Violence, Gangs, and the Making of Men: Masculinity, Surrogate Family, and Identity in the Aftermath of a Prison Riot

Prison riots represent extreme institutional breakdowns with underexplored gendered dimensions. Drawing on interviews with 24 men incarcerated after the deadliest U.S. riot in 25 years, this study examines how masculinity and gang affiliation shaped violence and identity. Riots amplified hypermasculine imperatives—strength, loyalty, readiness for force—while destabilizing them. Gangs operated as ambivalent formations: engines of violence yet surrogate families offering belonging and moral guidance amid institutional neglect. The aftermath opened space for alternative masculinities rooted in care and restraint, echoing disaster research where crises fracture dominant masculine roles. These dynamics challenge monolithic portrayals of prison masculinity and underscore the need for theory and policy that treat masculinity as a central organizing principle shaping harm and transformation.