Social Order of the Underworld - How Prison Gangs Govern the American Penal System

In today's prisons, gangs protect inmates and enforce deals in illicit markets. In doing so, prison gangs promote order in prison. This book uses economics to explore the secret world of the convict culture, inmate hierarchy, and prison gang politics to explain why and how prison gangs form and operate.

List of contents

• Acknowledgements


• 1. Governance Institutions and the Prison Community


• Men's Central Jail


• 2. The Convict Code


• Death Row


• 3. The Rise of Prison Gangs


• My Brother's Keeper


• 4. Governance in the Society of Captives


• Background Check


• 5. The Internal Organization of Prison Gangs


• MacArthur Park


• 6. How Prison Gangs Govern the Outside


• Puppet


• 7. What Works?


• References

About the author

David Skarbek is a Lecturer in the Department of Political Economy at King's College London. His research examines extralegal governance and the economics of crime and punishment. He received his Ph.D. in Economics at George Mason University. He grew up in San Jose California and now lives in London.

Summary

In today's prisons, gangs protect inmates and enforce deals in illicit markets. In doing so, prison gangs promote order in prison. This book uses economics to explore the secret world of the convict culture, inmate hierarchy, and prison gang politics to explain why and how prison gangs form and operate.

Additional text

A fascinating new book...

Product details

• Authors: David Skarbek, David (Lecturer Skarbek, Skarbek David
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 24.07.2014
• EAN: 9780199328505
• ISBN: 978-0-19-932850-5
• No. of pages: 240
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Law > Criminal law, criminal procedural law, criminology; SOCIAL SCIENCE / Penology, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Anthropology / Cultural & Social, Social & cultural anthropology, ethnography, Social and cultural anthropology, Offenders, Offenders / Criminals