The History of the Mexican Mafia vs. Nuestra Familia; A Shoe War & 45 Years of Senseless Violence & Hate

It seems hard to believe that the theft of a pair of shoes could literally lead to the loss of hundreds of lives and tens of thousands more lives being wasted while locked up, but it is true. In 1968, there were a series of violent incidents that took place at San Quentin Prison, which ignited a brewing distrust and hate of Mexican Mafia (EME) members mainly from Southern California. The rivals were Nuestra Familia (Mexicana) affiliated inmates from Northern California, with some supporters and leadership from the southern portion of the state, who rebelled against La EME.

 

Many gang members that presently claim SUR13/Sureño or Norte14/Norteño have little idea why they hate each other. The feud is kind of like the Hatfields and McCoys who fought for so long that they forgot the original reason why they started fighting in the first place. Like those American folklore families who battled years ago over relatively trivial matters until both sides were almost decimated, Hispanic street gang members today will attack and dehumanize the other side so they won't feel guilty when killing or maiming people who they have much in common with. It is much like a sad self-hating, self-genocide, tearing communities and families apart. Miserable in their own conditions, they lash out at those nearest to them instead of analyzing what they are doing to themselves or improving their plight and seeking a better future for their children. Somehow, the justification for their actions comes from a twisted thinking that by harming their own "Raza" they will come out as ultimate victors in a senseless war. But, in realty, it is a lose-lose game of tit for tat.

 

To understand how gangsters could ever come to such a state of mind, blog readers may want to check out two separate books just released by Gang Prevention Services; "The History of the Mexican Mafia"; and "The History of Nuestra Familia" now available on-line at the following links:

 

https://www.createspace.com/4440782

https://www.createspace.com/4440867

These books not only tell the story of how each group evolved, but also provide some solutions on how we might stop the violence and prevent future generations from falling to the same fate.

Are Prison Gangs Behind the California Hunger Strike?

 

In early July, 2013, thousands of California system prisoners, including most of those in lock-down Security Housing Units (SHU), went on a “Hunger Strike” after they deemed that their earlier “5 Core Demands” were not met:

1. Eliminate group punishments. Instead, practice individual accountability. When an individual prisoner breaks a rule, the prison often punishes a whole group of prisoners of the same race. This policy has been applied to keep prisoners in the SHU indefinitely and to make conditions increasingly harsh.

2. Abolish the debriefing policy and modify active/inactive gang status criteria. Prisoners are accused of being active participants of prison gangs using false or highly dubious evidence, and are then sent to long-term isolation (SHU). They can escape these torturous conditions only if they "debrief," that is, become informants on other prisoners. Debriefing produces false information (wrongly landing other prisoners in SHU, in an endless cycle) and can endanger the lives of debriefing prisoners and their families.

3. Comply with the recommendations of the US Commission on Safety and Abuse in Prisons (2006) regarding an end to longterm solitary confinement. This bipartisan commission specifically recommended to "make segregation a last resort" and "end conditions of isolation." Yet California keeps thousands of prisoners in isolation units. Some prisoners have been kept in isolation for more than thirty years.

4. Provide adequate and nutritious food. Prisoners receive tiny quantities of spoiled or undercooked food on dirty trays. There is no accountability or independent quality control of meals.

5. Expand and provide constructive programs and privileges for indefinite SHU inmates. The hunger strikers are pressing for opportunities “to engage in self-help treatment, education, religious and other productive activities..." The prisoners also listed other specific needs. Since the 2011 hunger strike, they have won some of these, including: correspondence courses, if they pay for them themselves; wool caps; the right to buy sweatsuits (the cells and exercise cage can be bitterly cold); the right to buy some art supplies. They still do not have the right to worship together, talk to each other, receive vocational training or education from the prison, or hug or talk on the phone with their families.

Local TV, Radio, and Printed Media soon stated, “We’re learning more about the large hunger strike going on behind bars of several California prisons. State prison officials say the whole thing was orchestrated by prison gangs in order to sell drugs and make money.” The Los Angeles Times reported per CDCR Officials that, “top tier members of the Black Guerilla Family, Nuestra Familia, (EME), and the Aryan Brotherhood started the strike which encompassed dozens of lockups across the state.”

Is this true?

To understand the two opposing views, blog readers should first see:

http://gangsters-cops-politicians.blogspot.com/2012/12/part-1-prison-gang-violence-in-america.html

http://gangsters-cops-politicians.blogspot.com/2012/12/part-2-prison-gang-violence-possible.html

According to supporters of the Hunger Strike, CDCR has demonized them, but in reality their past criminal record and behavior while incarcerated attributed to the bed that they now lay in.

Supporters say CDCR reports do not reflect any truth of what is actually motivating prisoners to go on hunger strike and has consistently motivated prisoners to go on hunger strike: the conditions of solitary confinement which so many are made to suffer. They say they just want to, “call attention to a number of conditions they say are inhumane. The prisoners are demanding changes to policies that allow the jails to hold inmates in solitary confinement indefinitely.”

