Groups in prison: an examination of their origins, membership and gang related activities

Gang activity relates to serious problems in American prisons and leads to a reduction in order and control (e.g. Fong & Buentello 1991; Stevens 1997). Research reported in this thesis examined the possibility of similar group activity in the English and Welsh prison estate together with some of the factors that might facilitate their development. Preliminary work (Wood & Adler 2001) indicated gang-related activity occurred across all categories of prison. However, identifying prisoners involved is fraught with problems (Kassel 1998). The theory of prison gang development (Buentello et al 1991) indicates prisonized attitudes (Clemmer 1940) and a need for support facilitate prison gang membership, which is generally based on shared commonalities such as racial origin (e.g. Camp & Camp 1985). Similarly, research indicates prison gang members are younger, have more convictions and serve longer sentences than non-gang prisoners (Sheldon 1991). Consequently, the current work assessed prisoners’ perceptions of gang-event frequency and the demographic/psychological characteristics of prisoners involved. Interviews were conducted with 360 prisoners from 9 prisons in England and Wales. Both quantitive and qualitative measures were administered. Results indicated male prisoners perceived higher levels of gang-related events than did female prisoners and event frequency related negatively to legitimate order and control. Prisoner groups tended to form along the lines of shared commonalities such as regional origin or a shared criminal history. Prisoners’ involvement in gang-related activity was predicted by recidivism, age and gender, although no difference was found between male and female recidivists’ involvement. Satisfaction with social support offered to individuals outside the prison related to first time prisoners’ gang-related activity, whereas the support they offered to individuals in prison related to recidivists’ involvement. Prisonized attitudes predicted involvement in gang-related activity for all prisoners. Discussion focuses on implications for theory and policy and suggests directions for further research.