Laser tattoo specialist offering free laser treatment to inmates, ex-gang members
A Winnipeg laser tattoo removal specialist is going behind bars to help inmates erase a painful reminder of a life they are trying to leave behind.
Della Steinke, owner of Mother Ink Tattoo Removal, has been offering the free laser treatment to ex-gang members, former inmates, and people looking for a new start for the past nine years.
“Everything else is a lot easier if you don’t have a gang sign on your face,” Steinke told CTV News Monday.
In October, Steinke received provincial and municipal funding for the first time – and recently, started providing the treatment to inmates incarcerated at Headingley Men’s Correction Centre (HCC).
“I’m going to guess we probably have somewhere in the neighbourhood of about 150 guys on the waiting list right now,” she estimated.
Steinke said prison tattoos are made from soot mixed with water or baby oil – and the recipients sometimes have no other option but to get inked.
“Some of them were forced to get these tattoos or some of them – most of them – are getting these tattoos inside jail as protection,” she explained. “You know, if you got a five-year sentence, wouldn’t you get a tattoo if that meant you were going to be safe?”
She said prison and gang-related tattoos can be a barrier for pepple wanting to reintegrate into the community following their release.
"But if you get rid of those tattoos and you come out and, you know, we can get you housing and a job and everything even before you walk out that door, then they're already ahead of the game,” Steinke said.
Steinke helps connect clients with a variety of social supports, primarily through Spence Neighbourhood Association.
She said the process of removing tattoos is painful, likening it to a burn, but said clients are grateful for a second chance.
“They get very emotional when they can actually see that starting to disappear, because they said when they look in the mirror every day, it's just a constant reminder of that past and the things they've done in the past that, you know, a lot of them regret.”
In an email, a provincial spokesperson told CTV News if the pilot project is deemed successful, it will consider expanding the program into Headingley Women’s Correctional Centre.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Child under 5 dies of measles in Ontario: PHO
A young child has died of measles in Ontario, marking the first death in the province from the highly contagious virus in more than 10 years, a Public Health Ontario report confirms.
NEW Pack the macaroni necklace: Lessons on evacuations from a woman who fled one of Canada's worst wildfires
Carol Christian had 15 minutes to evacuate her home during the Fort McMurray wildfires in 2016. She ended up losing the house and everything inside. Now, she wants to share the lessons she learned.
Think twice before sharing 'heartbreaking' social media posts, RCMP warn
Mounties in B.C. are urging people to think twice before sharing "heartbreaking posts" on social media.
'Ugly produce': One way Canadians are shrinking rising grocery bills
As the cost of food in Canada has risen, grocery shoppers are looking at ways to reduce their grocery bill, and more are choosing price over beauty, turning to companies that deliver so-called 'misfit' produce at a fraction of the cost.
Vatican revamps norms to evaluate visions of Mary as it adapts to Internet age and combats hoaxers
The Vatican on Friday radically reformed its process for evaluating alleged visions of the Virgin Mary, weeping statues and other seemingly supernatural phenomena, insisting on having the final say in whether the events are worthy of popular devotion.
Wildfires burning across Canada: Communities threatened as flames creep closer
Thousands of residents fled Fort McMurray this week, fearing a repeat of the 2016 wildfire that forced out the entire community and torched more than 2,400 homes.
5 secrets to moving better and preventing avoidable injury
Countless people seek emergency care for back pain, muscle strains and similar injuries resulting from “moving wrong” during mundane, everyday tasks such as bending over to tie shoes, lifting objects or doing household chores.
Trudeau calls New Brunswick's Conservative government a 'disgrace' on women's rights
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau assailed New Brunswick's premier and other conservative leaders on Thursday, calling out the provincial government's position on abortion, LGBTQ youth and climate change.
French police fatally shoot a man suspected of setting fire to a synagogue
French police shot and killed a man armed with a knife and a metal bar who is suspected of having set fire to a synagogue in the Normandy city of Rouen early on Friday, the latest apparent act in a storm of antisemitism roiling France amid the Israel-Hamas war.