Gangs in Prison

Gangs in prisons. Who are they? How are they dealt with in prisons? How do you control their growth and influence? Compare and contrast two major gangs in prisons with their organizational structure, gang symbols, history, and history of violence.

When I chose this topic, I was hoping to be able to dip into my own correctional experiences. In the

Military Correctional System, there is not an overbearing gang problem, not that it doesn't exist, it is not

that prominent. We have had, and do have, our share of gang violence in the military, especially now as

more gangs try to gain military experience and training by having members join the Armed Services. It

has become more evident lately as the War on Terrorism carries on. With the sudden need for a larger

force, the military has dropped recruitment standards and has allowed some gang members to slip

through the cracks. As I did my research for this paper, I realized that the military does not have quite a

problem when compared to other correctional agencies.

We must begin by knowing what a gang is. Gangs are commonly defined by;

o Formal membership with a required initiation or rules for members

o A recognized leader or certain members whom others follow

o Common clothing (such as jackets, caps, scarves or bandannas), or group colors, symbols, tattoos, or special language

o A group name

It is kind of funny when you stop and think about the definition, it is no wonder that gangs want military

training because the military fits the bill when it comes to the definition of a gang (some believe that the

military even has the propensity for violence).

Now that we know the basic understanding of what a gang is, I will give a little history of how gangs

became so prolific in today's correctional environment.

Prison gangs are not a new phenomenon. The first known American prison gang was the Gypsy Jokers

formed in the 1950s in Washington state prisons. The first prison gang with nationwide ties was the

Mexican Mafia, which emerged in 1957 in the California Department of Corrections. Once it was

evident that gangs were in the correctional system, states such as California, Texas, Arizona, and Florida

began to track what they considered Security Threat Groups (STG). There are five original major prison

gangs known as "Traditional Prison Gangs." These prison gangs, known for their violence, formed in the

1960's and 1970's in the California corrections system and were originally formed by inmates as a means

to protect themselves from other groups and inmate predators. Most major prison gangs are also in

many other states where they have had a major impact on the state prison systems, They have also

spread throughout the Federal Bureau of Prisons where they are known as "disruptive groups." In

addition to the original prison gangs there are many other prison gangs. Some have similar names but

in most cases, have no direct connection to the original gangs other than friendly alliances. The original

five are Aryan Brotherhood, Black Guerilla Family, La Nuestra Familia, Mexican Mafia, and Texas

Syndicate.

Joining the list of of the five traditional prison gangs is a group known as the "Ñetas", which originated in

the Puerto Rico prison system and has spread to the United States. This group may be found in prison

systems (primarily, the East Coast)