The Prison Hunger Strike Solidarity Coalition (PHSSC), committed to amplifying the voices of prisoners on strike at Pelican Bay prison and other facilities in California, reported on July 22:

As the California prison hunger strike enters its 3rd week, reports of retaliation against strikers have increased.  Last week it was reported that prison officials had moved at least 14 strikers from the Security Housing Unit (SHU) at Pelican Bay to Administrative Segregation (Ad-Seg), confiscated confidential legal documents, and forced cold air into their cells.  Later in the week, legal advocate Marilyn McMahon and one of her paralegals were summarily banned from visiting any California prison.  Reports that strikers have been moved to Ad-Seg or to entirely different facilities have also been coming from Corcoran State Prison.  The denial of medical care to strikers, especially those with preexisting health conditions, remains a widespread concern for families and advocates.”

Anne Weills, a civil rights attorney who this week visited Pelican Bay state prison, which is at the heart of the protest, said the temperature at the prison had been deliberately lowered, “They are the upping the ante in terms of cold. It’s clearly a tactic to make everything uncomfortable and in essence retaliate for the hunger strike,” she said. “They are freezing, these men. I could see them shivering in front of me. I had two sweaters on and I was freezing.” The cold was badly affecting smaller, thinner prisoners with little body fat, especially those weakened by their fast, she said. “They are suffering. This puts them at risk of hypothermia.”

Spokesperson for CDCR, Terry Thornton, completely denied allegations by prisoners that the cold air was being turned up to freeze them. Thornton told ABC News/Univision, “The cells in the security housing units and the administrative segregation unit at Pelican Bay State prison are 72 to 73 degrees,” Thornton told ABC News/Univision. And, “cell-unit temperatures are not something guards or correctional peace officers control.”

According to Amnesty International, prisoners at Pelican Bay are “allowed to exercise for an hour and a half a day, alone, in a bare, concrete yard.” California is “one of more than 40 US states to house prisoners in high security isolation facilities, often termed ‘super-maximum security’ prisons. “No other US state is believed to have held so many prisoners for such long periods in indefinite isolation.” And, “Some prisoners have spent more than a decade without visits from their family. They may correspond with their attorneys, families, friends and outside organizations, subject to certain restrictions. All visits are non-contact, taking place behind a glass screen.”

Inmates state that the situation in the SHUs and San Quentin-Adjustment Center/Death Row has only become worse, “With regards to the revisions that were done to SHU management gang policies, well, that is exactly what has taken place—revisions (e.g. ‘reform’). Hence, more of the same in that, the revisions have only strengthened CDCR officials power and ability to label and validate every prisoner in CDCR as belonging to a Security Threat Group–e.g. ’prison gang.’ At the crux of the revisions is a lack of a definitive and ‘behavioral-based’ criteria, as to what actually constitute as being gang activity. Meaning, any and everything can and will still be considered as gang activity, in spite of how innocuous the activity may be. In addition to this, we still have untrained and unqualified CDCR officers/officials determining and assessing what is ‘gang activity.’ And this point is critical for two very important reasons:

1) There are no qualitative oversight mechanisms in place, meaning there is absolutely nothing to prevent CDCR’s prison guards, gang unit, etc., from being vindictive, retaliatory, punitive, etc., via the application of these ‘revised’ gang management policies;

and

2) it has been proven that CDCR’s prison guards and their IGI gang unit staff do not properly investigate the evidence used in each prisoners gang validation–see Lira v. Cate. In conclusion, not being able to get out of solitary confinement is truly what is motivating this protest and not a desire by gangs to take over the prison and have their way with authorities. It is about being humanely treated while they serve time for committing whatever crime they are in jail for committing.”

Historically, Corrections isn't very good at "Transitioning to Community". Most will release one day!

Inmates should be able to send pictures to their loved ones if no gang signs are found in them. Family and potential re-unification is crucial for successful re-integration. As most inmates will be released someday, they are being set up to fail if certain things do not occur prior to release. Also, Religious Services has saved many older cons, but it must be monitored well to ensure gangs don’t take over. A process should also be set up for all inmates that are scheduled to be released to be placed in a reintegration process to assist with re-entry at a 1 year minimum whether or not they are housed in General Population or a SHU.

Many experts believe AB109 seems to be dumping people onto the streets without resources or tools to succeed. In 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered California to fix overcrowding problems, citing constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment. The court rejected California’s bid for more time and upheld a two-year deadline to drastically cut inmate population in its 33 prisons to 137.5% of capacity by May 2013. AB 109 shifted a lot of responsibility for incarcerating many low-risk inmates from the state to counties. This shift from state to counties was called “prison realignment.” But, the counties were not prepared for such an influx and programs in jails are generally found less stable than in prison and jail facility designs seldom have room for such programs. A paradigm shift has to take place inside and outside. There can always be system improvements without jeopardizing security.

