Prison inmates in Canada are being professionally trained in tattoo-shop maintenance, tattoo application and disease prevention as part of a pilot project operated by Correctional Service Canada.

The program is aimed at cutting down use of unclean needles and the spread of disease.

The agency has opened six tattooing sites in prisons of all security levels across Canada as part of a measure to prevent the spread of blood-borne diseases in the prison population, where the incidence of HIV is 10 times higher than in the general population, and the rate of hepatitis C is nearly 30 times higher.

To be eligible for the program, tattoo designs must be approved by prison officials and must not be gang-related, or deemed racist. Participating inmates must have a good prison record.

Prisoners are allowed a one-hour controlled session with an inmate tattoo artist for about $4.25. The program is still in an experimental phase and its ongoing progress is contingent upon a review in March 2006.

Officials say that if the pilot project is successful, it may be expanded to more prisons across Canada.