100-word response 1 reference
Kevin
What constitutes a Security Treat Group (STG) in a correctional facility? A security threat group is a group of 3 or mor persons with recurring or threatening or disruptive behavior. The threatening or disruptive behavior is in violation of disciplinary rules and does not benefit the prison environment. (Ngcrc, 2022) A security threat group term changes the perception of the word gang. A security threat group can be as small as 3 people, but these groups will try to recruit new members to try and increase their numbers in that facility. A person who was not apart of a gang in the free society might decide to join a security threat group in prison for many reasons. The first reason is because of fear of being attacked or isolated, and this can be from day one in a facility. The person will feel the need to join a group to be protected from other inmates and to fit the status quo. This status quo is the unwritten rules of prison, and it is the inmate’s way of creating their own rules to try and set a chain of command amongst the gangs. The second reason is based off the color of their skin and the feeling of needing to be accompanied by people of alike cultural beliefs or norms. (Sagepub, 2022). A person who was raised in a prominently African American neighborhood and was never apart of a gang might feel the need to be apart of that same culture they grew up in. The leaders of these gangs will try and convince them to join their gang because they may have grown up in the same neighborhood. The third reason is that person who was never apart of a gang in the free society might be pressured through violence or treats to join a specific gang. If that person is constantly getting threats of violence against them to join a gang then they might feel like they have no other option but to join that gang.
Unit management is one strategy that a correctional facility can use to control and monitor security treat groups. Unit management increases a staff commitment and uses the staffs input to help separate possible gang members into smaller groups to bring about fairness and safety. It also serves as a better strategy for communication due to the increased roles of the staff. Unit management also tries to break up the hierarchy within a gang and help reduce their communications. (“Testing the Conceptual Path to Correctional Staff – ProQuest”, 2022) This strategy is an excellent way to help correctional officers get first hand experience in being able to identify the people who pose the biggest threat because the administration wants them to get information and relay it to them. The unit management strategy seems to use common sense tactics to monitor these security threat groups and looks to also keep the officers safe.