Prison Gangs Essays - Prison Gangs In The United States,

Prison Gangs Prison Gangs The fight for survival within the United State's prison system has created a subculture the breeds racism, hate, and violence. About two and a half years ago, a young man named William King was sentenced to death by lethal injection for his participation in the murder of James Byrd Jr. James, a middle aged black man from Jasper County, Texas, was bound at the ankles and dragged behind a truck for three miles. His body was ripped to shreds as a gruesome display of the effects of prison subculture. What caused William King and his partners Shawn Berry and Lawrence Brewer to commit such a horrific crime? Was their behavior a result of innate nature or was it learned? Many agree that it was the time spent in prison that caused William King to brutally murder James Byrd Jr. Friends and family claim that William was a pleasant and quiet boy before he left for prison to serve a couple years for burglary. When he was released, his personality seemed irrational and violent and he was covered in racist tattoos. Friends say he frequently spoke about white supremacy and was anxious to develop his own splinter white supremacist gang. King's defense attorney explained that it was the high rate of violence in Texas's Beto 1 Unit that caused William to turn toward gang activity as a means of protection and security. Racist attitudes develop from poor treatment from other inmates and a need to strengthen a common bond among gang members. William, the defense attorney argued, was merely a victim of the depleting prison system in this country (). The reality of prison gangs cannot be ignored. Victor Hassine wrote a book entitles Life Without Parole, in which he describes the horrific reality of life behind bars. He writes, Once inside, I was walked through a quantlet of desperate men. Their hot smell in the muggy corridor was as foul as their appearance. None of them seemed to have a full set of front teeth. Many bore prominently displayed tattoos of skulls or demons. One could argue whether it was the look of these men that led them to prison or whether it was the prison that gave them their look. Just looking at them made me fear my life (Hassine, 7). While the actions of William King cannot be excused or rationalized, his story sheds insight on the problems that face our correctional facilities. Prison gangs are everywhere, and effect every inmate. When a new convict is admitted he is viewed as fresh meat among the prison gang members and victimized to no end. Prison gangs are a convicts means of survival in an environment so starved of morals that violence, rap, and murder are just a daily reality. While it is impossible to know the impact of prison gangs on our street, experts dispute over the control and communication between street and prison gangs. Some argue that there is little connection between street and prison gangs and that operations of prison gangs remain behind prison walls. Drug trafficking does exist within prisons; it is usually made possible through inmate's friends and/or girlfriends (Huff 248). Still others feel quite different, and see prison gang control reach far beyond an inmates cell. Some speculate that a large percentage of drug dealing in East Los Angeles is controlled from within prison walls by the Mexican Mafia. Joe ?Pegleg? Morgan was in prison for forty years, beginning with a conviction of murder at the age sixteen. He manage to gain so much power and control of drug trafficking, street crimes, violence and money laundering that he rose to serve as the Mexican Mafia's Godfather in the later half of his life (Barker, 311). Prison gangs tend to display a distinct hierarchical structure. A single inmate who best embodies the gang's value (Territo, 580) assumes the role of the leader. A leader time in control is normally short, partially due to the prison system's ability to relocate inmates. It is usually the strongest remaining gang member that assumes leadership or the gang's elite counsels a decision. A member's degree of influence flows down a criterion of ranks, with the recruits having no say in any