So perhaps, there are some inmates who have remained disciplinary free for many years that are ready for release from the SHU? They should be able to participate in any programs that might help them readjust to General Population, and even more important, anybody that needs transition for eventual freedom to society that currently has a release date. Many people, including many authorities were surprised (and worried) that all four of the major prison gangs did not “fight on sight”, as they usually did for the past 45 years, after they signed an “Agreement to End Hostilities”, dated August 12, 2012. Prison authorities are monitoring the "hunger strike" situation closely. Many outside organizers said any agreement would not hold without some of the top shotcallers/PBSP-SHU Short Corridor Hunger Strike Representatives signing off on it as they did:

Presented by the PBSP-SHU Short Corridor Collective:

•Todd Ashker, C-58191, D1-119 (AB)

•Arturo Castellanos, C-17275, D1-121 (EME)

•Sitawa Nantambu Jamaa (Dewberry), C-35671, D1-117 (BGF)

•Antonio Guillen, P-81948, D2-106 (NF)

And the Representatives Body:

•Danny Troxell, B-76578, D1-120 (AB)

•George Franco, D-46556, D4-217 (NF)

•Ronnie Yandell, V-27927, D4-215 (AB)

•Paul Redd, B-72683, D2-117 (BGF)

•James Baridi Williamson, D-34288. D4-107 (BGF)

•Alfred Sandoval, D-61000, D4-214 (EME)

•Louis Powell, B-59864, D1-104 (BGF)

•Alex Yrigollen, H-32421, D2-204 (NF)

•Gabriel Huerta, C-80766, D3-222 (EME)

•Frank Clement, D-07919, D3-116 (AB)

•Raymond Chavo Perez, K-12922, D1-219 (EME)

•James Mario Perez, B-48186, D3-124 (NF)

 

To learn more about the growth and present status of the Big 4 Prison Gangs: Aryan Brotherhood (AB), Black Guerrilla Family (BGF), Nuestra Familia (NF), and Mexican Mafia (EME), search Amazon.com for books by author and former Folsom Prison Officer Gabriel C. Morales or see: www.gangpreventionservices.org

Case Study: Good Cop, Rogue Cop?

Rogue Cop is a 1954 film noir based on a novel by William McGivern that co-starred Janet Leigh and George Raft. The film shows crooked veteran Police Detective Christopher Kelvaney (portrayed by actor Robert Taylor) who has no qualms about taking bribes and payoffs from criminals and his brother Eddie (played by Steve Forrest) as a younger member on force who is honest and uncorrupted. Another fictional Hollywood portrayal of a corrupt cop was Denzel Washington in Training Day. Some people have compared that role to that of discredited former Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Officer Rafael Perez who was part of the CRASH Unit (Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums). Perez was also a major figure in LAPD's Rampart Scandal.

Cops don't usually turn rogue overnight. On most occasions there have been a series of events that made them angry at the force, at the general public, or at both. Usually these types of officers have a high number of excessive force or fellow staff complaints. They may also feel that there was excessive discipline made by their departments or adverse action taken after grievances were filed. They often have a history of tampering with evidence. These officers may misuse agency vehicles, break the speed limit when there are no hot calls, just because “they can”. They may have a history of sick leave abuse or may work a lot of overtime which can lead to burnout and short tempers. They may use steroids to get a “street edge” or other illegal substances. This type of officer often drinks heavily after work, and sometimes even while on the job. They may have domestic violence issues or other flare-ups of anger while off duty.

There have been good cops and bad cops ever since there were cops. A lot of officers isolate themselves because they feel outsiders don’t understand their lot, but I think a large amount of the general public trusts that most law enforcement do their jobs to the best of their abilities. They understand that cops do a job most people wouldn’t or couldn’t do. There is no question that there are times when all cops have done some wrong, most of the time it is not intentional, but mistakes made on false assumptions or just human error. There are other times; however, when some cops go rogue and feel they are “above the law”.

Even though he was not a cop for very long, the February, 2013, case of former LAPD Of­ficer Chris­toph­er Dorner shows the kind of damage that a criminal with a badge can do. Dorner was also a former Naval Reserve Officer highly skilled in the use of firearms and claimed he was just out to “clear his good name” after he was unfairly dismissed in 2009 when a LAPD disciplinary panel determined he lied. He accused his field training officer of kicking a mentally ill man during an arrest. His department found the complaint to be unfounded but there have been many documented cases of retaliation of employees in all fields of work after they filed complaints and grievances, so anything is possible. Much of the general public, and a lot of staff, view Internal Affairs investigations as self-serving and mostly designed to protect the interests of the administration. LAPD Chief Charlie Beck promised to review the case again to determine if Dorner was in fact treated unfairly.

