Corrections_Today_Summer_2024_Vol.86_No.2

RESEARCH

affiliation upon entry to the unit, whether they considered joining a gang, and why and how they avoided gangs. Exposure to gangs in prison There is no way to completely avoid exposure to gangs in prison. Whether prisons concentrate or dis perse gang affiliates across facilities, the likelihood of phantom affiliations is not trivial. The intelligence appa ratuses of correctional agencies are usually quite strong, but especially as geography and tattoos (or lack thereof) become noisier signals, even in gang-free units and drop-out yards, active and undetected gang members are usually present. Among people who were never affiliated with gangs in prison, 81% told us that they were “checked” by gang members upon admission to a reception facility or new unit. In other words, they were asked about what gang affiliation they maintained on the street. This is an inte gral part of the social sorting process in prison, as street associations funnel into the broader prison gang order and structure. Just over half of the non-gang members said that they were “recruited” by prison gangs. This is exactly what we would expect to find among groups that are central to the social order of prisons. Gangs must replenish their ranks as people are released, drop out, placed in more restrictive housing or pass away. Despite the pressure and interest, only 15% of the non-gang members indicated they considered joining a gang. It was not exactly clear what we expected to find, but this felt lower than anticipated. What ultimately led these people to avoid getting involved in gangs? And how did they do it? Why avoid gang affiliation in prison? The interviewees provided a wide range of responses to the question about why they did not join a gang in prison. This was by design, as we made these open ended questions, since there is very little research on the topic. This approach yielded multiple explanations for avoidance, which were then classified into categories. The top reason for avoiding gangs was due to “seeing no benefits” of affiliation — 29% of the non-gang inter viewees told us this was the case. A 29-year-old Latino

prisoner said: “They paint a pretty picture for you, but that is not what it is.” A 59-year-old White prisoner elaborated on this even more, stating “I don’t have a need for it. I didn’t need companionship, protection, or feeling of family, or ‘the gang’ to make decisions for me.” The second-most common reason was the perceiving gangs as “trouble” — 19% of statements were consistent with this view. “I think it is stupid. Being a follower is stupid. A gang is always having trouble. Stabbing. Fighting. Stuff like that. I didn’t want to be part of that” (25-year-old Latino). The general sentiment was gangs simply use people, akin to exploitation. One interviewee referred to gang members as being “crash test dummies.” Among people who were never affiliated with gangs in prison, 81% told us that they were “checked” by gang members upon admission to a reception facility or new unit. The next most common responses concerned in dependence and values/politics, each of which were endorsed by 17% of interviewees. A 58-year-old Black interviewee said “Because when I work hard, I’m not sharing it with you. When I come home, I don’t want you in my house. What you do out there, I don’t want to have to pay your debt. I’m not gonna bleed to be your friend.” Many interviewees thought since gang members were followers, it indicated a weakness or inability to do time on their own. The value/politics explanation typically came down to personal beliefs, especially around race/ethnicity. A 24-year-old White interviewee said: “It’s political. Me be ing White. It would make me an anti-Black gang member, and I’m not anti-Black.” Even though the motivations are abundant and clear, words are not deeds, especially when there is active recruitment and pressure to join. What steps did these men take to avoid gangs in prison?

Corrections Today | Summer 2024

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