Scott H. Decker

I am a criminologist who studies offenders and the response to them. This has taken me from in-depth studies of residential burglars, armed robbers, drug smugglers and gang members to work on groups involved in crime. Gangs have been my primary focus; I have interviewed more than 1,000 gang members in at least eight different countries. These interviews have been conducted in jails, prison, city parks, cars, treatment centers and on the street. One of my most interesting experiences was interviewing 32 of the highest level drug smugglers in US prisons. On average, these individuals were caught with more than 800 pounds of cocaine.

Competing for Control: Gangs and the Social Order of Prisons is my latest book. Co-authored with David Pyrooz the book is based on interviews with 802 inmates while in prison, one month after their release and nine months after their release. The book challenges many of the traditional views of prison gangs and gang members, and their transition from prison to the street.