MODOC’s second tattoo apprenticeship program is up and running at Algoa — and already improving lives.
Story by Marcus Wilkins. Photos by Garry Brix.
Professional tattooing requires a steady hand. Artists must be calm, focused, patient and disciplined to best render the visions of their vivid imaginations.
John Lee’s tattoo: a royal flush of playing
cards on his arm.
Deakin O’Connor, tattoo apprenticeship program instructor at Algoa Correctional Center (ACC), naturally exudes all of these qualities — usually. To remind himself of the importance of this last virtue, he created his own Norse rune (symbol), which now permanently adorns his right temple.
“It stands for ‘discipline’ and is a reminder of what’s at stake for me,” O’Connor said. “It helps me stay on track and do all the little things.”
O’Connor’s temperament is perfectly suited to the program, which launched in April and is the second of its kind at a Missouri Department of Corrections (MODOC) institutions; the first, for the state and the nation, opened in 2024 at Western Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center (WRDCC) in St. Joseph.
Yet despite his chill demeanor, O’Connor has boundless enthusiasm for his students — some of whom he considers among the most talented artists he’s encountered during his 10-year career as a tattooist.
There’s Chavez Aldridge, currently detailing a spade from a royal-flush tattoo on the arm of John Lee, his classmate, who hasn’t yet attempted his first tattoo as an artist. Nearby, Eric Higgins fills in a mandala on the arm of another beginner, Lester Fehling. In an adjacent room, Cody Streu adds intricate dragon scales to his latest pencil drawing in a book full of breathtaking sketches that a future client might browse.
“Some tattoo artists are better with color, others with black and gray,” O’Connor said. “These guys all have different styles, and it has been amazing to watch them develop those styles, challenge themselves and lean into their strengths.”
Like the students at WRDCC, ACC residents must complete 300 hours of tattooing, along with CPR and bloodborne pathogen training, before receiving Missouri tattooing licenses through the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance’s Division of Professional Registration.
O’Connor is well qualified to shepherd the residents through the process. Not only is he a tattooist at VillainUS Art tattoo studio in Jefferson City, but he is also a living reentry success story — a previously incarcerated artist who now earns a living through his creative pursuits.
“I don’t want to sound like that guy who says tattooing saved my life, but I guess I will say it,” O’Connor said. “This industry has kept me out of more trouble than I can put into words. It has brought me peace and joy.”
year, but has already won several awards
for his work at tattoo conventions.
Dream Catcher
As an artist, Luke Scammell is still relatively new to the tattoo game. He also prefers a palette of bold colors and ex
aggerated, cartoon-like proportions — a style of tattooing known as “new school.”
But when the formerly incarcerated graduate of the WRDCC tattoo program joined the professional ranks at Studio 22 Tattoo in his hometown of Springfield, he was already a seasoned veteran.
Scammell’s body is covered in tattoos, crowning his scalp, sleeving his arms and dramatically framing his focused facial features as he crafts award-winning work on his clients’ skin.
For Scammell, ink is his identity.
“The day that I got out, I did my in-person interview and started the next day,” said Scammell, who was released on parole in May 2025. “I’ve been in the shop pretty much every day since then, except for holidays.”
In that time, Scammell has also been making the circuit at regional tattoo conventions — and bringing home hardware. In October 2025, he took “best color tattoo” honors, along with second place in the anime category and third place in the “medium color” category, at the Royal Disorder Tattoo Expo in Joplin.
on parole in May 2025 and
works at Misfit Tattoo Studio
in Springfield.
He also won best collaboration with his brother, Zach Vaughn, at the Freak Arts Expo in Springfield in August 2025, and second place for best sleeve at the West Plains Tattoo Convention in West Plains in May 2026.
“The process of incarceration and everything I’ve been through changed me as a person and an artist,” Scammell said. “It’s made certain subject matters appeal to me more. I’ve always been very into color, but I think I’ve kind of refined my style and found what speaks to me — bolder and happier themes.”
Scammell shows no signs of slowing down. He hopes to obtain sponsorship, a practice in which tattoo supply companies pay artists to compete at national conventions. He also aims to open his own studio in 2035 — 10 years after his release.
“The tattoo program in St. Joe is the best thing that could have happened to me,” Scammell said. “Without it, I would have had to do an apprenticeship after I got out — which takes a minimum of a year, not making any money. That would have been a tremendous struggle. “The program gave me the foundation to make my dreams come true.”
Next Generation
The ACC tattoo studio shares building space with the newest MODOC vocational endeavor, the barber program, which opened in August 2026. Cody Streu, with an explosion of curly hair atop his head that has become something of a trademark, sits in contrast to the nearby barber’s pole as he diligently builds his portfolio.
“When I grew my hair out, people would say I looked like Sideshow Bob from The Simpsons or [artist] Bob Ross,”
Before he tattoos human skin, he’ll practice on rubber
skins.
Streu said. “I figured, why not embrace it? So, I sign my work, ‘Sideshow Art.’ Maybe it will be the name of my studio someday.”
The success of Missouri’s tattoo apprenticeship program has caught the attention of correctional departments in other states. O’Connor said he recently spent several hours on the phone with a potential instructor in Wisconsin who was looking for advice.
“I would also love to see this happen at the federal level, and I would love to be a part of it,” O’Connor said. “I want to take this program to places nobody expects. If it’s done right, it can change the industry of tattooing.”
In the meantime, students will keep logging those hours — a process that can take 12 to 18 months to complete — while O’Connor leverages his industry connections to help place his students in tattoo studios.
“I’m super curious to see how far these guys go,” O’Connor said. “I’ll be watching and cheering them on from a distance.”
