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Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
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Results for prison gangs
17 results foundAuthor: Neumann, Peter R. Title: Prisons and Terrorism: Radicalisation and De-radicalisation in 15 Countries Summary: The report identifies trade-offs and dilemmas but also principles and best practices that will help governments and policymakers spot new ideas and avoid costly and counterproductive mistakes. Among the key findings and recommendations are: 1) The current emphasis on security and containment leads to missed opportunities to promote reform. Prison services should be more ambitious in promoting positive influences inside prison, and develop more innovative approaches to facilitate extremists’ transition back into mainstream society; 2) Over-crowding and under-staffing amplify the conditions that lend themselves to radicalisation. Badly run prisons make the detection of radicalisation difficult, and they also create the physical and ideological space in which extremist recruiters can operate at free will; 3) Religious conversion is not the same as radicalisation. Good counter-radicalisation policies – whether in or outside prison – never fail to distinguish between legitimate expression of faith and extremist ideologies. Prison services should invest more in staff training, and consider sharing specialised resources; 4) Individual de-radicalisation and disengagement programmes – such as the ones in Saudi-Arabia, Singapore, Indonesia, and other countries – can make a difference. Their positive and outward-looking approach should serve as an inspiration for governments and policymakers everywhere; 5) Even in the best circumstances, however, such programmes complement rather than replace other instruments in the fight against terrorism. They work best when the political momentum is no longer with the terrorists or insurgents. Details: London: International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence; National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, 2010. 64p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2010 Country: International URL: Shelf Number: 119428 Keywords: Prison GangsPrisonsTerrorismTerrorists |
Author: Rocky Mountain Information Network Title: Gangs: Their Increasing Grip on the RMIN Region Summary: Rocky Mountain Information Network® (RMIN) is one of six regional projects in the United States that comprise the Regional Information Sharing Systems® (RISS). Each project links law enforcement agencies from neighboring states into a regional network that interacts with law enforcement member agencies nation-wide. Funded by the United States Congress through the Bureau of Justice Assistance, RISS provides secure communications, information sharing resources and investigative support to help detect, deter, prevent and prosecute multi-jurisdictional crime. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, RMIN serves more than 15,000 law enforcement officers from 1,038 agencies in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and Canada. This report presents a number of gang-related articles designed to present an analysis of the gang problems in this geographical area. Details: Phoenix, AZ: Rocky Mountain Information Network, 2010. 76p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 5, 2013 at: http://cryptocomb.org/RMIN%20Gangs%20Report.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://cryptocomb.org/RMIN%20Gangs%20Report.pdf Shelf Number: 128284 Keywords: Gang GraffitiGang TattoosGang ViolenceGangs (U.S. and Canada)Motocycle GangsPrison Gangs |
Author: Scott, Terri-Lynne Title: Women Gang Inmates: A Profile Summary: Why we did this study Gangs pose a risk to the safety and security of both the correctional facilities where they serve their sentence, and the communities upon release. The rise in the number of women entering federal custody with gang affiliations, up 85% since 1997, suggests there is an important need to generate a profile of gang-involved women so effective gang management and intervention strategies can be developed. What we did All data were extracted from the Correctional Service of Canada's (CSC) Offender Management System (OMS) for all women gang-affiliated or gang members admitted to the CSC between 1978 and 2009. A comparison sample was generated by matching non-affiliated federal women offenders on sentence length and age. The resulting sample included 337 gang involved women inmates and 337 non-gang involved women inmates. What we found Compared with the non-gang group, women gang-involved inmates typically had more extensive criminal histories, static risk and dynamic risk (needs), lower motivation and reintegration potential, and poor institutional adjustment indicated by involvement in institutional incidents and involuntary segregation. At intake, gang-involved women were more likely to be rated as as medium or maximum security level. In addition, many of the gang-involved women had both prior youth and adult convictions, and had previously served a sentence of up to 4 years. Specific needs in the areas of procriminal attitudes and associates, which translated into difficulties within the institution as increased violent incidents and disruptive behaviour were found for the gang group more often. These women also participated in more core corretional programs for violent offenders, substance abuse, education, living skills, and womens programs than their non-gang involved counterparts. What it means Gang-involved women offenders have more serious criminal histories and are more disruptive in the institution. Identification of high level's of criminogenic needs among these women suggests that program participation and interventions that encourage program participation with resistant offenders might be areas that would lead to effective reductions in gang membership. Details: Ottawa: Correctional Service of Canada, 2012. 38p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Report No. R-272: Accessed May 15, 2014 at: http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/005/008/092/005008-0272-eng.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Canada URL: http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/005/008/092/005008-0272-eng.pdf Shelf Number: 132369 Keywords: Female Gang MembersFemale InmatesFemale Offenders (Canada)Prison Gangs |
