Stillwater Prison To Open Tattoo Shop To Lower Hepatitis C Infections

STILLWATER, MN — Officials at the Minnesota Department of Corrections are planning to launch a tattoo parlor inside the Stillwater prison as part of a new project to reduce hepatitis C infections among people being held there.

The department posted an opening last month for a job based at the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Stillwater, seeking a tattoo supervisor who can lead a new tattoo/body art studio.

The job listing shows it is a temporary position that could last up to three years. The tattoo supervisor will earn an annual salary of about $59,000-$87,000, according to the listing.

The tattoo supervisor will be responsible for establishing a sanctioned tattoo parlor to offer safe, hygienic body art and remove tattoos, Star Tribune columnist Jennifer Brooks reported.

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Officials are hoping the parlor will reduce hepatitis C infections among people in the prison — about 80 to 100 people in the state prison system are treated each year — according to the report. Cures for Hepatitis C cost $20,000 to $70,000 per person, the report states.

Hepatitis C can easily spread among people in prison who tattoo themselves or each other using unsterilized tools, including electric motors, ballpoint pens and other shared and contaminated needles, the Associated Press reports.

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The prison parlor will also offer job training, giving those being held there an opportunity to learn a skill they can use when they are released, Minnesota Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell told the Star Tribune.

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