SALT LAKE CITY — After a program that gave former gang members a clean start was forced to be put on hold, a new laser needle is starting things back up again with free tattoo removals.
Sheriff Rosie Rivera explained that as teens and young adults become more involved in gangs, they sometimes choose to get tattoos on their neck and face in order to identify themselves, which can be a later regret.
"It's really hard for the gang unit to try to encourage people to get out of a gang when identifiers are all over their face," she explained during a news conference Tuesday.
Rivera worked in the gang unit in the late 90s and saw the program in action, changing lives one tattoo removal at a time.
"They don't understand that what they're doing is for a lifetime," she reflected. "This program helps change that. It can truly change a gang member's life, one that wants to get out of a gang and one that wants to move forward, being a positive person in our community."
The Salt Lake Metro Gang Unit and Division of Plastic Surgery at the University of Utah Health run the program, partnering to find individuals and remove tattoos at absolutely no cost.
Since 1991, the program has been in motion in Utah, slowly giving people new perspectives on life and fresh starts. However, when a piece of equipment broke, efforts had to be paused temporarily.
On Tuesday, more than a year after the initial pause of the program, program leaders announced a new laser had been secured, allowing the tattoo removal process to begin once again.
Now, 41 former gang members are already in the process of having their tattoos removed.
Program participant Kirk Orton had his tattoos removed and said a new chapter of his life could fully begin because of the program.
"I didn't like what I saw, it didn't represent who I was on the inside," he explained.
Now Orton said he is able to be more comfortable at work and in life.
"I'm able to wear short-sleeved shirts, be comfortable and be proud of where I'm at in life and what I represent," he said.
Rep. Jennifer Dailey-Provost (D-Salt Lake City) was credited with legislation that passed in 2023 and allowed the new laser to be purchased.
She credited a team of individuals for the purchase of the new equipment, saying the legislature was happy to play a role in changing individual lives for the better.
"When I learned the laser had been broken for a while and the price tag on getting it fixed was substantial, I recognized immediately the state of Utah and the legislature has a vested interest in playing a role in making sure we do everything we can to help people that are coming out of this lifestyle looking for a new future, a fresh break, a clean start," she reflected.
The program is a gift to former gang members but also provides great learning experience for residents and students at The University of Utah as they learn about and perform tattoo removal, Dr. Bradford Rockwell said.
"It's a win for the university," he explained. "A win for the gang members and just overall a great program."
For the 41 inmates currently getting tattoos removed, Rockwell said it takes six to eight treatments, with sessions being spaced out four to eight weeks apart until tattoos disappear and a completely fresh chapter begins.
