Artist's Statement: Tattoos are ancient, international, cultural icons. They are very familiar to detained youth due to their omnipresence in popular culture. It is not unusual for today’s teenager to have a parent who bears a tattoo. These murals serve as a powerful medium to convey thought-provoking ideas such as parenthood, self-respect, and sacrifice. Each individual who sees these words and phrases will have a different interpretation of them based on his or her own personal experiences. My hope is that the youth living with these murals will gain a deeper understanding of the words and their concepts as time passes.