National Gang Crime Research Center

P.O. Box 990

Peotone, IL 60468–0990

Telephone (708) 258-9111

Fax number (708) 258-9546

Website: www.ngcrc.com

Dear Jail Administrator or Gang/STG Investigator:

We are writing to ask that you take a couple minutes and please complete and mail back the enclosed 2022 NGCRC Jail Survey. It is anonymous, we do not process or analyze identifiers such as zip code, and we do not list your facility by name or jurisdiction. That comes up in federal research where there is often an effort to compare one jail against another, we are not interested in that, we are just interested in helping jail staff more effectively respond to the problems posed by gangs and gang members. Mostly we are interested in the big picture: what is going on nationally.

Our interest is in providing a large aggregate national analysis of the problems and issues covered in the questionnaire. If you had a problem with a specific question, then we recognize your right to just skip over that question — treat is as a blank answer if you want. We call that missing data.

Our website shows our reports issued over the years based on these kind of surveys: surveys of jails, adult state prisons, juvenile correctional facilities, country prosecutors, municipal police departments, county sheriffs, etc. For over 30 years we have delivered on our promises. In fact, the first national survey of gangs in American jails was our 1993 survey! Help us update the findings and bring attention to the important work that people who work in jails do and help them get the attention of policy makers to provide the kind of increased funding needed by American jails today.

The overall goal of the 2022 NGCRC jail survey is to generate a national picture of how gangs and gang members and gang/STG problems have impacted jail safety. Our report and analysis of the detailed information will certainly increase our knowledge base in ways that will lead to better progress in the future. The full report will be published in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Gang Research, the official publication of the NGCRC, and now in its 29^th year of continuous publication as a quarterly journal. We provide one free full printed copy of the report to each respondent who wants one.

Cordially,

George W. Knox, Ph.D.

Executive Director, NGCRC

Q & A About the 2022 NGCRC Jail Survey:

Q: Is this an anonymous survey?

A: Yes, we do not process or store any identifier — not even zip code — that could be used to identify any individual respondent to the survey.

Q: Is it okay to give an “estimate”?

A: Yes, please feel free to provide a “guestimate”. An educated and experienced guess is always better than no information or missing data.

Q: Can I see a copy of what the NGCRC published from the 1993 Jail Survey?

A: Yes, it is at: www.ncgcr.com; just click the button for “reports”, then select under “Gangs in Adult Jails” the 1993 report. There is also a report from the 2019 Jail Survey.

Q: Who gets a copy of the final report?

A: A full copy of the printed final report is provided free of charge to whoever is designated in the survey response who wants to receive it. One each per jail.

Q: Is there a deadline for responding to the survey?

A: Yes, we need the questionnaires completed and returned in about thirty (30) days, as we want to start data analysis about a month after the date of mailing. The deadline we are shooting for is to have all the surveys returned on or before January 31, 2022.

Q: If we do not understand a question on the survey, can we just leave it blank?

A: Yes, sure. If you want, send a message too by printing on or near the survey item “did not understand”. Skip the question, no problem, go on to the next question in the survey.

Q: If I do not have an answer at this time for one or more of the questions, can I just skip it?

A: Yes, no problem. A blank answer is still an answer, it is treated as “missing data” in the analysis undertaken here. We use SPSS for statistical analysis.

Q: Will the name of my agency or its county be identified in the report the NGCRC produces.

A: No. Look at an example of our 1993 or 2019 Gangs in Jails report. We do not “thank” or acknowledge specific responding agencies. That would be inappropriate when we have already promised full anonymity to respondents.

Q: Did any jail administrators or jail gang/STG investigators help create this survey instrument.

A: Yes. As indicated at our website, “Corrections Gang/STG Intelligence” has been a part of our training curriculum for 25 years. And so, yes, we did ask for input from a number of current or former jail staff and administrators.

