Gang Violence In Prisons

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With gang violence continually getting worse in the United States, prisons and their staff need to make sure they are ready to take on dealing with them. This includes having the right amount of staff so chaos doesn 't break out. It is important for everyone to be aware in these situations so in the long run the government systems do not actually make it worse (Trulson, Marquart, and Kawucha). Correctional officers and guards are an important reason to why prison gangs exist and are thriving. Officers use to be able to know the names of all the inmates, thus the inmates tended to behave better for they knew if they violated a code they would get in trouble. However, now with so many inmates, guards and officers have lost control and reputations …show more content…

Especially in areas like Baltimore, where female correctional officers make up seventy five percent of workers. The problem with female correctional officers is they are being used and manipulated by inmates and smuggle in contraband from the outside. Inmates prey on young officers, they look for females with low self-esteem and confidence. In addition, it is also noted that in Baltimore sixty to seventy-five percent of female officers have inappropriate sexual relationships and bring drugs and cellphones to gang members. Even though the relationships between inmates and guards appear to be consensual they are overall still initiated by the gang members. In 2012 it was recorded that around seventy - nine percent of male inmates were engaged in having sex and inappropriate relations with female officers and staff. In fact, guards are getting pregnant by inmates on multiple occasions, and still work at the facility. Gang members need to have people on the outside that can bring them the resources they need into the prison. The females that have relationships with inmates smuggle in many good through various ways; they put items in there hair, in their underwear and internally and with a constant flow of people going in and out of prisons it is not that hard to do