U.S. Prison Gangs: A Threat to Internal Security Research Paper

A prison system is meant to be a holding place for antisocial elements so that law and order are maintained in a society. Prisons are supposed to have a deterrent effect on society to prevent other ‘would–be’ criminals from committing offenses. However, the facts on the ground belie these beliefs. Today, the American ‘Correctional’ system has the largest population of prisoners in the world. According to the U.S. Department of Justice statistics, as of 30 June 2007,” 2,299,116 prisoners were held in federal or state prisons or local jails” (Bureau Of Justice Statistics para 1). Amidst, the operational and administrative challenges, prison officials also have to find countermeasures against the growing menace of prison gangs. Prison gangs inside U.S. prisons have always existed in varying degrees of sophistication. Today, however, the nature and range of activities of prison gangs have extended beyond the normal ‘law and order’ offenses and are a direct threat to the internal security of the United States. This essay aims to cover the reasons for the metamorphosis of prison gangs into more virulent strains and suggest a few recommendations to counter the problem.

The Reasons Why Prison Gangs Exists

A prison society has its unique dynamics. Within a prison, the societal prejudices based on ethnicity, race, and class get more accentuated on account of greater proximity, lesser ‘space’, and of course clubbing together of mostly the more violent sections of a society in a restricted area. Belonging to a gang gives more security to the weaker inmates who take refuge in the ‘safety of numbers’. This defensive action is necessitated out of the fact that the number of prison officials is too less and the means to carry out foolproof surveillance of the prison premises, too limited to afford protection to the weaker prisoners. Belonging to a prison gang also gives the members a sense of identity, purpose, and self-esteem. Fleisher believes that “The proximal cause of prison gangs stands outside the prison in the economic neglect of inner cities” (5). Thus a prison gang member also builds his own ‘social security as gang members look after themselves inside the prison and their family members on the outside. Money is a prime mover for the sustenance of prison gangs. Inside the prison, it is the survival of the group which defines its activities. Outside the prison, the continuation of gang activities such as drug trafficking, armed robbery, control of prostitution, extortion, and other ‘law and order’ related crimes form the core reason for the existence of prison gangs. Prison gangs are also created because the sheer numbers of convicts far exceed the prison capacities in the U.S. According to (Cilluffo 4), the U.S. prison ”facilities (are) hugely overcrowded – operating at 200% capacity” leading to tremendous administrative and logistical problems for the prison officials. Of late, religion has become yet another identifier for prison gangs to crystallize in U.S. prisons.

Some Well Known Prison Gangs

“The Gypsy Jokers were the first known American prison gang formed in the 1950s in Washington state prisons” (Fleisher 2). The Black Guerrilla Family was essentially a black group formed in the San Quentin State prison in California in 1966. Their primary source of money came from drug trafficking and they have a tacit working relationship with the larger, more violent, and better organized Mexican prison gang such as the Nuestra Familia. Some prison gangs are trans-regional such as the Neta which has its origins in Puerto Rico. According to the Centre for Drug intelligence Centre publication, “In the United States, Ñeta chapters exist both inside and outside prisons in 36 cities in nine states, primarily in the northeastern region” (4). The Aryan Brotherhood is another infamous prison gang specializing in narcotics and contract killings. Mexican ethnicity-based prison gangs such as the Bario Azteca, Hermanos de Pistoleros Latinos, The Mexikanemi, Latin Kings, Mexican Mafia, and the Texas Syndicate are some of the most violent gangs straddling Southern U.S. with a reach extending to almost over the entire country. Amongst the white supremacist gangs, Nazi Low Riders and Public Enemy Number One are the most prominent ones. The migration of Hispanic street gangs into the prisons has created prison gangs who “unite under the name Sureños or Norteños” (Narcotics Digest Weekly 9).

