The social order of the underworld : how prison gangs govern the American penal system / David Skarbek.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Governance institutions and the prison community : men's central jail -- The convict code : death row -- The rise of prison gangs : my brother's keeper -- Governance in the society of captives : background check -- The internal organization of prison gangs : Macarthur Park -- How prison gangs govern the outside : puppet -- What works?

Print version record.

When most people think of prison gangs, they think of chaotic bands of violent, racist thugs. Few people think of gangs as sophisticated organizations (often with elaborate written constitutions) that regulate the prison black market, adjudicate conflicts, and strategically balance the competing demands of inmates, gang members, and correctional officers. Yet as David Skarbek argues, gangs form to create order among outlaws, producing alternative governance institutions to facilitate illegal activity. He uses economics to explore the secret world of the convict culture, inmate hierarchy, and prision gangs.

English.

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