Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member by Sanyika Shakur
The correctional system fails in the sense that it does not correct gang members behavior. In fact, it seems that prison only make the problems worse. Bangers sent to prison come out looking bigger, stronger, with new enemies, and are hungry to get back on the streets. In Monster's eyes being sent to prison is only another stepping stone in his path to O.G. status. The harsher the prison the better it is.
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.
Secondly, prison officials treat leaders such as Monster differently than other members. This only causes Monster's reputation and ego to grow which is his goal. Putting monster under higher security only proves to others, how dangerous he really is and adds glory to gang life. Authorities would be better off to treat Monster like any other criminal. By recognizing his name and reputation, he gains self satisfaction.
As well as identifying individuals, correctional system make the mistake of identifying each gang. The crips are forced to wear a different colored uniform than the rest of the inmates. By dressing and treating crips differently authorities are almost giving them the respect they want. Not only are they tough on the streets, but even cops fear them. This practice indirectly sparked a greater war between the crip nation. Monster explains that the division of East and West began in prison, due to the grouping of the gang members. Being recognized is what bangers strive for. Identifying them as gang members instead of murderers, robbers, or druggies only adds fuel to their fire. The pride of being a banger grows when they are separated from the general population because they are unsafe.
In addition, perhaps one of the flaws is in the people who send the prisoners to the jails whether it be the judge, probation officer, or the district attorney.
When Kody Scott was 6 years old, the gang wars started in Los Angeles. It started out as a battle between the Crips and the Bloods, but by the late 70's and continuing today, the biggest killer of Crips is other Crips. The Crip Nation was divided into different divisions, which Monster compares to the U.S. Army. "For instance, one who is in the army may belong to the F...
One of the biggest issues with jails and prisons is how crowded they are. In jails and prisons, they are way too over populated in the number of inmates that they can hold. Drugs are the main cause of jails and prisons being way overcrowded. I do not agree with how overcrowded the jails and prisons are. Morgan showed the result of overcrowded jails and prisons. Jails and prisons are way to over populated so therefor, inmates have to sleep on floors or find a spot to rest, because there are not enough beds to hold the number of inmates that are committed into the prisons and jails anymore. I also disagree with how their running their disciplinary strategies because if they did a better job, then two of three prisoners would not be back to jail shortly after leaving. What they do on the inside should help to where more inmates will not be back after being released from jail or
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.
There are several fundamental problems within America’s penal system. First, the name “penal” system indicates that the main focus is punishment. Punishment is meant to “teach them a lesson,” i.e. deter the convicts from future crime. Reasonable or unreasonable, punishment often results in the punished resenting and holding negative feelings for the punisher. If society is the punisher, inmates will not be motivated to go back into the general populace as a valued and productive member of society. Furthermore, prison has been commonly known to be both a training ground for more sophisticated crime as well as psychologically hardening nonviolent or innocent inmates that were falsely accused.
Sociology student Sudhir Venkatesh sets out on a journey within the Chicago housing projects with a quest of finding out how it feels to be black and poor. Sudhir was an Indian native from a middle class Californian family and he was unfamiliar with the black culture within Chicago. In his book Gang Leader for a Day, he tells of his sociology research within one of the roughest housing projects in Chicago. Sudhir starts his research by talking to a few elderly gentlemen he played chess with at the park. His conversation with them led him to the Robert Taylor Housing Projects which was described as one of the worst Ghettos in America. His research began the first day he arrived with his clipboard of questionnaires ready to ask the question, “How does it feel to be black and poor?” His intent was to interview a few families within the projects and then go home but something unexpected happened. He ended up spending much longer gaining an insight of the lives of poor blacks, gangs, and drug dealers.
The prison system in the United States was not always like it is today. It took mistakes and changes in order to get it to the point it is at. Some people think that prisons should still be being changed while others feel that they are fine the way they are. It is hard to make an argument for one side or the other if one does not know about the history of prisons as well as the differences between prisons structures and differences in prison management. Knowledge of private prisons is also needed to make this difficult decision.
Imagine having 10 students fail an exam in a class of 15 people. If over half of the students don’t grasp the content than the root of the issue must be on the way they are being taught. If this was the case the teacher will probably have to take a different approach on the way he/she is teaching in order to ensure the success of all students and not just a few of them. If the educational system fails students, then hope of a better future is very unlikely. Likewise, when the system fails to guide prisoners on the right path, they are not only failing inmates individually, but they are also failing society.
The Crips, originating in Los Angeles, California, are one of the oldest, largest, and most notorious gangs in the United States. They have been involved in murders, robberies and drug dealing in the Los Angeles area. The Crips are mostly identified by the blue color worn by their members. What was once a single gang is now a loose network of "franchises" around the United States. The gang primarily (but not exclusively) comprises African Americans. The Crips have an intense rivalry with the Bloods and are also known to feud with Chicano gangs.
With the prison system structured as it currently is, incarceration fails to rehabilitate prisoners, effectively forcing those impacted to re-offend. This failure allows for negative impacts within society. While is does also provide some with a positive outcome, the larger scale society suffers while this social issue goes without a
Offenders that are incarcerated within the prison quickly find a group of people commonly associated with their ethnic groups to establish a rapport with. 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 with 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.
The correctional system is based on helping offenders become part of society and not commit any crimes. Many prisons begin the correcting criminals since they are inside the jails, but many prisons do not. Prisons provide prisoners with jobs inside the prison where they get very little pay close to nothing and many have programs that will help them advance their education or get their high school diploma. There are various programs prisons provide to prisoners to help them get a job or have a skill when they are released from prison. In contrast, prisons that do not provide programs or help to prisoners rehabilitate and enter society again will be more likely to commit another crime and go back to jail. The Shawshank Redemption prison did not
Coyle (2005). The 'Standard'. To say whether using prison as a form of punishment has aid in the quest of tackling the crime problem, one must first consider the purposes of the prison.... ... middle of paper ... ...
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middle of paper ... ... Prisons need to be structured, orderly, isolated and individualized in order to really rehabilitate the offender. Despite the very strict methods needed in order to accomplish prisoner reformation, this type of punishment was still a far cry from the public executions that were popular in earlier history. Policy makers, the public and a new generation of thinkers are now focused on stabilizing American society and improving the conditions of mankind (Rotham), particularly when it comes to the criminal justice system rather than simply demonstrating power and control to try and maintain deterrence.