Author: Albertse, Lizelle Title: Gang members' experiences of victimization and perpetration of rape in prison Summary: People outside of prison tend to imagine sex in prison as violent gang attacks on defenceless individuals, but in actual fact, sex in prison is more complicated than the isolated gang rapes that take place. For the purpose of this study, the researcher followed the qualitative research approach from a constructivist perspective to understand how participants portrayed or constructed their experiences of victimization and/or perpetration of rape. The population of the study was members of the '28' prison gang with a history of sexual perpetration in prison. Participants for the study were male, released from prison, ages between 25 and 45 years of age. The researcher made use of purposive sampling in the selection of 15 participants. Data was collected through in depth, face to face interviews starting with open ended questions and probing for in depth experiences, interpretations and meanings. Data was analyzed according to Creswell's (1998:140) guidelines for qualitative data analysis and was verified as suggested by Creswell (1998:201). In order to explore the social context that might have influenced their constructions of experiences, the following question themes were identified: - Participant's experiences of family life - Participant's experiences of their involvement in crime - Participant's gang involvement in Corrective Institutions - Participant's experiences of forced sex in prison - Consequences of rape in prison after release Details: Cape Town, South Africa: University of the Western Cape, 2007. 94p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed September 27, 2014 at: http://etd.uwc.ac.za/bitstream/handle/11394/2214/Albertse_MA_2007.pdf?sequence=1 Year: 2007 Country: South Africa URL: http://etd.uwc.ac.za/bitstream/handle/11394/2214/Albertse_MA_2007.pdf?sequence=1 Shelf Number: 133455 Keywords: Prison GangsPrison Rape (South Africa)PrisonersSexual AbuseSexual Violence |
Author: County of Los Angeles. Citizens' Commission on Jail Violence Title: Report of the Citizens' Commission on Jail Violence Summary: There has been a persistent pattern of unreasonable force in the Los Angeles County jails that dates back many years. Notwithstanding a litany of reports and recommendations to address the problem of violence in the County jails issued by multiple bodies over more than two decades, it was only recently that the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department ("LASD" or the "Department") began to implement changes that significantly reduced the level of force used by Deputy Sheriffs in the jails. Both the responsibility for, and the solutions to, the problem of excessive force in the County jails lies with the Department's leadership. Significantly, the Department failed to identify, monitor and address force problems until the Sheriff began to take action last year in the wake of a series of scathing reports, the glare of adverse publicity, actions by the County Board of Supervisors (the "Board") including creating the Citizens' Commission on Jail Violence (the "Commission" or "CCJV"), and a series of public hearings by both the Commission and the Board. As a result of the recent attention of the Sheriff and the reforms he instituted, the number of force incidents, and in particular Significant Force incidents, in the jails has dropped dramatically. Yet even with these recent reductions, troubling indicia of a force problem remain. Whether recent force reductions will be sustained over time when public attention recedes, and whether the entire Department is truly committed to the Sheriff's stated vision for the jails and the implementation of these reforms, remains to be seen. The Department provides a myriad of services and is a very complex organization with 17,000 sworn and non-sworn civilian employees. It patrols the unincorporated areas of one of the largest counties in the United States with a population of over 9.8 million, provides police services to over 40 cities in Los Angeles County plus unincorporated areas, operates the Los Angeles Regional Crime Laboratory, provides security for the courts throughout the County, and runs the largest jail system in the country. The jail system includes eight geographically distant facilities that house some of the most dangerous and violent inmates and rival gang members in the nation. In addition to operating the jails, the Department transports prisoners to and from the courts and runs the Custody facilities in the courts. The Los Angeles County jail system has been plagued by many problems over the years, from overcrowded and substandard jail conditions to allegations that deputies used excessive or unnecessary force on inmates and facilitated inmate on inmate violence. These problems have been the subject of numerous reports, starting with the Kolts Report in 1992, and detailed in periodic reports by Special Counsel Merrick Bobb and the Office of Independent Review ("OIR"). Last fall, the American Civil Liberties Union (the "ACLU") issued a scathing report entitled "Cruel and Unusual Punishment: How a Savage Gang of Deputies Control LA County Jails" detailing mounting concerns with violence in the jails. It was soon followed by a critical report from OIR, stating in no uncertain terms that "deputies sometimes use unnecessary force against inmates in the jails, to either exact punishment or to retaliate for something the inmate is perceived to have done" and expressed concern that "the times in which deputies 'get away' with using excessive force may be on the rise." At the same time, the Los Angeles Times published a series of articles recounting allegations of excessive force, a "code of silence" among Custody deputies, deputy misconduct in the jails, and the existence of an on-going federal criminal investigation into abuses in the jails. With a bright spotlight placed squarely on the Department and its jails, the Sheriff created a Commander Management Task Force ("CMTF" or the "Task Force") last fall to "[t]ransform the culture of our custody facilities into a safe and secure learning environment for staff and inmates, and provide a level of service and professionalism consistent with our Core Values." At the same time, the Board of Supervisors created this Commission with a mandate "to conduct a review of the nature, depth and cause of the problem of inappropriate deputy use of force in the jails, and to recommend corrective action as necessary."The Board also directed the Commission to "hold[] this Board and the Sheriff accountable for their speedy and effective implementation" of necessary reforms. Details: Los Angeles: The Commission, 2012. 205p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 26, 2015 at: http://www.lacounty.gov/files/CCJV-Report.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.lacounty.gov/files/CCJV-Report.pdf Shelf Number: 129784 Keywords: Inmate MisconductInmate ViolenceJail InmatesJail ViolenceJailsPrison GangsPrisoner Maltreatment |
