The self-report survey data were collected from 334 males and 62 females who were incarcerated in Nevada youth correctional facilities in the summer of 1994. Youths were asked if they were an active member of a street gang before being incarcerated and, if "yes," how long they had been a member. The definition used for a "street gang" was "a social peer group that engaged in illegal activities, had a name, specific dress, and an initiation ritual." Five subscales of the Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents were used in the study, and three subscales of the Family Environment Scale were also administered to the sample. Other instruments measured emotional adjustment, life satisfaction, suicide attempts, risky behaviors, sexual or physical abuse, school involvement, and socioeconomic status. More than half (58.3 percent) of the males and nearly half (45.2 percent) of the females reported street gang affiliation. The analyses show that, even when compared to other incarcerated youths, gang members reported more drug use (males), more physical fighting and weapon use (females and males), and were more likely to be arrested for violent crimes (females). In addition, results suggest that among incarcerated male youth, gangs provide strong social and psychological support. Implications for correctional and prevention programming are discussed. 2 tables and 37 references