Them Crazy Tear Drop Tattoos!

[Touch Of Death]

Hi,
A freind of mine was just bragging about how he threatened to beat up some guy with a couple tear drop tattoos. I asked him why and he said, "don't you know what that means?".
I said I knew of two meanings. One is that you killed people for what ever cause, and the other is that maybe members of his family or his freinds had died and he was showing his respects.
My freind didn't know about that second meaning, and I made him feel really guilty. Good!
I talked to him today and he has since decided that I'm full of it, this is coincidently what he always decides when I question him about why he beat somebody up. Anyways what is your take on the Tear Drop Tatts?
Sean

[oldnewbie]

Quick search on google shows the teardrop means the person has done prison time.....

Never seen it myself though...

[Touch Of Death]

That is one I have not heard.:wah:

[oldnewbie]

Another links says it means the person has shot someone.

...yuck..

[Randy Strausbaugh]

A prison guard (excuse me- correctional officer) once told me that it meant that on their first day "inside", the person was bent over a rail and cried like a girl. I've also heard the dead friend/family member version.

[Michael Billings]

... that is just plain BS, they are jerking your chain.

oldnewbie has the correct meaning. Take it from an ex-parole officer who now does hearings (but my wife is still a Parole Officer here in Texas), it is the number of times they have been "HOME".

I have seen it on the side of the eye of all ethnicities, and genders, but primarily hispanic and male. But certainly not exclusive. Lots of the prison gang guys used to wear them, but they are now really trying not to be identified as such, since Texas now puts them in Ad Seg and they earn much less time at a lower classification level. It use to be a "Mark" of distinction, along with your gang colors being tatooed on you. Now it is much more subtle and we have prison gang intelligence officers trying to identify them (they carry on organized crime outside of prison, and tend to be more violent inside.)

More than you ever wanted to know, I am sure. But I can attest to it's accuracy ... unfortunatly.

-Michael

[Randy Strausbaugh]

Thanks for the heads-up. I always appreciate accurate info. Every now and then, I run across a juvenile offender with one of those tattoos, and I've always assumed that the info on my previous post was correct. Good to know the real story. :asian:

[tshadowchaser]

I was always told it was a sign o a kill Possibly in the yards but depending on the group the person belong to/with it coul be on the streets

[D.Cobb]

I had heard, that it is a sign for prison time. Here in Australia, it is the spider web on the elbow. Each new outer web is another visit to 'college'.

--Dave