Typically, Cutshall says, a male juvenile goes to high-security lockdown, where guards evaluate him for his suitability to be in a dorm, when a space becomes available. Cutshall can't have more than 10 juveniles inside the five holding cells that line a hallway in the back of the booking office. Each juvenile is carefully screened for gang loyalty. About half the juveniles who come through booking claim a gang affiliation. Putting a Bulldog gang member in a cell with a Sureno is asking for trouble, because the rivals wait for opportunities to jump each other.
Officers can determine whether a youth belongs to a gang.
Tell-tale signs are the style of dress and tattoos. But behavior is the real tip-off. You can tell if there's a recognition. You can tell by the way their eyes flare down or if their head tilts back. He's had only one fight in booking.