Tattoo Artist Wanted… Inside The Department of Corrections
By Sidra Lackey
Isn’t it ironic? Tattoos are illegal to give and get in United States prisons yet the Minnesota Department of Corrections is looking to hire a “Tattoo Supervisor - Project Consultant Senior” in Stillwater, Minnesota. They are seeking a tattoo artist with at least three years of experience in tattooing and would prefer to hire a tattoo artist with prior experience also in a corrections facility. The job pays $28 - $42 per hour which is roughly $59k-$78k annually.
The main job of “Tattoo Supervisor - Project Consultant Senior” at the Minnesota prison is to supervise a new tattooing program there. The goal of the tattoo program is to reduce repeat criminal activities by a prisoner, according to DOC spokesperson Nick Kimball. Kimball says the biggest risk factor for formerly incarcerated people is not being able to find employment. "By creating a licensed tattoo establishment in our prisons & offering a path to becoming a licensed tattoo technician we provide another potential employment opportunity upon release for those who participate, with the goal of reducing recidivism," he states.
Another important goal of the tattoo program in Minnesota Correctional Facility-Stillwater is to prevent the spread of bloodborne diseases. Illegal tattooing in prisons poses health risks but the “innovative project” hopes to, “make prisons a little safer for those who are incarcerated and staff,” Kimball further says. Kimball claims treating hepatitis C costs about $20,000-$75,000 per person. "By reducing the potential for transmission of bloodborne diseases, we are creating a safer environment for everyone and also being more prudent with taxpayer dollars," he concludes.
This “Tattoo Supervisor - Project Consultant Senior” job sounds promising and is very needed actually. It can make tattooing within prisons safer and can give the more artistic prisoners a future career path once they are civilians again. Tattoo artists, would you consider applying for this position? (Update: Glassdoor lists the job posting: expired) Or if a similar job opens up in the future?