The Pros And Cons Of Prison Gangs

Violent gangs for years have established their power inside the United States federal and state prison systems, and have developed into organized crime syndicates who control rackets inside and outside of prisons. These gangs pose a major threat to the prison system and have become a difficult task to control or disassemble. Gangs across the United States represent different things but each are just as dangerous as the next. In most prisons it is easy to recognize which gang an inmate is associated with by the symbols they wear or have tattooed on them but often gangs have become more careful not sure put a spotlight on themselves.

In the Bureau of Prisons joining a gang is not a condition within the prisons, but still a lot of inmates take advantage of the benefits a prison gang offers. Gangs have evolved in the Prison system for a number of reasons but the most common would be for protection and control (Valdez). Many inmates have a desire to be respected by other inmates and some inmates join gangs just to be part of something and feel like they are in a higher authority position. Inmates that join a prison gang may think that there are benefits to joining a gang. For them, …show more content…
Black Guerilla Family was founded in the San Quentin State Prison, in California in 1966, by a former Black Panther member George L. Jackson. Black Guerilla Family is known as the most politically oriented of the major prison gangs (Gangs). Black Guerilla Family’s goals are to eliminate racism, maintain dignity in prison, and to overthrow the Unites States Government (Gang). In August of 1970, a large group of BGF members tried to free their founder from a courthouse when a gun fight broke out which resulted in the judge, a bailiff and a BGF member were shot and killed (Black). Their rivals were Aryan Brotherhood, Texas Syndicate, Aryan Brotherhood of Texas and Mexican Mafia