Tattoo Transformation Program

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2022

In October of 2021 the highly anticipated tattoo removal/cover-ups program opened in the DuPage Correctional Facility. This endeavor was initiated by the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office and JUST of DuPage, a non-profit organization housed in the DuPage Correctional Facility. The Sheriff’s Office and the JUST organization collaborated on this initiative seeing a need to rid the stigma placed on former gang members. Some the stigmas include physical markings such as tattoos from gang affiliation, and this became the platform on which tattoo/cover-ups studio was birthed. The goal is for former gang members to become productive members of society through various programs that meet their cognitive, emotional, and social needs to re-entry back into the community. However, in order for successful re-entry to take place removal of tattoos or cover-ups associated with their former life, which is an emotional process, but a necessary one to accomplish this goal. Participants in the program are fully aware of the consequences of such removal/cover-ups of their gang-affiliated markings. These individuals chose to benefit from the potential opportunities without the markings, such as gainful employment, personal and relational growth and becoming positive productive members of the community as a whole. They are very excited about becoming positive productive members of the community.