Nicaragua has continued to face many conflicts with the rise of street gangs in the country
and also organized crime that may come from them. Although, Nicaragua and the United States had
a treaty dating back to 1905, because of new technology, street gangs were
allowed to flourish in organized crime which could be an increasing problem in
the United States in the near future. Alternatively the United States has a hand in
creating this problem because the U.S. is incarcerating Latin Americans
from places like Honduras, Guatemala, and Nicaragua in some of their states' prison. State prisons like in Huntsville, Pelican Bay, and San Quentin, are located around where there is a larger population of street gangs due to
the increased Latin population.
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| San Quentin State Prison |
These Latin gangs are
segregated in the most obvious ways–by race–and race permeates every aspect of
prison life. Gangs like MS13 and 18th Street gangs enforce discipline best when every inmate is, if
not a formal or “made” gang member, at least affiliated with a gang. Each inmate, at
least in California prisons, must affiliate with a gang of his race and be
subject to its discipline. This makes the recruiting process easier for
the larger gangs like the MS13 and the 18th Street in state prisons.
As some Latin Americans get released from prison or possible deportation
to their native country these criminal groups have alliances in these countries
and are provided with a variety of services and intelligence that includes
weapons and drug trafficking. Thus, organized crimes make it possible to have
corruption within the judicial system giving criminal gangs or groups influence
on and over the country. This also gives gangs a platform to control the canals
making it easier to import weapons and drugs to other countries.
Although, the
Latin American governments do not facilitate or encourage these actions it still
continues to be a problem in these countries.
Jimmie Jackson
http://www.insightcrime.org/nicaragua-organized-crime-news/nicaragua
http://www.insightcrime.org/news-briefs/rise-in-violence-attributed-to-organized-crime-in-north-nicaragua.
http://www.state.gov/j/inl/rls/nrcrpt/2015/vol1/239000.htmf
http://www.amren.com/features/2014/12/the-racial-order-of-prisons/
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/10/how-gangs-took-over-prisons/379330/
