NCJ Number
156469
Journal
American Jails Volume: 9 Issue: 2 Dated: (May/June 1995) Pages: 59-63
Date Published
1995
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Eight hundred ninety-one inmates of eight midwestern county jails were surveyed in summer 1994 to determine the extent of street gang representation among the inmates, the types of gangs represented, and the relationships between street gangs and firearms.
Abstract
The research, which was presented in the Task Force Report from the National Gang Crime Research Center, also explored the extent to which urban street gangs were spreading to outlying and rural areas and gang density outside urban areas, as represented by gang presence in the jails. Results revealed that gang members were more likely than other jail inmates to come from single-parent households, have not completed high school or as many gangs, never held a full-time job, have been incarcerated in a juvenile facility, have friends who are drug users, have permanent tattoos, have been expelled from school, and have assaulted teachers at school. Gang members were also more likely to steal firearms, own and use assault rifles, carry concealed weapons on their person, and report using sawed- off shotguns to commit crimes. Findings also revealed a much higher proportion of gang members among the inmate population than claimed by recent research. Tables and 8 references