First impressions? God damn, Texas is rough! I always knew and understood that Texas, being very protective of their second amendment rights, was a very jail-happy area. With statistics showing that Texas holds a little over 170,000 inmates a year, it is understandable to believe that crime rates would be higher than the national average. I suppose what caught me off guard in this video was the population of gangs, specifically the Barrio Azteca, in both jail as well as the streets. In the video they mention that the gang was formed within the jail itself, and flooded onto the streets, which is to say that the jail is in someway responsible for their own demise, but I digress. I do think that how they handle the situations presented by these gangs in the jail (i.e. the arson, fights, etc.) is handled in a very intelligent way. By bringing a swat-like team into the jail, it is possible to remind these aggressive inmates who the biggest, strongest "gang" really is; the police. By using this high, but understandable, amount of force, you instill fear into the inmates that refuse to stop acting out. Now, does this have a negative affect on the inmates? Does this make them think that all officers are out to get them and prove how much more manly they are? To the gang members of Barrio Azteca, I'm sure it does. But I'm also positive that their minds regarding anybody in the criminal justice system is made up: they're the worst and really cant get any lower. So cudos, El Paso. You're winning. CK003
I agree with you on all points you have to use a swat like team to raid those cells because these gangs thing they run the prisons and we have to show them its the other way around i cant believe that many people are in Texas prisons but looked like to me most of them needed to be there because there part of a gang.cowboys003
I definitely agree that the amount of gang violence is overwhelming and the video did a good job of showing how much their actually is. Interviewing that former gang member opened my eyes to how ruthless they are and how much violence is involved. I am thankful that El Paso has a unit designated for specific situations that are dangerous and are able to handle them. It is not an easy career field and definitely takes courage to go into work every day. -Bulls003
I agree with you because if I had a place to visit for vacation El Paso would be number one on my list of place to never go through. All CO’s have to watch their back because they never know when they are going to be attacked when it comes this type of facility. Most of the gang members who are on the outside are not only after the people they are after, but if they see one of the CO’s on the street they are most likely the number one target as well. GoodVibes003
I didnt think that being a CO would be you in danger outside of work thats crazy that that CO and his family was gunned down in the plain day i was very shocked then i knew jail had gangs but man but to have one of the biggest gang to start in prison now huge in outside the prison walls i just really dont under stand the whole gang thing why you would ever put your self in that spot i think its pretty sweet that they have there own little swat team thats seems to be very affective smart way to raid cells its crazy how violet this prisoners are they have to care for life and how to can make it in less your in a gang still cant belive how many gang member are in these prison seem like everyone in some type of a gang how do you slow these gangs down from growing inside outside prisons?i like to know how they get all the drugs in there? coboys003
I was also surprised by the danger posed to corrections employees in those border towns, and by how such a huge gang was founded behind bars. The SRT was pretty neat but that kind of thing is actually fairly common in correctional facilities of all kinds. In fact, when I was in MP school they even taught us how to do that kind of forced cell removal when they were teaching us how to deal with detainees in a holding facility. It was pretty cool, you just throw on a bunch of pads, divide up who gets what limb, and charge into the cell and lay the guy out. As far as prison gangs go, they seem like a difficult problem to deal with. I imagine separating gang members would be the solution but with such large and so many gangs that would seem to be very difficult to do. CoolGuy003
I agree that, when most people think about Correctional Officers (compared to Patrol Officers), there tends to be a mutual belief that it is a safer job to have. But once you mix gangs into jails, especially a high volume and violent gang, I could see where things would go south quickly. Yes, of course separating members would be ideal. But when you're doing with such high quantity of offenders within one gang like in El Paso with the Barrio Aztecas, I would imagine that space within the jail is an issue. CK003
Finding out that Co's gets killed for there job is really interesting. To me personally I think gangs have changed over time. Then how they use to operate because as you can see now most people that are getting arrested is gang members. Which shows that they are young and dumb. The gang members here in the U.S. will not last a day over in Mexico or the prison in this video for that matter. -K9003
