News...
                        sponsored by

 

Sheriff's chaplain removes ex-offenders' tattoos

Send a link to a friend 

[November 06, 2013]  HOUSTON (AP) -- A sheriff's department chaplain in Texas has found a new calling: removing tattoos for ex-offenders.

Wayne Heintze works for the Harris County Sheriff's Department in Houston. He got the idea when he met a former gang member who was sure he would never get a job because of his tattoos.

Heintze sought training to learn how to remove ink from underneath skin. And earlier this year, he and his wife Francine bought a laser and opened a small clinic.

They offer a big discount to gang members, prostitutes, burglars and other ex-cons in exchange for community service.

Heintze says it's almost as if he is "able to erase a chapter of their life."

Tattoo removal is part of a jail program that also offers offenders drug and job counseling.

___

Watch The Associated Press' video here: http://apne.ws/1b2ep4t

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

< Top Stories index

Back to top