [CSC] for a long time,” explains Suzanne LeClerc, Senior Media Relations Officer for CSC. “We have an educational approach towards this – we are committed to public health and public safety. We really want to provide offenders with the opportunity to reduce the likelihood of transmitting and infecting others with disease. The unsafe tattoos, in the past, have been identified as a huge problem that results in a high-risk for offenders and the general public alike.”

In fact, LeClerc says that the prevalence of HIV in Canada's inmates is seven to 10 times higher than the general population, and that inmates are 30 times more likely to contract Hepatitis C. CSC knew one source of the increasing number of infected inmates: prison tattoos.

“[Prison tattoos] are not a practice that will disappear overnight,” LeClerc says. “But we need to give them the tools to change. We have to give them something besides illicit needles and objects; they can pass infection and they are a danger to everyone. They are a danger to themselves, each other, and staff – not to mention the community once they are released.”

Safe Inking

In addressing the issue of prison tattoos, CSC officials were aware that the department sponsered program would have to be run in a special way and that tattooing equipment would have to be constantly accounted for. So they created a task force to manage it.

“Our task force evaluated all aspects of this pilot program before we placed it in any facility,” says LeClerc. “We consulted the community, unions, health experts and more. We have been thorough in our consultation. These inmates are closely monitored, and all of the equipment is kept in the Tattoo Parlor and counted every morning and every night. We have established this as a very secure program.”

The Tattoo Parlors have been operating in six different corrections facilities across Canada since last summer. Officials say it is the first inmate tattoo program ever created, and LeClerc says that Spanish officials are now thinking about implementing it in their facilities. In Canada, the program is costing roughly $700,000 annually, and is funded by Federal Canadian AID Initiative. LeClerc predicts that despite the initial cost, the program will save Canada millions in health care costs.

“Corrections Canada pays about 10 times the amount it costs to run this program every year to treat offenders infected by HIV and Hepatitis C,” LeClerc says. “This is also more than just a health cost – it's a social cost. This program is a long term investment in social health.”

Inmate Inkers

Beyond saving taxpayer dollars, the prison Tattoo Parlors are getting raves from offenders. Inmates buy time at the Tattoo Parlor; usually a two-hour session goes for $5, and some inmates return for multiple sessions for large pieces of work.

LeClerc says that many inmates also appreciate the chance to show off their skills; CSC doesn't train inmates to give tattoos – they offer positions to inmates with experience.

“Many offenders were already good tattooists before they were incarcerated,” LeClerc says. “We started this pilot program to train them to do it properly from a public health point of view. We're not teaching them to do artwork – we just provide them with the necessary equipment and the procedures for safe tattooing.”

CSC also set some strict ground rules for the types of tattoos offered.

“We refuse to allow tattoos that allude to hate crimes or gangs,” says LeClerc. “They can also not receive tattoos on the face, head or genitals.”

The Tattoo Parlors are just one step in Canada's constant commitment to promoting inmate health.

“[The tattooing program] is a first, yes,” LeClerc says. “But we have also – for example – implemented the distribution of condoms in our prisons. That was our first step to prevent infectious disease and that was 12 years ago. We want to use the time that the prisoners are within our walls to teach these things and raise awareness. We work in close collaboration with the Public Health Agency of Canada.”

CSC has also offered health education classes to inmates, as well as early detection tests and infection treatment. LeClerc says that Canada's focus on education is going to send offenders back to the community with less risk of disease – for inmates or the general population.

“We want these inmates to know how to help prevent these diseases and their transmission – in the facilities and at home,” LeClerc says. “At some point, these offenders will go back to the community – and at some point they will infect others. That's why this education is so important – that's why these programs are so important.”