NCJ Number
178377
Journal
Journal of Gang Research Volume: 6 Issue: 3 Dated: Spring 1999 Pages: 23-32
Date Published
1999
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This study was designed to determine the extent and nature of gang activity in a variety of correctional institutions throughout North Carolina.
Abstract
The data for the study were collected as part of a larger national survey of gang members who are residing in a variety of institutional settings. The types of facilities that were surveyed in North Carolina included adult and youth facilities under the jurisdiction of the Division of Prisons within the Department of Correction, which ranged in security levels from minimum to maximum security. Twenty-nine facilities in North Carolina were included in the study. A total State sample of 1,706 included 462 (27 percent) who reported having joined a gang; 1,160 (68 percent) who reported having never joined a gang; and 84 (5 percent) for which data on this self-report item were missing. The findings reported in this article are based on the responses of the 462 self-proclaimed gang members. The six-part survey instrument consisted primarily of closed-ended questions that tapped the sociodemographic characteristics of the sample, crime-related items, and several items that assessed gang-related issues within and outside the prison setting. Based on the findings, the study concludes that the North Carolina Division of Prisons is in the early phase of gang infiltration. As yet, inmate gangs have not altered the fabric of prison life to a great extent. A little less than half of the gang members reported that they had not been in a fight since they were incarcerated. Thirty-four percent admitted to carrying a weapon, and nearly 30 percent have threatened staff; 25 percent of the gang sample have tried to smuggle drugs while incarcerated. The article outlines several areas where continued attention is needed to address the emerging gang problem. 2 tables and 15 references