I found it astonishing that a gang that started behind bars would have developed into such a broad criminal enterprise, Let alone a criminal gang that would rival the sinaloa cartel. Something like that takes a lot of numbers and a lot of influence. I always thought that prison gangs were mostly people of the same race or nationality flocking together for protection from other prisoners and the trade of prison contraband. Before seeing the video I also thought that a corrections officer did not have a very intensive job and that the job was fairly safe unless they would be on a forced removal team or if there were a riot. I thought that most violence would be fairly contained and limited to a few instances of prisoners fighting other prisoners. I definitely thought that any danger faced by a CO would not extend past the walls of the institution in which he worked. It was very shocking to hear about such a brutal gang hit on a lower level jail guard. I knew things were terrible in the Juarez area but I had no idea that the level of violence was so high and that it was so brutal in nature. It was astounding that such depraved acts of almost horror movie style sadism would go on in what cold be considered a civilized country. Later in the video it talked about how the cartels, aztecas, and other groups would even torture their victims, which just seems like barbarism. What was also very worrisome is how the violence is spilling over into US correctional facilities, and the threat it poses to jail and prison workers. Especially since they would have to deal with such violent people both inside of prison walls and potentially outside as well, as well as risking their lives just by doing their job. Coolguy003
It really is crazy to know that this gang was established in a jail, and exponentially grew outside of it. It's unfortunate that the criminal justice system can't really regulate gangs and their activities without cause (i.e. shootings, stabbing, etc.). Because, by the looks of things, the police know almost everything about every single gang member. They just don't have the jurisdiction or authority to act because no violent offense has been committed yet. They literally are forced to wait until somebody like a Correctional Officer is murdered in the middle of the day before they can act. CK003
Its definitely sad that a hit would be put out on a CO and his family. Even though that there maybe a little more to the story. But their life is rough and has it just as bad as cops. Now a days you can't escape the violence no matter where you go because violence increases everyday because of the police, media, and the public. -K9003
It's a firm place for sure, and they no doubt have some pretty mean force on the jails side. It's also much needed considering the capacity of a gang like that. I hadn't realized something like that could grow into that type of force with so much circumstances against the gangs. But the jail itself does a fantastic job combating it. How it gets to that point however, is concerning. Unavoidable, it seems, but still concerning. What the reporter brought up about America turning a blind eye to it and "hoping their house doesn't catch fire" seems only right. But what would help, and in no small part due to the abilities, prcedures, and mentality of the force at the jail, is showing people of crime who has the "biggest stick." I mean there are parts of the video where the shot shows a guard, maybe a couple at a time walking among the large groups of Aztecas, clearly in a position that could go south for them if the gang members decided to collaborate for an instant right there, yet there also seems to be an air of understanding, as if the inmates are aware that there is nothing they can do. I see that as a positive step in the enforcement in the jail. I hope that is possible in a rehabilative nature.
A lot of useful information in this video. If I worked in this prison, I would definitely have more knowledge coming out then when I went in. One of the things I think is very helpful to the prison is the fact they have a SRT Unit. Going into to work knowing that it ma be your last really takes a toll on people. Especially in prisons dealing with multiple gang members and most of them are cartel members. Watching this video reminds me that correctional officers gets just as worse crap as police officers and. Sometimes Co's get it even worse. Which most people don't even recognize it. Most people say that El Paso is the most dangerous city to go to and would recommend not going there. After doing some research, facts show that more people die then get arrested every day. The gang intel squad I think has the second hardest job in the prison. Because keeping control of all the different gang members and finding out when and where attacks may occur. -K9003
I agree that units like the SRT unit in El Paso have one of the most difficult jobs in the criminal justice field. Always being thrown into high risk situations and having to go into work knowing that this day may be their last as you said is a heavy thing. Not only do officers have to be on the look out inside the facility but also outside. The officer that was killed in the video was at a family outing not even in uniform when he was attacked and killed. The fact that he was with his family and their lives were placed in danger was another significant thing that hit me from this video. Not only is the officers lives at risk but also their families. I think this was a good video to show and help us understand how difficult corrections can be. -Bulls003
Our experiences is what helps us to better understand how the criminal justice system works by living through it every day in our careers, which is how we are going to grow as Criminal Justice Majors. The SRT Unit is definitely the key to why the El Paso jail is successful and prevents injury to the other inmates and the detention officers from the gang members. It's sad that there's a community where people die more than criminals are getting arrested because these innocent individuals have no involvement in any criminal offenses of gang activity, or possession of drugs. -RW003
