What have we learned about prison gangs? Findings from the LoneStar Project David C. Pyrooz, Ph.D. Department of Sociology Institute of Behavioral Science University of Colorado Boulder A Presentation to the UTEP Center for Law & Human Behavior Email: [email protected] Phone: (303) 492-3241 The LoneStar Project Twitter: @dpyrooz This project was supported by Grant No. 2014-MU-CX-0111 awarded by the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, and was made possible with the assistance of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of Justice or the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Understanding prison gangs SCHEDULE1. The problem of prison gangs 2. The LoneStar Project 3. Characteristics of prison gangs/gang members 4. Power and control on the inside 5. Q & A Responding to gangs 1. Joining/leaving in prison 2. Criminal and gang recidivism 3. Renouncement and disassociation 4. Policy/program implications 5. Q & A The LoneStar Project The problem of prison gangs 25% Winterdyk & Ruddell (2010) 19% N=37 20% NGIC (2011) Pyrooz & Mitchell 15% N=N/A (2018) 15% N=38 Hill 15% Wells et al. (2009) (2002) 12%, N=38 10% N=39 10% Camp & Camp (1985) 3% N=23 5% % of Prison Population, Gang Affiliated Gang Population, ofPrison % 0% 1984 2002 2008 2009 2011 2016 SOME INCONCLUSIVE “FACTS” • Misconduct, particularly violence • Orchestration of riots and uprisings • The control and distribution of contraband • At the core of the prison social order • Symbiosis between prison and street gangs • Consequences for inmate recidivism The LoneStar Project 300 6000 Total Research on Gangs (through 2014) Individuals, Yearly Groups, and Inference 250 5000 s 200 4000 n o i t a c i l b u 150 3000 P f o r e b m 100 2000 u N 50 1000 0 0 1900 1923 1930 1946 1951 1956 1961 1966 1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996 2001 2006 2011 The LoneStar Project Source: Pyrooz and Mitchell (2015) Years CHALLENGES OF PRISON GANG RESEARCH Robert Fong and Salvador Buentello (1991) • Official documentation on gangs is underdeveloped • Prison administration is reluctant to grant access to researchers • Gangs are secretive and prohibit the sharing of information The LoneStar Project The LoneStar Project WHAT IS THE LONESTAR PROJECT? • National Institute of Justice • Research on Gangs and Gang Violence FY14 • “Gangs on the Street, Gangs in Prison: Their Nature, Interrelationship, Control and Reentry” . Texas Study of Trajectories, Associations, and Reentry The LoneStar Project The LoneStar Project Texas, Prisons, and Gangs The LoneStar Project THE LONESTAR PROJECT Baseline Wave 2 Wave 3 Population: Sample: Huntsville Unit Huntsville & Estelle Units • Start: 4/18/2016 • Start: 5/30/2016 • Start: 2/7/2017 N=15,644 n=802 • End: 12/10/2016 • End: 5/9/2017 • End: 2/26/2018 • Retention: --- • Retention: 66.3% • Retention: 64.2% Disproportionate random sampling • Constructs: 62 • Constructs: 51 • Constructs: 52 Response rate: 61% • Items: 1,190 • Items: 1,126/1,508 • Items: 1,180/1,552 Participation rate: 94% Population: Sample: Gang: 1,596 (10.2%); Gang: 368 (45.9%); TheNon LoneStar-Gang: 14,048 Project (89.8%) Non-Gang: 434 (54.1%) 16 San Antonio (n = 71) Dallas (n = 171) Legend Number of Respondents Houston (n = 91) 100% 90% 82.5% N=660 80% 70% 60% 46.8% 50% N=374 35.8% 40% N=286 30% 17.5% N=140 20% 10.0% 7.5% N=80 10% N=60 0% Concordance Discordance Admin (yes), Admin (no), Admin (yes), Admin (no), Survey (yes) Survey (no) Survey (no) Survey (yes) The Characteristics of Prison Gangs and Gang Members Gang Members and Gangs in the LoneStar Project Persons (N=441) Person-Gangs (N*G=477) 1. Tangos – all (5 sets) members: 109 1. Tangos – all (5 sets) members: 111 2. Crips – all (4 sets): 66 2. Crips – all (4 sets): 70 3. Bloods – all (4 sets): 57 3. Bloods – all (4 sets): 59 4. Aryan Brotherhood: 34 4. Aryan Brotherhood: 34 5. Mexican Mafia: 25 5. Mexican Mafia: 25 6. Aryan Circle: 16 6. Aryan Circle: 17 7. Texas Syndicate: 18 7. Texas Syndicate: 18 8. Gangster Disciples: 11 8. Gangster Disciples: 12 9. Peckerwood: 10 9. Peckerwood: 10 10. Barrio Azteca: 9 10. Barrio Azteca: 9 11. Texas Chicano Brotherhood: 8 11. Texas Chicano Brotherhood: 8 12. La Raza