These new gang chapters sometimes become rivals to the original gang (Major Prison Gangs). Prison gangs are responsible for a wide varity of illegal activities. Along with offering protection to its gang members, prison gangs handle the drug, tobacco, and alcohol trafficking inside the prison. They are able and often bribe or scare other inmates and staff to “look the other way” as they commit their crimes. Larger prison gangs can even influence organized crime outside of prison.
The rise of gang membership has divided the shared system into contending groups, which amplifies the potential for violence. During daily interactions, general management needs to show respect as well as sensitivity to the different ethnic groups. Procedures were established to battle gangs in the system, which include; segregation, isolating the leaders of the gangs, classifying, and labeling members of the gangs who have been in general population. Special corrections officer response teams were formed to manage inmates, which are the Corrections Emergency Response Team (Cert), Special Operation Response Team (SORT), and Special Response Teams (SRT’s) to help deal with fights; those that refuse to follow orders, and those who assault members of staff. To secure the prison a sally port (vehicle control) controls traffic coming and going.
There are STG’s that were created outside of the prison walls and were formed on the inside as those members became incarcerated. There are STG’s that are active both inside and outside of the prisons. No matter what kind of gang it is, every gang presents serious problems and concerns for the prisons and for law enforcement outside of the prisons. Of the numerous gangs that operate in the prison systems today there are a few that are larger and better known then others. Some of those larger gangs include, The Aryan Brotherhood, The Black Guerilla Family and The Mexican Mafia.
The influx of prisoners poses issues such as gang rivalries, and violent confrontations, not only among the prisoners themselves but also between them and the prison guards. At Corcoran State Prison, on “gladiator days” officers forced rival gang members to fight, and shot them both for entertainment(Schlosser). In private Juvenile detention centers such as YSI facilities, staff often choose to not report most assaults and major fights to avoid scrutiny for violating their contracts and the rules of the Department of Juvenile Justice. Overcrowding also leads to inconveniences such as double-bunking, which urges aggression, violence, and stress-induced mental disorders. The incarceration system in the United States has inflicted much damage on societal well-being, caused by privatization of prisons, war on drugs, and overcrowding of prison cells.
Prison gangs offer protection to their members and also try to control the sale of drugs, tobacco, and alcohol inside the correctional facility. In addition, many prison gangs involve themselves in prostitution, assaults, and murders (Prison Gang Profiles, 2006). Prison and law enforcement officials have replaced the
Prison gangs often seek to intimidate the other inmates, pressuring them to surrender their food and other resources. This is a way to gain psychological control in jail, and most often rape happens in jail also. Rape is not only a physically and psychologically damaging experience, inmate’s experiences some form of pressured or coerced sexual conduct while incarcerated. They also murder or kidnap other inmates to show a psychological gain and control of other convicts. This is a feeling of control and authority and power in jail.
Northern cliques may have conflict with other Norteno gangs on the streets, yet in prison they will bond together for protection under the leadership of the Nuestra Familia. The Nuestra Familia has a chain of command that oversees every Norteno gang in California. Nortenos have been identified in nearly every state in the United States of America. Nortenos have continued to be heavily involved in murders, felony assaults, thefts and drug sales. Northern gangs are bitter enemies to the EME and Southern street gangs.
2013) Police often blame the victim of police brutality when accused of being too brutal with their use of force. With this as a common issue, police departments across the United States have decided to fight against that statistic. Many times, when a police officer is accused of police brutality, they are immediately put on suspension. Within the terms of their suspension, either an outside agency or internal affairs department does an investigation determining what may have happened. This would typically include interviewing potential witnesses, determining what happened, and putting the pieces together.
Prisons are consistently overflowing with repeat offenders and minor criminals. In addition to repeat offenders and perpetrators of minor crimes clogging up the system, the cost of keeping a prisoner is astronomical compared to the author’s suggested form of punishment. However, I do see the need for prisons, or someplace comparable, to keep the most violent criminals out of society. I believe Moskos should have stated hard facts regarding the ineffectiveness of prisons and given pertinent details about the productive use of corporal punishment. I’m not sure there are any “appropriate” forms of punishment.
For many, to fit in or be accepted in their “hood” could mean living a life of crime because that is the only way they know to survive. From the power point in class that was discussed, I conclude that lots of African Americans are in gangs. As stated in the article, the metro area of Houston has the most gang members that are active in the community. Gang members are involved in dog fighting, murders, human trafficking and many other illegal things that corrupt our