Prison Gangs.

[WardenRoss]

Thanks for the post. It's difficult to communicate to people on the outside what it's like on the inside. This article makes a good attempt.

Pray for those in the corrections side of the law enforcement family. They have a tough and thankless job.

 

[vt_shooter]

I find it disturbing that the US, which supposedly cherishes freedom, has the 2nd highest rate of incarceration in the world, behind North Korea.

Disturbing, yes. So what is to blame for the high incarceration rate in the U.S. - is it the criminal justice system/government, or is it the large numbers of people in this country who rationalize and excuse crime, thereby giving a green light to criminals to stay the course? I blame the latter.

 

[chaparrito]

Disturbing, yes. So what is to blame for the high incarceration rate in the U.S. - is it the criminal justice system/government, or is it the large numbers of people in this country who rationalize and excuse crime, thereby giving a green light to criminals to stay the course? I blame the latter.

I think a lot of it has to do with the privatization of prisons that's going on nationwide. These for profit outfits lobby for higher conviction rates to fill their beds.

 

[thebeamanater107]

The thug/gangsta/ex-con look/fad is in.

I'm curious to see what these wanna bes do when they come to the realization that people don't take them seriously with their cool, neck, facial, and hand tattoos when they try to get a decent job or when/if they have contact with LE.

People get tattoos trying to be different and unique. In high school only one or two people in the building had tattoos. It's mystified and interesting.

And then i was in the army. I didn't know a single person who didnt have a tattoo until this new kid showed up in my squad. He has never tasted alcohol, smoked a cigarette, or had sex. And he was 19 years old. There wasn't anything wrong with him in the head either. He was smart, witty, funny, and quick minded until a pretty girl was present. He was shy. He got over that and figured out women right as my contract ended. He still has no tattoos and has never smoked a cigarette. Another thing i noticed about him was he prayed at every meal.

He's the most unique and different person I've ever met. I wish i knew this before i had 8 tattoos

 

[jdh]

I would prefer that we quit putting people in prison for things that shouldn't even be crimes.

Malum prohibitum - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Malum in se - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Very few of our guest were innocent victims railroaded by some over zealous cop/DA. Most off them were veterans of the system who have been given multiple chances to get their minds right before coming to us.

A segment of the population is where they are because they plead to a lessor charge or were given consideration cooperating in the investigation (helping to fry bigger fish), not because they are good and decent citizens who just had a momentary lapse in judgement.

 

[medxam]

The Feds should allow the blocking of cell phones over prisons!

medxam

 

[Ματθιας]

People get tattoos trying to be different and unique. In high school only one or two people in the building had tattoos.

When I went to high school in the early 90's, nobody had tattoos

It's mystified and interesting.

Not to me.

And then i was in the army. I didn't know a single person who didnt have a tattoo until this new kid showed up in my squad. He has never tasted alcohol, smoked a cigarette, or had sex. And he was 19 years old. There wasn't anything wrong with him in the head either. He was smart, witty, funny, and quick minded until a pretty girl was present. He was shy. He got over that and figured out women right as my contract ended. He still has no tattoos and has never smoked a cigarette. Another thing i noticed about him was he prayed at every meal.

He's the most unique and different person I've ever met. I wish i knew this before i had 8 tattoos

It's not just the military, in my age group, myself and maybe one, two at the most, are the only folks I know of who don't have tattoos.
I'm unique and different because I DON'T have tattoos.

 

[6518John]

The Feds should allow the blocking of cell phones over prisons!

medxam

The staff's would riot and injure the inmates.

 

[jdh]

The staff's would riot and injure the inmates.

Nope, we weren't allowed to take them in the fence to start with. The riots were at the staff entrance before we got inside.

Problem is RF doesn't respect boundary lines. If the jammer were to prevent someone just outside the facility from calling 911 in an emergency the lawsuits would be filed before the funeral.

 

[Roadtrash]

Almost 70 and still no tattoos. Of course I worked most of my life as a pipefitter/welder and contractors usually don't care one way or the other.

 

[DeadAye]

Nope, we weren't allowed to take them in the fence to start with. The riots were at the staff entrance before we got inside.

Problem is RF doesn't respect boundary lines. If the jammer were to prevent someone just outside the facility from calling 911 in an emergency the lawsuits would be filed before the funeral.

I just spent a week in an area (N WI) with no cell phone coverage.
Who would I have sued if I had an accident?

