Prince William program offers teens, former gang members tattoo removal

Elizabeth Walter spent a week in the hospital after her boyfriend stabbed her 14 times. She was 14 years old.

Since then, her boyfriend has been sent to prison and now, four years later, Walter spends her time highlighting the dangers of becoming involved with gangs.

She speaks to children and teenagers at local schools, and though she never officially joined a gang, her boyfriend was a gang member. She said she was drawn to him and the dangerous lifestyle when she was younger. While she was with her boyfriend, Daniel, she had his name tattooed on various spots on her body, most prominently on her right shoulder.

Then the two got into an argument and he stabbed her.

Last week marked her 10th trip to the Greater Prince William Community Health Center to get the "Daniels" removed. Her tattoos are all but gone.

"I got them off because of my daughters, so they wouldn't ask a lot of questions about them," Walter said.

Hers is a story that members of the Prince William County Department of Social Services, and others who donate their time at the Greater Prince William Community Health Center, consider a success.

It didn't cost anything for Walter to get her tattoos removed because she became involved in the Making A Change program, which allows those younger than 22 to have gang-related tattoos removed for free. Those ages 22 to 29 are asked to pay a $20 fee per visit to the clinic.

The program is a partnership among local, state and national agencies.

Richard H. Buchholz, with Prince William's Gang Response Intervention Team, said it takes at least 10 visits to the clinic before tattoos are completely gone.

Participants must demonstrate their commitment to leaving the gang and not have been involved with any gang activity for at least six months before their first treatment, Buchholz said. They can't rack up any new criminal charges, they must be enrolled in school with a good attendance record, or have a job or working on getting one if they are no longer in school.

They can't use alcohol and must be drug-free when they apply to be considered for the MAC program, and if on parole, must be in compliance with all the rules of the their probation. They also must complete 50 hours of community service before they even think about attending their first clinical session.

Many of the participants at a recent removal clinic had three dots tattooed on their skin.

Brian L. Coe, with the Office of National Drug Control Policy, said the dots signify "living the crazy life" and are common among those in the gang culture.

Glenda Robles was 17 when her friends held her down and tattooed the dots on her hand, against her will.

"We went to a friend's house and had a lot to drink and then they just tattooed me," she said.

She said she was never officially in a gang. Now 23, she is finishing up at a local community college and plans to transfer to George Mason University. She works at the volunteer clinic where the tattoos are removed and said her parents are excited to see them disappear.

"They won't think I'm in a gang anymore," Robles said.

Uriah A. Kiser is a staff writer for the News & Messenger in Woodbridge.