SMYRNA – Six inmates from Delaware’s largest state prison are studying to become professional tattoo artists in the newest career pathway training program launched by the Delaware Department of Correction at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center. The Tattoo Artist Career Pathway Program aims to set incarcerated individuals up for success when they return to the community while also reducing the risk of infection and the taxpayer costs of treating communicable diseases that can be spread through unsanctioned and unsanitary tattoo practices among the incarcerated population.
“We recognize that tattooing is a part of prison culture, and we are concerned about the health risks that come from unsanitary tattooing inside the walls,” said Department of Correction Commissioner Terra Taylor. “The Tattoo Artist Career Pathway Program demonstrates our creative thinking to bring prison tattooing out of the shadows, create educational opportunities to build a practical career and prevent the spread of bloodborne diseases like Hepatitis. This pilot vocational training program meets the built-in demand for prison tattoos in a safe, hygienic, and supervised environment, creates new opportunities for incarcerated individuals to perform meaningful work, and supports our safety mission by creating incentives to keep inmate tattoo artists and customers out of trouble.”
DOC’s tattoo program allows incarcerated individuals interested in tattooing to develop a marketable skill, achieve industry recognition, and get practical hands-on experience. Tattoo artist student candidates must demonstrate artistic ability. They are carefully selected among individuals who have taken responsibility for their crimes, demonstrated consistently good behavior, and strongly committed to their own rehabilitation. Tattoo program students begin their training with 24 weeks of comprehensive classroom instruction and practice emphasizing health and safety, proper use of tools, artistic design, and tattooing techniques.
The first six students have completed their classroom training and have begun to ink tattoos for inmate customers in JTVCC’s tattoo studio, located in a converted storage space on the prison campus. Inmate customers pay for their tattoos using personal funds.
The Tattoo Artist Career Pathway Program operates under the direction of the prison warden and the JTVCC Prison Arts team, with on-site staffing by correctional officers. It is led by licensed tattoo artist Larry Normile, owner of Artistic Additions tattoo studio in Dover.
Normile brings 27 years of tattooing experience, decades of professional mentorship, and personal support for reentry initiatives that serve individuals in the criminal justice system. Throughout 2024, Normile collaborated with Department of Correction leadership and JTVCC staff to develop a comprehensive tattoo training curriculum that exceeds the less formal experiential instruction that aspiring tattoo artists typically receive in the community.
Normile leads daily classroom instruction with inmate students and collaborates with security staff to provide hands-on supervision for the tattoo artist apprentices in the prison tattoo studio. The tattoo artist career pathway program lasts 12-18 months, depending on the participant’s pace of learning and skill proficiency, under the continual close supervision of tattoo program instructors and JTVCC security staff.
“I take my work seriously and am passionate about teaching,” Normile said. “I am excited about this opportunity to put my experience to work helping incarcerated men develop their skills, learn the value of work, and use their talents to achieve career and life success. I have been impressed by the artistic ability, positive attitude, and strong work ethic exhibited by our first group of tattoo artist students. I believe this program is already making a difference and is opening the door to second chances.”
Twenty-five tattoos have been completed, and 200 inmate customers are on the studio’s waiting list. Inmates from other state prisons have even expressed an interest in transferring to JTVCC to gain access to the tattoo program. Inmate tattoos must first be approved through clear procedures.
Eligibility is open to inmates who have earned minimum and medium security classification and who have had no significant disciplinary infractions within the past year.
Eligible customers participate in an in-person consult with their inmate tattoo artist to collaborate on a tattoo design and to determine a sales price. Tattoo designs are reviewed by security staff to ensure they comply with standards relating to violence, symbols, and gang affiliation. Tattoo costs are paid by customers and payments received are split between the tattoo artist and the JTVCC tattoo studio to cover DOC’s program and equipment expenses.
After completing their apprenticeship training inmate tattoo artist students will continue working in the JTVCC tattoo studio serving inmate customers and building up their professional portfolio. For aspiring tattoo artists, breaking into the industry, obtaining employment in an established studio, and earning a living can be difficult, and it takes years to develop a professional portfolio and build a client network to sustain a career. DOC’s Tattoo Artist Career Pathway Program is designed to put inmate graduates on a direct path to success. Each graduate will be released from incarceration with a portfolio that showcases their completed tattoos and artistic skills, and Normile will connect them with employment in established tattoo studios to hit the ground running and work toward earning their own Tattoo Artist licenses. Most students from the first training class are set for release from prison within the next 36 months.
After DOC’s initial class of six inmate tattoo artist students complete their apprenticeships, a new group of students will be selected to begin the training program. The program is designed to be expanded at JTVCC as needed to meet continued student interest and customer demand. A longer-term goal is to expand the training program to include tattoo removal.
Source: delawarelive.com…