prison gangs in California.

There are a number of prison gangs in California. They include the Mexican Mafia, Nuestra Familia, Aryan Brotherhood, The Black Guerilla Family and others. The United States department of justice stated “Prison gang consists of a select group on inmates who have an organized hierarchy and who are governed by an establish code of conduct. Prison gangs vary in both organization and composition, from highly structured gangs such as the Aryan Brotherhood and Nuestra Familia to gangs with a less formalized structure such as the Mexican Mafia….Prison gangs pose a threat because of their role in transpiration and distribution of narcotics.” Inmates join prison gangs for protection, to survive in the system and to have access to drugs. Inmates that do not want to be involved in prison gangs are referred to drop-outs. They include ex-law enforcement, child molesters and ex-gang members.

The first prison gang to be established is the Mexican Mafia also known as La Eme. La Eme is a Spanish word meaning the M. The Mexican Mafia formed in the late 1950’s in Deuel Vocational Institution in Tracy, California. During this time white inmates had control of the prison which led to Mexican-Americans inmates from East Los Angeles organize themselves. This gang is composed of Mexican Americans whose philosophy is to have control of drug trafficking. Their color of choice is blue and the number thirteen. The Mexican Mafia is identified with tattoos such as the Black Hand, the Mexican eagle with the snake and the words Eme. The Mexican Mafia associates with Border Brothers, Aryan Brotherhoods and Mexikanemi. Their rivals are the Nuestra Familia and the Black Guerilla Family.

Nuestra Familia was formed in 1968 in Folsom State prison. Besides the Mexican Mafia, Nuestra Familia is one of the most known Hispanic prison gangs. Nuestra Familia consists primarily of Mexican-American males who formerly belonged to street gangs in Central and Northern California. Walkers states “The La Nuestra Familia prison gang was established to protect younger, rural, Mexican-American inmates from other predator gangs, most notably urban, Mexican-American inmates from the Los Angeles area who belonged to the Mexican Mafia.” Members are Hispanic and are required to do a blood in blood out oath. They associate with Black Guerilla Family and the Northern structure. Their rivals are Texas Syndicate, Mexican Mafia and Aryan Brotherhoods. Nuestra Familia identify themselves with the color red and tattoos with the words NF and a sombrero with a dagger. The Mexican Mafia and Nuestra Familia are both Hispanic prison gangs but rivals.
Even tough these gangs members are locked up they still have connections with the outside world. They still continue to commit crimes inside of prison and continues when release. Recently thirty one members of the Mexican Mafia pleaded guilty to drugs and weapons near the Mexican border. The gang members have been sentenced to more than 200 hundreds years. Patrick Ponce the cell leader pleads guilty to extortion, kidnapping and other charges. (CBS, 2010)