Why Do Inmates Join Prison Gangs?

1794 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The impact of gangs upon prison subculture

Inmates join organizations known as prison gangs to fulfill their needs, but mainly for protection. However, along with being protected there is plenty of danger and consequences. In order, to receive protection and other needs provided, members of the gangs have to do as they are told by their leaders or they could be severely hurt or even killed. They are placed in a prison with people who are murders, thefts, rapist, child molesters, mentally ill etc. Therefore, inmates can peer pressure others to do as they did. For example, all the people associated in the gangs have committed a certain crime some worse than others, which means they can order another member to kill someone in return for protection. However, these inmates join gangs to be protected because everywhere they go there are rivals going after their next victim. Prison gangs come with plenty of protection and danger.
Criminal street gangs are usually formed to provide resources needed for survival. They feel as if being a member of a gang serves them the respect and recognition they were not …show more content…

Life in prison is dangerous due to all the criminals; inmates have to live their lives watching their backs whether they are gangsters or not because some are just looking for someone to pick on. Although, there are guards supervising the inmates at all times there are times when the inmates themselves have to protect themselves. Which is why being in a gang can be good because there are people protecting them. There are times when there are only two guards in charge of a total of five hundred inmates, which can be difficult to keep track of. In addition, it is hard for guards to stop a fight when there are five hundred inmates which can lead to some severe injuries or even deaths (“National Geographic - Prison Nation 2016 (Prison Docu

Show More
Related

  • Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member by Sanyika Shakur

    713 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Piru Street Gang Research Paper

    936 Words  | 2 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Locked Down: Gangs in the Supermax by Michael Montgomery

    1156 Words  | 3 Pages

    Although reading transcripts of Locked Down: Gangs in the Supermax by Michael Montgomery, one can not fully grasp all of the issues that prison officials and prisoners face on a daily basis. It is a good opportunity however to gain a basic understanding of issues facing the prisoners and staff alike, that house the most violent members of society.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Pelican Bay State Prison

    1400 Words  | 3 Pages

    In effort to reduce and stop this from happening the prison have been fighting back, which is having little effect of their efforts. The main purpose of the Pelican Bay State Prison was to keep the worst of the worst prisoners with behavioral problems, with a long-term solitary confinement, under extreme sensory deprivation in one of the 1,056 secure housing unites. In these units, they are made with smooth concrete with no windows, lit with fluorescent lights that stay on 24 hours a day, where they remain in the cell for 22 hours out of the day. They try to keep these career criminals made up mostly of gang member and gang leaders off the street and keep them from counting their illegal behaviors and actives in the streets, but what ends up happening these gang member, come here and better their skills. The prison is a very hostel environment, hence the video calling it a war zone and the violent

    Read More

  • Why Juvenile Choose a Gang Lifestyle?

    1784 Words  | 4 Pages

    Gangs have been in existence since the beginning of the Roman Empire. There were speeches made by Roman orator, Marcus Tullius Cicero, which references groups of men who constantly fought and disrupted Roman politics (Curry, 2013). The history of street gangs in the United States begins with their emergence on the East Coast around 1783, as the American Revolution ended. Though many believe the best available evidence suggests that the more serious street gangs likely did not emerge until the early part of the nineteenth century (Sante, 1991). Although our country has had their share of feared gangs like in the 1980’s with the turf war between the Bloods and Crips, back in the 17th and 18th century the Mohocks of Georgian, England were one of the most feared gangs. What draws juveniles to the gang lifestyle? Many people will say that most gang members are children from impoverished communities, single family homes where there was no father present, or maybe there is a more psychological/sociological answer? By appearance and presence most gangs cause fear, crime, and disillusionment in the communities they occupy. Throughout history joining a gang has been perceived as a life without any reward, yet by joining this lifestyle many juveniles are able to gain the needed stability and security in their lives.

    Read More

  • The Inmate Subculture in United States Prisons: An Overview

    1773 Words  | 4 Pages

    Prisons exist in this country as a means to administer retributive justice for those that break the laws in our society or to state it simply prisons punish criminals that are to receive a sentence of incarceration for more than one year. There are two main sub-cultures within the walls of prison the sub-culture of the Department of Corrections (which consists of the corrections officer, administrators, and all of the staff that work at the prison and go home at the end of their day) and the actual prisoners themselves. As you can imagine these two sub-cultures are dualistic in nature and this makes for a very stressful environment for both sides of the fence. While in prison, the inmates experience the same conditions as described in the previous

    Read More

  • Gangs In Prison Essay

    1458 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Gangs in Prison

    1456 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Prison Gangs: Gangs and Security Threat Group Awareness

    2816 Words  | 6 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Gangs Vs Prison Gangs Essay

    459 Words  | 1 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Essay On Aryan Brotherhood

    2216 Words  | 5 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Pros And Cons Of Re-Integration

    1167 Words  | 3 Pages

    They struggle while in prison and t causes a significant change within themselves, while incarcerated and after being released. The majority of those incarcerated, will be released back into society and this means society needs to work together in order to help them restore and rehabilitate. Many inmates are released after serving only two thirds of their sentence. Many entered prison with little to no employment experience or education, addictions. They have a history of childhood abuse/neglect, and most come from an impoverished background/poverty, have mental health issues, negative peer influences. (change.org, 2015) The only reason most are involved in gangs in order to feel a sense of belonging and identity that are missing from their home life. Many are incarcerated hundreds of miles from their families with little opportunity to maintain relationships. After living in a negative, controlled and structured environment for up to many years, it is extremely challenging for inmates to re-enter society. Instead of learning how to reform their thinking/behavior and change their lifestyles, many offenders adopt dangerous behaviors in order to cope in a toxic prison culture of violence, gang activity and idleness. (change.org, 2015) This same behavior they adapt to in prison they bring outside once released. The criminals that are non-violent becomes violent

    Read More

  • Prison Rehabilitation

    1186 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Why Young People Join Gangs

    832 Words  | 2 Pages

    There are various reasons behind young people joining street gangs. One of the reasons young people join street gangs is because of neighborhood disadvantages. A theory that can contribute to why young people might join street gangs is Social Disorganization Theory. Social Disorganization theory assumes that “delinquency emerges in neighborhoods where neighborhood relation and social institutions have broken down and can no longer maintain effective social controls (Bell, 2007).” Social Disorganization contributes to residential instability and poverty, which affects interpersonal relationships within the community and opens opportunities for crimes to be committed.

    Read More

  • The Issue Of Youth Gangs

    1279 Words  | 3 Pages

    Additionally, the need for the young people to have a sense of protection mainly drives them to join gangs. Many societies with high reported cases of mob activities frequently see youths linked with a bunch of criminals just for endurance. For many, it is better to connect with the mob than to stay vulnerable and defenseless in their localities (Klein & Maxson, 2006). For many, being connected to a mob guarantees sustenance in case of assault and retaliation for wrongdoings.

    Read More

More about Why Do Inmates Join Prison Gangs?

Open Document