Prison’s correctional officers are being ordered to have their tattoos photographed and catalogued, in a bid to crack down on unauthorised body art that is not covered by their uniform.
The Correctional Services Agency (CSA) announced the mandatory, tattoo-documenting exercise in an internal memo sent to all correctional officers this week.
“In the case of correctional employees who have tattoos in exposed areas, this exercise will include the taking of photos of all body areas which may be exposed while wearing the uniform showing in detail such tattoos, as well as the signing of a declaration regarding tattoos,” the memo said.
“In the case of correctional employees who do not have tattoos in exposed areas, this exercise will include the signing of a declaration regarding tattoos.”
The memo, signed by the prison COO and seen by Times of Malta, is intended to help prison authorities enforce a 2022 standard operating procedure for dress codes and grooming.
People with tattoos are eligible to join the prison service, but the policy nonetheless prohibits excessive or offensive tattoos and tattoos on the face, neck and hands.
It also prohibits them from acquiring new ‘body art’ that would be visible to the public without prior approval from the CEO. But sources close to prison said some officers were getting new tattoos in visible areas without the necessary approval, and the lack of a prior inventory of existing tattoos makes it difficult to identify and address these violations of the dress code.
This irritated their colleagues, who would have liked to get new tattoos of their own but chose to respect the policy, only to realise their peers were unfairly getting away with it.
Tattoos on the neck, face and hands prohibited
Prison’s latest call for recruits also prohibits people with tattoos on the neck, face and hands from joining the prison service.
“This is why prison authorities felt they should crack down on abuse,” one source explained, adding that prison authorities have put a senior correctional inspector in charge of the process. However, while some officers said this was a step in the right direction, others complained this was a step too far and infringed on their privacy, and expressed doubt over whether prison authorities are legally allowed to impose the mandatory photographing exercise on officers.
Traditionally, tattoo restrictions for police and other disciplined forces all over the world were meant to maintain a professional and authoritative image.
Authorities argued that tattoos, especially visible ones, could be perceived as undermining authority, as they were often associated with counterculture or rebellious behaviour, which may not align with the image of a disciplined force.
They were also perceived as a distraction to the public and offence to some people. However, attitudes towards tattoos are evolving and many countries are now relaxing their restrictions.