Unida: 7 12. La Raza Unida: 7 13. Hermanos Pistoleros Latinos: 5 13. Hermanos Pistoleros Latinos: 5 14. Surenos – all (2 sets): 5 14. Surenos – all (2 sets): 10 15. Black Disciples: 3 15. Black Disciples: 3 16. - 8 gangs>1 N-G 36 16. - 13 gangs>1 N-G 36 G=34 gangs, N*G (>1 NG) = 405 G=39 gangs, N*G (>1 NG) = 434 The LoneStar Project + 36 gangs = 1 N-G 441 + 33 gangs = 1 N-G 47720 DIFFERENCES SIMILARITIES Non-Gang, (N=454) Gang, (N=346) Non-Gang, (N=454) Gang, (N=346) Mean/% (SD) Mean/% (SD) Mean/% (SD) Mean/% (SD) Demographic/Individual Age in years 41.64 (10.40) 34.55 (13.67) * Black 28.7% 21.3% Latino 27.8% 41.3% * Married 13.9% 14.8% White 35.7% 22.4% * In a relationship 15.6% 19.0% Education 11.74 (1.65) 10.95 (2.27) * Single 70.6% 66.2% Low self-control 1.33 (0.63) 1.56 (1.11) * Father 67.6% 72.1% Military veteran 10.9% 5.5% IQ 93.33 (10.88) 91.96 17.71) Environmental Informal social control 2.90 (0.79) 2.55 (1.45) * Prison social control 1.79 (0.78) 1.71 (1.26) Good place to live 74.8% 63.2% * Unstructured routines 2.24 (3.40) 2.36 (5.17) Gangs in neighborhood 44.8% 73.4% * Disorder in the prison 7.32 (1.87) 8.66 (2.57) * Health Stress 0.80 (0.49) 0.96 (0.84) * BMI 27.69 (4.40) 27.66 (8.01) Self-rated health 2.01 (0.70) 2.23 (1.16) * Self-esteem 2.13 (0.44) 2.09 (0.80) Exposure to violence 1.60 (0.87) 2.26 (1.39) * Projected age of death 86.21 (15.85) 87.52 (32.03) Social Connections Embeddedness in gangs -0.44 (0.54) 0.73 (1.59) * Social distance 1.03 (0.42) 1.09 (0.72) Family social support 2.36 (0.65) 2.50 (1.02) * Friend social support 1.86 (0.79) 1.87 (1.34) Criminal peers 0.65 (0.59) 0.97 (1.17) * Attitudes and Beliefs Code of the street 1.88 (0.70) 2.42 (1.14) * Ethnic ID—cultural 3.07 (0.49) 3.20 (0.86) Convict code 2.47 (0.48) 2.80 (0.78) * Spirituality/religiosity 3.07 (0.78) 2.93 (1.27) Legitimacy 1.59 (0.43) 1.37 (0.74) * Procedural justice 1.14 (0.50) 0.99 (0.77) * Ethnic ID—social 3.18 (0.53) 3.01 (1.13) * Criminal Justice System Age at first arrest 21.05 (6.87) 18.09 (8.73) * Number of arrests 8.47 (5.04) 9.08 (8.53) Prison stints 1.87 (1.08) 1.73 (1.43) Years incarcerated 4.33 (4.63) 4.78 (7.31) Violent offender 38.4% 43.7% 70% 64% 60% 54% 50% 48% 40% 35% 30% Involved in Prison 26% - 25% 21% 20% % % Gang 9% 10% 6% 2% 0% Group 1: Group 2: Group 3: Group 4: Group 5: Group 6: Group 7: Group 8: Group 9: Group 10: 2-8 RFs 9-10 RFs 11-12 RFs 13 RFs 14 RFs 15 RFs 16 RFs 17 RFs 18 RFs 19-23 RFs (N=97) (N=87) (N=124) (N=79) (N=87) (N=71) (N=74) (N=54) (N=49) (N=80) RFs=Number of Risk Factors Prison Gang Street Gang Race/ethnicity Single race or ethnicity Mostly single race or ethnicity Age Concentrated in mid-20s, with members 30s-40s Average age in upper teens Organizational Structure Hierarchical Situational/Hierarchical Symbolic; Sources of violence Symbolic and instrumental; Core activity Core activity Offending style Entrepreneurial Cafeteria style Visibility of Behavior Covert Overt Major activity; Varies; Drug trafficking Organized, collective Mostly individualistic Loyalty to gang Absolute Weak bonds Unqualified fidelity; Abide by gang rules; Real or perceived fidelity; Abide by street rules; Key to membership Willingness to engage in violence Hanging out Oppositional to Correctional Authorities; Oppositional to authority; Intimidation; TheKey psychologicalLoneStar Project attributes Intimidation; Control; Manipulation Camaraderie 23 Dichotomy of Street and Prison Gangs? Street Prison Street/ Any Any Street Prison Street/ Any Any Total Total only only Prison Street Prison only only Prison Street Prison f f f f % % f f f f % % STG: admin. segregated Prison-oriented 0 2 0 2 0% 100% Aryan Brotherhood 0 0 34 34 100% 100% Mandingo Warriors Mexicles 0 2 2 4 50% 100% Aryan Circle 0 0 17 17 100% 100% Peckerwood 0 6 4 10 40% 100% Barrio Azteca 0 0 9 9 100% 100% Tangos 1 63 47 111 43% 99% Hermanos Pistoleros Latinos 0 0 5 5 100% 100% Single-rep. gangs 0 2 0 2 0% 100% Mexican Mafia 0 0 25 25 100% 100% Gang Type Total 1 75 53 129 42% 99% Raza Unida 0 0 7 7 100% 100% Street-oriented Texas Syndicate 0 2 16 18 89% 100% 18th street – other 4 0 1 5 100% 20% Gang Type Total 0 2 113 115 98% 100% Aryan Nation 0 0 2 2 100% 100% STG: no admin.