Signs could be posted *NO CELL PHONE COVERAGE IN THIS AREA*.

The prisoners being able to run the place AND their crews on the outside is pathetic and MUST be stopped.

PS - Riots can be handled by 12 ga slugs and/or buckshot.

 

[the ringo kid]

Good piece. It expanded on a lot of things I was told by a friend (dead now, like a lot of my friends) who worked for many years in the Texas prison system. He regarded any penitentiary as "a graduate school for criminals".

Scary stuff.

Sadly, thats mostly true. Prison is nothing but a revolving door for many.I saw many who were actually "good" inmates, but they kept making mistakes and getting sent back. I was in charge many times-of the inside yard squad and outside yard quads--those in the inside squads--were usually those who deserved to be and worked hard at--becoming "Teachers Pets." Those guys never gave anyone problems--even if they knew the staff member was totally worng (which was the cas many times) but they always showed the upmost respect. The twoI remembe the most wer: "Red and Ramos." Those two gysbsted their behinds doing ard work--so they earned the respect of about 99% of the staff. However, we has one supervisor that thought he was God--who treated themlike scrap material trying to make them make a mistake--so he could send them to "C" or"D" dorms and ust them out of the squad. That supervisor couldnt get them to make any mistake--and probably they were mostly protected by his superiors. Anyway, these two--did loads of stuff for the Warden, the Major and other staff. These two made my day much much easier many time.

The only other inmate I can remember that caused me--and many othes real problems--was when I was working the crybaby dowr--"A"dorm.We had an incredibly stupid 1st shift Sergeant trying to tellme--and Coley--how to do our jobs. Coley--was a Green beret and served in Vietnam for 2-3 ours. Coley also knew his business. Anyway, this Sergeant tol me to do an ID check--which means you physically have to hold the ID--and look at the inmate then hand it back and scribble somehting onto anotebook. OK,everything went fine--untill I got into "A" 4. The inmates in there told me that A-4 bunk50--worked the night shift and had just gone to bed. Well, any NORMAL supevisor would have allowed me to look at his displayed ID--then mark himoff--but NO--thisone insisted that I wake the guy up, make him stand by the side of his bunk, and do what she wanted. Wellsaid idiot 1st shife sergeant--created an incident that shoul not have taken place.

This inmate-looked bigger than that character Bane--fromthe Batman comic books. It ended up with the guy getting as angry as possible without lashing out. This guy was pumping fists--a sign they were about to lash out) and I had to escourt hi to the front sallyport. Coley and I were the only two in there with tis guy--and Coeoly later told me that he didnt know if we could have kept the guy from killing us--that guy was THAT big and muscular. Anyway in the end--this guy was sent to solitary--then transferred to aproper max security prisonewhere he belonged. This guy it turned out--was a serial killer-had killed four people with his teeth.

This guy was mistakenly classified as being non-dangeous--like hot check writers, drug addcts etc. They had him on 3rd shife Utility Squad--which meant he was privvy to all kinds of tools that could be used as weapons. Well, 15 people in classification--were fired because of that incident. I firmly believ that that 1st shife sergeant should have also been fired--for placing Coley and myself in danger--when non should have existed.

 

[the ringo kid]

23+ years in corrections here in Illinois. I started as a CO in Menard, a max joint that at the time was the last stop for our worst offenders. Scalded 4 times and stabbed twice while there. The Administration had allowed the gangs to have the run of the place for decades, but finally started taking the prisons back in '96. It was nicknamed "Strip a Vic" and we finally got control back. Now 18 years later, the liberals have let it get out of hand again.

I started at Garza West--which used to be NAS Chase Field. We had a great Warden--Warden Zeller. Also had a great Major--an most other supervisors were of high caliber. About 2 years after I worked there-they needed 10 volunteers from West togo to Garza East--which was known by all of us as teh Funny Farm. Their Major--jackson--was th biggest sick joke of the system. Under his watch--he had 8 escapes thatI know of. One--the first I had to take part in on the manhunt--happened on his watch ecause-he used the perimeter pickets as punishment duty--so the worst of th staff were placed there--instead of using serious folks like Vets an others who were familiar with guns. Thats a long story ill not go nt o on ow he escaped but, the two femals officers in 1 and 4 picket--refused to shoot him and tried passing that off on each other. They got fired as well as the highway gate officer.

