Prison gangs: Re-examining their existence, reframing their function

Abstract

This chapter considers prison gangs by outlining definitional challenges that concern this social phenomenon before examining the importance of accounting for the specifics of prison environments. As a consequence, the chapter presents a social eco-system approach to understanding prison gangs, and in doing so, accounts for theories of importation, strain and deprivation, incorporating these into a proposed Gang Social-Ecosystem Model (G-SEM). Adopting the core principles of such theories, consideration is given to both ‘pull’ and ‘push’ variables and how these may apply to the G-SEM. In conclusion, the chapter draws to a close by challenging the more pejorative approach to defining and understanding gangs, particularly in prisons.