Structure of Prison Gangs

Prison gangs have a well-organized hierarchical structure. In some forms, it resembles the hierarchical structure of a paramilitary force. They have a strict code of conduct and follow rules and regulations that give them their identity as also the tools for ‘administering’ gang activities. As a paramilitary force, prison gangs use identifying symbols such as tattoos to substitute for badges, special haircuts, and specific clothing which approximates a uniform. In some gangs, membership is decided by the policy of “blood in, blood out,” which means “Someone has to kill to become a member; someone has to be killed to “leave” the gang” (Gaes et. al 5). Gangs usually have a central leadership and a committee that form the core group. They also have a peripheral group who do lesser specialized jobs. The core group members are the most hardened and dedicated lot who are difficult to ‘turn’ and thus constitute a grave risk to society if left loose.

Radicalization of Prison Gangs

Prisons have always been a fertile ground for radical theories and ideas to emerge. Hitler wrote his Mein Kamp while in prison. “The spiritual philosopher of Al Qaeda, Sayyid Qutb, wrote the radical Islamist manifesto Ma’alim fi al-Tariq (Milestones Along the Road) while in an Egyptian prison” (Cilluffo 2). “Over the past 30 years, Islam has become a powerful force in the U.S. prison system, with some estimates that up to 20% of the inmate population is now Muslim” (Sahm 2). The recent trend in the rising of Islamic radicalization in the U.S. prison systems is, in most parts, a fallout of American Foreign policy with its involvement in Iraq, Afghanistan, and its overwhelming support for the Israelis. Prisons are excellent recruiting grounds for Islamic leaders because the close environs make it possible for those incarcerated to preach a selective virulent brand of Islam. Since the prospective converts have no real grounding in Islamic theology, they take the words of the Islamist leaders to be gospel truth. The ‘Shoe Bomber’, Richard Reid was reportedly inspired and radicalized in prison to carry out his failed attempt to blow up an aircraft in midair. It is not that the only radical groups are Islamic, there are many white supremacist prison gangs also. These white supremacist prison gangs may at some point in time, become the counterpoint for the shadowy Islamic prison gangs emerging in America’s prison system.

Why Prison Gangs Must Be Curtailed

Prison gangs have spread their tentacles in every aspect of human endeavor. The twin menace of prison gangs and street gangs account for most violent crimes across the U.S. Prison gangs violate the very principles of establishing ‘correctional’ facilities as the rule of the law within the four walls of prison only extends by ‘Time’ and Space’ when the prison staff are around but revert to gang control at other times. In some notable cases, prison gangs become strong enough to intimidate the outnumbered prison staff which may lead to the ‘de facto’ control of the prison resting in the hands of the dominant prison gang. Prison gangs have been known to conduct their business safely ensconced within the prison with the connivance of some unscrupulous prison officials. Prison gangs should never be allowed to become strong and entrenched as later on, they become difficult to eradicate and cost a lot of money in investigations. A typical example was the $5 million, three-year investigation into the workings of the Nuestra Familia, a Californian-based prison gang by the FBI in 1998. “It was and remains the most expensive investigation into a U.S. prison gang” (Trulson, Marquart & Kawucha 1). Since most prison gangs are built along ethnicity and race lines, the reverberations on the larger society are inevitable as ‘blood feuds are fought in the neighborhoods with tragic results. If allowed to grow unchecked, prison gangs can destroy the social fabric of American society. Some of the street gangs have also infiltrated the US Armed Forces. The National Gang Intelligence Centre reports that “members of nearly every major street gang have been identified on both domestic and international military installations” (3). Radicalized gangs by far are the most dangerous. The origins of many terrorists arise out of their radicalization during time spent in prison. Radicalized prison gangs can pass their ideologies because available technology makes communication across prisons and regions easy. Thus America may find itself faced with an Al Qaeda stronghold in mainland United States entrenched in its Prison system.

