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Prison gangs and the role they play in prison security
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Prison gangs and the role they play in prison security
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Prison gangs are defined as criminal organizations that are formed in the penal system and operate within the prison facilities. How does prison gangs affect the correctional system you ask? Well let's break it down. Without a central ideology controlling how inmates act, it can be dangerous to be a lone prisoner. The main reason why inmates affiliate with gangs is for safety. People in prison feel vulnerable, and turning to gangs is a way to protect oneself from other inmates. Gangs control how the prison operates, so an inmate doesn't want to be left out of the system. Gangs are a source of safety in a dangerous environment and they regulate social and economic affairs, including the underground economy. Because of their activities, California …show more content…
While organized violence is worse than no violence at all, it's at least somewhat predictable. In terms of the economy,gangs help regulate things like cell phones, drugs, and alcohol, Skarbek said. "Prison gangs often rely on extensive written constitutions, explicit codes, elections, and complaint procedures," he said. "They require new recruits to prove their ability to operate effectively in prison, to wield violence, and to negotiate interactions with other inmates and staff." He said some of the larger gangs require lifetime commitments. While there are obviously many negatives to prison gangs, such as the fact some require people to kill or hurt others just to prove themselves, they do help maintain at least some level of order in an overcrowded and poorly managed prison system. Overcrowding has often been associated with an increase in prison gangs and violence across the globe, and it is often because prisons are overwhelmed by managing so many people. With the gangs, you at least have solid groups to …show more content…
Neta is the name of an Hispanic gang that was formed in the late 70s at Oso Blanco prison. In the late 80s, the gang branched out to the east coast of the United States, where they now have over 8,000 members. The gang claims that much of the work done by their faithful members involves teaching Hispanic culture and education, some of which includes experiences from inside prison, and many members claim they are strictly part of an inmate-rights group. However, this is thought of as just a front, as the gang’s main source of income is retail distribution of powder and crack cocaine, heroin, marijuana and, to a lesser extent, LSD, MDMA, methamphetamine and PCP. Neta members commit assault, auto theft, burglary, drive-by shootings, extortion, home invasion, money laundering, robbery, weapons and explosives trafficking, and witness intimidation, just to name a few. They use the facade of a cultural organization and see themselves as oppressed people who are unwilling to be governed by the United
The first mistake in the correctional system is grouping gangs instead of separating them. Putting members of the same gang together only makes them feel right at home and comfortable in their surroundings. In addition, rival gang members are able to interact, leading to a increased level of hatred towards each other, which is then brought back to the streets. Bangers are taken off the street only to be reunited with fellow bangers in the same situation only behind bars.
The Ñeta Prison Gang or “Asocacion Ñeta” originated in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico during the early 1970’s. The gang received its name from their Taino origins; when a baby was born, the parents would hold the baby up and scream “Ñeta.” The founder of the gang was Carlos Irriarte who was given the nickname The Shadow, or “La Sombra”. The gang erupted when a group of offenders wanted to stand up and defend inmate rights and call attention to the abuses they experienced by some of the other prisoners and guards. The gang also banded together in order to battle with another gang who called themselves “G’27’s” or “Los Insectos.” The Ñeta gang evolved from a maximum-security prison called “Oso Blanco.” The Ñeta gang’s leader, Irriarte, was later killed in March of 1981 after he was betrayed by the leader of the G’27’s, a fellow gang member, and a guard who was in on the plan; he was stabbed and shot. Since many of the gangs were in the drug trafficking business, his death led to a series of prison riots that ended up with the stealing of narcotics in the pharmacy. In order to seek revenge for their leader’s death, the Ñeta Gang chiseled a tunnel that eventually led straight to the cell of “Manota”, the G’27’s leader, and stabbed him repeatedly before they cut his body into 84 pieces. Although this was an obvious sign of dominance within the prison, it was also a call for attention.
A gang is an organized group with a recognized leader whose activities are either criminal or, at the very least, threatening to the community. (Walker, 2011) Throughout history there have been some infamous gangs that have gotten media attention and others that have gone under the radar. One of the more underground gang structures are prison gangs. The Nuestra Familia may not be in the news as much anymore compared to other gangs, but they are nothing to be taken lightly. Prison gangs have been around since the late 20th century and only seem to be getting stronger if nothing is going to be done to prevent them. Gangs in prison have members in and out of prison. One of the more popular gangs that has been gaining steam recently is the mainly Hispanic gang La Nuestra Familia. The purpose of this paper is to write about the history of the NF, the structure in which it operates, and some good preventative tactics that could prevent prison gangs from becoming stronger.
This paper will cover issues that young minorities encounter in the movies; Crips and Bloods: Made in America (2008), Gran Torino (2008), A Better Life (2011). Movies will be summarize, and compare and contrast youths experienced. Criminological theories shall be utilized to further elaborate issues. Finally steps and theories will be utilized towards solving issues, also possible methods to correct the issues will be addressed in the end.
Prison gangs were created by inmates as a way to protect themselves from other inmates. Each prison gang has their reasons for existing. There are five prison gangs in the United States. These gangs are as follow: The Aryan Brotherhood, The Black Guerilla Family, Texas Syndicate, Mexican Mafia, and Lanuestra Familia. They all have similar beliefs, meanings of their tattoos, how gangs impact their lives and society, and the challenges they bring the prison system in order to decrease gang population.