After watching this video it really struck me how dangerous the carrier field is. Obviously there are factors that play into how dangerous it is based on location and other circumstances, but none the less no matter where you are in this career field you are always dealing with criminals. The officer that was murdered in the video also played a role in showing how dangerous the career field is not just for him but also for his family. The gang that was after him did not care that his family was involved and continued to shoot up the car. I think it is definitely a smart idea to have a team of specially trained officers, such as the SRT unit in Texas, to have correctional officers backs incase the situation get out of hand. I found their tactic of overwhelming force to be very efficient. With 900 inmates at the El Paso maximum security prison things often get out of hand as we saw. Officers always have to have their head on a swivel and never can let their guard down in or outside of this career field. Not only do officers have to make sure their lives are protected but also the inmates. As we saw from the former gang member it is dangerous even for them. After the gang member was not able to control his men he was placed on a hit list. He was no longer just being sentenced to prison but possibly death because of the gang members inside the prison wanting to kill him. This video definitely opened my eyes to how brutal corrections can be. -Bulls003
I thought this video was just mind blowing. It’s not just our country that has some harsh jails, but El Paso has to be one of the worst jails in the nation because they are taking in hard core gangs that are the most dangerous to society. Most of these men are just not part of Bloods and Crip’s, but these men are just drug runners and hitmen who do the killing for the drug cartels. The jail does not hesitate when it comes to these inmates because they can start wither fights or try to harm any of the other gang members if they want out of the gang. In the video it states “The border patrol is trying to push gang violence away from the border.” I honestly think that this gang violence will just keep coming through until they get what they want. These inmates are not only dangerous, but are most likely psychos because they think they are doing what is best for the gang. There are usually 8 killings a day by these members which leads to about 3 to 4,000 deaths a year these numbers will continue to increase if the gang violence keeps coming across the border. Half way through the video some of the Azteca’s are either just trying to make out in one peace or they starting to hit ground zero because trying to keep the violence is not succeeding when you have another gang joined in with the Azteca’s and it causes the jail to go to extent where they have to try and basically beat down the inmate till they stop. These guards are no where giving them tough love, but these guards are trying to stop these gang members from violent offending, but that doesn’t always succeed. GoodVibes003
Watching this video really opens my eyes about how dangerous it can be working in these prisons. Gang activity cant really be controlled and being a guard in the middle of it all would be scary. Im surprised that these men agreed to do the show knowing that they already have gang members who want them killed. I think the location of this town specifically makes it worse. Seeing the woman with the kids being stuck in there really makes me feel bad. I hope she does better now that she is out and i hope her kids are enough motiv to stay out of trouble. Its crazy to me that these men risk their lives just to be in a gang. I dont see the point in why you would jeopardize your safety, as well as your friends and families. The cop and his wife that got shot, really breaks my heart. That isnt fair that this mans family was put into this danger because he was just doing his job. im so glad that his daughter is okay, but its sad she has to grow up not knowing her parents because these men felt entitled to take another humans life away. chi003
I agree with you that gang activity can't be controlled because these individuals are taking over the community and having drugs involved with their violent offenses. There needs to be action taken here because the women and children are being put in the middle of the war between the gangs. Even though the gang activity is dangerous in the community, the SRT Unit and the detention officers are doing an excellent job of keeping the gang violence down inside the jail. Also, the law enforcement is doing an excellent job by arresting them in order for the community to be safe from the violent offenses. -RW003
I absolute agree with you on we cannot control gang activities. What the law enforcement essentially doing is trying to stabilize the gang activities as a whole, but reducing it would be another subject. This world is extremely unfair, many looses their lives doing the right thing that they believe in. Families being broken up by gang violence. Many people do indeed risk their lives to be in a gang, same as the people who devoted their lives to their country, this aspect is all about personal value of whats right or wrong. I agree with the harsh reality of a officer and his wife being gunned down by the gangs, it was really hard to watch such documentary to be displayed. It was indeed unfair for a great human being to be gunned down by the bad within a society, the gang members probably believed that's for the good of their gang, which is rather messed up. JZ003