Author: Lessing, Benjamin Title: A Hole at the Center of the State: Prison Gangs and the Limits to Punitive Power Summary: The state's central function is to establish authority through its monopoly on violence; the very attempt, however, can be counterproductive. Punishment incapacitates and deters individuals, but can empower destructive collective forces. Prison gangs, their ranks swelled by mass incarceration, transform the core of the coercive apparatus into a headquarters for organizing and taxing street-level criminal activity, supplanting state authority in communities, and orchestrating mass violence and protest. Drawing on a formal model, fieldwork, and case studies from the US and Latin America, I show how gangs use control over prison life, plus the state-provided threat of incarceration, to project power. The model predicts that common state responses-crackdowns and harsher sentencing- can strengthen prison gangs' leverage over outside actors, consistent with the observed expansion of prison gangs during mass-incarceration initiatives. These gang-strengthening effects of incarceration can have increasing returns, implying a point beyond which additional punishment erodes state authority. Details: Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University, Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law, 2014. 57p. Source: Internet Resource: CDDRL Working Papers, Vol. 149: Accessed January 13, 2016 at: http://cddrl.fsi.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/Lessing_-_A_Hole_at_the_Center_of_the_State.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://cddrl.fsi.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/Lessing_-_A_Hole_at_the_Center_of_the_State.pdf Shelf Number: 137558 Keywords: InmatesPrison GangsPrison ViolencePrisoners |
Author: Freire, Danilo Alves Mendes Title: Entering the Underworld: Prison Gang Recruitment in Sao Paulo's Primeiro Comando da Capital Summary: The present thesis provides a throughout discussion of the emergence of the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), a prison gang based in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Its main goal is to analyse how this criminal group selects its potential members. The work starts with a review of the recent literature on prison culture and gangs, with special emphasis on the Brazilian contributions to the field. Then it presents the first historical account of the PCC in the English language since previous research has been solely conducted in Portuguese. Lastly, the thesis offers a simple game-theoretical model to analyse both the incentives for a criminal to join a prison gang and how the PCC has been able to hire competent criminals under conditions of uncertainty and information asymmetry. The model suggest three findings. First, it stresses the role of informers in the gang's recruitment process. Informers allow the prison gang to keep a lower entry cost, so the gang can attract a larger pool of applicants and still be able to select competent candidates. Second, it indicates that there are cases in which joining a prison gang is not the best option for an inmate. When the detainee has enough skills to endure prison conditions by himself, the prisoner might be better off if he decides to "go it alone" and devote his ability exclusively to his own survival. Third, the models confirms the idea that the prison gang is not only a "school of crime", but perhaps most importantly, a highly effective screening device. Prison gangs increase the welfare of the inmates by providing an extremely valuable public good: reliable information. Public policies implications and possible extensions of the current study are also discussed. Details: Geneva : Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, 2014. 93p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed January 22, 2016 at: https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/pfigshare-u-files/1723348/MA_Thesis.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Brazil URL: https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/pfigshare-u-files/1723348/MA_Thesis.pdf Shelf Number: 137648 Keywords: Organized CrimePrison GangsPrisoners |
Author: Setty, Emily Title: Gangs in Prison: The nature and impact of gang involvement among prisoners Summary: Recent years have seen an increase in policy focus on the issue of gangs in prison, and emerging research exploring the issue. Research exploring gangs in prison in a UK context is, relatively, in its infancy. But there is evidence to suggest that the more extensive US literature1 - which describes the presence of highly-structured, hierarchical gangs exercising substantial control over the prison regime - is unlikely to apply in the UK. The existing UK evidence base instead points to looser 'collectives' of prisoners formed dynamically in response to the conditions encountered in the prison environment. The evidence relating to the impact of these collectives in UK prisons has thus far been inconclusive. Whilst policy and practice to tackle gang involvement among prisoners has begun to be developed in the UK, there is limited available evidence relating to effective techniques and approaches. It is suggested that rehabilitative approaches may prove effective and there has been recognition among UK policy makers of the need to take a multi-pronged approach to the issue, with emphasis on intelligence-gathering, information-sharing, enforcement and rehabilitation. Research aims The overarching aim of this research project is to build upon the existing evidence relating to gangs in custody to support the further development of policy and practice in this area. Specifically, the research aims to explore: - the nature and impact of gang involvement among - how custodial establishments can reduce gang involvement among prisoners and respond to the negative consequences arising from gang involvement in custody. Key findings The key findings in this study relate to the nature and strength of gang allegiances in prison; the impact of gangs in prison; and managing gangs in prison and encouraging gang exit. Details: London: Catch22, 2014. 41p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 9, 2016 at: http://www.catch-22.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Dawes-Unit-Gangs-in-Prison-full-report.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.catch-22.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Dawes-Unit-Gangs-in-Prison-full-report.pdf Shelf Number: 138153 Keywords: GangsPrison Gangs |
Author: Novis, Roberta Title: Hard Times: Exploring the Complex Structures and Activities of Brazilian Prison Gangs Summary: This research examines the presence of organised criminal groups in prison and its influence on inmate's interaction and on the prison system of Rio de Janeiro. Information collected from a series of in-depth interviews with prisoners and ex-prisoners, members and non-members of the criminal groups and authorities of the criminal justice system, suggests that the current social organisation of prisons is working favourably towards the further development of organised crime and deviant behaviour. Prisoners are subordinated not only to the prison administration but also to the gang leaders. If a convict had no links with drug trafficking prior to incarceration, they definitely create one behind bars. Ninety-eight percent (98%) of interviewees from the sensitive sample engaged in drug trafficking while in prison. Off-brand inmates, those who are the less conspicuous convicts, end up engaging in illegal activities to avoid retaliation, perpetuating then a cycle of violence in a fragmented geopolitical gang space behind bars. Political pressure towards the validity of the classification system stratified by gang affiliation has impacted on the prison