Gangs (of California)

What if gang members dressed like Daniel Day Lewis?

Before I get into the topic of gangs, I'll allow the National Institute of Justice to explain what a gang really is:

There is no single, universally accepted definition of a “gang.” Many state and local jurisdictions have developed statutory definitions. The following are common criteria for classifying a group as a gang.

• The group has three or more members, generally aged 12–24.
• Members share an identity, typically linked to a name, and often other symbols.
• Members view themselves as a gang, and they are recognized by others as a gang.
• The group has some permanence and a degree of organization.
• The group is involved in an elevated level of criminal and/or delinquent activity. 

This definition refers to what some call "street gangs" and does not generally include organized crime groups, hate groups, or groups driven exclusively by ideology.

How convenient! So, under this definition, any group of deviant individuals can be loosely defined as a "gang". So a church teen group, all wearing the same t-shirt (or symbols, colors, stick-on tattoos on their foreheads) could be considered a gang if they all say, downloaded music illegally, right? That's a criminal act! But I wonder how many songs would they have to download for them to end up in juvenile hall? 

As an aside, when discussing juvenile delinquency, it is important that we distinguish between those who associate with delinquent peer groups and those who are legitimate members of a gang. Joining a gang is considered a special phenomenon that exists outside the normal realm of adolescent deviation . . . more on this in a future discussion

Okay back to the subject:

Because of the broadness of the word gang, studying, recording, and following gang activity can be very problematic for researchers, law enforcement, social service agencies, and policy makers. It's not like there is a complete list or database of known and verified gang members out there. Sure, we may know who some of the leaders, bosses, or shot-callers are, but how can law enforcement know for certain if a specific group of juveniles are apart of a gang? Gangs may not keep a file cabinet of member records, but anything is possible!

Further, gang-related crimes are not distinguished in the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports (a database for U.S. crime statistics), so measuring accurate figures and trends of gang activity is next to impossible. For example, in the UCR, a "homicide" is not designated as being different from a "gang-related homicide." Certain sentences, however, can receive a gang enhancement depending on the circumstances of the crime and the accused's gang affiliation.

In terms of a operation, some gangs are very well-organized, have a clearly defined hierarchy, and can operate just like the Chicago Outfit (tax evasion included). Other gangs may not be as complicated in form and will have a loose structure with no definitive leader or organizational structure. Additionally, not all gangs operate drug traffic rings as their chosen deviant activity or as a main source of income. Oftentimes, those who are involved in drugs do so on their own accord, without the organizational support of the gang. Youth gangs tend to be involved in violence or entrepreneurial activities, but drug trafficking gangs do exist.

In California, there are about 40 identified gangs, but in prison, most of the inmates belong to one of California’s six main prison gangs: Nuestra Familia, the Mexican Mafia, the Aryan Brotherhood, the Black Guerrilla Family, the Northern Structure, or the Nazi Lowriders (the last two are offshoots of Nuestra Familia and the Aryan Brotherhood, respectively). In prison, guards must be sensitive to the prison gang dynamics: "The inmates interact like volatile chemicals: if you open their cells in such a way as to put, say, a lone member of Nuestra Familia in a crowd of Mexican Mafia, the mix can explode violently." 

For prison security reasons, it is not uncommon for officials to house inmates according to race, as gang membership is usually divided by strict racial and ethnic lines. In prison, membership in a gang can offer protection, a sense of macho-ism, and camaraderie. Depending on the institutional dynamics, an inmate who was not affiliated with a gang before entering prison might be now.

And that my friends, was a superficial description of gangs. Like any student, I don't know everything about gangs, but I could definitely keep talking about the subject. As an organization, Barrios Unidos actively reduces and prevents gang violence in a nonviolent way through culture and spirituality. We take the topic very seriously. I have been working for this organization for 3.5 weeks, so I am still learning a lot and I will likely discuss this topic in a future post.

In the meanwhile, check out David Skarbek's book description of: The Social Order of the Underworld: How Prison Gangs Govern the American Penal System

When most people think of prison gangs, they think of chaotic bands of violent, racist thugs. Few people think of gangs as sophisticated organizations (often with elaborate written constitutions) that regulate the prison black market, adjudicate conflicts, and strategically balance the competing demands of inmates, gang members, and correctional officers. Yet as David Skarbek argues, gangs form to create order among outlaws, producing alternative governance institutions to facilitate illegal activity. He uses economics to explore the secret world of the convict culture, inmate hierarchy, and prison gang politics, and to explain why prison gangs form, how formal institutions affect them, and why they have a powerful influence over crime even beyond prison walls. The ramifications of his findings extend far beyond the seemingly irrational and often tragic society of captives. They also illuminate how social and political order can emerge in conditions where the traditional institutions of governance do not exist.