Would someone help me understand the gang movement/racism within the inmate populations in the US prison system. I have never understood "hate" anywhere in our society.

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I don't know if this will help. But I will try my best.

Inmates have two sets of rules. The prison rules and the inmate rules.

They naturally self segregate. They claim this is for 'protection' and if someone jumps a white inmate then the whites will jump in, etc...

Some claim they join gangs for protection. To me, this is pure BS because there are many solo inmates who are not affiliated at all.

Prison gangs operate like street gangs. Drugs, violence, territory etc... It just happens to be on the inside not the outside.

Now some may claim they join gangs for lack of choices for education or rehabilitation, to me, in my opinion, that is crap and is only enabling criminal activity.

The activity these gangs do on the inside is no different than what they did on the outside where they had choices and they chose to be criminals not law abiding citizens. It's that simple. It was their choices that got them on the inside and change has to begin within before it will make a difference. One can change with even the smallest of opportunities.

Some guys go in on a 2 year term and do the bidding of high ranking gang members and end up with life sentences. That isn't the fault of the system, it is in the hands of the beholder. They make choices that put them in those positions.

It is not a prerequisite to join a gang, stab, hurt, injure, or kill inmates and/or officers, have drugs smuggled in, sell them on the yard, etc...those are choices no matter how you look at it.

Now, the hatred just festers. It begins with the core values these individuals were raised with and the self segregation on the side and all that comes with that just makes it worse.

The violence actually increases in the summer months because people are full of hate, fighting over turf or 'things' , fighting over the drug trade, and their fuses are shorter due to the intense heat.

Now,... often times , more than not, these riots are drug or gang related and because they 'self segregate' it is often times blamed on the race card, and after in depth investigation it is over property, drugs, turf, hits, etc... it is just easy to blame it on racism due to it generally being two races fighting.

I'm not just 'generally speaking' here. I am speaking from experience with my cousins and uncles and my knowledge of the programs inmates go through to debrief or leave a gang.

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William Jennings Bryan

Skye has it right. For me the "hate" can be seen ineveryday life, just try walking in a mall hand in hand with your gay lover...if businesses did noit want our money so bad, I would think the tar & feather railway was still used.

I believe SKye covered it well also.

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Gangs Across America - Research Papers - Elitewarrior87

This is a good place to start if you truly want to be educated on gangs, and their are many more good articles and papers written out their, this would be my advice if you truly want to be educated on gangs in America and the prison system.

If you speak to those people involved within gangs, why they joined etc they will also give you an understanding you may not get else where. We can all share opinions based on our own perception, we can dismiss an individuals reasoning saying it is not authentic, pure BS they do not need to be in gangs inside prison walls because others have and do go it alone, but that is just OUR opinion. These people live it, they know why they are sometimes forced to make a choice between the two of lesser evils and join a gang especially in prison as it has been explained to me. Like Skye said we all have choices at the end of the day, that much i agree with, but sometimes you are not even aware their is such a thing as choice, because that is what is the norm for you and the life you live. Many kids are initiated into gangs from as young as 10 having been born into them. Would you really say they have a choice? Personally i don't see it as a "choice" as such. You have to understand the "whole" to understand the pieces in my opinion.

I disagree with much of what has been shared for reasons that are documented in journals, articles, research and what has been shared with me, if you really want to understand why some do as they do, then read more than the comments here on the forum. Like you i find racism/hate of any kind hard to fully understand, we are all equal no matter our color or standing in life.

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Smiley your link is fine, but leaves out the important connection to gangs "drugs" territory and control of.

Jon was himself in prison for 13 yrs, gangs are in every prison and he and his inmate friends just made the choice to say no. That is BS they can make a choice and survive.

It is not really the prisons who seg races, it is the inmates themselves.

As far as racism that is all over the world.

Racism — Global Issues



Unleashed: Racism in Australia

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I disagree with smiley as I have worked with inner city youth are gang members and I have an Uncle who is a high ranking gang member and I've spent time trying to understand and learn the why's and how's.

Drug trade is the number one source of income for all gangs.

Perhaps in some countries that isn't the case, but in the USA it is.

In fact, one well known gang that is inside and outside of prison are so organized they are no longer considered a 'street gang' but an 'organized crime family' and they have two sources of income, drugs and murder.

I have a pal who I just spend 2 days with and he was in a street gang , and that is why he is locked up now. He looked me in the eyes and said he had all the tools to succeed, good home, wonderful mother, but he liked living on the edge, and once in he was simply too far gone too quick and well he caught a life sentence.

It all depends on who you talk to and what story you get, sometimes you get a sob story and sometimes you get the raw and unedited truth.

A research paper does not show statics , nor does it even touch on the core values of the gangs and the purpose or lack there of that they serve.

I learned sometimes you have to go to the source yourself, and that I have.

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William Jennings Bryan

It is not anyone's opinion that people do time in prison with out being a gang member it is a fact .Most of the prison population are not gang members . Prison gangs and street gangs know who to recruit and who not to . Very rarely is ever once you go to prison are you told by a gang members join gang X or else. Most prison gang members are also members of street gangs .

Like others have said gangs prime source of income is illegal drug profits . I am all for letting the tobacco and alcohol industries sell them in a regulated way that is taxed ( hmm one of many sources for health care funds ) Take away their income from illegal drugs and gangs look a whole lot less attractive . They might not go away all together but they sure wont be as attractive to be a part of .

If you want to know why a lot of those guys join gangs outside of prison . It is easy fast money fast cars and fast women a nothing more . They might be thinking they are living some fast life or “ have respect” . That is if you call living on the express lane to prison and often a life sentence the fast life . It is not “mistake it is not the fault of the US it is that persons choice period . All of them made the choice to hang out in the streets instead of going to school now they are in prison .

They join gangs in prison for the money from contraband usually drugs . Some do go in with short bid and end up with life because they choose to join a gang They are not misunderstood or anything else it is usually that simple nothing more .

More DOCs (Once again the US does not have one DOC or Prison system ) should be doing what TDCJ does if you are a verified gang member you do all your time in seg or close custody if you are found out to be a gang member or join one and get caught you go finish your time in seg or close custody . . Neither is pleasant or easy . Then they got themselves there .

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California does this. If you get 3 points of anything linking you to a gang, you are validated and put in the shu until you parole out or max out.

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William Jennings Bryan

My husband has told me the unedited truth and it was one of terrible abuse and neglect and this is why he was on the streets from 11, a drug addict soon after, in and out of juvenille hall and then onto prison. Did he have to join a gang? Maybe not techinically but at 18 years old what do we expect from a kid who the system has already failed for 18 years of their life. The gang provided a family, or so he thought and felt at the time. He hasnt told me any sob stories and knows exactly why he got 65-life plus life, but druggie parents, a violent mother, a step father who bashed his mother constantly, drugs given to him since he was 8 years old and the list goes on and on. This is no sob story but it goes a long way to explaining why my husband ended up where he did, all the guys I know through my husband have a very similar story and sometimes worse at least he was a surviour and thats what he did, survive.

So I disagree with some of what you said Skye, maybe you should expand the sources you use for your opinions because thats all these are, our personal opinions based on OUR own interpretations and experiences.
The research is valid, but as with everything it doesnt relate to every case just as your 'views' dont apply in every case either.

Will I be canned for this, Im sure I will but hey thats freedom of speech huh???