NCJ Number
144985
Journal
Social Problems Volume: 40 Issue: 3 Dated: (August 1993) Pages: 398-409
Date Published
1993
Length
12 pages
Annotation
A sample of 39 men who had been incarcerated in California prisons was contacted for this study, which focused on changes in prison culture. Forty-six percent of the respondents had belonged to a prison gang and 38 percent had been members of street gangs prior to their incarceration.
Abstract
Eighty-one percent of the participants had been imprisoned for drug violations, robberies, burglary, and embezzlement. The primary prison gangs in California were identified as the Mexican Mafia, La Nuestra Familia, Texas Syndicate, Black Guerilla Family, and Aryan Brotherhood. Prison administrators used a number of tactics to crack down on gangs, including using confidential informants, "jacketing," segregating gang members, and encouraging guards to "divide and rule" the inmates by encouraging gang activities and conflicts. Prison overcrowding has led to the formation of new prison gangs which revolve around territorial alliances and the provision of security and protection services. As a result of the influx of this new "Pepsi generation," which refuses to accord older inmates the respect which normally goes with a long history of prison life, the inmate culture has become more unpredictable, with the dividing line between convicts and authorities disintegrating. Long-term inmates characterize prison life as being more fragmented and disorganized, and consequently more dangerous. 5 notes and 27 references