Why do youth join prison gangs?
Youth join gangs for different reason, the common denominator of which, we can safety say, is disaffection —profound identity loss they are looking to regain through the power of a peer group. Reasons might go as follows: • Tired of being picked on • Looking for respect and power • Want a support system (someone to “have their back”) • To some youth, especially in an exceedingly isolated and restricted setting like detention, gangs can provide all of the resources needed for survival. “The gang . . . becomes a mechanism for surviving deprivation and trauma . . . ” • Youth seek the caring and attention that a gang can provide them — a surrogate family, in other words. More often than not, juveniles most vulnerable to gang life come from broken homesp; many have never had a solid sense of internal belonging and safety. • Some want to make money. Don’t ever think that there is not money and dope in juvenile prisons. We just did a clear-out at my facility. We found several hundred dollars,
