Extant literature suggests gang affiliates are at higher risk of a number of deleterious consequences compared to nongang affiliates, including recidivism following release from institutionalization. Although insightful, little is known as to when gang affiliates are at higher risk of recidivism postincarceration compared to their nongang counterparts. This research explores the effect of gang affiliation on recidivism by examining the time to rearrest for a cohort of 2,436 state incarcerated delinquents 5 years following their release from incarceration. Utilizing event history analysis, results indicate that gang affiliates are at a significantly higher risk of recidivism within 6 months postrelease, but risk ratios converged with nongang affiliates shortly thereafter. Implications for research and practice are explored.
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