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Journal Article 1: Ricciardelli, R., & Sit, V. (2016). Producing social (dis)order in prison. The effects of administrative controls on prisoner-on-prisoner violence. The Prison Journal, 96, 210–231.

Abstract: Institutional security level is one of the most consistent predictors of aggregate-levels of violence in prisons. Informed by administrative control theory, this study explores the impact of two types of social order administrative controls on prisoner-on-prisoner violence. Grounded theory was used to analyze in-depth semi-structured interviews with former Canadian male prisoners. From the participants’ perspectives, the reliance on formal, coercive mechanisms in higher security prisons decreased feelings of safety and led to increased violence, while the informal, remunerative mechanisms used in lower security prisons deterred aggression and encouraged desirable behaviors. Implications for prison management and administrative decisions are discussed.

Journal Article 2: Narag, R. E., & Lee, S. (2018). Putting out fires: Understanding the developmental nature and roles of inmate gangs in the Philippine overcrowded jails. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 62, 3509–3535.

Abstract: Utilizing intensive interview data from inmates in one of the most overcrowded and underresourced jails in Metro Manila, Philippines, this article explores the origins and roles of inmate pangkats (a derivative of gangs) in jail management. Responding to institutional deficiencies, such as police misconduct and court case delays, and structural shortages, such as lack of space, operational resources, and personnel, this article investigates how the pangkats supplement jail management and help keep the jail operations afloat. Specifically, this article documents how the pangkats put out fires: their intricate roles in mitigating pains of imprisonment, conflict mediation, order maintenance, and instilling discipline among their members. This article also details the emergence of a give-and-take relationship that develops between and among the pangkats and jail officials that are reflective of the Philippine sociocultural realities. Implications to theory on prison community and policy on gang management in a developing country context are discussed.