Gangs within the System

Prison is a system that was made to make inmates better. Since the start of prisons, gangs have become a big part. Gangs fight in order to dominate and run everything. It is a constant battle between them. Who you are affiliated with says a lot. Gangs in prison are more than just a group of men killing each other , It is more family oriented . Prison gangs were originally formed by inmates as a means to protect themselves from other inmates. Throughout the years, prison gangs have evolved from a group that provides protection to its members, to criminal entities involved in prostitution, assaults, drugs and murder. Prison gangs continue to thrive because prosecuting them has, historically, been difficult due to the fact that many members are already serving life sentences with no possibility of parole. Most inmates use gangs as protection because once you go to prison your “Out of Bars” life is gone so you do not have anyone to protect you. This is why people join gangs in prison for the protection. When you first get into jail you are technically a “Newbe” because no one knows who you are or what you are capable. This creates the idea of “Moving Up the Ladder” this is when you create a resume of doing things such as killing selling and earning respect to become of high statue. Inmates have to put in “work” to move up. When they first arrive, the inmate has to gain respect from everyone else. In the documentary you see Bulldog talks about how he became one of the leaders of the Aryan Brotherhood also known as the Ab is a white supremacist group that was formed in 1967, at San Quentin prison in California. Bulldog discusses gaining respect. He said it takes a lifetime to gain respect but only takes ten seconds to lose it. They currently have approximately 15,000 members, in and out of prison. Initially formed for the protection of