The 2022 NGCRC Jail Survey

1. Do you believe illiteracy is a problem among the offenders in your facility? ___Yes ___No

2. Do you feel your agency receives adequate funding? ___Yes ___No

3. What percentage increase in your budget would be necessary to assure no overcrowding, adequate staff, training, and services? ________% increase in current budget

4. Among staff who know about gang members, what is the current estimate of what percentage gang members are of the total inmate population? _____% of the males _____% of the females

5. Do your jail and detention staff receive formalized training in dealing with the gang problem? ___Yes ___No

If YES, how many hours is the gang training session? ____hours

6. In your opinion, could your staff benefit from professional outside training dealing with gangs? ___Yes ___No

7. Have any of your county sheriff or jail staff ever attended one of the annual Gang Training Conferences sponsored by the National Gang Crime Research Center in Chicago? ___Yes ___No

8. Have gang members been a problem in terms of assaults on your staff? ___Yes ___No

THREATS ON STAFF? ___Yes ___No

9. Are racial conflicts a problem among the offenders in your facility? ___Yes ___No

9. Do white inmates have a separate gang? ____Yes ____No

If yes, what is it called? _________________________________________________

10. In the last one year time period, how would you rate the problem of inmates using phones, mail and other forms of communications to threaten or intimidate witnesses? ___Not a problem ___Small problem ___Large Problem

11. In your opinion, is giving staff recognition to inmate gang leaders similar to negotiating with terrorists? ___Yes ___No

12. What are the names of the top three major gangs that are represented among inmates in your facility?

1. _________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________

3. _________________________________________________

13. Does your facility have a drug treatment program? ___Yes ___No

14. Doe your facility require the use of a specific definition of a gang or security threat group? ___Yes ___No

(if yes, what is the definition of gang or STG in use at your facility, feel free to attach supplemental documents)

_________________________________________________________________________________________

15. Please rate the effectiveness of your drug treatment program (circle one number).

NOT 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 HIGHLY ___Not applicable

EFFECTIVE EFFECTIVE (we don’t have such a program)

16. Do you often find illicit drugs when you have a shake-down in your facility? ___Yes ___No

17. Please estimate the total number of assaults by inmates against your correctional personnel in the last twelve months. ______inmate assaults on staff

18. Were any firearms confiscated from inmates or secure areas within the last twelve months? ___Yes ___No

19. Please estimate how many edged weapons were confiscated from inmate shakedowns within the last twelve months. ________

20. How many assaults were committed with edged weapons among inmates within the last twelve months? ______

21. Are gang members generally more likely or less likely than non-gang members to attempt to threaten or intimidate witnesses in their court cases? ___More likely ___Less likely

22. How many assaults on staff were committed with weapons of any kind by inmates within the last twelve months?________

23. Have any of your staff received serious injuries from attacks or confrontations with inmates within the last twelve months? ___Yes ___No

24. Do your correctional officers receive ongoing in-service training? ___Yes ___No

IF YES, how many hours per month ____Hours

25. How many escape attempts occurred at your facility within the last twelve months? _______

26. How many incidents of fire-setting occurred within your facility during the last twelve months? ______

27. Please estimate how many incidents of illicit drug seizures occurred within your facility during the last twelve months?_____

28. How many lock-downs occurred at your facility during the last twelve months? _____

29. Has your facility confiscated any cell phones in the past year? ___Yes ___No #Seized____

30. Do you believe correctional officers who work in the jail should be trained to calm inmates’ emotional distress? ___Yes ___No

31. Which inmates are more likely to attempt suicide in your facility? ____Males ___Females

32. What is the highest risk period for jail suicide attempts?

____Intake ___Pretrial ___During trial ___Before Sentencing ____After sentencing

33. Which is the single most common method of suicide attempts in your facility’s history.

___Lacerations ___Inserting head into toilet ___Hanging/suffocation ___Chemical Poisoning

___Other self-inflicted trauma

34. A. Have you had inmates who are military-trained gang members? ___Yes ___No

B. Have you had inmates in the last year who were arrested for organized retail theft (e.g., retail theft in a group or crew, where multiple offenders “swarm” a retail store)? ___Yes ___No