administration to create multiple categories of prisoners, which are mutually exclusive. This has had pervasive impacts on penal affairs such as allocation of sentences, lack of vacancies and disruption of prisoner's routine. The research shows that the State goes beyond classification of inmates by gang affiliation; it has incorporated elements of gang's violent tradition to assess and influence justice and prisoner's progression. This study offers an interesting scope for a comparative analysis through the study of anti-prison gang strategies. Experiences around the globe have been driven to target gangs with racial and ethnical rivalries. Prison gangs in this study are devoted to a more capitalist goal: the monopoly of illegal drug markets in the streets. Such understandings and contextualizing make a significant contribution to re-examining the role of inmate culture as well as the value of contemporary penal reforms designed to making the penal institutions more responsive and interventionist in addressing inmate needs. Details: London: London School of Economics, 2013. 279p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed March 29, 2016 at: http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/958/1/Novis_hard_times.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Brazil URL: http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/958/1/Novis_hard_times.pdf Shelf Number: 138455 Keywords: Drug TraffickingOrganized CrimePrison AdministrationPrison GangsPrison ViolencePrisoners |
Author: Burman, Michelle Lynn Title: Resocializing and repairing homies within the Texas Prison System : a case study on security threat group management, administrative segregation, prison gang renunciation and safety for all Summary: This research is a case study focused on the resocialization of prison gang members through the lens of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice's (TDCJ) Gang Renouncement and Disassociation (GRAD) process, a nine-month, three-phase voluntary process whereby confirmed prison gang, or Security Threat Group (STG), members renounce their gang membership and disassociate from the gang while still incarcerated. The TDCJ implemented its gang renunciation process to relinquish its dependence on segregating confirmed prison gang members and to provide them a way to transition out of segregation. The GRAD process has been in place since 2000 with more than 2,600 offenders completing it, but little information, other than anecdotal evidence, is available to support or disprove its success or effectiveness at de-ganging and resocializing prison gang members for the long haul. Interviews were conducted with 16 individuals, including GRAD correctional officers and instructors, and law enforcement officers with known expertise and knowledge of prison gang investigations. A limited amount of extant aggregate-level data was provided by TDCJ to supplement the narratives in the qualitative analysis. Findings suggest that the identified goals of the process differ among GRAD staff and non-GRAD staff: GRAD staff focused on offender rehabilitation, and non-GRAD staff focused on gang renunciation. It was also found that resocialization and normative change can and do occur in the closed GRAD environment; however, no tracking mechanism exists to systematically and pro-actively monitor their behavior once they are released from GRAD to determine if they have internalized these new norms and values. Based on the interviews, it also appears that the length of time spent in segregation prior to renunciation renders the offender more grateful and appreciative, and, therefore, more likely to successfully complete the process. Finally, interviews with law enforcement reveal that, upon release to the broader community, these offenders may have renounced the gang - but not the crime. The dissertation ends with limitations to the study, recommendations for future research, and implications for social work. Details: Austin, TX: University of Texas at Austin, 2012. 552p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed September 8, 2016 at: https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/handle/2152/23352 Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/handle/2152/23352 Shelf Number: 140245 Keywords: GangsPrison Gangs |
Author: Gooch, Kate Title: Prison Bullying and Victimisation Summary: Executive Summary i. Victimisation has long been recognised as significant problem across the young offender institution (YOI) estate. However, relatively little research has focused on the specific problem of bullying amongst young prisoners and much of the available research, both about bullying and prison violence more generally, is dated. Thus, we know relatively little about why young prisoners are more likely to engage in violence and bullying, and how the dynamics of these may have changed over time. In addition, there is little academic material on how to address and reduce the incidence of violence and bullying in prison more generally. Yet, the effects and impact of victimisation can be significant, both for the individuals concerned and the wider prison community. Thus, understanding how, when and why prison violence and bullying occurs is crucial. ii. This study was authorised by a Governing Governor in response to the high levels of bullying within a specific establishment. However, in seeking to understand the problem of bullying within a particular YOI, this report also generates findings and makes recommendations designed to address broader issues of national policy and practice. We argue that high levels of victimisation are neither inevitable nor acceptable. However, in order to reduce the incidence of victimisation, a specific anti-victimisation strategy and a 'whole prison approach' is required. iii. The aims of this study were fourfold. First, to explore the nature and dynamics of bullying amongst young prisoners aged 18-21 years old. Second, to assess how young prisoners construct and rationalise their involvement in bullying and victimisation, as well as how they conceptualise and define bullying and victimisation. Third, to explore the perceptions of prison staff and, finally, to identify areas of good practice and make recommendations. Key Findings 1. Victimisation was a widespread problem and a largely 'taken for granted' aspect of prison life. Within that context, bullying occurred frequently but it was often difficult to tease out incidents of 'bullying' from the broader range of victimising behaviours. 2. Bullying is an ambiguous, subjective and 'slippery' term and not everyone - whether staff or prisoners - had a shared understanding of precisely what constitutes 'bullying.' 3. Bullying was a form of predatory behaviour where prisoners who were perceived to be weak, vulnerable or otherwise inadequate were targeted. In this respect, bullying was distinguishable from acts of physical violence where the roles were not necessarily sharply divided and where the purpose, interests and gains varied. 