'Bangers in the 'Burbs

In the last decade, the inner-city scourges of drugs, crime, and violent gang wars have migrated to the suburbs.

From Long Island to Fairfax, teens as young as 12 are being recruited into some of this country’s most dangerous gangs. For teens, allegiance means a life of violent turf wars, abuse, and even murder or incarceration, with few escape routes or options as adults.

Journalist Sarah Garland spent five years researching the rise of suburban gangs. She spent countless hours interviewing current and former members of Mara Salvatrucha (MS 13) -- the Latino gang that got its start in Los Angeles. She’s the author of the new book Gangs in Garden City: How Immigration, Segregation, and Youth Violence are Changing America’s Suburbs, and she joined us on the line from New York.

(Photo by Tokio Punk Rockers via Flickr/Creative Commons)