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Crime / pg.195 the violation of norms written into law. Crimes are considered unlawful acts that can be punished by authorities. Crimes can be done individually or groups known as gangs. “A gang is a group of recurrently associating individuals or close friends or family with identifiable leadership and internal organization, identifying with or claiming control over territory in a community, and engaging either individually or collectively in violent or illegal behavior (Wikipedia). Prior to watching World 's Most Dangerous Gangs, the only gangs I ever heard of were the Bloods, Crips, Yakuza, and Russian Mafia. Gangs in general are considered a nuisance and dangerous. Hollywood depicts gangs like the Yakuza and Russian Mafia to be brutal, …show more content…
Power and territory became their motives over time. In the film, one of the inmates stated MS 13 is run by one leader. Other sources say there are multiple. The scariest attribute about MS 13 is that they are an at home U.S. threat, that we have only scratched the surface of. MS 13 is growing numbers and going national. They are not only street thugs, but officials and businessmen in suits. MS 13 is organized and structured. They recruit kids as young as seven. A seven year old will get a less harsh sentence than an adult. Jail is also a prime spot for recruiting and education criminals that will be released. As I expressed before, they go in as novice members and come out as career trained criminals. Why is jail an important step, a lot of MS 13 business are run by leaders in jail. The film showed that in jail leaders have access to protection, healthcare, and a simple life with power. In some jails, MS 13 are the only occupants. MS 13 is a well oiled machine. Nothing happens without the green light of a leader. Brenda Paz, for example, was a seventeen year old gang member, murdered by her friends for being a FBI informant. This did not happen without a thorough gang investigation. Like I said before, the only way out of MS 13 is death. Even if we cut the head off of the snake, its venom already runs through the U.S like a virus. The U.S. accidently created a monster by ignoring the gang issues to begin with. Now they are a powerful influence on our culture.
These members that follow the rules blindly are subjected to loyalty. The consequences are grim if a member doesn’t obey the rules. In the documentary the reporter interviewed former members of MS 13. There is no hope for a former MS 13 member. “There’s no way out” states a previous MS 13 member “but either by hospital, jail, or death.” They’re jails strictly filled with all MS 13 members. If you’re a refugee to MS 13 jail is your safe haven. Many men who leave the organization flee to jails to seek protection. Because if they were on the streets they would end up dead. If you leave MS 13 there’s a target on your back. Once you’re in MS 13 you’re committed for life. No exceptions. No excuses. If you want out of the gang that is a sign of being disloyal. If you leave not only are you in serious danger, but your family are now at risk as well. The ultimate penalty of disloyalty is to be killed. That’s why many men who leave the gang go to jail for protection. The only correct answer in MS 13 rule book is to live your whole life solely devoted to the gang. These types of rules foster fear of leaving and that’s why a lot of members continue the path they’re on so that they can protect there family. The leaders of MS 13 make up the rules and their followers are required to follow them because there is no other option. When it comes to a right and wrong decision the leaders make the final decision. There’s only one
The MS13 is a perfect example of a counterculture. They are a world within themselves. The gang is very organized and structured; there is hierarchy with the gang. There is a significant amount of money flow within the gang. A few ways the gang obtains money is by drug dealing, illegal weapons, vendors pay the gang to work in their territories and for their protection, and drug dealers also pay the gang to earn the right to sell drugs in their territories. There are laws and rules that a gang member must abide by. One very strict rule for a gang member is silence. If a gang member becomes informant and it is found out that they are, it will more than likely result in death for the informant. The breaking of laws and rules are punishable, even by death. They have a law system and law enforcement of their own. Check courting is a punishment served by the gang to gang members who break the laws of the gang. There are initiations one must endure to become a member of the gang. Jumping in is one of the initiations, a brutal thirteen second beating by multiple people at the same time. (World’s Most Dangerous Gang) There is a communication system within the gang. They use stacking to communicate, tattoos, graffiti, and an overall dialect that is unique to the gang. This counterculture exists internationally inside and outside of prison walls. Within the gang there are individual cliques, but when threatened they will come together and fight alongside one another. It is instilled in a gang member to kill to maintain territory and to acquire new territories. T...
