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Texas Latino Prison Gangs: An Exploration of Generational Shift and Rebellion

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The Prison Journal

Published online on

Abstract

This article addresses what many observers of Texas’ prison gangs perceive as significant changes in the hierarchical structure of various Latino groups. Focusing on the state’s central and eastern regions, we provide a brief historical context and overview of contemporaneous gang factions. We attempt to understand gang dynamics as a function of emerging demographic patterns in the prison population. Examining prison admissions trends for males from Texas’ four largest counties, we illustrate ongoing changes in race-age composition for these metropolitan areas that reinforce depictions of changing gang structure in unofficial reports, print media, and prison documentaries. We emphasize the need for multimethod approaches and analyses of the United States–Mexico Border region for a more complete view of the Texas gang landscape.