There have been historical cases of officers that have been run out or pushed off agencies for a lot less. But any sympathy from some people, who've faced similar circumstances, was lost when Dorner decided to exact vengeance on people who had little or nothing to do with his case. He obviously externalized all of the blame over his dismissal when his manifesto threatened “un­con­ven­tion­al and asym­met­ric­al war­fare” against all po­lice. He went on a murderous rampage and, in cold blood, ambushed over a half dozen people killing four of them all of which had law enforcement ties. Dorner finally killed himself with a self-inflicted gunshot to the head in a cabin located in the vicinity of Big Bear, CA.

Cops from all over the country condemned Dorner, as they should, for killing innocent victims. But, the general public also saw on Facebook and other media posts that while cops were extremely outraged over Dorner’s murder of fellow law enforcement, far less cops expressed outrage about police firing on innocent civilians who were in the wrong type of vehicle. Some even spoke about it as being "collateral damage". The individuals fired upon did not appear to present an immediate threat, two of them were female, they were of a different race, and did not even remotely resemble the suspect. This type of reaction fuels the belief in many minority communities that all cops are “trigger happy”. A White man named David Perdue also claims that his vehicle was slammed and that he was fired at without just cause. Perdue also looks nothing like Dorner.

Undoubtedly those two Asian ladies, a mother-daughter team who were out delivering newspapers, and Perdue have lawyers lining up to take their case to sue and they will get paid well. But again, many Americans have publically and privately stated that they feel there is a double standard when it comes to police and the public. Many of them also feel cops always protect their own even if they have to lie about it. This may lead some people to mistakenly think that Dorner did what he had to do in order to bring light to injustices on the force. Some pro-Dorner people also blasted the "inhuman decision to burn him out” by use of force when police firing tear gas into the cabin. All tear gas canisters are flammable so it wasn't a decision to burn the cabin, just a decision to deploy tear gas to make him exit for officer safety purposes. Instead he decided to take his own life. Some even called Dorner a hero. This is a gross mischaracterization.

America has an ugly racist history and many injustices have happened to many people. Racism and injustice still exists today, but few would argue that there have been great strides in both areas over the last few decades. Chief Beck says he is reopening the Dorner case to assure the public, and especially the African-American community, that his department has left its racist past behind. All of the facts in this case will likely be reviewed as they should be for training and future improvements on police matters. The criminal justice system should always seek improvement to better assure the public that justice is impartial. But let there be no doubt, bad cops and rogue cops give the vast majority of good cops who proudly serve our communities while upholding the law and keeping us all safe, a bad name. The dead cops, and cops like them who converged on Dorner, are the real heroes and continue to be so every day.

Part 2: Prison Gang Violence & Possible Remedies

During and after the Attica Prison Riot on September 9, 1971, authorities eventually agreed to twenty-eight of the prisoners' demands. Inmates stated they rioted, in part, due to the death of George L. Jackson, a black radical activist prisoner who had been shot to death by Corrections Officers in California's San Quentin Prison Adjustment Center on August 21^st. Jackson was a founder of the Black Guerilla Family (BGF). Public outrage over how the situation was handled and scrutiny by a review commission led to several post-riot reforms. One of the biggest reasons given for the riot was overcrowding, but to this day Attica Prison is still over maximum capacity by double bunking a portion of their population in small cells designed to house only one inmate.

Reducing overcrowding is one way to cut down on prison and jail violence.

After the New Mexico State Penitentiary Riot in February of 1980, inmates and officials also blamed overcrowding, inferior services, and lack of inmate programs as being major causes of the disturbance. There was also a shortage of correctional officers and training. Some staff used a form of manipulation called the "snitch game" to control uncooperative prisoners and label inmates who would not behave as being informants. This tactic meant the named inmate would often start being abused by fellow convicts. Then prisoners would choose to become a "snitch" to get away from their tormentors, however; this hampered efforts to get accurate information as inmates would often set up others or make bogus claims. This increased tension as inmates became suspicious of each other and distrustful of officers. Rioters broke into the infirmary to steal and take drugs. Many informants were killed with extreme brutality. Rioting inmates affiliated with Los Carnales (LC) gang were involved. Rivals soon formed the Sindicato Nuevo Mexico (SNM) gang.

Careful use of reliable informants and proper staff training are good ways to reduce violence.

The 1984-85 bloodshed in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) prison system was also blamed, in great part, on gangs who had filled a power vacuum after the prior inmate trustee system was abolished. The Texas Syndicate (TS) attacked many inmates and gave rise to rival organizations like the Texas Mexican Mafia, also known as the Mexikanemi. To better deal with growing violence TDCJ later created the Gang Renouncement And Disassociation (GRAD) process in which members are given an avenue to denounce their gang membership. Part of the process also exposes them to Anger Management and Cognitive Intervention.

Careful monitoring of inmate behavior, appropriate discipline, and effective programs are good ways to reduce violence.