I believed the view you stated about the SRT. It is a job for the toughest man and woman within the guards. The people who enlisted for the job needed to be both physically and mentally strong to be able to counter dangerous criminals in a day by day basis. I do agree that the corrections officer do in fact get the worst of the jobs, because a normal officer would only spend little time arresting and taking the criminal to a prison, but it's the corrections officer who have to spend tons of time dealing with these nasty criminals. JZ003
It shocked me how dangerous and horrifying the El Paso Jail is for the officers and inmates. The SRT Team and detentions officers keep the jail in order by working together and making sure the inmates and their co-workers are safe at the end of each work day. The war on drugs with gang members is a huge issue because not only is it creating conflict with other gang members, it's also effecting society by gang members killing innocent people and children in the community. It's unfortunate that Detention Officers, like Arthur Redelfs who put their lives on the line to keep the jails secured for the other officers and inmates are effected by the gang members especially when it involves the killings of their families. There are gang members who want to get out of the gang and drug life style because it's becoming a negative way of life for them and has an impact on their families too. Some of the inmates in the El Paso Jail are willing to take the risk of getting brutally hurt, or a chance of death because they don't want to be in and out of jail or prison due to gang and drug activity. The detention officers have a dangerous job as much as police officers do because even though they're not on the streets, arresting these criminals with violent offenses, they are dealing with them on a daily basis in the jail and it can be life-threatening for them and the other inmates. The focus is not only keeping the inmates and gang members safe and away from each other, but to also prevent gang violence and the war on drugs that way the killings of the citizens and the drug addictions decreases in the community. -RW003
This video shows how tough it is to be a prison guard, in a high security prison. It is cool to see the ways the guards used to fight against the rebellious prison gang members, such as the Aztecs. The SRT are really interesting and cool to see the ways they used to control the prisons. The ways amount of men needed to stop a single inmate is just insane, twelve guys against one prison gang member. In a way this shows how prison guards have limits on how much they can do to control inmates. This video also showed how within the chaotic prison, the inmates themselves keeps a sense of rules and organization that they established within the cells. The prison guards cannot prevent all violence that happens in a short amount of time, so within the cell, it shows how the prisoners branch off and keep their own little peace. It's insane to see how the guards themselves must keep their guards up, when interacting with the inmates, because it is extremely easy for themselves to be fall in prey of the violence that happens within the walls. Also to see being the top dog is important, because it does not matter how high of status out side of the cell a individual is, when they enter the prison, they themselves would have to earn the status once again. If a prison gang leader is unable to keep everyone in line, everyone of the inmate that are in the gang would be set out to overthrow him. This video showed me the hardship of prison guards and inmates, the way they must interact to keep what little order and peace there is in the prison. JZ003
First impressions? God damn, Texas is rough! I always knew and understood that Texas, being very protective of their second amendment rights, was a very jail-happy area. With statistics showing that Texas holds a little over 170,000 inmates a year, it is understandable to believe that crime rates would be higher than the national average. I suppose what caught me off guard in this video was the population of gangs, specifically the Barrio Azteca, in both jail as well as the streets. In the video they mention that the gang was formed within the jail itself, and flooded onto the streets, which is to say that the jail is in someway responsible for their own demise, but I digress. I do think that how they handle the situations presented by these gangs in the jail (i.e. the arson, fights, etc.) is handled in a very intelligent way. By bringing a swat-like team into the jail, it is possible to remind these aggressive inmates who the biggest, strongest "gang" really is; the police. By using this high, but understandable, amount of force, you instill fear into the inmates that refuse to stop acting out. Now, does this have a negative affect on the inmates? Does this make them think that all officers are out to get them and prove how much more manly they are? To the gang members of Barrio Azteca, I'm sure it does. But I'm also positive that their minds regarding anybody in the criminal justice system is made up: they're the worst and really cant get any lower. So cudos, El Paso. You're winning. CK003
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on all points you have to use a swat like team to raid those cells because these gangs thing they run the prisons and we have to show them its the other way around i cant believe that many people are in Texas prisons but looked like to me most of them needed to be there because there part of a gang.cowboys003
DeleteI definitely agree that the amount of gang violence is overwhelming and the video did a good job of showing how much their actually is. Interviewing that former gang member opened my eyes to how ruthless they are and how much violence is involved. I am thankful that El Paso has a unit designated for specific situations that are dangerous and are able to handle them. It is not an easy career field and definitely takes courage to go into work every day.
