Dangerous Convictions for PDF - ADL

Dangerous
Convictions:
AN INTRODUCTION TO EXTREMIST ACTIVITIES IN PRISONS
offer—in terms of recruitment, for instance—for extremist groups ever to
ignore the lure of targeting prisons. Nor are conditions in prisons likely to
change such that prison gangs will fade away. Nor can the country shut down
such activities completely without violating rights to free speech and practice
of religion, rights that inmates as well as free persons have.
Yet, to some degree greater awareness and greater vigilance can help mitigate
these problems. More resources—from manpower to training—for hardpressed
prison officials could allow authorities to better police America’s penal
institutions and to deal with those groups and individuals who pose security
threats. Perhaps more importantly, Americans need to pay more attention to
those people behind bars, in order to offer genuine support and hope for the
future to inmates that might cancel out or at least offer an alternative to the
messages of racist, anti-Semitic and other extreme groups and movements.
Human nature being what it is, such endeavors will never be completely successful,
but the alternative is worse: to lose by default.
52