Gang Violence or Routine Prison Misconduct ?
By Carl R.
ToersBijns, former deputy warden, ASPC Eyman complex, Florence, AZ
There appears to be an
importation of a new prisoner model or ideology that gang violence inside
prisons is merely an extension of antisocial behaviors developed on the
streets. Opposing this model are those who deny gang activities are on the rise
and that the main contributor of increased prison violence is the new youthful
offender that does not respect or adhere to prison regulations like those
before.
There are many
publically / politically influenced commonalities in this way of thinking that
justifies the lack of response and vigilance regarding this ever growing
problem inside of prisons as it is being identified as an individual problem
rather than a group or in this case, a gang problem. Surrendering [unknowingly
or through passive direction] the prisons to known gang leaders is a strategy
that has failed in the past and is making a comeback in some prison systems.
It is becoming clearer
as every day passes on that prison population are becoming more violent by the
moment. There also appears to be a direct correlation between gangs involved in
street activities and prison gangs coordinating high risk gang activities from
both ends of the fence line. Thus the model delivered attempts to indicate or
reflect that one is the same as the other with the only difference being the
razor wire that isolates the two versions of disruptive groups within our
society and the prison world.
The connection also
reveals prior inmate behaviors of those gang members out in the streets. These
high risk persons handle predictive violent behaviors on the street as they did
when incarcerated and involved in significant gang activities.
However, unlike the
police officers on the street, there are some prison agencies that have chosen
to ignore such threats and allowed these especially at risk [often repeat-offenders]
persons rule and run prison yards as a condition to maintain peace and control
without or minimal administrative intervention.
It appears that some
prison officials feel that gang membership is a smaller threat to their
authority thus considered it to be a smaller risk. Although aware of chronic
offending and breaking of institutional rules and regulations, their vigilance
and enforcement tactics resemble passive ignorance of such a major impact and
receives scaled back controlled responses to avoid upsetting the delicate
balance of gang controlled power inside our prisons.
On the other hand,
other prison officials are actively and aggressively addressing gang influences
inside prisons as they agreed that prison gang involvement has the same
consequences and characteristics as street gang involvement and contributes
negatively to prison violence, misconduct and other social maladjustments.
Some of those who
accept prison gang mentalities and behaviors as a way of life, have thrown in
the towel of surrender and allow individual criminality to exist as each
prisoner may contribute to the overall prison environment or structural
existence through situational dynamics of what is acceptable conduct inside
prison and prison life.
They refuse to
acknowledge that although an individual may be acting as their own criminal
[anti-social] behavior dictates, the fact they are gang connected creates a
more powerful force that impacts prison violence disproportionately and
heightens the risks of violence and other forms of criminality or misconducts.
In the end, prison
officials have to decide to what extent prison gang membership impacts their
daily operation and how it compares to their daily threats of potential
disturbances, harm to staff and other prisoners and the cultural settings of
different prison yards throughout the system.
It would be most
beneficial for prison officials to study the relationship between street gangs
and prison gangs rather that ignoring this potent link in order to measure
their impact related to gang activity, potential threats to the prison
population and prison regulations. Ignoring prison gangs as organized and
self-perpetuating groups is foolish. Refusing to address this hierarchy of
leadership and their established chain of command is detrimental to
establishing security and impacts their direct ability to rule and control
prison conduct.
They should actively
pursue the growth of gang activity through organized strikes and efforts to
control these activities and minimize their power and influence on their
respective yards so that the prisons are governed by institutional rules and
regulations rather than gang like control [intimidation and fear] and violence
connect behaviors resembling anarchist at work inside prisons.
In denial of such
growing dynamics on their yards, officials refuse to admit or identify that
gang members are more likely to commit criminal acts than non gang members
inside prisons. They are also permitting gang members to commit major
misconduct violations to occur such as murder, rape, assaulting of staff and
other use of lethal force inside prisons to carry out their illegal enforcement
of gang by rules and taxation programs.
Giving up social
controls on gang members will release [or unleash] a most unwanted dynamic
event that gang activity produces or induces into a prison environment. It is
problematic and a most perpetuating condition that send a message that violence
is condoned and the perpetrators will not be sought for justice or prosecution
and that there will be no retribution for such misconduct or behaviors
including homicides.
November 24, 2012
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