I agree if it's a one off thing like this. Gang and organized crime members, no way. The social aspect of organized crime makes it super hard to reform.
Read about organized crime, specifically Latin American gangs and American Mafia. The organization gets deeply ingrained in your family and friend support structure such that it is very hard to get away from it, even if you want to.
Even though it is fictional, "The Godfather" is a very good illustrative example of this phenomenon.