Delete-Bulls003
I agree with you because if I had a place to visit for vacation El Paso would be number one on my list of place to never go through. All CO’s have to watch their back because they never know when they are going to be attacked when it comes this type of facility. Most of the gang members who are on the outside are not only after the people they are after, but if they see one of the CO’s on the street they are most likely the number one target as well. GoodVibes003
DeleteI didnt think that being a CO would be you in danger outside of work thats crazy that that CO and his family was gunned down in the plain day i was very shocked then i knew jail had gangs but man but to have one of the biggest gang to start in prison now huge in outside the prison walls i just really dont under stand the whole gang thing why you would ever put your self in that spot i think its pretty sweet that they have there own little swat team thats seems to be very affective smart way to raid cells its crazy how violet this prisoners are they have to care for life and how to can make it in less your in a gang still cant belive how many gang member are in these prison seem like everyone in some type of a gang how do you slow these gangs down from growing inside outside prisons?i like to know how they get all the drugs in there? coboys003
ReplyDeleteI was also surprised by the danger posed to corrections employees in those border towns, and by how such a huge gang was founded behind bars. The SRT was pretty neat but that kind of thing is actually fairly common in correctional facilities of all kinds. In fact, when I was in MP school they even taught us how to do that kind of forced cell removal when they were teaching us how to deal with detainees in a holding facility. It was pretty cool, you just throw on a bunch of pads, divide up who gets what limb, and charge into the cell and lay the guy out. As far as prison gangs go, they seem like a difficult problem to deal with. I imagine separating gang members would be the solution but with such large and so many gangs that would seem to be very difficult to do. CoolGuy003
DeleteI agree that, when most people think about Correctional Officers (compared to Patrol Officers), there tends to be a mutual belief that it is a safer job to have. But once you mix gangs into jails, especially a high volume and violent gang, I could see where things would go south quickly. Yes, of course separating members would be ideal. But when you're doing with such high quantity of offenders within one gang like in El Paso with the Barrio Aztecas, I would imagine that space within the jail is an issue. CK003
DeleteFinding out that Co's gets killed for there job is really interesting. To me personally I think gangs have changed over time. Then how they use to operate because as you can see now most people that are getting arrested is gang members. Which shows that they are young and dumb. The gang members here in the U.S. will not last a day over in Mexico or the prison in this video for that matter. -K9003
DeleteI found it astonishing that a gang that started behind bars would have developed into such a broad criminal enterprise, Let alone a criminal gang that would rival the sinaloa cartel. Something like that takes a lot of numbers and a lot of influence. I always thought that prison gangs were mostly people of the same race or nationality flocking together for protection from other prisoners and the trade of prison contraband. Before seeing the video I also thought that a corrections officer did not have a very intensive job and that the job was fairly safe unless they would be on a forced removal team or if there were a riot. I thought that most violence would be fairly contained and limited to a few instances of prisoners fighting other prisoners. I definitely thought that any danger faced by a CO would not extend past the walls of the institution in which he worked. It was very shocking to hear about such a brutal gang hit on a lower level jail guard. I knew things were terrible in the Juarez area but I had no idea that the level of violence was so high and that it was so brutal in nature. It was astounding that such depraved acts of almost horror movie style sadism would go on in what cold be considered a civilized country. Later in the video it talked about how the cartels, aztecas, and other groups would even torture their victims, which just seems like barbarism. What was also very worrisome is how the violence is spilling over into US correctional facilities, and the threat it poses to jail and prison workers. Especially since they would have to deal with such violent people both inside of prison walls and potentially outside as well, as well as risking their lives just by doing their job. Coolguy003
ReplyDeleteIt really is crazy to know that this gang was established in a jail, and exponentially grew outside of it. It's unfortunate that the criminal justice system can't really regulate gangs and their activities without cause (i.e. shootings, stabbing, etc.). Because, by the looks of things, the police know almost everything about every single gang member. They just don't have the jurisdiction or authority to act because no violent offense has been committed yet. They literally are forced to wait until somebody like a Correctional Officer is murdered in the middle of the day before they can act. CK003
DeleteIts definitely sad that a hit would be put out on a CO and his family. Even though that there maybe a little more to the story. But their life is rough and has it just as bad as cops. Now a days you can't escape the violence no matter where you go because violence increases everyday because of the police, media, and the public. -K9003
DeleteIt's a firm place for sure, and they no doubt have some pretty mean force on the jails side. It's also much needed considering the capacity of a gang like that. I hadn't realized something like that could grow into that type of force with so much circumstances against the gangs. But the jail itself does a fantastic job combating it. How it gets to that point however, is concerning. Unavoidable, it seems, but still concerning. What the reporter brought up about America turning a blind eye to it and "hoping their house doesn't catch fire" seems only right. But what would help, and in no small part due to the abilities, prcedures, and mentality of the force at the jail, is showing people of crime who has the "biggest stick." I mean there are parts of the video where the shot shows a guard, maybe a couple at a time walking among the large groups of Aztecas, clearly in a position that could go south for them if the gang members decided to collaborate for an instant right there, yet there also seems to be an air of understanding, as if the inmates are aware that there is nothing they can do. I see that as a positive step in the enforcement in the jail. I hope that is possible in a rehabilative nature.
