What happens in prison may not always stay in prison, especially when it's permanently etched on someone's face.
While Mark Cropp was serving time in New Zealand's Christchurch prison, he concluded that getting a tattoo while drunk was a good life choice. Now, the 19-year-old is out of prison after serving two years for armed robbery, and seems to be having some trouble obtaining employment because of a tattoo, which reads DEVAST8, that covers half of his face.
According to the Daily Mail, Cropp didn’t mean to have a permanent memento of his time in prison permanently inked over his mouth. In what may be a bizarre twist of fate, when Cropp was put into prison, his brother was his cell mate.
One night, Cropp decided to get what was supposed to be a small tattoo aimed at scaring off potential prison attackers. But according to him, the experience didn't go so well.
The Daily Mail reports, “The tattoo was meant to be a 'little one along the jawline,' but the pair got carried away after drinking home brew made from fermented apples, sugar, and bread.”
In layman's terms, the two brothers got drunk while holding a needle to Cropp’s face and screwed up his life. Cropp himself may have some regrets, though he maintains that "DEVAST8" is his nickname and is not connected to any gangs in the prison.
After realizing that his tattoo may be one of the reasons he cannot get a job since leaving prison, Cropp posted on the Auckland Facebook page that he was really “keen” to work but no one would hire him. There were some positive reactions, and some people responded with suggestions, but is unclear if any of the posters will offer Cropp employment.
Then again, another possible reason for Cropp's lack of job may be his criminal record of armed robbery. He was locked up in 2015 after he pulled a knife on a tourist who backed out of a fake marijuana sale. Perhaps some employers are hesitant to hire someone who engaged in that kind of violent criminal activity.
This situation may seem unfair to some, but tattoos on the face, whatever the size, generally don't reflect professional conduct, and may not land the possessor of said facial tattoos any brilliant job prospects.