![]() I gained a newfound confidence in my place in society and took the risk of starting my own small business which has been successful. During the removal process I have noticed a change in how people look at me as well as interact with me. Through the services of Sunrise, I have removed 5 tattoos and I’m finishing the removal of my 6th and final tattoo. I was referred to Sunrise by Homies Unidos. I knew I had to remove the tattoos on my face and neck in order for an employer to take me seriously and hire me. I realized that my tattoos were not letting me get the jobs I wanted. ![]() I started working as a day laborer but wanted a more secure job. I knew at that moment that I had to change my life so I moved my family away from the Westlake area. I managed to win my case and was released. My older brother was serving 50 to life and I did not want to end up like him and miss out on being a father to my daughter. I had an eight-year-old daughter at the time. By the time I was 25, I was locked up for two and a half years while fighting a case. I dropped out of high school in 10th grade. I started getting tattoos to honor my gang and establish my status in my hood - these included tattoos on my face and neck. At 14, I was jumped into a gang in my neighborhood. When I was 13 my homeboy gave me my first tattoo. “I grew up in the Westlake area of Los Angeles. I hope to help young men make better choices for themselves than ending up in gangs or prison” Testimonial #2 I now feel accepted and not judged.Ĭoming to Sunrise has given me the opportunity to create a new network of friends and colleagues and volunteering has given me the power to reach out to the troubled youth that are heading down the same path as I did. I have noticed a change in how people talk to me and seeing the tattoos no longer there helps me to further leave my past destructive lifestyle behind. I have since removed 3 of my visible tattoos and am in the process of removing 5 more. As the house manager in one of the re-entry homes, I met the Executive Director of Sunrise and we made an arrangement to remove the ex-lifers tattoos for free. ![]() Women were scared and hesitant to approach me while some men acted in fear. Her teachers and the other parents were fearful and judgmental. My daughter called me “dumb” for having tattooed my neighborhood on my stomach and was embarrassed by me. I knew removing gang/prison tattoos was a critical component in doing so. After serving 30+ years in prison, I was released into the custody of Sister Mary Shawn Hodges of the Archdiocese due to my desire to help others positively reintegrate into society. These tattoos were the cause of many fights and misunderstandings.Īs a result of these fights and misunderstandings, I helped create “Criminals and Gangmembers Anonymous” in 1996 to help cope with this lifestyle addiction. While in prison, I got 20 more tattoos to represent my gang affiliation as well as my lifestyle. I had my problems with the law from a young age but it was not until I was in my 30s that I was sentenced to 27 years to life in State prison. At 17, I got my gang’s name on my stomach, and by 18 I had 5 tattoos (on my hands and neck) identifying me as a member of the gang. “I was 15 when I first got involved with my neighborhood gang.
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