Tattoo Removal Helps Youths In New Lifestyles
T.G.I.F.: the phrase is so common even a restaurant is named after it. In Spokane, Fridays take on even more meaning - they are days kids change their lives for the better.
Each Friday, ex-gang members undergo laser surgery to remove gang-affiliated tattoos as part of the Tattoo Off Program.
TOP is a voluntary program started in 1985 at the urging of Spokane dermatologist Dr. Philip Werschler “to help kids who want their lives changed,” he said.
Candidates for the program must be younger than 25 years old (priority is given to those younger than 18), have gang tattoos in visible places (face, necks, hands) and commit to a lifestyle change.
They are referred by various agencies including Second Chance Boot Camp, Juvenile Court/Probation, Healing Lodge and Spokane School District 81. The referring agency monitors the youths to ensure they implement lifestyle changes as part of their rehabilitation, such as establishing new, healthy relationships with positive influences, reestablishing relationships with family, getting community support and finding mentors that can support them in their new life, said Sandy Nokes, Tattoo Off Project Administrator.
However, the changes can seldom be made without first removing the proof of their gang involvement, Nokes said. Not only do the gang signs discourage prospective employers, they are eternal reminders to friends, parents, rival gangs and your own gang.
And gangs are a problem, according to research Nokes compiled from Spokane Police Department Gang Unit statistics. In 1995, six of 24 homicides were proven to be gang-related, and there were 359 gang-related service calls in the city. There are approximately 330 known gang members in Spokane, 50 percent of which are under 18. The Spokane Police Department is currently tracking 300-700 confirmed or suspected gang members who range in age from 11 to mid-30’s. All races and both sexes are included in this group.
If you have a criminal record, it’s not taped to your back, said Werschler. But with the gang tattoos, “everyone sees the signs. These are the scarlet letters of the 1990s.”
Last year, Tattoo Off served about 100 people with a fairly even ratio of men and women, Nokes said. Their goal for 1998 is to serve 350 people. But the job won’t be done until each youth that wants his or her gang-related tattoo removed comes in for treatment, Werschler said.
TOP was the first program of its kind in Washington and participants come from all over Washington, Idaho, Montana and Oregon. A similar program has been set up in the Seattle-Tacoma area.
Under normal circumstances, laser tattoo removal can run up to $1,000-$1,600 per tattoo. The Spokane Dermatology Clinic’s Valley office provides the service free of charge to kids younger than 18. All they have to do is perform eight hours of community service before receiving each treatment. Older ex-gang bangers are seen on a sliding scale fee: people ages 19-22 pay $25 and people ages 22-25 are charged $50 to remove all their gang-related symbols.
Make no mistake about it though, the process is painful, said Dan Darrell, the physician’s assistant who performs removal. He compares the feeling to being splashed by scalding bacon grease.
Darrell is busy all day Friday, working on 10-15 people per week, he said. Three to five treatments are usually needed to wipe out homemade tattoos. Most gang tattoos are not done professionally, but by cutting or poking the skin and filling the cuts with ink, Darrell said.
The kids are excited about losing the signs of their gang involvement, Darrell said.
It helps kids see that a fresh start is probable and possible, said Werschler. “The tattoo fades after each treatment, so they can watch it get better - they have a visible endpoint,” he said.
For more information, call Nokes at 838-1083.
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