Exit If You Can

Gangs like MS-13 and Barrio 18 are brutal, territorial and difficult to leave, yet many do

The notorious street gangs MS-13 and Barrio 18 are a security concern across Central America. With over 100,000 members, these groups are known for their brutality and tight grip over the communities in which they operate. A well-established myth about these gangs is that once a person enters, they cannot leave. Yet many do. In Exit if You Can, José Miguel Cruz focuses on how members of a violent and highly structured gang manage to leave it and abandon their violent behavior. He argues that how an individual leaves is influenced by two factors: the extent of the gang's territorial control and the group's organizational sophistication. These variables frame the challenges gang members face when they want to reintegrate into society.

Based on over 100 interviews with former gang members and a survey of more than 2,000 active and former gang members inside and outside the prison system in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, Cruz shows how former gang members navigate against the criminal governance of their communities and manage to restart their lives. Bolstering discussions about violence prevention policies, Exit if You Can contends that to end gang violence and crime, we need to articulate policies recognizing the role of criminal governance in the communities where gangs thrive.