About 2 years afte that--the famous "Texas Seven" escaped from another unit that stupid major was in charge of. That major SHOULD have been canned long bofore--but managed to stay in and actually get a final promotion of being in charge of region 4---which meant that he was in charge of at least 30 Texas State Prisons.

Anyway,10 of us volunteered to ransfer to Garza East--and were sent there to "clean up that farm" and we did make a big change there. 3 of us ended up on 1st shift, 4 on 2nd and the last on 3rd. It took us about 2 months to help "clean up and give soem backnbone" to the officers on out shifts-as well as to start getting the inmates in line to make sure they knew who was boss. I hated writing inmates up--which are calle cases) because any problem was better solved by finding out what the matter was? then addressing it. However--some officers loved writing cases--as many as 10 or so a day. I wrote one case maybe every two months.

2nd shift got them in line the fastest-I might add.) Anyway, before I transfered to my last station--we had that farm in order even with Major jackson still in control.

 

[the ringo kid]

I think a lot of it has to do with the privatization of prisons that's going on nationwide. These for profit outfits lobby for higher conviction rates to fill their beds.

All ill say about private prisons is--they are a sick joke.

 

[the ringo kid]

Very few of our guest were innocent victims railroaded by some over zealous cop/DA. Most off them were veterans of the system who have been given multiple chances to get their minds right before coming to us.

A segment of the population is where they are because they plead to a lessor charge or were given consideration cooperating in the investigation (helping to fry bigger fish), not because they are good and decent citizens who just had a momentary lapse in judgement.

I heard it many many times when they would tell me: "I was framed." I saw a few WWII Vets in as well as vets from other wars, but the WWII vets stood out for me. I remembe one vet-for two reasons--odd name and he looked EXACTLY like Dr. McCoy from Star Trek. His name: Blez Marshal Blooney. He was in B-5-8--which meant that he waspart of Kitchen staff or Laundry etc. He was in one oe my lines wiating to go to chow--and I saw him and the first thing entering m mind was that he was Dr.McCoy. Anyway,he came up to me and asked abt something--and I dont remember what I said but-I asked him if he gets called: Dr McCoy? He said I was the first to notice that resemblance. He even sounded like McCoy too. After that-he was one of my main "go to and get info from" guys in B 5-8. I read in his record--that he had been in the Marines and was on Iwo Jima.

Anyway, Blooney--was one of many who got "Framed." If I recall? he was actually in because of killing his wife and daughter.

 

[BigBill]

What a waste of minds and able bodies. They should be doing something to educate themselves or to make life behind bars better.

 

[finesse_r]

I am curious. Did the old USSR have problems with gangs in their prisons?

 

[Ματθιας]

I am curious. Did the old USSR have problems with gangs in their prisons?

Yes, they did.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

My mother told me the great uncle for whom I was named served on a parole board for a number of years, she quoted him as saying:
"There are no guilty men in Sing Sing,"
The USSR had the most powerful criminal gang the world have ever seen.
It was called the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
I recall a program I saw on TV back in the 1980s or so, it featured Claude Brown, author of "Manchild in the Promised Land." He said:
"I am in favor of the death penalty for felony murder. Being sent to prison means nothing to a ghetto kid, he gets all the opportunities he never got before."
I read a lot of true crime books, books by criminal profilers, etc. There is a criminal mind, old term psychopath, then sociopath, now Anti-social Personality Disorder. They are people who have a warped outlook on life, reject social mores and norms, and simply don't think like the rest of us.

 

[JJEH]

All ill say about private prisons is--they are a sick joke.

I have worked in one and I quit after awhile. Management is worried to get sued over everything. I saw a C/O got walked off b/c he sprayed a non-complaint inmate. The other inmates started a riot in the outside rec yard. More OC was used to get them back into their houses. All that b/c of excessive use of force... yeah, right.

It's ridiculous and b/c of that no one takes prisons serious. Except child molesters...

 

[rwsmith]

They've found a much better way....

Not to hijack, but I recently watched an hour long special detailing the activities of the Hell's Angels motorcycle gang. I had the impression that they were a semi-lawless and troublesome biker's gang, but turns out they are embedded into so many illegal ventures as to make a mafia Don blush. Very scary, indeed, as their power seems to grow unchecked, and law enforcement seems at least reluctant to get in the way.

