Gangs in Prison

Although gangs differ in many ways, there must be a chain of command to ensure that each member knows his place within the gang culture (hegemonic masculinity). Statuses and roles are very important in the gang society. A gang members status determines the role that person plays in the gang. They teach the younger gang members how to handle themselves in a variety of situations (i.e. in fights, during drug deals, with police, the courts, while in jail or prison, how to commit certain crimes).

Prisoners usually join gangs that represent their ethnic or racial background. Hispanics inmates can join the Mexican Mafia (EME), La Nuestra Familia (NF), or the Texas Syndicate (TS). Some African Americans join The Black Guerrilla Family (BGF) while others have formed smaller clusters of Crips or Bloods, which are referred to by California Department of Corrections (CDC) officials as “disruptive groups”. The Aryan Brotherhood (AB), consist of only white members.

Most prison gang members are expected to remain members for life by utilizing the phrase “blood in blood out”. To keep informants or undercover agents from penetrating the group, generally prospective members must murder or seriously assault someone in the prison. This process removes all doubt from the leadership that this individual is loyal and on the up and up.  Even if released from prison they are expected to remain loyal to the incarcerated members by providing support to them by whatever means, usually through the proceeds for drugs sales and other/or other street crimes. “The penalty for quitting the gang is death; in other words "Blood out.