NCJ Number
187220
Journal
Punishment & Society Volume: 3 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2001 Pages: 135-152
Editor(s)
David Garland
Date Published
January 2001
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This story of a young ex-convict indicates living in the inner city black community places young people at special risk of falling victim to aggressive behavior.
Abstract
Of all problems affecting the inner city black community, interpersonal violence and aggression are the most pressing. Living in a violent environment places young people at special risk of becoming violent themselves because the street culture has evolved in terms of informal rules that govern interpersonal public behavior, including violence. The story presented in the article is about a young man who was arrested and sentenced at 17 years of age for aggravated assault of a rival drug dealer. After release from prison, he made a conscious effort to change and worked with other young men to stop drug dealing in the neighborhood. The successful efforts of the young man to be productive after release from prison illustrate the differences between the street culture and straight society and the ways in which these two orientations socially organize a community. 1 note