After prison gang violence increased in the 1970s, Security Housing Units (SHU) were built by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). Both Corcoran and Pelican Bay State Prisons were designed to house the state’s most serious offenders in a secure, safe, and disciplined institutional setting.  The SHU was a modern design for prison gang members and violent maximum security inmates. SHU housing pods are small and inmates look out through a perforated steel door at a solid concrete wall. Human contact and privileges are minimal. Food is delivered twice a day (hot breakfast, sack lunch, and hot dinner) through a slot in the cell door. A correctional officer in a control booth controls all SHU doors. The C/O can press a button and allow one prisoner at a time to go out to a shower or to a court-mandated five hours per week of outdoor exercise. This exercise takes place in a cement yard, often called a "dog run", which extends the length of three cells and has a roof partially open to the sky. The correctional officer in the control booth is always armed. From his central vantage point, he can shoot onto any one of six pods, each containing eight cells.

Safety and Security Measures and Fair Policies for both staff and inmates are proven ways to reduce violence.

CDCR is currently in the midst of what it calls a "dramatic policy shift” to determine who still belongs in isolation and what SHU inmates can return to General Population (GP). It intends to review the case file of thousands of SHU inmates in the near future. Since October, 2012, officials have reviewed 88 SHU cases and decided 58 inmates can be transferred. Another 25 have been placed in a "step-down" program and can work towards eventual transfer to GP. Just 63 inmates were released out of the SHU in the prior 10 months of 2012 before the new policy took effect in late October of this year.

"This is a huge overhaul," CDCR spokeswoman Terry Thorton said, "This is a huge shift in the way we manage gangs."

The new regulations are temporary and set to expire in October of 2014. Officials said they purposely set an expiration date so they can tweak the regulations and make changes after working with them for two years before making it standard operating policy. Critics argue the step-down process still requires "cooperation" with Institutional Gang Investigators (IGI) and it still requires many years before release from isolation cells. Some even allege the new policy expands definitions of gang activity, which will result in even more inmates getting sent off to the SHU based on vague criteria or just for being suspected members of an expanded Security Threat Group (STG) list.

Prison officials insist otherwise and argue that new regulations require more concrete gang "behavior" than merely just possessing “suspicious” artwork or letters. For instance, officials no longer automatically transfer an inmate who is found to only "Associate" with a gang. Inmate Todd Ashker, alleged to be a member of the Aryan Brotherhood, was convicted of 2^nd Degree Murder of a fellow inmate while housed at Folsom Prison. He says most gang "validations" are based with evidence provided by anonymous informants "making it virtually impossible" to credibly refute. He also filed a lawsuit against CDCR. Lawyers for the state contend the new policy addresses issues raised in Ashker’s lawsuit and are seeking its dismissal. A federal judge is set to hear legal arguments on the matter in 2013.

In Washington-DOC, while known gang members make up 18 percent of the state's prison population of 18,000, they account for 43 percent of major violent incidents and are responsible for many infractions. Washington State Jails, even though many administrators refuse to accurately track or acknowledge it, note similar statistics. In urban western Washington county jails Black gang members often create violence, while in more rural eastern counties Hispanic gangs like Norteños and Sureños are responsible for most fights.

Inmate Behavior needs daily monitoring, prison and jail lockdowns should be used for security reasons only, not as long-term group punishment.

It is widely known the incarceration rate in America is the highest among developed nations. In 2002, incarcerated individuals (90% of them men) was estimated at two million.  That has gone down recently due to financial pressures at all government levels more than any major push for overcrowding reductions. Three common reactions to prison gang violence by staff are: Segregation, Consolidation, and Inmate Transfers. It is also well known that Minority members of society are disproportionally represented in the prison system and as a result of Security Threat Groups, many correctional institutions are now trying to combat prison violence though intervention programming.

Facilities need inmate violence control suppression, gang members need intervention, and the community needs better youth gang prevention.

Lastly, there are few good studies on inmate violence in America. Agencies tend to keep statistics low key and are very fearful of inmate lawsuits today. They have historically been reactive, not proactive. Many Administrators believe if they can suppress issues long enough they may go away or inmates may give up. To be frank, many are near retirement and don’t want to be bothered more than they are already are. But, deliberate indifference may prove to be more costly for cash strapped governments than immediately addressing issues? Maybe society should starting dealing better with disciplinary and psychiatric issues in children before they get to be problem adults? Maybe we should teach youth the skills they need to function in society and give more hope to improve their lives?

Another factor that gets overlooked a lot is many men and women locked up in our nation's institutions are lacking a spiritual rudder to successfully navigate the turbulent seas of life. It is true that some prison gangs will try to utilize religious services as cover for their criminal activities, but if volunteers are properly screened and services properly monitored, they can benefit inmates who are soul searching for a different attitude on life.

Religious Services and Spiritual Reawakening has saved thousands of people from gangs and a criminal lifestyle.

America’s Jails and Prisons are out of sight, out of mind, for most of the general public. Only when a riot and major incident happens do correctional facilities get a couple of minutes on the nightly news. Much of the general public gets their distorted views of prison life from shows like ‘OZ or Prison Break’, or movies like ‘Blood In, Blood Out and American History X’. Some shows like ‘Lockup’ and others showing jails often only show graphic violence inside or may even glorify it. Maybe more people should take personal tours of prisons and jails to talk with both inmates and staff to hear about real issues that could improve overall conditions?

