The bodies of Mara Dieciocho members killed in a prison riot are brought in from El Hoyon prison in Escuintla, Guatemala, South America, on August 15, 2005

　　The bodies of Mara Dieciocho members killed in a prison riot are brought in from El Hoyon prison in Escuintla, Guatemala, South America, on August 15, 2005. The Guatemalan gang attacked each other with knives, firearms, and grenades in seven prisons across the country, killing at least 31 inmates, government officials said. Eighteen bodies, all riddled with gunshot wounds, were brought in from El Hoyon prison. The riot began with an attack on a gang rival; El Hoyon prison, which houses 400 gang suspects, was opened in an old police barracks after 14 inmates were killed in a gang riot at another prison in December 2002.

　Gangs of inmates in Guaterama's prisons have increased in size and intensity of their access to and use of firearms. On the supply side, the stronger, larger, and wealthier gangs developed extensive contacts and bribe relationships with corrupt guards. They had more economic resources to pay bribes and more outside associates with access to weapons. On the demand side, both gangs and individuals sought guns for defensive purposes. In addition, gangs of inmates took advantage of the prison-wide mayhem that firearms caused. Riots provided escape and settlement opportunities, incarceration provided protection and time-building, and hostage-taking led to negotiations and improved prison conditions. The more resources gangs had, the more they could leverage violence and disorder in strategic ways.

　Outside of prison, as with other gangs and criminal organizations, they relied on firearms and armed violence. They used armed force and prison insurance to induce cooperation from outside members and sympathizers. By coordinating the actions of dozens to hundreds of outside gang members, the destructive power of a given arsenal was dramatically expanded. To procure weapons, prison gangs established strong connections with a network of corrupt bureaucrats and other illicit small arms suppliers who could exercise power beyond their walls.

　The problem in many shootings is not the absolute number of weapons available, but the manner in which they are used. For prison gangs, the potential impact of small arms inventories depended critically on the management organization. With firearms smuggled into the prisons, armed individuals inflicted deadly violence and protected themselves from violence. Conversely, they could be tipped off, subdued by the group, or simply found. The same firearms could be used by gangs to quickly dominate and slaughter members of rival gangs who had only knives, allowing them to strategically exploit prison-wide mayhem.