A prison gang is a term to denote any type of gang related activity that occurs behind bars with inmates. Correctional Officers (or CO’s) refer to prison gangs as STG’s or Security Threat Groups. This is basically because gangs are created and stick together for their own protection and survival. Prison gangs are responsible for most of the violence that occurs in prison such as kidnapping, prostitution, assaults, and even murders. They are also responsible for any tobacco, alcohol or drug trade that occurs behind bars and can even be capable of laundering money from outside gangs.
The Aryan Brotherhood is one of the first white supremacist gangs created behind bars way back in 1964 in San Quentin Prison amongst a group of Irish men. They created what they call “The Brand” which is a symbol showing that you are a member of the brotherhood. It consists of a shamrock, a swastika, and the number 666. They have a history of extreme violence and it is believed to be because they were established late amongst the many black and Hispanic gangs already in existence; so they felt they had to make their presence known. Their ruthlessness led them to be the most heavily targeted gang in the federal prison systems in the 1990s. Most of the main members or leaders have been apprehended and moved to “super-max” control unit prisons at the state as well as the federal level, or transferred to Pelican Bay into a Security Housing Unit. Once this happened a newer white supremacists gang arrived by the name of the Nazi Lowriders. Known as the NLR, the Nazi Lowriders are affiliated with members originally from the Antelope Valley and are coincidentally known to accept light-skinned or Caucasian identified Hispanic members, which shows that the one drop rule may not be of strong belief to them. This also shows what prison gangs do in order to adapt, survive, and strengthen their numbers.
The Aryan brotherhood, as well as most other prison gangs are known to have different chapters around the United States as well. Standing among the original chapter, there is the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, which is located across the Texas prison system. There is Dead Man Incorporated, which is known as DMI. This group was found in the Maryland Correctional System and it also has branches throughout the United States. There is the Aryan Circle, which is a white supremacist group affiliated with the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas as well as the KKK. The Confederate Knights of America is a white supremacist gang in Texas also affiliated with the KKK as well as the Aryan nation. European Kindred is the name of a white supremacist gang founded in Oregon and they are affiliated with the Aryan Brotherhood and the Klu Klux Klan as well.
The reason for all of these gang creations and alliances is simple. Prison is a dangerous place and strength lies within numbers. Most members only join in a desperate attempt to survive their sentence.
What is the danger is thinking about white supremacist prison gangs as a development or an outgrowth of prison culture and not one that connects with larger white nationalist movements? What are the connection between prison gangs and say the Klan or Aryan Nation? What does that tell us about prison gangs? What shared ideology operates here
ReplyDeletePrison has been known for the gangs it contains. The segregation of inmates by their race is prevalent in almost every prison in America. The Aryan Nation is one of the well known white gangs that has ties to white nationalism. Along with other gangs that reside in prisons the Aryan Nation will invoke violence on other gangs for many reasons, most is for the protection of their race. I ask why is it race that defines these gangs? Inmates are often forced into gangs for their own protection without it life in prison would be hard.
ReplyDelete