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
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6448153.1687265072!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
A new tax filing system could give Canadians more than $1 billion in unclaimed benefits: PBO
Canadians would get more than $1 billion in unclaimed benefits each year through an automatic tax filing system, according to a report published by the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO).
'All hands on deck situation': City of Calgary declares state of local emergency over water main break
The City of Calgary declared a local state of emergency Saturday morning in response to the latest developments in a major water main break that is impacting the city.
Video shows northern Ont. storm hammer shoreline, breaking dock
The owner of a northern Ont. camp is continuing to clean up after an intense storm that prompted a tornado warning Thursday ripped through the area breaking his dock and downing trees.
U.K. royals unite on palace balcony as Princess of Wales returns to public view after cancer diagnosis
London put on a display of birthday pageantry Saturday for King Charles III, a military parade that marked the Princess of Wales ' first public appearance since her cancer diagnosis early this year.
Trudeau calls into question findings of stunning watchdog foreign interference report
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he has concerns with how conclusions were gathered in a spy watchdog report.
Abducted child found dead and sister injured in suspected human trafficking case, authorities say
36-year-old Daniel Callihan was arrested Thursday after a 35-year-old mother was found dead and her two abducted daughters were later discovered in Mississippi – one dead and the other alive – in what investigators say may be a human trafficking case.
Man who stabbed Mexican tourist in Vancouver Tim Hortons 2 years ago released from prison, police warn
Vancouver police are warning the public that the man who stabbed a stranger in a downtown coffee shop in January 2022 has been released and will be living in the city again.
Here’s what we know about the 5 new hotspots on the broken water main: City of Calgary
Late Friday afternoon, the City of Calgary held a media availability to deliver an update on the status of the 16 Avenue water main break that delivered shocking news.
One person in custody after armed Manitoulin Island standoff
The armed standoff that created a large police presence on Manitoulin Island on Saturday morning has ended peacefully and one suspect is in custody, police confirmed to CTVNewsNorthernOntario.ca.