Dropout gangs pose one of the most vexing problems for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Law enforcement officials say dropout gangs can be just as violent as traditional prison outfits like the Mexican Mafia, which consider gratuitous bloodshed bad for business. But in prison, his independent streak ran up against the Nuestra Familia, the dominant prison gang in Northern California. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)While assigned to the California Institute for Men in Chino, Duarte witnessed the birth of one of the largest dropout gangs. The convicted murderer then joined not one but two dropout gangs, the records state.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 08, 2026 15:48 UTC