Cliqued Up

• Author: Darin R. Haerle,Matt DeLisi,Chad R. Trulson,Jonathan W. Caudill
• DOI: 10.1177/0734016811434531
• Published date: 01 June 2012
• Date: 01 June 2012
• Subject Matter: Articles

Cliqued Up: The

Postincarceration Recidivism

of Young Gang-Related

Homicide Offenders

Chad R. Trulson

1

, Jonathan W. Caudill

2

,

Darin R. Haerle

3

, and Matt DeLisi

4

Abstract

This study examines the interrelationshipbetween gang affiliation and commitment for a gang-related

homicide on the postincarceration recidivism of a sample of 1,804 serious and violent delinquents

released from a largesouthern juvenile correctional system. Controlling fora battery of preincarcera-

tion youth characteristics, delinquent background, and social history measures,this research revealed

that gang murderers—gang-affiliated offenders committed for a gang-related homicide—were more

likely to experience any rearrest and any felony rearrest postrelease than those not considered gang

murderers. General homicide offenders without gang affiliations were also more likely to experience

felony rearrest postrelease. Being considered a gang murderer or a general homicide offender, how-

ever, was not related to the frequencyof postrelease rearrests. Analyses also revealedconsistent sup-

port for the effect of gang affiliation on all measures of postrelease recidivism, regardless of

incarceration offense. Implications for research and practice are explored.

Keywords

recidivism, juvenile corrections, violent behavior, gang affiliation, juvenile justice

Introduction

There is a widespread empirical recognition that gang affiliation matters in a number of contexts.

1

Gang affiliation negatively impacts family and community relations (see, generally, Kakar, 1998;

Maxson, Hennigan, & Sloane, 2005), academic performance (Dishion, Veronneau, & Myers,

2010), and promotes various forms of conflict and violence, delinquency, and later-life criminality

1

Department of Criminal Justice, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA

2

Department of Political Science, California State University, Chico, CA, USA

3

Department of Criminology, Law and Society, School of Social Ecology, University of California–Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA

4

Criminal Justice Studies Affiliate, Center for the Study of Violence, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA

Corresponding Author:

Chad R. Trulson, Department of Criminal Justice, University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle #305130, Denton, TX

76203, USA

Email: ctrulson@unt.edu

Criminal Justice Review

37(2) 174-190

ª2012 Georgia State University

Reprints and permission:

sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav

DOI: 10.1177/0734016811434531

http://cjr.sagepub.com

(Bjerregaard, 2002; Blackburn, Mullings, Marquart, & Trulson, 2007; Corcoran, Washington, &

Meyers, 2005; Decker, 2000; Kakar, 2005; Rosenfeld, Bray, & Egley, 1999; Thornberry, Krohn,

Lizotte, & Chard-Wierschem, 1993). A burgeoning body of empirical research has also revealed that

gang affiliation increases one’s risk of being the victim of violent crime (DeLisi, Barnes, Beaver, &

Gibson, 2009; Peterson, Taylor, & Esbensen, 2004; Taylor, Freng, Esbensen, & Peterson, 2008;

Taylor, Peterson, Esbensen, & Freng, 2007).

Beyond these deleterious effects, research has also examined the impact of gang affiliation on

juvenile behavior following entry into the juvenile justice system. With few and isolated exceptions,

gang affiliation has been associated with an increased risk of recidivism, particularly for youthful

offenders who have been released from state juvenile incarceration (Archwamety & Katsiyannis,

1998; Benda, Corwyn, & Toombs, 2001a, 2001b; Benda & Tollett, 1999; Caudill, 2010; Huebner,

Varano, & Bynum, 2007; Lattimore, MacDonald, Piquero, Linster, & Visher, 2004; Tollett &

Benda, 1999; Trulson, DeLisi, & Marquart, 2011; Trulson, Marquart, Mullings, & Caeti, 2005).

Research has also revealed that gang affiliation is a significant determinant of institutional miscon-

duct during periods of juvenile institutionalization (Blackburn & Trulson, 2010; MacDonald, 1999;

Trulson, 2007; Trulson, DeLisi, Caudill, Belshaw, & Marquart, 2010).

2

As a collateral consequence,

institutional misconduct behavior among state-committed delinquents has also been identified as a

significant risk factor for postrelease recidivism (see, e.g., Lattimore et al., 2004; Trulson et al.,

2005, 2011).

Previous research on youthful offender populations has clearly demonstrated the negative and

far-reaching consequences of gang affiliation across a number of pre-, during, and post-juvenile jus-

tice system contexts. This is particularly true of the consequences of gang affiliation on recidivism.

Despite this growing body of evidence, however, few research efforts have specifically investigated

the interrelationships between gang affiliation, serious gang-related offending, and postincarceration

recidivism.

The current study seeks to fill some of the void in previous research by exploring the postincar-

ceration recidivism outcomes of a large sample of serious and violent delinquent offenders incarcer-

ated in state juvenile correctional facilities by way of a unique blended sentencing scheme. Despite

the serious and violent offenses of the sample generally, the primary focus of this study is specific to

gang-affiliated delinquents committed to state juvenile incarceration for a gang-related homicide.

This focus is justified not only because of the consistent negative effects of gang affiliation uncov-

ered in previous research but also in that these offenders represent perhaps the most serious and vio-

lent delinquent offenders handled by the juvenile justice system. In sum, one goal of this research is

to examine the potential aggravating effect of gang affiliation on recidivism among a group of

already serious and violent offenders.

Uncovering the factors related to recidivism among serious and violent incarcerated delinquents,

with a focus on gang-related homicide offenders, has a number of important implications. The impli-

cations of this research are particularly relevant for state juvenile justice authorities who are increas-

ingly being charged under state-blended sentencing schemes to make decisions or recommendations

on whether to release or retain the most serious and violent delinquent offenders—offenders whom

prior to blended sentencing would have likely been removed from juvenile justice jurisdiction

altogether. This research, for example, has the potential to provide important practical information

related to the factors to consider surrounding release decisions of such serious and violent

delinquents. In specific, this research can shed light on whether the interrelationship of gang affilia-

tion and gang-related offending is an offending characteristic that merits increased attention during

such evaluation and release processes.

The current research also has the potential to inform about areas of intervention during periods of

institutionalization to improve the success chances of such risky delinquents following their release.

The last seems particularly relevant since the release of serious and violent offenders from state

Trulson et al. 175