Prison Gangs In Prison

Prison gangs are defined as criminal organizations that are formed in the penal system and operate within the prison facilities. How does prison gangs affect the correctional system you ask? Well let's break it down. Without a central ideology controlling how inmates act, it can be dangerous to be a lone prisoner. The main reason why inmates affiliate with gangs is for safety. People in prison feel vulnerable, and turning to gangs is a way to protect oneself from other inmates. Gangs control how the prison operates, so an inmate doesn't want to be left out of the system. Gangs are a source of safety in a dangerous environment and they regulate social and economic affairs, including the underground economy. Because of their activities, California

prisons have fewer chaotic and spontaneous acts of violence.
That doesn't mean there isn't violence because there obviously is, but it's thought-out and planned violence (that likely has a purpose).

While organized violence is worse than no violence at all, it's at least somewhat predictable. In terms of the economy,gangs help regulate things like cell phones, drugs, and alcohol, Skarbek said. "Prison gangs often rely on extensive written constitutions, explicit codes, elections, and complaint procedures," he said. "They require new recruits to prove their ability to operate effectively in prison, to wield violence, and to negotiate interactions with other inmates and staff." He said some of the larger gangs require lifetime commitments.
While there are obviously many negatives to prison gangs, such as the fact some require people to kill or hurt others just to prove themselves, they do help maintain at least some level of order in an overcrowded and poorly managed prison system. Overcrowding has often been associated with an increase in prison gangs and violence across the globe, and it is often because prisons are overwhelmed by managing so many people. With the gangs, you at least have solid groups to

manage.
Unfortunately, the actions and relationships found in these prison gangs often leak into the outside world. Those who join prison gangs are more likely to end up back in prison after they're released, and often carries a lot of clout on the street, and to some people, a prison gang affiliation is a stamp of approval of a person’s criminal credentials.
These affiliations between prison gangs and street gangs can be further strengthened by the inability of prisons to control contraband like drugs and cell phones. With valuable items to market and a convenient tool for communicating with the outside, the relationship can flourish. California seized over 30,000 cell phones in 2012 alone.
Staff within the correctional system also play a role in prison gangs. There are two types of staff participants that associates with the prison gangs; passive participants and active participants. As active participants they may collude with inmate gang members by providing alibis, providing opportunities for the commission of certain crimes, or taking bribes or payment for their silence or other form of assistance. As passive participants in prison gang activity they may simply "overlook" an incident or situation or neglect their duty just long enough for the gang members to do what it is that they wanted to do. In either case, prison staff are not immune to the negative influence of prison gangs. As victims of gang activity they may be threatened, harassed, extorted, physically or sexually assaulted, or murdered.
Some of the top ten most dangerous prison gangs in the United States in descending order are Neta, 415 KUMI, Dead Man Inc, Texas Syndicate, Mara Salvatrucha or better known as “MS-13,” The Black Guerrilla Family (BGF), Mexican Mafia, La Nuestra Family, also known as “The Family, and lastly Aryan Brotherhood.

Neta is the name of an Hispanic gang that was formed in the late 70s at Oso Blanco prison. In the late 80s, the gang branched out to the east coast of the United States, where they now have over 8,000 members. The gang claims that much of the work done by their faithful members involves teaching Hispanic culture and education, some of which includes experiences from inside prison, and many members claim they are strictly part of an inmate-rights group. However, this is thought of as just a front, as the gang’s main source of income is retail distribution of powder and crack cocaine, heroin, marijuana and, to a lesser extent, LSD, MDMA, methamphetamine and PCP. Neta members commit assault, auto theft, burglary, drive-by shootings, extortion, home invasion, money laundering, robbery, weapons and explosives trafficking, and witness intimidation, just to name a few. They use the facade of a cultural organization and see themselves as oppressed people who are unwilling to be governed by the United

