The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office is now offering free tattoo removal to certain inmates.
The Tattoo Removal Program is now available at the Northern Branch Jail in Santa Maria. It's a partnership with Dr. John Baeke and Dr. Bernard Weinstock, who sheriff's officials say have both received special training on the use of the Tri-Beam laser tattoo removal machine.
The sheriff's office says the purpose of the program is to assist in the rehabilitation of inmates by removing tattoos that could hinder their ability to reintegrate back into the community when they're released.
To be eligible for the Tattoo Removal Program, inmates must be participating in rehabilitation programs, have no current discipline reports, and their sentence must be long enough to be able to complete the tattoo removal process.
Appointments will be offered on a weekly basis.