4. Technological advances, operational changes, social changes and the increased availability of contraband items such as mobile telephones and new psychoactive substances (NPS, typically dubbed 'legal highs') have re-shaped the dynamics of prison bullying and victimisation. 5. Prison violence often has roots in an array of conflicts occurring in the community and spilling over into the prison environment. 6. Sexual violence, gang activity, initiation ceremonies, faith-related conflict, the misuse of prescription medication and violence directly related to the use NPS were less common forms of victimisation. 7. Perpetrators were not always 'lone rangers' and some of the worst acts of victimisation occurred when several prisoners acted in a 'joint enterprise' to assault, bully, extort or steal from others. 8. Perpetrators were often opportunistic. Thus, situational controls, effective staff supervision and good 'jail craft' are essential in limiting the instances of bullying and inter-prisoner conflicts. The structure and management of the prison regime can also either limit or increase opportunities for victimisation. 9. Prisoners were 'tested' to determine their susceptibility to extortion, exploitation and abuse. If prisoners failed to 'stand up for themselves', this often attracted sustained victimisation with little compassion or empathy from their peers. 10. The ways in which prisoners engaged in victimisation are not as narrow as previously thought. Both the behaviour and needs of perpetrators, perpetrator-victims and victims vary. Thus, understanding the individuals involved and the circumstances of their involvement is key. 11. There were marked similarities between victims and perpetrators. Looked after children, disabled prisoners and young people moving from the juvenile secure estate to the young adult YOI estate featured as both victims and perpetrators. Their needs, and the link between vulnerability and victimisation, were not always well understood by frontline staff. 12. There is no 'magic bullet' or single solution that will solve the problem of prison victimisation, however, the frequency and severity of victimisation can be reduced if a 'whole prison approach' is adopted. 13. Strong staff-prisoner relationships are central, not only in preventing victimisation but also in terms of enabling victims to disclose concerns and in supporting victims and perpetrators effectively and appropriately. 14. Perpetrators can and often do change their behaviour given the right opportunities and in the right context. Thus, any anti-victimisation strategy must be set within a context where there is an emphasis on rehabilitation and on moving prisoners from negative to positive behaviour. 15. Punishment alone is insufficient and will not necessarily lead to behavioural change. In order to engage prisoners in behavioural change, there must be more 'carrots' than 'sticks' and prisoners must be able to access more rewards through positive than through harmful behaviour. Details: Birmingham, UK: Birmingham Law School, University of Birmingham, 2015. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 8, 2016 at: http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/Documents/college-artslaw/law/Prison-Bullying-and-Victimisation.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/Documents/college-artslaw/law/Prison-Bullying-and-Victimisation.pdf Shelf Number: 145134 Keywords: Prison BullyingPrison GangsPrison VictimizationPrison ViolencePrisoners |
Author: Skywalker, Luke Lee Title: Politics of the Number: An Account of Predominent South African Prison Gang Influences Summary: The study is a contextual account of various factors that facilitate and promote the continued dominance of the 'Number gangs' prevalent in many (if not most) South African prisons. Even though there is a substantial amount of factors that critically influence and sustain the South African prison gangs, this paper will focus upon a few of these influences. An emergent sentiment from exponents within these gangs, and supporting academic literature both argue that these dominant inmate factions are now adapting their mythical credo so as to remain an informal power-player within the scope of a failing South African prison administration. From a managerial perspective, the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) is often found attempting to give meaningful accounts of itself amidst its failed efforts to transform both itself and the South African prison administration. The policy legislation and administration of DCS thus also contribute to prison gang prominence. The study shows that DCS has embraced a policy of harsher penality, although its official position is that it is transforming into an administration that is focused upon human rights. This paper will thus give brief insight into the prison gangs' organization and operations, and then focus upon various contexts within which the Number gangs continue to be pervasive, especially due to changing prison administrative policy (or lack thereof) and due to new adaptive strategy employed by gangs to make themselves powerbrokers within this contentious penal discourse. Details: Cape Town, South Africa: University of Cape Town, 2014. 83p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed February 8, 2017 at: https://open.uct.ac.za/bitstream/handle/11427/9095/thesis_law_2014_skywalker_ll.pdf?sequence=1 Year: 2014 Country: South Africa URL: https://open.uct.ac.za/bitstream/handle/11427/9095/thesis_law_2014_skywalker_ll.pdf?sequence=1 Shelf Number: 146003 Keywords: Prison GangsPrison ViolencePrisons |
Author: Jhi, Kyung Yon Title: Texan gangs in "da hood": The impact of actual and perceptual neighborhood contexts on gang membership Summary: Because gangs have been a chronic social problem in the United States, theorists have attempted to discover why people join gangs by using various approaches. One such approach is social disorganization theory that emphasizes the ecological factors including neighborhood contexts as important causes for gang membership. Based on the thesis of social disorganization theory, I explored what entices people to join gangs by analyzing prison gang survey data conducted by the Crime Victim Institute of Sam Houston State University. More specifically, neighborhood contexts were divided into two different concepts: (a) actual and (b) perceptual. Actual neighborhood represented the objective reality, whereas perceptual neighborhood contexts were defined as respondents' subjective perceptions toward their neighborhood contexts. Within these concepts, I also examined how neighborhood contexts influence gang membership and whether there was a difference in the impact between different neighborhood contexts. In addition, respondents were divided into the following four categories based upon the congruency of actual and perceptual neighborhood contexts: (a) positively congruent, (b) positively incongruent, (c) negatively incongruent, and (d) negatively congruent. The positively congruent group was defined as a category of respondents who had both good actual and perceptual neighborhood contexts. The positively incongruent category was defined as respondents who had good perceptual neighborhood contexts but bad actual neighborhood contexts. This category was "positive" because even with poor actual neighborhood conditions, respondents perceived of their neighborhood rather optimistically. Likewise, the negatively congruent and negatively incongruent categories were defined in the same manner. Thus, I explored whether membership in each category had a different influence on gang membership among the respondents which provided further insight into the discussion regarding the impact of actual and perceptual neighborhood contexts. An analysis of whether consistency between actual and perceptual neighborhood contexts or inconsistency especially in a pessimistic way (negatively congruent and negatively incongruent categories) influenced gang membership was conducted. Eventually, the findings contributed to the existing knowledge base on the etiology of gang membership. Details: Huntsville, TX: Sam Houston State University, 2011. 