The Way Ahead

Dealing with the growth of prison gangs will require a comprehensive review of the local, state, and federal system of the prison administration. Suppression of the inmates through violence or callousness will not help as the following incidence reveals; “a member of the NETA Association … was assaulted by an officer and then four other officers joined in the beating. Two Latin Kings saw this and they lit their bed mattresses on fire … These fires started the biggest protest ever ” (Kerness 3). Suppression only helps different prison gangs to unite and make the problem of handling them or disbanding them more intractable. Also, the more the authorities use suppression techniques, the more accentuated becomes the belief of ‘Us and Them’ between the gang members and the law enforcement staff. Some structural changes to the way prisons are built require to be examined. For example, cell blocks should not be built to house more than 50 inmates at a time. Smaller numbers translate into better control. This of course has to be weighed with the costs of building numerous cell blocks. Modern correctional facilities are already being constructed on these lines.

The root cause of prison gangs to flourish, as has been repeatedly pointed out by many law enforcement experts, is the poverty, joblessness, and social conditions that prevail in the inner cities. To root out the very essence of prison gangs, local, state, and federal administrations have to look at ways and means for providing more inclusive growth to the inner cities. Even hardened criminals have a soft corner for their families and they too yearn to see their siblings do well. The truly twisted psychological wrecks are far fewer than it is believed to be. Therefore, community programs must aim to provide jobs and opportunities to the family members as also the gang members once they do their ‘time’ in prison. Thus ‘affirmative action’ does not stop at just ‘Black Civil Rights’ but must also extend to the netherworld of prison gangs. To prevent the radicalization of prison gangs, prison officials need to enroll many more preachers and religious teachers of all denominations to teach the correct interpretation of the respective scriptures rather than just a narrow exclusivist interpretation followed by some orthodox sects. The real battle lies in winning the hearts and minds of the gang members. Success stories of those ex-gang members who have been reconciled into the mainstream society need to be broadcast more openly to wean away from other gang members away from a life of crime. For those gang members rehabilitated under the ‘Witness Protection Program’, such propaganda should be done intelligently. While the measures described above are larger policy-related issues, the tactical battle against the rise of prison gangs, especially the radicalized gangs must not be lost sight of. Greater interagency cooperation and coordination would be required to deal with this menace. The infamous interagency ‘Turf Wars’ must be discouraged vigorously. The full range of measures allowed under the ‘Patriot act’ and measures for Homeland Security must be brought to bear albeit, with strict adherence to legal procedures. The bottom line here is that internal security takes priority within the set parameters of the law and that freedom and liberties ordained by the constitution must at the same time, be upheld to the extent possible. Prisons, because of their unique conditions will always have prison gangs. The challenge would be to find a viable path for curtailing the growth of prison gangs, managing the existing structures, and eradicating radicalization, which is more a function of the battle for the ’Mind Space’.

Works Cited

1. Bureau of Justice. 2008.” Prison Statistics”.
2. Centre, National Drug Intelligence. 2005. “Gangs in the United States.”
3. Narcotics Digest Weekly Vol. 4 No.40. 2008.
4. Centre, National Gang Intelligence. 2007. “Gang-Related Activity in the US Armed Forces Increasing.”
5. Cilluffo, Frank J. 2006.” Prison Radicalization: Are Terrorist Cells Forming in U.S. Cell Blocks?” Web.
6. Fleisher, Mark S. Societal and Correctional Context of Prison Gangs. 2008.
7. Gaes, Gerald G., Wallace, Susan, Gilman, Evan, Klein-Saffran, Jody and Suppa, Sharon. 2001.”The Influence of Prison Gang Affiliation on Violence and Other Prison Misconduct.”
8. Kerness, Bonnie. 2000. “Criminal Justice program.” American Friends Service Committee.
9. Sahm, Charles. “Analysis: Militant Islam in U.S. Prison System.” The Center for Policing errorism. 2008.
10. Trulson, Chad R. Marquart, James W. and Kawucha, Soraya K. 2006.
11. “Institutional Control.” 2008