258 9 Corrections and Prison Practices—Adult Forensics
gang-rehabilitation program should include the following: a period of strict ob-
servation; investigation; clinical assessment; an opportunity for the inmates to earn
privileges 1 week at a time; and a successful completion of a cognitive-retraining
program, using a behavior contract indicating "no further gang activity." After com-
pletion of the program, prison staff should meet weekly and discuss individual cases
as part of an effective follow-up process. Gang-rehabilitation programs are a valuable
method to discourage activities associated with the underground economy of pris-
ons. 'This may be because inmates are retrained to disassociate with gang members,
Thus, prison gangs may disband causing a reduction in illicit activities.
Gang-rehabilitation programs are also important because they occupy most of
the inmates' time with educational tasks. This leaves little time for inmates to think
about the underground economy of prison in relation to gang life.
Suggestions for Future Research
More research needs to address the limitations associated with a flourishing und-
erground prison economy. A prison which continuously allows an underground
economy to usurp the traditional guard/inmate relationship compromises the safety
of the facility and creates disorder. Therefore, research examining these types of
limitations might make some correctional administrators "crack down" on existing
underground economies.
The Green Haven Correctional Facility is one example of how an underground
economy jeopardized the safety and integrity of the prison. Green Haven is a
maximum-security prison located in a rural area of New York. At Green Haven,
the attitude of prison guards toward gang inmates contributed to a breakdown in
the security and overall safety of the prison. Prison guards at Green Haven adopted
a "let's make a deal" attitude. A system of favors to gang inmates developed and
was commonplace throughout the prison. Small favors to gang inmates gave way to
larger ones. The underground economy at Green Haven became institutionalized.
The guards permitted gang inmates to use and barter drugs and alcohol. Prisoners
with organized crime connections, on trips outside of Green Haven for medical
or family visits, were able to stop for costly meals, to visit with criminal associates,
or to walk off unattended. The escorting officer was paid off in cash, sometimes
including hundreds of dollars (New York State Investigation Commission, 1981).
As a result of the institutionalized underground economy, the security at Green
Haven began to deteriorate. Prison gangs took advantage of the corruption and the
relaxed correctional system. One example is Albert Victory, who payed his guards to
drink in a bar while he escaped. Albert Victory's escape prompted many correctional
officials to think twice about the unprofessional staff attitude toward the under-
ground economy in prison, and the relationship between prison gangs and guards.
More research needs to be directed at exploring why prison gangs and in-
mates need an underground economy. A key debate among scholars centers on the