Gang Violence Heats Up

In State Prisons

HARTFORD (AP) – The notorious Bloods street gang has increased its activities in Connecticut’s prisons over the past few months, a period that prison workers say has been marked by rising violence.

Prison employees told The Hartford Courant that there have been numerous altercations involving the Bloods and the Latin Kings since late July.

The Bloods formed in the prisons more than a year ago, but the gang has grown and become more active recently, the newspaper reported.

A melee erupted in mid-August between the two gangs in the recreation yard of MacDougall Correctional Institution in Suffield. Dozens of inmates were involved, and one correction officer was injured trying to break it up.

“It was a big incident,” said Jon Pepe, president of AFSCME Local 391, which represents prison workers in the northern portion of the state.

Also during the summer, members of the 20 Love gang and the Latin Kings fought at Northern Correctional Institution in Somers.

There have been no serious injuries during any of the incidents involving the Bloods.

Pepe said the gang has shattered the calm inside the prison system. He fears larger problems will develop, especially at times when prison security is understaffed.

A recent review of prison staffing by the Legislative Program Review and Investigations Committee found the Department of Correction was about 18 percent short of projected staffing needs.

“My concern is that (gang members) come in and they have no problem doing violence,” Pepe said.

Pepe said the perceived status of the Bloods as a powerful, national gang is what is attracting a growing number of inmates to the group.

Prison officials said they recognized the threat posed by the Bloods and classified them and the Crips, another gang, as “security risk groups” within the prison in May 2002.