Chapter 8 Corrections In America

In chapter 8 of Corrections in America, the author explains and summarizes the threat of prison gangs within prison and after the release of confinement. The author also explains the basic history of gang development and gang differences. In this chapter, the role of intelligence in coping with prison gangs is explained. Security threat group is any organization or group of three or more individuals that operate within correctional facilities throughout the United States. According to the author, there is no way to escape gangs, since they are everywhere, such as at the streets, neighborhoods, and even prison. Street gangs are criminal organizations that are formed on the streets. Gangs are confined to specific neighborhoods and jurisdictions. The primary purpose of neighborhood gangs is to distribute drug and sales. Now, prison gangs are criminal organizations that originated within the penal system and operate within correctional facilities. Overall, there seems to be over 1.4 million active gang members. Those gang members who are imprisoned, usually use family members to facilitate gang activities. Gang members not only use their family members for that, but to also encourage …show more content…
That’s when the war on drugs occurred. Some offenders were actually going back to prison due to selling drugs. Correctional administrators decided to have more control over their prisons by confining the leaders of the gangs in secure housing units. These secure housing units were the highest security in prison and they were single celled, which were created for the purpose of lessening directives by inmates to outside criminal organizations. One great conflict that arose, was that correctional officers were pressured to smuggle drugs and other illegal substances. They were forced to yield to corruption in order to preserve their lives and the lives of their