The extent of gangs/drugs A proliferation in gangs will also mean a growth in drug and violence in our community’s and threatening society in general. There are more than 731,000 active gang members in the United States, most of which are active with drug distribution. Gangs will and have shown themselves notorious and without regard to society and family. Street gangs employ violence to control drug activities and even targeting local businesses with extortion. Violence ensures that members adhere to the gang’s code of conduct.
These main gangs are known for a reputation of murder and assault of fellow inmates, many times with their targets being outside prison walls. Throughout this term paper I will discuss the views, and culture, of a select number of gangs that have proved to influence the general prison atmosphere which they inhabit. I will discuss the developing stages and what motivates the driving forces of each individual group. From inside the prison walls to the city streets, prison gangs have a wide network of influence. Recruitment is a continually evolving system that targets youth in many cases, with a focused message catering to their insecurities.
Dismantling Gangs Throughout time, gangs and gang culture have been a distinct force within communities and social ladders worldwide. The government has implemented many ideas and put them forth to work against the gangs, but gangs continue to add to their numbers due to traditional recruiting processes. Gangs make up a significant portion of the United States subcultures in the inner cities and suburbs alike. The only way to combat them is to stick to some sort of effective deterrent against these men and women, which has unfortunately, yet to be found. The politicians and law enforcement agencies need to remember that the gangs must be targeted and attacked as a whole, and not to single out a certain individual within the group.
A. “L.A. Gang violence claims young victims”. (Brand NP) B. The problem is that young lives are being put in danger because of these active gangs and their members.
In nearly every case of gang allegiance, the individual seeks gang membership because he is unable to find these rewards elsewhere. Additionally, there are a variety of cultural factors contributing to gang membership, both within individual communities and society in general. The failure of the police force and judicial system to adequately deter drug trafficking is a primary reason that gangs exist. Poverty, unemployment, fatherless households, and the insidious breakdown of the family structure are all contributing factors to the proliferation of gangs. It is argued in this paper that gang membership is a logical response by young individuals to socio-economic factors beyond their control.
The youth gang homicides have increased since 1980 dramatically. This is mainly due to a series of escalating confrontations between or inside gangs as well as access to and use of firearms. The disagreements usually involve a gang member recruitment, impulsive and emotional defense of one’s identity as a gang member, turf protection and expansion, defending the honor of the gang, drug wars, and trivial events of a confrontational nature. The gangs will go back and forth egging each other until someone is killed creating a loop in which one killing justifies another. Female gang and crime involvement are also increasing.
The family is the foundation of the society. The Pope Pío XII said once “The society is for the family, not the family for the society” (5). The most important reasons why adolescents join gangs are that they are looking for protection, attention, support, and because they do not feel themselves as part of their families. The Article “Why teens join gangs” states “Most of the times when a children’s family is messed up, they end up spending more time on the streets and the gang becomes like their second family” (3). For this reason, the government has to create programs where the juveniles can find support instead of becoming a gang member.
The very people whose job is to protect society will deceive people to make illegal money. The politicians that society elects are no better than the corrupt police officers when he or she takes payoffs from organized crime group. Television programs have made me think about organized crime groups as only large groups that make big money. The neighborhood gang is an organized crime group that disrupts the neighborhood and has no respect for members of the community. Movies like American Gangster made me more interested in learning about organized crime groups.
(2005 NYGC, Bulletin No 1, p.1) New and emergent trends in criminal activity will surface as gang migration occurs at an increasing level crossed the country. Communities will feel the impact of gangs in their neighborhoods as it becomes unsafe for their children to live there. (2005 National Gang Threat Assessment, p 36). Gangs will move into jurisdictions where law enforcement may have less knowledge of their activities and culture and may not have the support to combat them (2005 National Gang Threat Assessment, p 7). Asian and Latino gangs are associated with organized crime entities, such as Mexican drug organizations, and Asian criminal groups (2005 National Gang Threat Assessment, p VI).
Engl 101 July 1, 2012 THE CURES AND CAUSES OF AMERICAN GANGS Gangs are a violent reality in today's cities. Why do they exist? What makes children feel that being in a gang is a desirable, acceptable, and prestigious way to live? The long-range answer to these questions can only be speculated upon, but the short term answers are much easier to find. Superficially, gangs are a direct result of human beings' personal desires and peer pressure.