Vista Homeboys Gang Membership Free Social Services

Homeboy Industries provides job training positions and free social services for formerly gang involved and previously incarcerated men and women.

Each client is assigned a Case Manager on day one who helps them set a goal plan that may include: obtaining a high school diploma or GED, a course of action for release from parole or probation, and a general game plan for needed services, classes, and skills in order to find outside employment.

Many of the homeboys and homegirls arrive into young adulthood with no support system and absent families.

Homeboy provides a supportive community, a sense of family and a place where they come to help find their strengths, learn job skills, get an education, learn new life skills, and become contributing members to their families and communities.

Daily activities for the homies (HBI trainees) might include attending a class such as Computer Basics, Bridge to College, Building Healthy Relationships, Anger Management, or Parenting, and perhaps having a one-on-one appointment with a mental health counselor and a tattoo removal session.

Life at HBI begins for trainees with work in the maintenance department.

During the course of their time at HBI, trainees move from maintenance to a vocational skill-building position in one of its six social enterprises (including the Homeboy Caf and the Homegirl Caf), or an administrative position in its program headquarters.

From the viewpoints of youth who voluntarily came to HBI for help in getting out of gang life and succeeded in making this transition, five key services were deemed most critical to their success: (1) ending gangbanging and replacing it with positive activities, including jobs; (2), establishing a new identity; (3) improved parenting and family relationships; (4) overcoming drug and alcohol addiction; and (5) establishing plans for a future.

Many confuse the EME with the Mexikanemi from Texas; they are two distinct groups.

As with any gang, there are several versions as to how the gang formed.

Soon, differences arose and the Salvadorans broke from the pre-existing gangs to begin forming Mara Salvatrucha cliques on their own.

The areas with the greatest concentration are Southern California, sources also indicate a strong presence of Mara Salvatrucha in the states of Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, unfortunately here in the Rio Grande Valley and Utah.

It is estimated that there are over 250,000 Mara Salvatrucha members in Central America.

The MS is also known as Mara Salvatrucha-13, MS 13, and MS XIII.

They consider the number 13 to be lucky and it also shows an alliance with Southern California Hispanic gangs.

The number 13 is a reference to the thirteenth letter of the alphabet which is M.As further evidence of the MS alignment with Southern California, they may also use the terms Sureo, Sureo 13, Sur or Sur 13.

Gang members may carry a bandana typically blue, but sometimes black around with them and may wear it around their wrist, neck, forehead, or pocket.

MS-13 members like to wear sports clothing that displays strategic numbers like 13, 23, or 3.

They also wear jerseys that show the gang colors of blue or black.

Members also will wear Nike Air Jordan hats with the Air Jordan logo resembling their hand sign.

New York Yankees apparel is also a favorite of MS-13 members.

It is important to note that many young people wear these colors and sport clothing and these indicators alone should not be viewed as evidence of gang membership.

The rapid spread of the Mara Salvatrucha to many parts of the United States has not gone unnoticed.

The entire gang is on the verge of becoming the first gang to be categorized as an organized crime entity.

The MS seen to thrive on violence and in my opinion, they are determined to spread fear everywhere they can obtain a base of operations.

It is known for its violent acts towards anyone who is perceived to have crossed them.

They primarily ethnic solidarity and control of drug trafficking.

The EME is primarily comprised of Mexican-Americans and has spread to many other states and is very active in the Federal prison system.

A member who was an exception to the Hispanic race and ethnicity was Joe Morgan.

The structure of the EME prison gang consists of a chain of command whereby instructions from generals are carried out by captains, lieutenants, and soldier.

To a certain extent, EME members imitate the traditional Italian Mafia and have a structural framework which identifies them as a well organized, disciplined organization.

They ally with the Arizonas Old Mexican Mafia, Aryan Brotherhood; Mexikanemi; New Mexico Syndicate; and urban Latino street gangs.

Vista Homeboys Gang Membership Free Social Services