![Sample our Law journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5942/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Law.jpg"})
Abstract
Opportunities for gambling in mainstream North American society have increased greatly over the past two decades. Despite the popularity of legalized gambling and attention it is receiving among social science researchers and economists, gambling within jails and prisons has been overlooked. This study utilized a semistructured interviewing procedure (CitationSmith, 1995) to gain information about prison gambling from 11 sexual offenders on parole—all had spent significant time incarcerated. Qualitative analyses of responses suggest that offenders may gamble in various forms and for a variety of reasons, including a means of alleviating boredom, providing excitement and risk, and an opportunity to socialize. Prison gambling appears to be a complex phenomenon. A substantial amount of prison gambling seems to be associated with certain psychosocial benefits, while for a minority of cases there may be severe violence and victimization.
The authors would like to thank the Alberta Gaming Research Institute, which funded this project via a research grant. The authors also acknowledge the Northern Utah Community Correctional Center / Day Reporting Center in Ogden, Utah, and the Center for Family Development in Salt Lake City, Utah, for providing assistance with data collection.
Notes
The authors would like to thank the Alberta Gaming Research Institute, which funded this project via a research grant. The authors also acknowledge the Northern Utah Community Correctional Center / Day Reporting Center in Ogden, Utah, and the Center for Family Development in Salt Lake City, Utah, for providing assistance with data collection.