Other
El Salvador's violent gang members are finding God in prison
- Continued lethal consequences for individuals exiting gangs, including the threat of execution, are anticipated as a significant barrier to permanent departure.
- While religious intervention offers a potential path for spiritual transformation, only a small fraction of converted inmates are projected to remain outside the gang, with just seven former gangsters identified as church members in the outside community.
- Motivations for prison conversion are expected to include pragmatic desires for improved conditions rather than genuine spiritual change, complicating the reliability of these interventions.
- High risks of recidivism are foreseen post-release due to a lack of legitimate employment prospects, which may cause individuals to "fall back into the gang."
- Former gang members face a "tough existence" characterized by financial instability, limited prospects, and societal rejection upon reintegration.
- Successfully sustaining the exit of gang members is expected to require long-term societal efforts to create the necessary economic and social conditions, as conversion alone is deemed insufficient to solve the gang problem.