131p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed June 16, 2017 at: http://gradworks.umi.com/35/00/3500211.html Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://gradworks.umi.com/35/00/3500211.html Shelf Number: 146204 Keywords: Gangs Neighborhoods and Crime Prison Gangs |
Author: Fitzharris, Andy Title: Chief Inspector's Phase Two Report into: Circumstances surrounding organised prisoner on prisoner fighting (Fight Club) and access to cell phone contraband in New Zealand prisons other than Mount Eden Corrections Facility (MECF) Summary: We analysed a total of 655 PPV incidents for the four month period 1 April 2015 to 31 July 2015 and there was no evidence that organised prisoner fighting was happening at any of the eight Corrections Services prisons we visited. There were four incidents involving prisoner sparring and conditioning reported by two prisons and these could be considered as a forerunner of organised prisoner fighting. On each occasion they were quickly identified and staff responded promptly to prevent them escalating. We recognise that there will always be elements of assaults and fighting by prisoners, and it's not always easy to prevent violent incidents from happening, even when staff are observing prisoners first hand. There were good levels of prisoner supervision apparent at each prison and recurring evidence from incident reports and interviews that staff responses are timely as soon as they became aware of situations that required their intervention. Active management of prisoners and prompt action taken by staff clearly presents as the most effective preventive control to mitigate risks of PPV situations developing into more serious incidents. There are a range of Violence Reduction Strategies in various stages of implementation across each prison. Most have been established since the 'fight club' events surfaced at MECF and present as good practice in terms of controls for PPV. We noted that prisoner access to physical training equipment has been restricted as a control at some prisons to limit options for conditioning. The extent of these restrictions needs to be balanced against reasonable access to exercise equipment for prisoner well-being. Prisoners are entitled to have access to exercise equipment however their fitness activities should be closely supervised to ensure conditioning and sparring is not happening. We were frustrated with the poor quality of incident reporting in IOMS relating to PPV and contraband cell phones. The incident reporting system is cumbersome and component categories require review to be made more user-friendly. In some cases, PPV incidents are being reported under the non-notifiable category of 'Fighting' rather than 'Assault, non-serious or Assault, no injury'. We could not confirm how widespread this practice was and suggest Corrections Services conduct a further review of incident reporting categories to determine and clarify business requirements. The capability for prison management to effectively implement gang management strategies may be compromised by inaccurate data in IOMS about individual prisoner gang membership/affiliations. This data needs to be cleaned up so that gang information on IOMS is current and reliable. Details: Wellington, NZ: Department of Corrections, 2016. 39p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 20, 2017 at: http://www.corrections.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/856652/Phase_Two_Report_FINAL_REDACTED.pdf Year: 2016 Country: New Zealand URL: http://www.corrections.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/856652/Phase_Two_Report_FINAL_REDACTED.pdf Shelf Number: 148278 Keywords: Prison AdministrationPrison ContrabandPrison GangsPrison ViolencePrisoner MisconductPrivate Prisons |
Author: InSight Crime Title: MS13 in the Americas: How the World's Most Notorious Gang Defies Logic, Resists Destruction Summary: The Mara Salvatrucha (MS13) is one of the world's largest and arguably most violent street gangs. After relatively humble beginnings in Los Angeles in the 1980s, it has spread to more than a half-dozen countries and become a central focus of law enforcement in two hemispheres. In spite of these efforts, the MS13 remains a persistent threat and shows signs of expanding its criminal portfolio. This report attempts to explain what makes the MS13 such a difficult problem for authorities to tackle. It focuses on assisting law enforcement's understanding of the gang's criminal activities, but it includes deep discussion on the social and political issues around the MS13. Below are our major findings. The MS13 is a largely urban phenomenon that has cells operating in two continents. The MS13 has between 50,000 and 70,000 members who are concentrated in mostly urban areas in Central America or locations outside the region where there is a large Central American diaspora. In Honduras and Guatemala, the gang is still largely urban. In El Salvador, however, the gang has steadily spread into more rural areas. Expansion beyond urban areas has also happened in places in the United States, most notably in Long Island and North Carolina, and increasingly California. The gang has appeared as well in Europe, specifically in urban areas of Spain and Italy. The size of the gang in these settings varies greatly and fluctuates, mostly in accordance with law enforcement efforts and migration patterns unrelated to the gang. The MS13 is a social organization first, and a criminal organization second. The MS13 is a complex phenomenon. The gang is not about generating revenue as much as it is about creating a collective identity that is constructed and reinforced by shared, often criminal experiences, especially acts of violence and expressions of social control. The MS13 draws on a mythic notion of community, a team concept, and an ideology based on its bloody fight with its chief rival, the Barrio 18 (18th Street) gang, to sustain a huge, loosely organized social and criminal organization. The MS13 is a diffuse organization of sub-parts, with no single leader or leadership structure that directs the entire gang. The