The Prison Journal, Ahead of Print.
This article provides a critical historical analysis of the formation and proliferation of some of the earliest and most well-known prison gangs in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and the conflicts between them. This analysis provides an alternative explanation for prison gang formation that contrasts with existing pathological perspectives on prison gangs by examining the role of the prison staff and administration in the formation and proliferation of prison gangs and the provocation of conflicts between them. The historical narrative and analysis is constructed from existing literature, qualitative research using both formal and informal interviews, and descriptive data acquired from CDCR Annual Reports.