Prisons, Gangs, Embeddedness, and Recidivism: A Longitudinal Study of Offenders in Texas

• In Event: Gangs and Prison: Emerging Evidence on Misconduct, Gang Organizational Structure, Criminal Careers, Gang Embeddedness, and Recidivism from the LoneStar Project

Abstract

Approximately 630,000 individuals are released from prison annually, and a disproportionately large number of returning offenders have affiliations with gangs. While research has shown that gang membership prior to and during incarceration increases the likelihood of recidivism, this research has been based largely on official data, including official (binary) classifications of gang membership and recidivism. This study draws on inmates’ reports of gang embeddedness to argue (1) the self-reports of gang involvement maintain greater predictive value than official reports, and (2) that individual immersion within enduring deviant networks—regardless of an inmate’s membership in a gang—will influence rates of recidivism. Data from the LoneStar Project are used to test the relationship between gang embeddedness and recidivism among both gang and non-gang inmates preparing for release from prison in Texas. Results of this study will provide one of the first insights to the role of gang embeddedness in prison in the reentry process, build on theoretical models of embeddedness and its consequences, and set the stage for future research and policy concerning the treatment of gang members in community reentry programming.

Authors

• Kendra Clark, University of Colorado Boulder

• David Pyrooz, University of Colorado Boulder