Removing The Past

Gang members who have been incarcerated are getting a second chance in Singapore to renounce their past and start fresh. Volunteer doctors are performing free tattoo removal for a selected group of 300 inmates based on conduct. "I was just telling an inmate that hopefully, what we do externally will transform into something good internally" told one volunteer doctor to The Straight Times. Many ex-gang members face discrimination once released into society based on visible gang related tattoos. Laser removal can be an expensive procedure that not all ex-gang members can afford. These doctors see the desire to change in these inmates and offer their services for free; hoping that removing the gang related tattoo will also remove their will to return to gang life once released.