Why Inmates join prison gangs
Inmates join prison gangs for safety. Inmates feel vulnerable, and many times prisoners will fight hurt each other and, to a larger extent, kill for no apparent reason. A prison gang has some order, and the members are protected from other inmates and any mistreatment by security officers.
The other reason for joining is to get essential resources for survival. Members of the same gang take care of the needs of each other. In some exceedingly overcrowded prisons, basic needs such as toilet papers, soap, and food are scarce. Some inmates are drug-addicted, and the only way to get drugs, basic needs, and sometimes money is by joining a prison gang.
The other reason for joining a gang is peer pressure. People are social beings, and they cannot live in isolation. Inmates need to make friends and associates. These friends could be a member of a prison gang. They, therefore, join the group to make the friendship more solid.
The correctional leaders should reduce congestion in prisons and ensure that all inmates are provided with their basic needs. They should also educate the new inmates on the danger of joining the groups, such as not enjoying parole privileges. Members of prison groups should have fewer chances of appeal, and the new inmates should be made to know that once they join the group, their chances of appeal will reduce. The correctional leaders should encourage religious groups so that those who fail to join the security threat group can join the religious one. The main reason is that humans are social beings and need to interact to survive.