NCJ Number
239698
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 40 Issue: 5 Dated: September/October 2012 Pages: 425-432
Date Published
October 2012
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This study examined the effect of the presence of gangs in prison and levels of inmate violence in prison.
Abstract
The study found that 1) the percent of gang members in the prison was positively associated with inmate violence; 2) inmate-level predictors of age, education, sentence length, and violent offense conviction were significant predictors of levels of inmate violence; and 3) the more evenly dispersed different gangs were within the prison unit, the greater the expected count of inmate-on-inmate violence. This study examined the effect of the presence of gangs in prison and levels of inmate violence in prison. Data for the study were obtained from two samples of archival records of a large southern State's primary corrections agency, those of confirmed gang members, n=2,169, and a random inmate sample, n=2,000. The data contained information on the inmates, their behavior while incarcerated, and the prison unit at which they served their sentence. The analysis of the data tested two hypotheses: 1) the greater the percentage of gang members in a prison, the greater the incidence of inmate-on-inmate violence; and 2) as the number of distinct gangs approaches parity, the greater the incidence of inmate-on-inmate violence. Results of the analysis show that a modest association exists between gang membership and gang integration and levels of inmate-on-inmate violence, with gang integration being the most significant predictor of levels of inmate-on-inmate violence. Study limitations are discussed. Tables, notes, and references