Listening to experts on the inside and working better on the outside can reduce violence.

We are interested in your thoughts on this matter so please leave a comment on this Blog.

You can read more on this subject in “La Familia: The Family; Prison Gangs in America”:

http://www.gangpreventionservices.org/merchandise.asp#PrisonGangsBook

Part 1: Prison Gang Violence in America

Serving time in prison and jail isn't always easy and it isn’t meant to be, but relatively few are supposed to get a "Death Sentence".  During the 1970-80s, there was a lot of violence in places like California which was in the middle of prison gang wars, or prison riots like Attica, NY, that left 43 dead, and a vicious riot in Santa Fe, NM, that left 33 dead.  From 1984-85, Texas prisons had 52 homicides.

In the 1980s, the overall murder rate in U.S. prisons was nearly five times as great as out in the free world.  Prison facilities were old, overcrowded, and not built with safety in mind; they were built mostly to just keep prisoners from escaping.  Because of the extreme violence in the 1980s, California created Security Housing Units (SHU) meant to keep inmates locked down for 22.5 hours or more a day and built with the input of corrections staff to increase safety.  

Some people describe SHU's as "solitary confinement" or "isolation cells", which is officially disputed by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CCDR).  Convicts, and their supporters, claimed the SHU’s were cruel and unusual punishment that deprived them of freedom and social human contact.  In other words, they said that their constitutional rights were being violated.  In the summer of 2011, thousands of California inmates went on a lengthy hunger strike to protest conditions in the SHU's.  The protests eventually resulted in an agreement between inmates, lawyers, and CDCR prison officials to expedite reforms.  State prison officials say the most serious of those reforms are now in effect.  But, SHU inmates also wanted a faster way out.

For example, inmates were often given 5 year SHU terms or a specific sentence, based on having committed a crime such as murder while behind bars.  But 3,000+ inmates, particularly at the Pelican Bay State Prison SHU, are serving "indefinite terms" because they've been tagged as prison gang members or disruptive group affiliates.  They got a SHU term based on "validation criteria" and the only way out for those inmates has been a process called "debriefing" where the inmate tells gang investigators everything they know.  When they do this they are often snitching on others about prison gang activities, thus adding new inmates for the SHU program.

Like a prior court order in California to racially integrate cell mates, some experts worry violence could go up in California and other states if the balance in power is shifted and disrupts the status quo among inmates and the gangs.

California is not the only place that has experienced prison violence.

Eleven prisoners have been killed so far in 2012 inside Texas prisons, the highest number since ten were slain in 1997, despite an overall decline in violence among the prison population statewide.  Officials say the increase is puzzling since overall violence, as well as sexual assaults and number of weapons found, have all declined in 2012.  Still, it is a far cry from 1985, when 27 Texas convicts were killed, and hundreds more injured in an outbreak of violence blamed on overcrowding and prison gangs.  Most staff that were present during past bloody incidents that led up to many of the current prison policies have long since retired.  But, we should never forget what caused such rigid inmate control programs to be implemented in the first place.

The growth of prison gangs was a direct threat to safety and security of all inmates and staff.  Street gang membership is often based on a "Jump In, Jump Out" basis.  Of course, getting beat out took a lot longer than getting beat in.  But, most prison gang members originally got in on a “Blood In, Blood Out” basis, meaning they had to kill to get in, and they main way out is to die.  Being a member of a prison gang is like being a member of an exclusive club who affect the lives of a lot of people.  A good analogy might be a Wall Street country club, although there are very few who are high rollers in the stock market, they have a great effect on the rest of us.  Prison gangs also bet and invest in their future.

Prison gangs get their orders out via Associates who pass the word on to youngsters who do a lot of their dirty work.  New recruits are constantly being tested and brought into these organizations.  In July, 2012, two Mexican Mafia (EME) members, Alberto "Beto" Vargas and Donald "Sluggo" Aguilar were arrested in Orange County's "Operation Black Flag".  Officials said nearly 60 people, many of them young Sureños, faced charges including racketeering, conspiracy to commit murder, narcotic and weapons sales.  

In late 2012, during an investigation known as "Operation Wicked Hand", 27 people including two teens, were indicted and accused of crimes such as conspiring to commit assault, extortion, home invasion, robbery, and drug trafficking in Ventura County, CA.  Made EME Carnal Martin "Maldito" Madrigal was named as the main shotcaller in that case.  La EME controls most Southern California Sureño street gangs even though some cops still doubt it.  In the recent case, law enforcement officials in Ventura County said the Mexican Mafia forced rival Sureño street gangs to work together to commit violent crimes something that they had not seen before.  

