Gangs
California's Out-of-Date Jails Face Inmate Deaths and Construction Delays
New and improved facilities are a critical pillar of California's corrections transformation. But bureaucratic roadblocks, indifference from county sheriffs, and critical errors in planning by local officials have meant dozens of California jails remain broken and dangerous.
Homeland Security Uses Foreign Databases to Accuse Immigrants of Gang Involvement
The information is being provided through a new "fusion" intelligence-gathering center in El Salvador that is funded by the Department of State.
An Unusual New Program Seeks to Cut Urban Crime by Pushing Gang Members Into College
Advocates say education can transform offenders—and the neighborhoods where they live.
Meet the Tattoo Artist Who Erases Racist Ink
At Redemption Ink, Dave Cutlip removes swastikas and gang symbols for free, determined to give people a second chance.
Since We Last Spoke: Justice Brought to Injunctions
Updates to stories from the Pacific Standard archive.
Viewfinder: Grieving a Murder in El Salvador
A girl grieves during the funeral of priest Walter Osmir Vásquez Jiménez, who was murdered by alleged gang members of the MS, in Lolotique, El Salvador, on April 1st, 2018.
Immigration Officials to Conduct Raids of Suspected Teenage Gang Members
The raids will target teenagers who have traveled to the U.S. without guardians.
Los Angeles Is Cracking Down on a Notable White Supremacist Gang
But that doesn’t make its racially biased gang policies any better.
Cartels Have Seized Control of the Drug Market
A new report from the DEA finds that Mexican gangs take advantage of U.S. gang and law enforcement connections to maneuver North America's multibillion-dollar illegal drug industry.
A Quick Primer on Outlaw Biker Gangs
Six interesting points on those two-wheeled organized crime outfits.
How an After-School Program Fought Crime
A police force and an after-school program in Costa Mesa, California, worked together to make a neighborhood safer and send kids to college. What can we learn from their success?
The End of Gangs: Cleaning Up Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles gave America the modern street gang. Groups like the Crips and MS-13 have spread from coast to coast, and even abroad. But on Southern California's streets they have been vanishing. Has L.A. figured out how to stop the epidemic it set loose on the world?
The Long Arm of Whitey Bulger
A compelling new documentary on Boston's infamous mob boss shows the lasting trauma of his reign of terror.
Joining a Gang Makes People Sick
Seattle’s version of the 7 Up series reveals the long-term damage to adults who were in gangs as kids.
The Armenian Power Gang, Hollywood Hellions
Meet the little-known crime ring with the lengthiest rap sheet.
Juggalos and the Criminalization of Style
Members of the Insane Clown Posse and their fans have sued the FBI and DOJ for classifying them as a "hybrid gang." The struggle represents nothing less than a war on style.
The Problem With the Way People Are Interpreting That New Gun Study
Journalists are misrepresenting a new study about the number of children killed every year by firearms.
'Unprecedented Levels' of Mental Illness Among Gang Members
Young men in gangs are disproportionately prone to anxiety disorders, psychosis.
The Un-Banging of Middle America
To chase street gangs out of suburbia, adults will have to make a dramatic change: They'll have to start paying attention to the culture their children live in.