Report: 70,000 Gang Members Across State of Georgia Include Children, Correctional Officers

Channel 2 Action News in Atlanta reports that Georgia investigators believe there are more than 70,000 gang members across the entire state that are able to remain active by infiltrating the prison system and recruiting correctional officers who then assist in the respective gang's bidding. These gangs also grow by targeting children as young as nine years old via the internet.

Channel 2's Mark Winnie attended the second annual Georgia Anti-Gang Network meeting this past week and spoke with several investigators.

Via Channel 2:

"Across the state, how many investigations do you have going on involving the corruption of corrections officers by gangs?” Winne asked Georgia Department of Correction Director Clay Nix.

“Numerous,” Nix answered.

Nix said Georgia’s prison system is not only battling against inmates who are in gangs, but also corrections officers, who are recruited after hiring.

“Also, they reach out to other gang members who have no criminal record and encourage them to come to work for us,” Nix said.

“That’s happened?” Winne asked Nix.

“It has. Several times in the past,” Nix said.

Nix, continued, elaborating how these gangs are able to control contraband distribution in and out of the prison system via these embedded correctional officers. Nix showed Winne "pictures of a haul of suspected gang-related contraband that consisted of 61 homemade weapons, cell phones, suspected cocaine, suspected meth and marijuana." These illegal substances were taken just hours before the meeting began,

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