Prison Gang Activity: Influences and Predictions

In the article, “Predicting Involvement in Prison Gang Activity: Street Gang Membership, Social and Psychological Factors.”, they cover several topics describing details relating to gang activity in the prisons. The article discusses how the ideal of wealth socially and monetarily affect those who are in gangs and those who want to join a gang. They also found that different criminal backgrounds helped determine who was more likely to join a gang or not. The prison gangs share some characteristics with streets gangs, but they have different psychological factors and ways of earning membership.

The article starts off by describing prison gangs. Prison gangs have been called “cohesive groups of prisoners, with a leader, whose criminal activities

In an ironic twist, these gangs also offer protection. D. J. Stevens conducted research in 1997 that found that 73% of non-gang members wanted to transfer, while 87% wanted protective custody. The gang members generally served longer sentences. They also would have had more convictions than those that were not in any gangs. Gang members’ convictions started at younger ages,

This theory talks about how street gang members, following convictions, were being imported into prison. In prison, they re-created gangs with “street gang roots.” These gangs are known as importation gangs, while gangs that are started in prison are known as indigenous gangs. Knox argues that if street gang members regroup in prison, new gangs will start to form.

Through evidence, it has been shown that there is little to no distinction between prison gangs and street gangs. Street gangs like the Blood and the Crips members are being imprisoned, and they become active in prison. While, prison gang members are being released and are being active on the streets. 46 of the U.S. states have stated that some prisoners become gang members. M. L. Sullivan stated that prisons act as a school for gang memberships. It is a place where one can sharpen their skills.

Prison gangs and street gangs share psychological similarities. Prison gangs protect their members from attacks from those that are in prison, while street gangs protect those in the gang from enemies on the street. They provide their members with: a sense of security, illegal goods, etc. They also are extremely violently, more violent that those who are not in gangs. They also want to reassert their dominance over others, especially other gangs. Social Dominance Orientation is a big factor in this. Prisoners high in SDO are more aggressive and want to gain control and