Corrections_Today_Summer_2024_Vol.86_No.2

RESEARCH

and spirituality are supported in prison, the easier it is for prisoners to decline invitations or recruitment cam paigns to gangs. Fourth, there is a need to support resilience and to carefully balance autonomy in prison. Clearly, some freedoms produce security risks, but the ability for pris oners to carve out their out livelihoods gives them space to avoid gang affiliation. This seems to matter especially when there are high rates of (gang or racial) conflict and/ or high concentrations of gangs in housing units. Finally, there is a general lack of gang prevention ef forts made in prison. Creating a curriculum devoted to awareness, risk and protection and alternatives to gangs could aid to stopping involvement before it starts. That also means communication and messaging about the perils of life in gangs. Sure, these issues seem obvious at first glance. But when interviewing people about leaving gangs, they often remark they got sold a bill of goods — false promises of companionship and protection (among other things). Non-gang members see this, but if this

messaging was systematized, perhaps they could see it sooner, along with those who end up in gangs. In sum, far more effort has been expended on fo cusing on problems in prison without understanding positive cases that successfully manage incarceration. There is good reason for this, but there is much to be learned and much to be gained by instituting changes built on resilience rather than regret. And instituting efforts that aim to prevent gang activity as well as intervene in cases and units where it exists could and should pay dividends to enhance order and safety in prison. CT

David Pyrooz is professor of sociology at the University of Colorado Boulder and conducts research and evaluation on gangs, violence, incarceration and reentry, and criminal justice policy and practice.

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Corrections Today | Summer 2024

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