ReplyDeleteA lot of useful information in this video. If I worked in this prison, I would definitely have more knowledge coming out then when I went in. One of the things I think is very helpful to the prison is the fact they have a SRT Unit. Going into to work knowing that it ma be your last really takes a toll on people. Especially in prisons dealing with multiple gang members and most of them are cartel members. Watching this video reminds me that correctional officers gets just as worse crap as police officers and. Sometimes Co's get it even worse. Which most people don't even recognize it. Most people say that El Paso is the most dangerous city to go to and would recommend not going there. After doing some research, facts show that more people die then get arrested every day. The gang intel squad I think has the second hardest job in the prison. Because keeping control of all the different gang members and finding out when and where attacks may occur. -K9003
ReplyDeleteI agree that units like the SRT unit in El Paso have one of the most difficult jobs in the criminal justice field. Always being thrown into high risk situations and having to go into work knowing that this day may be their last as you said is a heavy thing. Not only do officers have to be on the look out inside the facility but also outside. The officer that was killed in the video was at a family outing not even in uniform when he was attacked and killed. The fact that he was with his family and their lives were placed in danger was another significant thing that hit me from this video. Not only is the officers lives at risk but also their families. I think this was a good video to show and help us understand how difficult corrections can be. -Bulls003
DeleteOur experiences is what helps us to better understand how the criminal justice system works by living through it every day in our careers, which is how we are going to grow as Criminal Justice Majors. The SRT Unit is definitely the key to why the El Paso jail is successful and prevents injury to the other inmates and the detention officers from the gang members. It's sad that there's a community where people die more than criminals are getting arrested because these innocent individuals have no involvement in any criminal offenses of gang activity, or possession of drugs. -RW003
DeleteAfter watching this video it really struck me how dangerous the carrier field is. Obviously there are factors that play into how dangerous it is based on location and other circumstances, but none the less no matter where you are in this career field you are always dealing with criminals. The officer that was murdered in the video also played a role in showing how dangerous the career field is not just for him but also for his family. The gang that was after him did not care that his family was involved and continued to shoot up the car. I think it is definitely a smart idea to have a team of specially trained officers, such as the SRT unit in Texas, to have correctional officers backs incase the situation get out of hand. I found their tactic of overwhelming force to be very efficient. With 900 inmates at the El Paso maximum security prison things often get out of hand as we saw. Officers always have to have their head on a swivel and never can let their guard down in or outside of this career field. Not only do officers have to make sure their lives are protected but also the inmates. As we saw from the former gang member it is dangerous even for them. After the gang member was not able to control his men he was placed on a hit list. He was no longer just being sentenced to prison but possibly death because of the gang members inside the prison wanting to kill him. This video definitely opened my eyes to how brutal corrections can be. -Bulls003
ReplyDeleteI thought this video was just mind blowing. It’s not just our country that has some harsh jails, but El Paso has to be one of the worst jails in the nation because they are taking in hard core gangs that are the most dangerous to society. Most of these men are just not part of Bloods and Crip’s, but these men are just drug runners and hitmen who do the killing for the drug cartels. The jail does not hesitate when it comes to these inmates because they can start wither fights or try to harm any of the other gang members if they want out of the gang. In the video it states “The border patrol is trying to push gang violence away from the border.” I honestly think that this gang violence will just keep coming through until they get what they want. These inmates are not only dangerous, but are most likely psychos because they think they are doing what is best for the gang. There are usually 8 killings a day by these members which leads to about 3 to 4,000 deaths a year these numbers will continue to increase if the gang violence keeps coming across the border. Half way through the video some of the Azteca’s are either just trying to make out in one peace or they starting to hit ground zero because trying to keep the violence is not succeeding when you have another gang joined in with the Azteca’s and it causes the jail to go to extent where they have to try and basically beat down the inmate till they stop. These guards are no where giving them tough love, but these guards are trying to stop these gang members from violent offending, but that doesn’t always succeed. GoodVibes003
