Essay about Street Gangs in the United States - 1399 Words

Street gangs in this country can probably be traced back to the first wave of Europeans who migrated to the colonies for a better life for themselves and their families. Many of the first gangs were formed as a means of self protection, with the thinking that there is simply strength in numbers. The missions of gangs in today’s society have grown and emerged to include many violent criminal avenues, including drug trafficking, prostitution, money laundering, and extortion but the original thinking that there is strength in numbers remains true. Criminology experts believe that the number of teens involved in gangs or gang activity may be as high as 1 in every 5 people in most urban areas. Those number jump to 1 in every 3 people in†¦show more content†¦These men and women are then released back onto the streets, back into our communities. Prison has not changed who they are, their violent behaviors, or their part in a street gang. They go back to the life they k new before prison, and the life they kept up while in prison. The most dangerous aspect of this cycle of crime is that these men and women return to prison again and again each time thinking they are a little tougher and their position in the gang a lot stronger. Their return trips to prison may ease the fears of the community for a few months or a few years, and each time the job of a correction officer becomes more difficult and more dangerous. Correction Officers in state and county run prisons and jails face serious dangers and grave responsibilities everyday. They are locked inside prison walls with some of the most treacherous men and women in the world. One of the most terrifying aspects of being a Correction Officer is the existence of gangs. Gang members are considered more dangerous than other inmates, because they are threat not only to other inmates but to correction officers as well. Gangs survive out on the streets, and continue to thrive and recruit members while in prisons. Dangerous gangs seem to enlist more members who are in prison than outside on the streets. New recruits feel scared and alone behind the prison walls, they need protection and to be respected, being in a gang gives them that. The Mexican MafiaShow MoreRelatedHispanic Gangs: Not Just a California Problem Anymore1475 Words   |  6 PagesGangs are not a new problem to the United States. Gangs have often been romanticized in literature and the media with a classic example being â€Å"West Side Story†. Americans have long been fascinated with the Mafia, and infamous gangsters such as Al Capone and John Gotti have even been elevated in status as cultural icons. Americans have seen an uprising in â€Å"Gangster Rap† since the early 1990’s. 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