Not only are they involved in a lot of violence in prison, La EME is also very active in violence out on the street.  They pushed for young Sureños to wage war on Blacks, not just Crips and Bloods, but what amounts to a racial purge of Southland neighborhoods.  There is also a lot of violence that is directed towards rival Carnales and Camaradas of warring EME factions with a process known as "cleaning house" in and out of prison.

In November, 2012, a federal grand jury in Sacramento charged twenty people in the Nuestra Familia prison gang's Sacramento Regiment, including NF shotcaller Vidal "Spider" Fabela.  That same month, a high-ranking NF leader Alberto "Bird" Larez from the Salinas Regiment was arrested.  He was one of two high-ranking NF Captains who were released from federal prison in 2010. Larez and Henry "Happy" Cervantes from Lodi, CA, (and a former King Co. Jail inmate in Seattle) both faced life sentences in the FBI's sweeping Operation Black Widow conspiracy case in 2000.  Instead, they received 10-year sentences in a plea deal negotiated by the gang's leaders after problems surfaced with star prosecution witness, Daniel "Lizard" Hernandez due to his role in a murder at Cap's Saloon in Salinas.  Cervantes was arrested late last year and charged with murder in the stabbing deaths of two men found in a burning Oakland apartment.  Both Cervantes and Fabela were previously housed at the Lewisburg federal prison and communicated system wide with NF and Norteños in prison as well as out on the street.

The new breed of prison gang members today are more tech savvy and they make brand new networks.  A recent Federal investigation into the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) uncovered cooperation between them and the Mexican Gulf Cartel.  ABT James "Flounder" Sharron confessed to serving as a go-between for the gang and the notorious drug trafficking organization.  Sharron also admitted to moving hundreds of pounds of meth over the border into Texas for distribution.  Prison gangs are also very hard to break up because they often reinvent themselves with new members and leaders.  In late 2012, the Feds once again claimed they dealt "a devastating blow to the leadership of ABT."  

However, despite numerous federal prosecutions anything short of the death penalty seems like little deterrent for groups and members that get more power from going to prison and doing time.  They also get a chance to meet during trials and communicate via their case lawyers. Several members of the AB Commission in California and their aligned counterparts in the Feds were targeted for a RICO case trial that started in 2006. One longtime AB shotcaller, Barry "Red Baron" Mills, allegedly ordered, authorized or carried out 15 murders and very likely has ordered even more since.  During the trial AB were able to catch up on penitentiary politics, find out who was still with the Brand, and who was out in bad standings. 

Authorities often claim that shipping members out of state takes them away from their power base, but the truth is it often expands it.  As they get shipped out of state, prison gangs like the AB recruit younger members or new gangs may form to emulate them or protect themselves from them.  It should be noted that the California AB started first and is separate from the ABT; they are similar in nature and name but generally don’t like the other faction. They may tolerate each other especially if it is a racial issue against Blacks.

A violent gang war also appears to have taken over parts of an Idaho private prison with some inmates contending prison officials ceded control to gang leaders in an effort to save money on staffing.  Officers who work private prisons are also generally not paid as well as in state facilities.  Eight inmates at the Idaho Correctional Center are currently suing the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), contending the company worked with a few powerful prison gangs to control the facility located south of Boise.   Inmates in the lawsuit point to investigative reports from the Idaho Department of Correction that suggest gangs like the Aryan Knights (AK) and the Severely Violent Criminals (SVC) were able to wrest control from staff members after prison officials began housing members of the same gangs together in some cellblocks to reduce violent clashes.

The Black Guerrilla Family (BGF) was the most political of all the CA prison gangs and the most dangerous towards Police and Corrections Officers in the late 1960s through the early 1970s. The BGF was started after the death of George Jackson when he was killed in a bloody escape attempt from San Quentin Prison's Adjustment Center-High Security Unit in August of 1971. The BGF was very active during the SHU hunger strikes and it has also been responsible for a lot of violent crime in the state of Maryland during recent years.

The Texas Syndicate (TS) officially formed at San Quentin and Folsom Prison during the early 1970s.  While the TS prison gang was small, they were the most feared on the yard because of their propensity for violence and serious assaults.  Prison gangs like the TS are still responsible for a lot of violence today.  Even more so are the births of newer gangs like the "Tangos" which are homeboy cliques from Texas.

Next blog post we will talk about possible remedies to help deal with prison gang violence and current efforts to try and break the cycle of membership.

Washington's I-502 Marijuana Reform Initiative Issues

As most of you know by now, Washington State passed the I-502 "marijuana reform initiative” legalizing possession of marijuana under one ounce starting 12/6/12.  Many people have been confused about this law.  It is still currently illegal to purchase marijuana unless you have a “green card” for medical reasons.  It is still unknown at the time of this printing how the federal government will respond to the law’s passage.  Seventeen other states and Washington, D.C., have also eased laws on marijuana which means more states could go the way of Washington and Colorado in the near future.  Regardless of what happens, we will briefly examine marijuana use in this country, why it was outlawed, how the recent state law is opposed to federal law, and how it may affect things both in this country and in Mexico, meaning politics, policing, product distribution, and criminal organizations.  I am not pushing for or against the measure, just discussing some of the related issues.   