States.
The 415 KUMI is a Black gang that originated in the San Francisco Bay area of California, in 1985. 415 represents the area code for the region, and when added together, the numbers 4+1+5 = 10. KUMI is the Swahili word for “ten.” The 415’s advocate ‘taking back the streets’ by any means necessary. KUMI 415 have been reported to use prison guards to authorize violence against fellow inmates, such as the case in August of 2003, when former correctional officer Leon Holston was charged with aiding and abetting, battery with serious bodily injury, filing a false report by a peace officer and unlawful communication with a prisoner. The gang was able to recruit a guard to help facilitate an attack on a rival member. The guard led the ill-fated inmate into an enclosed area with the 415 KUMI members waiting for him. He was severely beaten and the guard ended up being sentenced to 2 ½ years in prison.
The Dead Man Inc is a prison gang that originated as a white gang in the Maryland Department of Corrections around the late 1990s. Perry Roark, one of the original three founders, was respected by the members of the Black Guerrilla Family prison gang, but when he tried to join them he was rejected. He then went on to form his own gang, adopting the BGF basic philosophy which is anti-government and anti-authority. The Dead Man Inc quickly grew in numbers, absorbing smaller gangs along the way, and today is one of the largest gangs on the east coast. They are known for their violence against inmates and staff and will reportedly do contract murders for the Black Guerrilla Family. In their haste to grow, some of the lower level leaders allowed non-whites to join and an order was issued that all non-whites had to leave the gang by 4/13/09 or face the consequences. Initially, DMI acted as hired killers for the Black Guerrilla Family, but soon began offering those services to other gangs by targeting rivals and correctional staff. This led to entry into drug trafficking and other crimes to advance their own agendas as their size and power increased.
The Nazi Low Riders are the fastest growing gang in the California prison system. They originated in the California Youth Authority during the 1970’s at Preston School of Industry, and recently have developed a power base from within Los Angeles and Orange Counties, in Southern California. Over 1,000 NLR members have been identified in the system and, because of their propensity for violence toward staff and other inmates, there is grave concern. NLR members view themselves as a separate entity and rivals to the Aryan Brotherhood, and will do anything to be seen as more violent and superior. While the organization’s main motive appears to be criminal profit, it has been associated with a number of racist attacks, including several outside prison. The most prominent incident associated with the gang occurred on April 1996. Danny Williams and Eric Dillard, two known members of the gang, beat a black teenage boy to death with a baseball bat. In July of the same year, they attacked two more black men, stabbing one of them in the back several times.
The Texas Syndicate originated in California’s Folsom prison in the early 70s. It was established in direct response to the other California prison gangs (notably the Aryan Brotherhood and Mexican Mafia (#3)), which were attempting to prey on native Texas inmates. The Texas Syndicate has about 20,000 members in prisons and jails state-wide, with more on the outside. The Syndicate’s activities include drug trafficking, extortion, prostitution, protection, illegal gambling and contract killing. Released or paroled members who generate money for the Texas Syndicate must surrender a 10% tax (“the dime”) of all proceeds that goes towards the gang in prison.
Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, was formed in the early 1980s in Los Angeles, by Salvadoran immigrants as a self-defense mechanism against rival Mexican gangs. The organization has about 30,000 members, 8,000 – 10,000 of which exist in the US. The majority of the gang is comprised of Salvadorans, Hondurans, Guatemalans, and Nicaraguans. MS-13 is well known for drug smuggling, black market gun sales, theft, contract killing and human trafficking. Members distinguish themselves by tattoos covering the body and the face, as well as the use of their own sign language. They are notorious for their use of violence and a sub cultural moral code that predominantly consists of merciless revenge and cruel retributions. MS-13 has their largest prison populations in California and New York. A small taste of the heartless crimes performed by this gang occurred on June 22, 2008 in San Francisco, California. A 21-year old MS-13 gang member, Edwin Ramos, shot and killed a father, Anthony Bologna, 48, and his two sons Michael, 20, and Matthew, 16, after their car briefly blocked Ramos from completing a left turn down a narrow street as they were returning home from a family barbecue. Ramos was met with praise by his fellow members after being sentenced to life in prison.
The Black Guerrilla Family (BGF) was founded in 1966 by George Jackson in the San Quentin State Prison in California. The group is extremely antigovernment and anti-official. The BGF is the most “politically” oriented of the major prison gangs. It was formed as a Marxist/Maoist/Leninist revolutionary organization with stated goals to eradicate racism, struggle to maintain dignity in prison and overthrow the U.S. Government. As may have been guessed from the name, all members must be black. The BGF has a very strict death oath which requires a life pledge of loyalty to the gang and prospective members must be nominated by an existing member. The BGF members must get a tattoo using different versions of a dragon surrounding a prison tower and holding a correctional officer in its clutches. Although the BGF experienced a decline in membership and strength in the 90s, it has recently reorganized and gained substantial power and growth due to its alignment with the 415s, Crips, Bloods and Black Gangster Disciples.