PBS Street Gang Documentary Pulls No Punches
The Washington Post: Theresa Wiltz : July 11th 2006
Link:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/10/AR2006071001317.html

Summary:
This article focuses on a recent documentary on the 18th Street gang, produced by PBS. As you may know, the 18th Street gang is the chief rival of MS-13. In this documentary, there is a lot of coverage of the internal workings of the gang in El Salvador. In one segment the gang is shown maintaining a strict hierarchy and a network of observers who alert the gang to the approach of military and police patrols. Unlike the "Most Dangerous Gang in the World" with Lisa Ling on National Geographic, this program appears to give a more detailed look at the inner workings of a gang click on the streets. An interesting facet of this documentary, that I haven't seen covered thus far, is how gang membership seems to be fed by parents who are absent, because they have left their kids to go work in America. In another segment a gang member is disciplined for fighting with the standard 18 second beat-down by 4 other gang members, while the senior most gang member's 3 year old daughter looks on. There is also a segment on how the gang operates in prison. In prison the gang exhibits a highly developed structure and culture with elder leaders, delegation of responsibilities, and control over neighborhoods outside of prison. One gang leader in the prison describes it as headquarters.

Analysis:
This is a very good documentary. There is a wealth of good information on how gang clicks use lookouts and drug money to operate in El Salvador. Also there is good information on what role the prisons in El Salvador play in the gang, providing a leadership nucleus and schooling system for the gang. The prisons serve to make the culture and practices more homogeneous. As click members from throughout the country are brought to the prisons, they are reined in by a common leadership and culture there. Presumably, they then return, eventually, to their barrio clicks, where that culture and practices are passed on further.  As soon as video becomes available I will post it on the site.