Prison Gangs in Correctional Facilities

Prison Gangs in Correctional Facilities

CRJ 350, Advanced Corrections

March 16, 2014

Abstract

The American correctional system infrastructure can be divided into two categories; prisons and jails. The jail facilities are used by local law enforcement agencies to detain accused individuals, who cannot afford bail, need to sleep-it-off, and/or are awaiting trial, as well as inmates who are serving short sentences. Prisons on the other hand, hold inmates that have been convicted of a crime(s) and sentenced by a judge to serve time. As seen with many organizations, the framework, infrastructure, and personnel can provide many challenges, and American correctional facilities also suffer some of the same challenges. The nature of correctional facilities breeds a different make-up of personnel; the majority is made up of prisoner/inmates and the minority includes correctional facility officers and staff. One very real challenge correctional facility staff face are prison gangs, some which have their roots in the prison system and others that lead their outside ranks from within the prisons. Correctional institutions focus their attention on controlling gang activities within the facility walls, to prevent violence between the gangs and protect inmates that are not gang members; however, this is not a simple task. There are over a dozen gangs operating within prisons across the nation; however, the Aryan Brotherhood, Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), and the Crips, will be examined further.

Prison Gangs in Correctional Facilities

The American corrections system is very diverse in its mission, inmate population, and prison infrastructure. This system is designed to protect society from individuals that do not obey the laws, as well as punish and confine them as determined by the judges within our judicial system. According to Clear, Cole, Petrosino, and Reisig (2013), the American correction system’s population has shown a steady growth from 1973...