Another theme present in all interviews was the impact that their gang identity
had on their reentry into locations where this gang identity was already known. The gang
identity was reported to dampen desire for change based upon the gang culture influence.
When a gang member reentered into an environment where they were previously labeled
as a gang member it significantly increased chances of recidivism. This was based upon
the label following them in their interactions with that community and having to respond
to others acting like they were gang affiliated with the role of being a gang member. The
subthemes identified were: relocation, avoiding gang influence, and feelings of pressure
and loyalty to the gang preventing positive change.
Subtheme 2.1: Relocation. The theme of location came up in all five of the
participants interviews. Some participants discussed how their gang identity required
them to relocate in order to establish a new identity and avoid gang influence, while
others described struggles with returning into an environment where there is gang activity
where they were already identified as a gang member. P1, P4, and P5 described the need
to relocate for positive changes. P1 described how their gang-identity was so strong that
they needed to relocate to be able to successfully remove themselves from the gang. P1 stated, “Moving… without that move I don’t think I would’ve been successful.” P4 described the need for gang affiliated individuals to have support in relocation: “if they
them out of the places they live in, how about buying them a plane ticket somewhere else.” P5 also needed to relocate in order to avoid gang influence based upon their prior established gang identity: “I couldn’t stay in the old neighborhood if I wanted to change.”
P2 and P3 more described the impact that their location had on their continued
gang involvement. P4 described the difficulty in changing if you reenter into the same
location where you were engaging in the gang lifestyle:
“that is what they are gonna need to do, relocate. You can’t be in a gang and say I’m out and stay in the same city, it just don’t work that way. You got tats or people that know you then you’re in [regarding gang membership appearance].” P2 also described environmental issues with their reentry location based upon their gang- identity; “I couldn’t always stay there, the hood wasn’t right… f*cking Mexicans they won’t leave me alone, like walking from the car to my crib and they all staring like they want to jump me.” Meanwhile P3 also referred to their gang identity preventing them
from leaving a gang while staying in the same location: “It’s not like I can just leave, I
have my people and loyalties.”
Subtheme 2.2: Avoiding gang influence. The subtheme of avoiding gang
influence in order to make and maintain positive changes upon reentry was discussed in
three participants’ interviews. P5 described the need to avoid their old gang members to
not succumb to temptations: “People still know me, I can still go into the old
neighborhoods but choose not to. It’s better for me that way.” P4 had a similar statement
related to needing to avoid areas where their gang identity may have meaning: “I stay out
want to end up in the system with the same bums I’m trying to avoid.” P1 described the
need for gang-members reentering into society to avoid the negative influence of gangs: “you can’t be around negative people and expect to change [describing other gang members impact on engaging in criminal behavior].”
Subtheme 2.3: Feelings of pressure and loyalty to the gang preventing positive change. A total of four participants discussed deviant behavior as part of
showing loyalty and commitment to their gang identities (when active as gang members)
as barriers to reentry. P1 described their experiences of being in a gang and how it
increased chances of recidivism: “I was in and out of jail when I was younger, running a gang, everyone knew me.” P4 described deviant behavior as part of the gang lifestyle. According to P4 criminal behavior was an unavoidable part of gang membership, which
impacted reentry experiences: “running the streets doing stuff I don’t need to do. That is
the main issue when you are out in the streets and need to be a part of the streets, that’s when you become the streets.” P2 and P3 both described their loyalties to their gangs and the deviant behaviors that go along with them as unavoidable norms to the lifestyle. “I
have my n*ggas and we got our shit to do” and “There are people who have my back, but
I sometimes wonder if they want what’s best for me.” P4 also described the strong impact
being in a gang had on deviant behavior and increased chance of criminal behavior with
reentry: “Well during the time that I was gang banging and stuff like that yeah it made
me want to bang more.” P1 described gang membership as not being a good influence on
Peer pressure was described in four of the participants interviews, in which gang
membership serves as an influencing factor for the members’ criminal behavior. P1 stated, “It shaped my attitude when I was a boy, like no one could tell me nothing I thought I knew it,” while P3 stated, “There are always people telling me different things in my ear.” P3 also addressed that gang pressure in relation to making positive changes: “It is hard when there are people in your life pulling you in other ways and test your loyalties.” As did P4, “Your boys could always say to come back here, come kick it, come do this.” P5 added to this when they stated: “Being a part of a gang they expect certain things from you, there is direct and indirect pressure to continue down that path. If
you have family in the gang that pressure starts at a young age.”