Former gang members in an El Salvadorian prison cross through their distinctive tattoos as they attempt to move on from their criminal pasts and ‘youthful mistakes’
- Photos taken at Santa Ana prison, 60 km northwest of San Salvador, show the extent of the gangland tattoos
- Former members of Salvadoran gangs – MS-13 and Barrio 18- say they want laser tattoo removal for fresh start
- Many are branded with the initials of the gangs they call ‘youthful mistakes’ as they try to educate themselves
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Former members of El Salvador’s most notorious gangs say they would be willing to get their gang tattoos removed with lasers in order to have a fresh start.
Covered head to toe in heavily pigmented tattoos the former members of Salvadoran gangs – mostly of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and Barrio 18 – claim to be willing to endure painful laser tattoo removal in order to rid themselves of the branding.
The process that can take years to erase tattoos could be used to help cleanse the criminal’s bodies of what they call ‘youth mistakes’.
Photos taken at Santa Ana prison, 60 km northwest of San Salvador, show the extent of the gangland imagery permanently etched onto the bodies and faces of former members.
Former MS-13 gang leader Valmis Mejia a.k.a. ‘el Bambi’, is pictured at Santa Ana prison, 60 km northwest of San Salvador
A tattoo across his chest reads: ‘In memory of my homeboy’ while the MS initials of the MS-13 gang, Mara Salvatrucha, he once belonged to are etched onto his abdomen and forearms
Another ex-member of the MS-13 gang is pictured at Santa Ana prison. The gang is said to have moved away from face tattoos after 2007 so that they are able to commit crimes without being noticed
A former member of Barrio 18 (left) and MS-13 gang (right) are pictured at Santa Ana prison. The two gangs were rivals in the streets of Los Angeles where the gangs originated. Unable to have the tattoos removed some prisoners have resorted to just crossing them out
The former Barrio 18 gang member has put a cross through the tattoo which once showed his loyalty to the gang
An ex member of the MS-13 gang is pictured at Santa Ana prison, with almost an entire face of tattoos, the initials MS can be seen on his chin
An ex member of the MS-13 gang is pictured at Santa Ana prison with tattoos of women and human bones tattooed over his own. The initials of another gang GLCS are tattooed onto his knuckles
Former MS-13 gang leader Valmis Mejia a.k.a. ‘el Bambi’, shows the initials MS tattooed onto his forearms. The violent MS-13 gang has been linked to the deaths of 52 people in Long Island, New York, alone over the last decade
A former gang member paints a woman from a picture at Santa Ana prison, in front of a mural that reads: ‘Principle of Lesividad Criminal Law’
Former gang members do exercises at Santa Ana prison, keeping busy during their time inside with makeshift concrete weights
An ex member of the MS-13 gang is pictured at Santa Ana prison, a tattoo of a skull covers his face while one across his chest reads f*** the police
A former member of MS-13 gang weaves a hammock at Santa Ana prison, the initials MS can be seen half crossed out on his chest
An ex gang member irons at Santa Ana prison – tattoos of a man and woman can be seen on his arms with another gang related tattoo crossed out
An ex member of the MS-13 gang is pictured at Santa Ana prison with a skull tattoo covering his entire face
An ex-gang member does some exercise at Santa Ana prison, weights are made from make shift concrete blocks
An ex member of the MS-13 gang is pictured at Santa Ana prison with dense black tattoos covering his entire body and face
A close up of the side of the former gang member’s face where the initials MS can be seen tattooed even into his hairline
Former members of Salvadoran gangs -mostly of the Mara Salvatrucha – attend a science lesson at Santa Ana prison as they learn about environmental pollution
An ex member of the MS-13 gang is pictured at Santa Ana prison with the letters MS crossed out on his back
An ex member of the MS-13 gang is pictured at Santa Ana prison, 60 km northwest of San Salvador, with a neck tattoo
Former members of MS-13 gang weave hammocks at Santa Ana prison to keep busy and work towards a future for themselves
Prison inmates can be seen waiting outside a classroom, giving a menacing look to the camera
Former gang members read books and knit at Santa Ana prison, 60 km northwest of San Salvador, on May 21, 2019