MS13 has two poles of power: in Los Angeles, where it was founded, and in El Salvador, its spiritual birthplace where many of its historic leaders reside. But the gang has no single leader or leadership council. Instead it is a federation with layers of leaders who interact, obey and react to each other at different moments depending on circumstances. In general terms, most decisions are made by the individual cell, or what is known as the "clica," the Spanish term for clique. The highest-ranking members in some geographic areas make up a leadership council, but not all areas have a leadership council. In Los Angeles, the MS13 is subservient to the prison gang known as the Mexican Mafia. In El Salvador, the gang is also run from prison by its own leadership council. Along the East Coast of the United States, the gang has no council, although it is takes much of its directives from Salvadoran-based gang leaders. Because these leaders are mostly in jail, it is exceedingly difficult for them to impose total control over the rank-and-file. The MS13 has guidelines more than rules, which are subject to varying interpretations. The diffuse nature of the organization has widespread implications for how it operates. The gang has guidelines more than rules. These guidelines are subject to haphazard interpretations and application. In other words, this internal justice is not necessarily a strict system and often depends more on who the leader is and who is being judged, rather the actual transgression or the circumstances surrounding it. This inconsistent application of the rules leads to constant internal and external conflicts and is the cause of widespread violence wherever the gang operates. MS13 violence is brutal and purposeful. Violence is at the heart of the MS13 and is what has made it a target of law enforcement in the United States, Central America and beyond. It is central to the MS13's ethos, its modus operandi, and its evaluation and discipline of its own members. Violence also builds cohesion and comradery within the gang's cliques. This use of violence has enhanced the MS13's brand name, allowing it to expand in size and geographic reach, but it has undermined its ability to enter more sophisticated, money-making criminal economies. Potential partners see the gang as an unreliable, highly visible target, and the gang's violent spasms only reinforce this notion. The MS13's diffuse nature makes it hard for it to control its own expressions of violence. The MS13's diffuse nature has made it difficult to curtail its violence. The gang itself has attempted to implement rules to control the use of force. Most murders must be sanctioned from the highest levels, but as one of our case studies illustrates, this is often a perfunctory task, reflecting what seems to be a disregard for human life. In addition, the very system that is designed to control the violence often leads to more violence, since failure to carry out a sanctioned hit becomes cause for internal disciplinary action. The MS13 is a hand-to-mouth criminal organization that depends on control of territory to secure revenue. The gang's lack of a centralized leadership has kept it relatively impoverished. While it has established revenue streams, the MS13 has a hand-to-mouth criminal portfolio. Extortion is the single most important revenue stream for the gang in Central America, although a significant and rising portion of the MS13's criminal portfolio comes from local drug peddling, especially in US cities such as Los Angeles. The gang is also involved in prostitution, human smuggling, car theft and resale and other criminal activities, but the gang's revenue nearly always depends on its ability to control territory. The MS13 is a transnational gang, not a transnational criminal organization (TCO). While the gang has a presence in two continents and at least a half-dozen nations, the gang is a small, part-time role player in international criminal schemes. In cases of international drug trafficking, for instance, the MS13 is dependent on other criminal actors such as the Mexican Mafia. The gang plays a similar, part-time role in other international criminal activities such human smuggling as well. Its diffuse organizational structure and public displays of violence are two of the main reasons why the gang has not succeeded in transforming itself into a TCO. And while some criminal activity - most notably the MS13's involvement in petty drug dealing on a local level - is driving the gang's maturation process and leading it to new opportunities, this is a slow process that is causing significant conflict within the gang. El Salvador's MS13 leaders are trying to assert more control over the US East Coast. Some MS13 leaders, especially those operating from jails in El Salvador, are trying to create more top-down control, and expand its social and political influence. In El Salvador, the gang has negotiated delivering votes to some of the country's most powerful politicians. They have also instituted more formal and complex command structures inside and outside of jail, and they have emissaries in places as far away as Boston who are trying to corral the rudimentary and undisciplined gang cliques operating along the US East Coast. The MS13 is taking advantage of traditional migration patterns, not sending members to set up new cells. The MS13's efforts in El Salvador have alarmed law enforcement officials who say the gang's high-ranking leaders are also moving their rank-and-file around the region, including to the United States. But while the gang is repopulating cells and establishing new ones, the MS13 appears to be taking advantage of circumstances, rather than actively creating those circumstances. MS13 members migrate for the same reasons that other migrants do, and they go to the same places. They also face many of the same risks such as indigence, isolation, victimization, detention and deportation. This report is divided into five sections. We begin by chronicling the multi-national history of the MS13. The group is the byproduct of war, migration and policy, and it has a footprint in a half dozen nations. We then turn to the gang's philosophy, its guiding principles and ideology. The gang centers itself around the idea of community, which is reinforced mostly via violent rituals and expressions of rage towards outsiders and rivals. From there, we move to organizational structure. This includes explaining the largely misunderstood loose hierarchy of the gang and its clique system. Then we cover modus operandi, tackling the all-important questions of recruitment, criminal economy, use of violence, and political and social capital. Finally, we elaborate five case studies, which address the MS13's: 1) organizational structure; 2) use of violence; 3) criminal migration; 4) involvement in international drug trafficking; and 5) political and social capital. Details: s.l.: Insight Crime; Washington, DC: Center for Latin American and Latino Studies, 2018. 90p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 20, 2018 at: https://www.insightcrime.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/MS13-in-the-Americas-InSight-Crime-English.pdf Year: 2018 Country: Central America URL: https://www.insightcrime.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/MS13-in-the-Americas-InSight-Crime-English.pdf Shelf Number: 149182 Keywords: Criminal OrganizationDrug TraffickingDrug-Related ViolenceGang ViolenceGang-Related ViolenceGangsMara SalvatruchaMS13Prison Gangs |