If “yes”, were the persons arrested generally gang members or associate members or affiliated in someway with a gang? ___Yes ___No

35. Do Islamic inmates have a separate gang? ____Yes ____No

If yes, what is it called? _________________________________________________

36. Do your correctional officers receive tuition reimbursement for college classes? ___Yes ___No

37. In the last year, has your jail held any inmates who were associated with the Sovereign Citizen’s Movement? ___Yes ___No

38. Do you believe that gang affiliation tends to increase recidivism? ___Yes ___No

39. Are private contact visits allowed for spouses under special arrangements for deserving

inmates? ___Yes ___No

40. Are contact visits allowed for inmates in your facility? ___Yes ___No

41. What is the maximum number of visiting hours an inmate can receive on a weekly basis

in your facility? ____Hours per week

42. In what year did gang problems among inmates first become recognized in your facility? 19______ or 20______

43. Do you feel society wants to help inmates be rehabilitated? ___Yes ___No

44. In your view, could conjugal visiting be used as a reward to control gang problems in jail? ___Yes ___No

45. Is it common for gang members to be the victim of assaults from rival gang members in the jail setting?

___Yes ___No

46. If an inmate is a gang member and is assaulted by rival gang members, please estimate what percentage of the cases generally will volunteer to help jail staff with the investigation and prosecution of the assault incident? ___%

47. Does your facility have special separate housing for inmates who help jail staff with the investigation and prosecution of incidents that occur inside the jail? ___Yes ___No

If Yes, what is the name of the special housing unit:________________________________________

48. In your opinion, have inmate gangs tended to result in more improvised weapons production (e.g., shanks, etc) among inmates in your facility? ___Yes ___No

49. Do you feel we need tougher laws to control the gang problem among inmates? ___Yes ___No

50. What are the names of the top two motorcycle gangs in your jurisdiction or area?

1. _________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________

51. Do you believe your facility has enough resources and programs to control the gang problem? ___Yes ___No

52. Would your jail benefit from working with outside non-profit groups in the implementation of a gang denunciation or renunciation type of program designed to have the inmates sever ties to gang life? ___Yes ___No

54. Some correctional facilities seek to control gangs by the “set off” method. It involves “balancing the number of rival gang members” in a living unit/cellhouse/etc. In your opinion, is this an effective way to control inmate gangs? ___Yes ___No

55a. What is the total inmate population (count) for your facility as of today?_________

55b. What is your faclities’ rated capacity for inmates ____________

56. What level of security is your facility? (Check all that apply)

___Minimum security ___Medium security ___High security

57. Do inmates have access to computers or the internet to access their email? ___Yes ___No

58. Do you believe that providing tuition support for staff could help control the inmate gang problem? ___Yes ___No

59. In what year was your physical plant first constructed? ______

60. Have you ever identified any of your inmates as being a member of the MS-13 gang? ___Yes ___No

61. Does your jail have any kind of jail industry program? (A jail industry is “any activity that rewards inmates with pay, privileges, or other benefits to create a product or service having value for a public or private client”). ___Yes ___No

62. Does your facility have any full-time staff employed as ombudsmen or advocates for inmates?

___Yes ___No

63. What are the names of the top two white racist extremist gangs or groups in your area?

1. _________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________

64. Estimate what percentage of your inmate population need drug addiction counseling services. ____%

65. Would your jail benefit from working with outside non-profit groups in the implementation of a race relations type of program designed to reduce racial and ethnic conflicts among inmates in your facility? ___Yes ___No