ReplyDeleteWatching this video really opens my eyes about how dangerous it can be working in these prisons. Gang activity cant really be controlled and being a guard in the middle of it all would be scary. Im surprised that these men agreed to do the show knowing that they already have gang members who want them killed. I think the location of this town specifically makes it worse. Seeing the woman with the kids being stuck in there really makes me feel bad. I hope she does better now that she is out and i hope her kids are enough motiv to stay out of trouble. Its crazy to me that these men risk their lives just to be in a gang. I dont see the point in why you would jeopardize your safety, as well as your friends and families. The cop and his wife that got shot, really breaks my heart. That isnt fair that this mans family was put into this danger because he was just doing his job. im so glad that his daughter is okay, but its sad she has to grow up not knowing her parents because these men felt entitled to take another humans life away. chi003
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that gang activity can't be controlled because these individuals are taking over the community and having drugs involved with their violent offenses. There needs to be action taken here because the women and children are being put in the middle of the war between the gangs. Even though the gang activity is dangerous in the community, the SRT Unit and the detention officers are doing an excellent job of keeping the gang violence down inside the jail. Also, the law enforcement is doing an excellent job by arresting them in order for the community to be safe from the violent offenses. -RW003
DeleteI absolute agree with you on we cannot control gang activities. What the law enforcement essentially doing is trying to stabilize the gang activities as a whole, but reducing it would be another subject. This world is extremely unfair, many looses their lives doing the right thing that they believe in. Families being broken up by gang violence. Many people do indeed risk their lives to be in a gang, same as the people who devoted their lives to their country, this aspect is all about personal value of whats right or wrong. I agree with the harsh reality of a officer and his wife being gunned down by the gangs, it was really hard to watch such documentary to be displayed. It was indeed unfair for a great human being to be gunned down by the bad within a society, the gang members probably believed that's for the good of their gang, which is rather messed up. JZ003
DeleteI believed the view you stated about the SRT. It is a job for the toughest man and woman within the guards. The people who enlisted for the job needed to be both physically and mentally strong to be able to counter dangerous criminals in a day by day basis. I do agree that the corrections officer do in fact get the worst of the jobs, because a normal officer would only spend little time arresting and taking the criminal to a prison, but it's the corrections officer who have to spend tons of time dealing with these nasty criminals. JZ003
DeleteIt shocked me how dangerous and horrifying the El Paso Jail is for the officers and inmates. The SRT Team and detentions officers keep the jail in order by working together and making sure the inmates and their co-workers are safe at the end of each work day. The war on drugs with gang members is a huge issue because not only is it creating conflict with other gang members, it's also effecting society by gang members killing innocent people and children in the community. It's unfortunate that Detention Officers, like Arthur Redelfs who put their lives on the line to keep the jails secured for the other officers and inmates are effected by the gang members especially when it involves the killings of their families. There are gang members who want to get out of the gang and drug life style because it's becoming a negative way of life for them and has an impact on their families too. Some of the inmates in the El Paso Jail are willing to take the risk of getting brutally hurt, or a chance of death because they don't want to be in and out of jail or prison due to gang and drug activity. The detention officers have a dangerous job as much as police officers do because even though they're not on the streets, arresting these criminals with violent offenses, they are dealing with them on a daily basis in the jail and it can be life-threatening for them and the other inmates. The focus is not only keeping the inmates and gang members safe and away from each other, but to also prevent gang violence and the war on drugs that way the killings of the citizens and the drug addictions decreases in the community. -RW003
ReplyDeleteThis video shows how tough it is to be a prison guard, in a high security prison. It is cool to see the ways the guards used to fight against the rebellious prison gang members, such as the Aztecs. The SRT are really interesting and cool to see the ways they used to control the prisons. The ways amount of men needed to stop a single inmate is just insane, twelve guys against one prison gang member. In a way this shows how prison guards have limits on how much they can do to control inmates. This video also showed how within the chaotic prison, the inmates themselves keeps a sense of rules and organization that they established within the cells. The prison guards cannot prevent all violence that happens in a short amount of time, so within the cell, it shows how the prisoners branch off and keep their own little peace. It's insane to see how the guards themselves must keep their guards up, when interacting with the inmates, because it is extremely easy for themselves to be fall in prey of the violence that happens within the walls. Also to see being the top dog is important, because it does not matter how high of status out side of the cell a individual is, when they enter the prison, they themselves would have to earn the status once again. If a prison gang leader is unable to keep everyone in line, everyone of the inmate that are in the gang would be set out to overthrow him. This video showed me the hardship of prison guards and inmates, the way they must interact to keep what little order and peace there is in the prison. JZ003
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