Prison gangs are originally formed by inmates as a way of protecting themselves from the other inmates. These gangs have turned out to be violent and thus posing a threat to security. This paper will have a look at the different gangs in prisons, their history, beliefs and missions, and the differences and similarities in these gangs.
Criminal activities and gangs have mostly always been an on going problem in the United States. Gangs and gang members are frequently involved with a variety of different crimes. The 2008 National Youth Gang Survey reported that there are approximately 774,000 active gang members in the United States (Egley, Howell, & Moore, 2010). The 2008 National Youth Gang Survey also states that there are about 27,900 active gangs in the United States (Egley et al., 2010). The active gangs in California have caused a major impact on the state in many ways. According to the California Department of Justice, approximately 300,000 gang members are living in California (Crawford, 2009). California also attributes more than 25 percent of all homicides to gang activity (Crawford, 2009). This is a staggering huge amount. The rise of gang involvement and gang crime has led law enforcement to issue and enforce gang injunctions. However, these gang injunctions do not completely eliminate gang crime and they have no effect after one year of being issued. Also, gang injunctions interfere with the lives of normal people in society.
States such as California and New York have a big problem with gangs. Gang-related homicides in Los Angeles County has increased dramatically in the last 16 years, reaching epidemic proportions especially for young male African Americans and Hispanics, according to a study by co-authored by Deirdre Anglin, assistant professor of emergency medicine at LAC+USC (Maceo para.1). When someone decides to join a gang they have to let current members of the gang know that they are going to be a member for life and they are dedicated to the gang, this can be proven in a gang affiliation. Boys are usually forced to fight several gang members at the same time. This is called being "rolled-in" or "walking the line." Girls may be forced to have sex with several gang members or fight other female members. For some gangs you have to beat someone up, rob a store or commit a drive-by shooting. This puts innocent citizens in danger. In Chicago, the year 2012, more than 40 people were shot over Memorial Day weekend alone (Childress para.2).
One of the major problems of corrections today is the security threat group - more commonly known as the prison gang. A security threat group (STG) can be defined as any group of offenders who pose a treat to the security and physical safety of the institution. Throughout the 1960's and 1970's, prison gangs focused primarily on uniting inmates for self protection and the monopolization of illegal prison activities for monetary gain (F.B.P., 1994, p. 2). STGs are mostly divided along racial lines and practiced defiance towards authority. STGs use a variety of hand signs, alphabet codes, tattoos, and different types of gang terminology. Gangs characteristically have rivals and make an alliance with other gangs. The criminal activity of S.T.G.’s does not only exist inside the confines of the prison walls, but has flowed to the outside world. “Prostitution, extortion, drug selling, gambling, loan sharking – such activities are invariably operated by prison gangs” (Gaines, Kaune, Miller, 2000, p.652). The Texas Prison System consists of eleven classified security threat groups; Texas chooses to classify a gang as a STG when they become involved in violent activity. “Prison gangs exist in the institutions of forty states and also in the federal system” (Clear and Cole, 2000, p. 260). Three main stages that the offender will experience with the S.T.G. are recruitment, the gang experience, and affiliation upon release.
Gangs have been around forever and there are two types of gangs which are, street gangs and prison gangs. They have the same structures that are divided as leadership and soldiers. The main difference between a street gang and prison gang is that a prison gangs are more disciplined than a street gang. Incarcerated members cannot escape their environment and therefore, are forced to comply with the facilities and gangs regulation. Gangs are always involved with criminal activity and it's difficult to control negative behavior and to lower recidivism rates for gang members.
Violence Gangs are known to be very violent. Gangs use violence to protect their own gang members from enemy attacks.
Youth gangs in North American society are nothing new. When we turn on the news we often hear stories of misguided youth contributing to yet another gang related crime. Even though it is known that youth crimes are overrepresented in the media today, the subject of youth gang activity is quite a predicament to our society. Over the last few years, there has been a moral panic created by constant exposure to the media which portrays a great amount of youth crimes and violence. In Canada there are large urban cities with high proportions of young people, many of which live in poverty, that now have the issue of dealing with youth gangs and youth crimes. Toronto, British Columbia, and Ottawa are examples of Canadian cities that have youth gang problems. The implementation of the new Youth Criminal Justice Act (2002) has changed the way youth crimes are dealt with legally in Canada. It is one step in the right direction for dealing with the issue of youth offending. Although the new act is not perfect, it will provide a better sense of justice to society because it calls for greater punishment for youths who re-offend. Youth Gangs in Canada are a potentially serious problem that needs to be addressed and tactically prevented. If preventative measures are not taken, these large populated urban areas in Canada will have problems similar to those of some major American cities. This essay will analyze the youth gang problem in Canada. It will cover topics such as types of youth gangs, the seriousness of the problem, and the cause for the creation of youth gangs from a Social Disorganization theory perspective. It will also examine the effect of the Youth Criminal Justice Act on gang crime.
They do this to ensure that they reduce the chances of becoming a victim within the confines of prison. The problem is that once they gain reliance on a group of people, they commonly find themselves in a gang. So instead of learning a trade to ensure that they are successful when they are introduced back into society, they more often become educated on the benefits of gang life. Works Cited Schmallager, F. (2012). Criminal Justice, Ninth Edition.
Skarbek, D. (2012). Prison gangs, norms and organization. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 82(1), 96-109. doi: 10.
Fleisher, M. S., & Decker, S. H. (2001). An Overview of the Challenge of Prison Gangs. Corrections Management Quarterly, 5(1), 1.