White Prison Gangs: Origins, Structure, and Operations

Introduction

Criminal behavior surrounds us every day. There are those who are affected directly and those who are affected indirectly. This makes controlling and, ideally, stopping crime a shared societal responsibility. Understanding the sources of criminal behavior is therefore an immediate necessity, even if it cannot guarantee the elimination of crime. Scholars and policymakers have attributed criminal behavior to a range of factors, including poverty, lack of education, systemic governance failures, and even race.

The problem of gangs in general has common causative and propagating factors. The Economist (2003) identifies a major connection between drugs and the existence of gangs across the United States, Jamaica, Brazil, and other parts of the world. The challenge posed by gangs is not restricted to drug trafficking alone; it extends to robbery, bombings, and murder, making cities like Rio de Janeiro among the most violent in the world.

The Economist further attributes the problem of gangs to lack of education combined with poverty, and argues that little progress can be made against gang activity without genuine political will. The gravity of the situation becomes clear when one considers that approximately 70% of murders in Rio de Janeiro are gang- and drug-related.

The problem of gangs behind bars is not a new phenomenon. Gangs that exist in cities, towns, and streets find their way into prisons once their members are arrested and incarcerated. There are numerous white prison gangs across the United States, each with its own approach to operations, but with a common underlying goal: the pursuit of influence and drug money. Though some gangs claim religious or racial ideological motivations, their shared characteristic with purely criminal gangs is the drive to control territory and resources.

Origins of White Prison Gangs

Of particular interest here are white prison gangs — how they operate, how they are organized, and what is known about their history and activities. According to Derek Dufresne (2010), white prison gangs actually originated from within prison walls rather than migrating inward from the streets. Their primary and original aim was self-protection: to guard members against other inmates who might harm them, particularly when correctional authorities were not present.

These gangs are known to date back to at least the 1950s, and since that time they have evolved significantly in terms of operations, structure, recruitment, and the range of activities they engage in. Most have distinctive names and symbols used for identification, and many have defined geographic jurisdictions within which they operate.

White prison gangs have historically been in constant competition with other prison gangs, including Black and Hispanic gangs. This competition is seen as essential to their survival and to the achievement of their aims. To sustain themselves financially, these gangs have also developed money-generating activities, which are discussed further below.

Some of the most well-known white prison gangs include Dead Man Inc. (DMI), which traces its origins to the Maryland Department of Corrections in the 1990s; the Nazi Low Riders (NLR), which originated from the California Youth Authority in the 1970s, particularly at the Preston School of Industry; the Texas Syndicate (TS), which originated at California's Folsom Prison in the early 1970s and has since grown to approximately 20,000 members; and the Aryan Brotherhood (AB), a white supremacist group that traces its origins to San Quentin State Prison in 1967. These are among the most prominent white prison gangs, and most have extended their activities well beyond prison walls.

Command Structure

Having evolved over decades, white prison gangs have developed comprehensive organizational structures through which they function both inside and outside prisons. Membership is theoretically voluntary, but the pressures of long-term confinement and threats from rival inmates often compel individuals to join a gang even against their wishes. These gangs operate through well-structured, quasi-military systems featuring clearly defined ranking hierarchies and disciplinary codes that in some cases rival or even exceed the strictness of military systems. Higher ranks carry greater responsibilities, and promotion depends on loyalty to the gang, demonstrated power, and acts of violence against rival gang members.

Though the specific command structures vary somewhat from gang to gang, they generally follow the same overall model. The Aryan Brotherhood provides a useful illustration of how white prison gangs are typically organized.

Within the Aryan Brotherhood, an elected president leads the gang, with branches run by senior members. Below these leaders are other officers in a descending hierarchy: majors, followed by captains or district captains, and then lower-ranking members. At the very top is the Upper Board, comprising the president, vice president, and administrative chairman. Beneath the Upper Board is the Middle Board, which includes the full Upper Board along with branch directors. It is at these two board levels that the gang's rules, regulations, and punishments for disloyal members are established (Anti-Defamation League, 2009).

Because these gangs operate in the outside world as well, they also maintain an external organizational structure. Regions are divided into districts, each headed by a captain who may be assigned specific tasks such as carrying out violent attacks on rival gangs or executing hired killing orders from higher-ranking members. Captains report to Majors, who oversee multiple districts within a given region. It is at these external branches that the gang's finances and financial records are managed and maintained, which has increased the importance of street-level operations and accelerated the recruitment of younger members from outside prison (Anti-Defamation League, 2009).

Some of the most prominent figures associated with white prison gangs include Barry Mills (known as "the Baron"), Tyler Davis Bingham (known as "Hulk"), and Hedger Hevle (known as "the Snail"), all of the Aryan Brotherhood (Charles Montaldo, 2012). Other notable figures include Perry Roark of Dead Man Inc., Ty Fowles of the Nazi Low Riders, and Arredondo of the Texas Syndicate.

References

Anti-Defamation League. (2009). The Aryan Circle: Crime in the name of hate. Retrieved May 13, 2012, from

Montaldo, C. (2012). The Aryan Brotherhood: Profile of one of the most notorious prison gangs. Retrieved May 13, 2012, from

Dufresne, D. (2010). Top 10 U.S. prison gangs. Retrieved May 13, 2012, from http://listverse.com/2010/12/11/top-10-us-prison-gangs/

Contreras, G. (2011). 18 now facing charges in Texas Syndicate case. Retrieved May 13, 2012, from http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/18-now-facing-charges-in-Texas-Syndicate-case-2389004.php

Greene, J., & Pranis, K. (2007). Gang wars: The failure of enforcement tactics and the need for effective public safety strategies. Justice Policy Institute. Retrieved May 13, 2012, from

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The Economist. (2003, July 10). Crime in Brazil: What ails Rio de Janeiro? Retrieved May 13, 2012, from http://www.economist.com/node/1768688

The FBI. (2011). 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment — Emerging trends. Retrieved May 19, 2012, from