The Hell's Angels have found a much better way to operate than beating up 'citizens'. They keep a low profile and go about their illegal activities quietly. The last Hell's Angels I saw had casual clothes filling up a car at a gas station and their colors looked like they kept them dry cleaned. There are probably a good many lawyers that are in the club.

 

[rwsmith]

That is really interesting...

Sip, that is interesting. I know less than beans about this stuff and I'd like not to witness it first hand.

 

[rwsmith]

For so many people.....

Loss of freedom means nothing to so many people. Like is as good inside as it is outside to them. I think we should up the 'punishment factor' and create a system that people DON'T want to go back to. I think that AZ sheriff has the right idea.

 

[chaparrito]

All my uncles got tats in the Navy and Marine Corps in WW2 and Korea. When I was a kid they had these beautiful virgins of guadalupe or MC insignias on their forearms. By the time they were in their 70s and 80s and all saggy and wrinkled they looked like permanent, giant bruises. I wonder if these folks getting all inked up these days ever stop to consider what they're going to look like in 30 years.

 

[thebeamanater107]

All my uncles got tats in the Navy and Marine Corps in WW2 and Korea. When I was a kid they had these beautiful virgins of guadalupe or MC insignias on their forearms. By the time they were in their 70s and 80s and all saggy and wrinkled they looked like permanent, giant bruises. I wonder if these folks getting all inked up these days ever stop to consider what they're going to look like in 30 years.

Honestly, i hear that thought all the time. I had a distant relative who was in the navy in ww2 and he had tattoos on his forearms too. I saw them and i agree, they were blotches.

However, i dont plan on being beautiful when I'm 70. And i don't think about what I'll look like in 30 years at all.

I'm not being defensive, annoyed, or any of that. I'm just trying to answer your question, since i believe others feel the same way as i do. I'm 25 and have 8 tattoos. I honestly don't care for tattoos anymore. To me, it was a fad when i turned 18. An excitement, or a rebellious phase. On my 18th birthday i had a tattoo, a cell phone, 2 jobs, and started smoking cigars. A week later i had a contract for the army signed.

I calmed down on all that impulsiveness, though. I'd call it brain development, since the male brain isnt fully developed until about ages 23-25, sometimes later. Other people call it maturity. Another way i look at it is the combined total price for all of my tattoos was $2500.

 

[thebeamanater107]

Loss of freedom means nothing to so many people. Like is as good inside as it is outside to them. I think we should up the 'punishment factor' and create a system that people DON'T want to go back to. I think that AZ sheriff has the right idea.

I think it goes down to the human brain. You adapt to your way of life. If you've never had it, you don't miss it, you don't want it, and you probably don't even know how to go about getting it. One example is musical instruments. I can't play one and i have no desire to learn one. Other people get great enjoyment from it.

So when you're in a gang at age 15, rebelling against the school system, you never knew what freedom was to begin with. Then you're 17 and locked up. Then 20 and out doing the gang thing, because that's what you know.

Just my thoughts and theories here. The only prison i worked was in iraq full of captured terrorists, and i didn't interview them at all.

 

[Kinman]

There was a discussion the other day at the old rifle club about prison and who runs what. One of the guys is an ex statey and told us that at the big state penitentary the sex molesters basically run that portion of the prison and well...nobody really cares.

 

[jdh]

I just spent a week in an area (N WI) with no cell phone coverage.
Who would I have sued if I had an accident?

Signs could be posted *NO CELL PHONE COVERAGE IN THIS AREA*.

Anybody and every body you felt you could prove contributed to your carelessness who had the money to make it worth while.
I didn't say they would go anywhere. I said they would be filed. The taxpayers would still be stuck will the cost to defend against them.

The prisoners being able to run the place AND their crews on the outside is pathetic and MUST be stopped.

It can be done. The question is are you willing to pay what it takes?

PS - Riots can be handled by 12 ga slugs and/or buckshot.

Not legally. Shooting unarmed rioters is frowned upon and could result in you joining them after your murder conviction.


My last comment. If your total knowledge of what goes on is a real prison comes from TV and Movies you will never understand what really happens inside.

 

[therevjay]

i would watch that instead of that fake wrestling

Ah c'mon I LIKE fake wrestling! It's funny. And unless there's a accident no one really gets hurt.

 

[MOONDAWG]

The newest Gang in our "Hood" call themselves... "ROMEO"

It's an acronymn for....

Retired
Old
Men
Eating
Out

They terrorize all the local Mickey D's and Waffle Houses around 6 am every morning.