91172.pdf

Underground Economy of Prison 255

and facility overcrowding contribute to the deterioration of prison gang and guard

relations. Other studies indicate the relationship between guards and gang inmates

is reciprocal, with each side benefitting from each other. In the next section, we

consider the research supporting these ideas as well as other ideas on how the

underground economy of prison affects the guard-and-gang-inmate relationship.

The underground economies of prison have a significant impact on prison gang

life. Drug dealing is one example of how prison gangs can control the daily routines

of prison life, such as cell changes, work assignment changes, and many other daily

prison procedures. The following case illustration exemplifies how prison gangs

utilize the underground economies of prison to change their daily routines.

John, a member of the Aryan Brotherhood, offered a prison guard drugs for a transfer

from one cell block to a preferred cell block where other members of the gang reside and

the lights stay on later. The prison guard agreed and called the deputy warden in charge

of custody and arrangements were made. A week passed by and John told the prison

guard that he had not been moved. After several frustrating attempts, the prison guard

informed John that he could get transferred with the payment of 10 cartons of cigarettes

to the deputy warden's inmate clerk. Otherwise, the cell change would continue to be

overlooked by mistake. John paid the 10 cartons of cigarettes and was moved to the

preferred cell block within 24 hours. (Chamelin, 1975)

Literature Review

One way to consider the underground economy in prison is to examine the current
research exploring the relationship between prison gangs and guards. For example,
a reciprocal relationship can exist between prison gangs and guards. A reciprocal
relationship is defined as one in which both sides reap benefits from each other.
The case illustration above is one example of such a relationship because both
sides benefitted: the guard received drugs in exchange for granting the prison gang
member a cell block change. Hunt, Riegel, Morales, and Waldorf (1993) found
that some prison guards support and encourage gangs to develop. These researchers
conciucted a prison study that focused on the culture and underground economies of
prison life. In this study, Hunt et al. interviewed 39 men who had been incarcerated
in California prisons. Forty-six percent of the respondents belonged to a prison
gang and 38% were members of street gangs prior to their incarceration. Hunt et al.
found that the majority of the respondents cited financial incentives as the primary
reason a reciprocal relationship existed between prison gangs and guards.
Hunt et at. found that one reason why a guard might support gang activity is
because of a financial interest related to the gangs' illegal activities, such as gambling,
drugs, and weapons. A prison gang might want to conduct illegal activities without
the possibility of disciplinary actions from the correctional facility. Therefore, a
reciprocal relationship is built in which guards are granted financial percentages of