Author: Steinberg, Jonny Title: Nongoloza's Children: Western Cape prison gangs during and after apartheid Summary: Over the past two decades, news of the strange world behind the bars of South Africa's prisons has been spilling out in dribs and drabs. Among the things we have learned is that the so-called "Number gangs"-the 26s, 27s and 28s-are about 100 years old, that they originated in the jails, mine compounds and informal settlements of turn-of-thecentury Johannesburg, and that today they constitute a formidable force in every prison across the country. We know that the Number gangs take their inspiration from the real historical figure who founded them, Nongoloza Mathebula, an early Johannesburg bandit who built a quasi-military band of outlaws, welding his small army together with a simple but potent ideology of banditry-as-anti-colonial-resistance. We know, too, that the Number gangs have been the vehicle of an extraordinarily durable oral tradition; the imaginary uniforms, weapons and paraphernalia that Number gangsters carry today are all faithful representations of the uniforms, weapons and paraphernalia of the Boer and British armies of the late 19th-century Transvaal. The arcane and finely observed military and judicial hierarchies of the 28s and the 27s are precisely those invented by Nongoloza and described in the life testimony he dictated to a prison warder in 1912.1 We know, too, that the world of the Number gangs is one of staggering brutality. Its self-styled judiciaries sentence inmates to death, to gang rape, to beatings with prison mugs, padlocks and bars of soap; among the prerequisites of joining the "soldier lines" of the gangs is the taking of a warder's or a non-gangster's blood; leaving a prison gang, sharing a gang's secrets with a warder, or talking casually about the gang's workings to the non-initiated are all punishable crimes. Finally, we know that sexual relations between prison gangsters and their lovers are highly stylised, caricaturing the most pungently misogynist relationship imaginable between a man and a woman. The passive partner in an archetypal prison relationship is stripped of the jail equivalent of his juridical personhood: he is not allowed to conduct commerce or to leave the cell without his partner's permission; he cooks for his partner, makes his bed, washes his back and cuts his toenails. 2 Yet, despite the growing body of information available to us, our knowledge of South African prison gangs remains inadequate. What we have are slivers of narrative, ritual and myth, disconnected from the context that gives them meaning. What we do not have is an analysis of the relationship between prison gangs and the institution that animates them in the first place: the prison itself. This lacuna has been unavoidable. Until the early 1990s, South African prisons were entirely closed institutions. Reportage on the conditions in jails was effectively illegal until the mid-1980s. Until 1990, the courts kept prison administration at arm's length, giving the Commissioner of Prisons almost unlimited power, including the power to regulate information.3 And the gangs themselves were, of course, sworn to a vow of silence. Two research projects conducted in the 1980s did, however, make concerted and valuable attempts to understand prisons gangs in their institutional context. Fink Haysom's thesis-that the gangs' quasi-military structure is an extreme parody of the apartheid prison system itself-is, as we shall see, a powerful and lasting insight. 4 Lotter and Schurink's thesis-that gangs militate against the psychological and material pains of imprisonment-is also of lasting value. 5 However, given the closed conditions of the 1980s, these studies, which should have become a foundation for further research, were left standing as two islands in a sea of incomprehension. It is only in recent years, with the opening of the jails to researchers and observers, and the intrusion of the rule of law in the running of prisons, that it has become possible to study the substance of prison life with any seriousness. And it is only in understanding the substance of prison life that the strange narratives and rituals of South Africa's prison gangs can possibly make sense. Details: Johannesburg: Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, 64p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 4, 2018 at: http://www.csvr.org.za/docs/correctional/nongolozaschildren.pdf Year: 2004 Country: South Africa URL: http://www.csvr.org.za/docs/correctional/nongolozaschildren.pdf Shelf Number: 115815 Keywords: GangsPrison GangsPrison ViolencePrisonersPrisons |
Author: Knox, George W. Title: The Problem of Gangs and Security Threat Groups (STG's) in American Prisons Today: Recent Research Findings From the 2004 Prison Gang Survey Summary: This is a study of gangs and security threat groups (STG's) in American prisons today. The purpose here is to add to the growing body of literature about gangs behind bars. The National Gang Crime Research Center (NGCRC) has made a number of contributions in this area dating back over a decade. While the last decade has witnessed a steady increase in certain of these problems, the present research reports only modest increases overall in the scope of the gang problem, but that new and potentially more explosive problems are emerging inside this arena. The current findings, representing data collected during the first half of 2004, certainly suggest that the problem has not been abated. Indeed there are some new dangerous trends documented here for the first time. Although correctional officials feel there are some effective strategies to win this war, these measures are not being widely implemented. Meanwhile, gangs are exploiting weaknesses in the correctional system, including abusing legislative provisions intended to protect religious rights. Correctional staff polled indicated problems in their awareness of legal developments, and identified education as an ongoing need; and, three years after 911, the recruitment of gang members into terror networks remains a issue. What can be done? What must be done? This article will present an overview of gang demographics, including gender and religious affiliation - a survey of violence - procedures, programs, etc. Finally, it will conclude with recommendations drawn from the survey data. Details: Peotone, IL: National Gang Crime Research Center, 2005. 69p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 2, 2018 at: https://www.ngcrc.com/corr2006.html Year: 2005 Country: United States URL: https://www.ngcrc.com/corr2006.html Shelf Number: 149971 Keywords: Prison AdministrationPrison GangsPrison Violence |