Prison perceptions During early 90s I took a part time job with the Los Angeles Department of Corrections. What I thought to be true and what reality was; were two different things. I believed that the individuals incarcerated were being punished and were not able or allowed to do much of anything. Additionally, I believed that they basically sat in a jail cell and read books, drew pictures or wrote letters. I also believed that …showed first 75 words of 661 total…

…showed last 75 words of 661 total…succeeded in getting officers to bring them in their drugs by threatening their families. Using their gang connections on the streets. Prison gangs are very much alive today. There is a special group of officers whose sole job is to collect intelligence and information on the gang leaders and members. The leaders are put into isolation to diminish their control. So as you can see, things were definitely not as I perceived them to be.