66. Does your classification system take gang membership into account? ___Yes ___No

67. Generally, is overcrowding a problem in your facility? ___Yes ___No

68. Does your jail have a GED program for inmates? ___Yes ___No

69. What strategies does your facility use to control gangs? (check all those that apply)

___ transfers ___ Use of informers ___ Segregation ___ Isolating leaders

___ lockdown ___ prosecution ___ interrupting communications

___ case by case dealings ___ ignoring their existence ___ infiltration

___ displacing members to different facilities ___ coopting of prisoners to control gangs

___ meeting with gang leaders on “as needed” basis

___ joint meetings between various gang leaders

___ balance the number of rivals living in the same unit ___ other:___________________________________

70. How many felony crimes committed by inmates in your facility were court prosecuted during the last year? _____

71. Does your jail provide a website available to the general public to view the pictures and arrest information on inmates detained in your jail? ___Yes ___No

72. In your estimate, how many felony crimes committed by inmates in your facility COULD HAVE LEGALLY BEEN PROSECUTED UNDER STATUTE during the last year? _____

73. In your opinion, which of the following correctional goals/philosophies is most effective in reducing recidivism (Check one only): ___Punishment ___Rehabilitation

74. A. Does your jail use some version of the “postcard-only” option (in your jail, is incoming or outgoing mail to inmates limited to post-cards and not letters with envelopes)? ____Yes ____No

B. Have there been any attempts to smuggle contraband into your jail facility or complex using drones? ___Yes ___No

75. Our jail forbids methadone (and a newer addiction medication - buprenorphine) for inmates even when

legitimately prescribed, on the grounds that these drugs pose safety and security concerns. ___True ___False

76. What is the MOST INNOVATIVE way you have ever heard of for controlling gang activity in jail?

_____________________________________________________________________________

77. Do you believe that the inmate gangs have significantly affected your correctional environment? ___Yes ___No

78. What is your total inmate count as of today? ________ male inmates ______ female inmates

79. What is the age range of the inmates in your facility today. Youngest is ____years old Oldest is ____ years old

80. Have you read 1993 NGCRC gang research on American jails or other on-line reports or periodicals about gangs from the NGCRC? ___Yes ___No

81. Have you read the 2019 NGCRC gang research report on American jails? ___Yes ___No

82. Has your facility been able to make use of any of the research reports about gangs available from the National Institute of Justice? ___Yes ___No

83. Has your facility ever received the free newspaper publication from the NGCRC called “The Gang Specialist”. ___Yes ___No

84. In your opinion, what percentage of all illicit drugs are brought into your facility by inmate gang members? ____%

85. Do you believe electronic monitoring could be more cost-effective than local detention while awaiting trial? ___Yes ___No

86. A. Do you feel it would be useful to have a national program aimed at helping correctional officers deal with exposure to trauma and stress on the job? ___Yes ___No

B. Are suicide attempts by inmates a problem in your facility? ___Yes ___No

C. Are suicide attempts by correctional officers a problem in your facility? ___Yes ___No

87. Do you have inmates in your facility whose crimes involved the use of remote control drones? ___Yes ___No

88. Do you allow inmates to exchanges funds with each other? ___Yes ___No

89. Do you believe that some inmates may have voluntarily joined (sought out) or may have been recruited into a gang while incarcerated. ___Yes ___No

90. Does your facility have a “gang renouncement” or gang renunciation program or any program designed to help inmates get out of gang life? ___Yes ___No

If Yes, what is the name of the program:___________________________________

91. Have you seen an increase or decrease in the radicalization of the inmates in your facility during the last year? ___Increase ___Decrease

92. The “threshold” or density of gang inmates refers to the percentage of the inmate population who are gang members. At what percentage of the inmate population (% who are members of gangs or STGs) would you feel that a severe gang problem exists? _____%

93: What grade would you give the federal government for leadership in responding to the gang problem in America during the last year? ___A ___B ___C ___D ___F

94. In your opinion, do you expect the gang problem in jails to increase or decrease in the next few years, or do you think the problem will remain at the same level it is now?