These include “robbery, murder, vandalism, home invasions, drug distribution, and carjacking’s” (MS-13 Threat). MS-13 has one main rival, the Barrio 18, and at least one very dangerous ally, the Mexican Cartel known as the Zetas (MS-13). In my opinion, I would say that MS-13 is finically driven. They try to recruit members by showing off the gang member lifestyle, so, to me, if they were all broke and looked like bums, the attraction would fall, and without members, the gang would die out. This is obviously not the case, as MS-13 can be found all over the United States. From the list of crimes I have just stated, one could assume that the MS-13 are violent, and that assumption is correct. Wherever the gang is found, the murder rates spike (MS-13). However, we see crimes like graffiti as well. This is actually the way MS-13 came into my radar, as I saw “MS-13” spray-painted onto an old
Street gangs have been a part of the American culture for centuries. As a young child growing up in the 80’s on the North Side of Fort Worth, Texas I saw my fair share of gang activity and the violence associated with it. Little was I aware of a notorious and deadly gang that was transforming known as Mara Salvatrucha, also referred to as MS-13. What began as a street gang, MS-13 now has activity in much of the United States and according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is, “one of the most violent and rapidly growing transnational street gangs.” The people of America need to realize the great danger MS-13 possess.
According to the Cambridge Dictionary (n.d.), a gang is defined as, “a group of criminals that work together.” Gangs are a powerful force that is a constant threat against society. As of 2011, the National Gang Center (n.d.) estimates there to be 782,500 gang members in the United States alone. Mara Salvatrucha 13, also known as MS-13, is one of the biggest and most threatening gangs. The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) (n.d.) believes Mara Salvatrucha 13 to have an estimated 10,000 members in the United States and several thousand other members in Central America. Joining a gang is justified by the need for protection, money, and promoting a self image. Joining an established gang, such as Mara Salvatrucha 13, results in a lifestyle change including a harmful induction, following a strict code, carrying out assignments, and a lifetime of loyalty.
First let's focus on the fact that gang related crime is one of the most dangerous challenges facing society and law enforcement today. They are younger, more brutal, unafraid of consequences and becoming increasingly more vicious. Gang members work together as cliques, they commit all sorts of violent crimes including murders, rapes, robberies and kidnappings. "They live in aimless and violent presents; have no sense of the past and no hope for the future; they commit unspeakably brutal crimes against other people often to gratify whatever urges of desires drive them at the moment and their utter lack of remorse is...
Gangs of New York is a war-packed film directed by Martin Scorsese that takes place in New York during the Civil War. This 2002 film is about a young Irish immigrant, named Amsterdam, who returns to the Five Points to get revenge on William Cutting, a powerful gang leader who murdered his father. One scene that really sticks out within the film occurs during the draft riots that took place in New York. Although this particular scene is historically accurate, there are some parts of the scene itself that seem to have a bigger impact overall. The parts that create this impact show how important this dark period was and how violently this event played out in the real world.
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.
According to the 2015 National Gang Report (NGR) from the National Gang Intelligence Center (NGIC) almost half of law enforcement juristictions across the United States reported a rise in street gang membership and street gang activitiy. My communitty is no exception.
Sociologists see deviance as a collection of individuals, conditions, and actions that society disvalues, finds offensive or condemns. In part because gangs as deviant groups violate societies norms through crimes such as theft etc. Various explanations exist to explain the formation of gangs; Howard Becker, an American sociologist, claims that negative labels excaberate deviant behaviors by excluding individuals (Skatvedt & Schou, 2008). Further, individuals cannot distinguish between false needs such as watches, cars etc. and true needs (food, water, etc.) (Marcuse, 1964). Thus, the strain theory suggests that the inability to legitimately achieve socially desirable goals such as having
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.
Criminal gangs are a crucial part of the criminal pyramid; they can be paid as hit-men, distribute narcotics, assault innocent victims, and commit larceny, among other crimes. These are more serious crimes that require harsher punishment, though, but are these harsher punishments effective?
Chain Gangs as Part of the Prison Labor Industry Prisons have been used as the way of punishment in the United States since its beginning. Throughout the history of prisons, convicts have been used as labor. The methods of labor, the number of laborers, and the arguments for or against has constantly been changing. From the early chain gangs to the prison industries of today, prisoners have been used as labor in the United States. When people think of chain gangs, they usually think of people in white and black stripes, being forced to work in a harsh environment.
People join MS -13 or any other gang for a many reasons; they need money because in many places there are no jobs for the younger generation and they know that gangs make quite a bit of money so they join, in some c...
Gangs originated in the mid 1800’s in the cardinal direction using it as a method to defend themselves against outsiders.The idea of gangs became populous, powerful, and a broad influence. But like all powers, they tend to corrupt and recognizes violence as a way of getting what they want faster than other methods.They turn violence into fun, profit, and control.Creating a situation that affects youth in today’s society.