The fight for survival in correctional facilities and prisons within the United States has created subcultures that breed racism, hate, and natural occurring violence. As inmates are moving in and out of facilities, and are forced back into society to adapt on their own, they soon realize that who they were in jail, is who they can not be once they 're released. According to Hanser (pg. 204), the prison economy is one of the key measures of influence that an inmate may have within inmate population.
When being in jail/prison, one should first understand that making enemies is one thing they would want to avoid, or else they possibly would be fearing death. Being a “snitch” within a facility is considered as being the lowest of low (Hanser
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They’re fearing for their lives. Many inmates first turn to joining a gang because they believe that they’ll always be protected; gangs within a correctional facility are more imperative than a gang on the outside. In the streets, people don’t need a gang because there are always alternative ways for one to find help in order to survive: family, protection, and in some cases the law. In a correctional facility, one’s options are limited. One’s preoccupation in jail is survival, which often leads inmates to change themselves in order to fit in; they would change their beliefs, habits, personality, and their values.
According to Hanser (pg. 217), most inmates that choose to be in a gang in prison were prior street gang members. Prison gangs are very powerful and the leaders of each gang can force their members to do things to antagonize other gang members. Affiliations of gangs tend to be diverse with race; most prison gang members are strictly defined by the race of their
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There are a set of standards that the leader of the gang enforces among its members. These members have to value their affiliation and still stand by their leader through it all; if one violates these rules, sanctions will be taken place. The gangs are often structured like a semi-military organizational scheme to maintain order and the power is clearly defined within the group. To reiterate, most affiliation within a gang is meant for life. The term “Blood in-blood out” is the idea that for inmates to be accepted within a prison gang they must draw blood from an enemy of a gang. Hanser stated that this is one of the root causes of parolees continuing their affiliation beyond the prison walls, and the lifelong membership rule is enforced if one attempts to leave the prison gang. When offenders continue crime for the gang once they’re released from prison, it’s just an inadequate cycle of business that is going to keep happening; the prison then just becomes part of the overhead involved in running the
Many people would prefer to think that the prisons are occupied by criminals who are isolated from society. However, Prisons are far less isolated from American Society than they would like to think. The Aryan Brotherhood frequently demonstrates the ability to transcend the confines of prison by running a criminal syndicate both in and outside of prison. Evidence suggests that extremists utilize prisons as avenues for recruitment and many inmates become indoctrinated with racist beliefs whilst inside. Understanding the complexities of prison gang development is imperative in order to control and limit the power they have inside and outside of prison.
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.
Morch, S., & Andersen, H. (2012). Becoming a Gang Member: Youth Life and Gang Youth. Online Submission
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.
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.
Through evidence, it has been shown that there is little to no distinction between prison gangs and street gangs. Street gangs like the Blood and the Crips members are being imprisoned, and they become active in prison. While, prison gang members are being released and are being active on the streets. 46 of the U.S. states have stated that some prisoners become gang members. M. L. Sullivan stated that prisons act as a school for gang memberships. It is a place where one can sharpen their skills.
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.
Solitary confinement is a penal tactic used on inmates who pose a threat to themselves or other inmates. Solitary confinement is type of segregated prison in which prisoners are held in their cell for 22-24 hours every day. If they are allowed to leave their cell, they will silently walk shackled and in between two guards. They can only leave for showers or exercise. Their exercise and shower are always done alone and inside. They can exercise in fenced in yards surrounded by concrete. Solitary confinement is either used as a punishment for prison behaviors, a protection method for targeted inmates, or a place to keep prisoners who are a threat to the general prison population. Many prisoners are put in Administrative Segregation for their protection. Many prisoners in this type of segregation are teenagers, homosexuals, and mentally ill prisoners. Many mentally ill prisoners are sent to solitary confinement because there are not rehabilitation services available, and prison officials have run out of options (Shalev, 2008, p [1-2]). Solitary confinement is a convenient method for prison systems, but the detrimental effects on inmates make it an unsuitable option for inmate control.
The overall goal of correctional facilities can be broken down into three main functions which are retribution, deterrence, and rehabilitation of the inmates. Today, there is much debate on rather private or public prison admiration is best to suit those goals. In a private prison the inmates are contracted out to a third party from either local, state, or federal government agencies (Smith 2012). Public prisons are where the government themselves house and supply the inmate’s basic needs with no third party involved. However, a large portion of the argument of private verses public prisons is over, which is best in achieving those goals more efficiently.
Did you know gang's first started off as a way to help stop police brutality? Some gang members are “jumped in” or have to prove their loyalty by committing criminal acts. In the 1960s many gang organizations joined the Black Panthers. The Black Panthers wanted blacks to control businesses, education, employment, and the media in their area instead of having these businesses controlled by white people. They wanted to act as a community army so they can stop police brutality and racism. The leader of this important organization was Bunchy Carter. Street gangs had completely stopped as more black empowered organizations began to form in Los Angeles. After the Black Panthers disbanded that is when street gangs began to become popular because
In the United States prison system inmate’s struggle and face conflicts within the culture, they live in on a daily basis. Prison life is very structured and within this system, there are multiple layers of racism, bigotry, and injustice. As a result of extreme conditions and the prison climate, many prisoners often experience stressful situations that influence their mental health. In addition to mental health issues, many prisoners often experience emotional, social, organizational, and arduous physical conditions while incarcerated. Due to these harsh conditions, further research is needed in our prison systems to evaluate the impact of our prison culture and the climate that these inmates are subjected to when incarcerated. Corporate
for youngsters who have a long history of convictions for less serious felonies for which the juvenile court disposition has not been effective” (qtd. in Katel).
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.
Although a standard definition does not exist, gang delinquency can be defined as law-violating behavior committed by groups of youth and adults, that are complexly organized and that have established leadership and membership rules (Curry & Spergel, 1988). Gangs engage in a range of different crimes, but most significantly in violent crimes, as a means of upholding norms and values in regards to: mutual support, conflict relations with other gangs, and tradition (Curry & Spergel, 1988). They are organizations concerned with territory, status, and the ability to control behavior. For disadvantaged youth, who lack the opportunities to succeed in a socially acceptable manner, gangs effectively provide meaningful social and even economic structures. In gang membership, there is the opportunity to create personal identity, but there are minimal standards of acceptable status (Curry & Spergel,