Of course, I am not the only one doing so, Seattle Police Department’s Blog on this subject has gone viral:

http://spdblotter.seattle.gov/2012/11/09/marijwhatnow-a-guide-to-legal-marijuana-use-in-seattle/ 

A little background information if you don’t already toke up:  Hemp is the plant from which marijuana comes from and has been grown for thousands of years.  One variety of hemp, Cannabis Sativa produces mild hallucinogenic effects and has often been used in this country as a recreational drug.  Some claim it also has medicinal use, especially for nausea.  The main chemical tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is what gives Cannabis Sativa its dreamy effect. There are also other strains like Cannabis Indica.  The effects of Sativa are well known for its cerebral high, hence it is often used in the daytime, while Indica is known for its sedative effects in products like tea and is preferred by many users at night.

Aside from a subjective change in perception, most notably a mellow mood, the most common short-term physical and neurological effects can include increased heart rate, paranoia, increased appetite and consumption of food, lowered blood pressure, impairment of short-term memory, psychomotor skills, and concentration.  People who smoke marijuana can also have impaired vision, drooping eyes, and “red eye”.  Long-term effects are not clear as few long-term studies have been done.  There are no known deaths attributed directly to marijuana usage, and there is no physical withdrawal, although there may be psychological withdrawal problems.

Regulations and restrictions on U.S. sales of Cannabis Sativa as a drug began in the mid-1800s.  Increased restrictions and labeling of marijuana as a poison began in many states from 1906 onward.  Outright prohibitions began in the 1920s.  By the mid-1930s, Cannabis Sativa was regulated as a drug in every state, including thirty-five states that adopted the Uniform State Narcotic Drug Act.  This law was enacted after many people became alarmed over increased marijuana usage in the U.S. and after the movie “Reefer Madness” came out in 1936.

The United Nations estimates there is frequent consumption of marijuana by about 5% of the world’s population. This has been mostly for medicinal use, while in the United States rates are believed to be significantly higher with more recreational smokers.  It is one of the most commonly used drugs in the world but is still illegal in most countries. Canada, Spain, Netherlands, and Austria have legalized some forms of Cannabis for medicinal use.  The U.S. Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved marijuana for any medical condition or disease, largely because the FDA claims good quality scientific evidence for its use from studies is currently lacking.

One big problem with marijuana dispensaries in the U.S. is absence of uniform regulations.  There are also a lot of documented robberies, and probably even more undocumented robberies, of licensed and unlicensed marijuana grow ops in the U.S.  Many times these “dope rips” are committed by street gang members as few of these operations have good security.  For years, “B.C. Bud” from the greater area of Vancouver, Canada, has been sought by local users and it is often shown on the front covers of magazines such as “High Times”. Recently, Southeast Asian Organized Crime Groups have set up large "B.C. Bud" grow operations, often in ranch style homes in the Northwest.  Of course, with so many users and with marijuana still being illegal for the most part, Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTOs) also provide supply for the demand, sometimes even growing it on this side of the border via U.S. Forest Lands.  

During arguments for the passage of I-502, many people, including some high profile people who have worked in the criminal justice system, said that the law would help undermine the notoriously ruthless Mexican Drug Cartels and cut into the huge profits that allow them to exist.  Some experts estimate the money made by Mexican DTOs to be over $40 billion per year. But, some people are arguing legalization of marijuana will have little effect:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/19/opinion/19longmire.html

Outgoing Mexican President Felipe Calderon states, “It has become necessary to analyze in depth the implications for public policy and health in our nations emerging from the state and local moves to allow the legal production, consumption and distribution of marijuana in some countries of our continent.”  Some Mexican politicians have stated that they may now turn a blind eye towards big marijuana grow operations in Mexico, which likely means bigger profits for large scale drug organizations like the Zetas and Sinaloa Cartels.  This could also mean that other narcotics, such as heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine, could get a free pass at the Mexican border.  In great part to please the United States during his six year term, outgoing Mexican President Calderon waged a hard fought war against the drug cartels with more results than all of the previous Mexican administrations put together.  Calderon did so at great cost to Mexican civilian lives, the police, and military.

With the remaining 48 states prohibiting marijuana today, there could still be huge future profits for Mexican marijuana importers.  "While the criminal organizations that are a threat to both of our countries make a lot of money off of heroin and cocaine and methamphetamine, the vast majority of their money to buy guns, bribe, corrupt and destroy lives is from marijuana", said John Walters, head of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.  Others critics argue that if marijuana was made legal across the entire United States, criminal groups would just focus on other illegal contraband.  Perhaps they would build more labs to create new, more addicting, and more dangerous drugs?  American street gangs would still distribute other illegal drugs, guns, and remain involved in other crimes.

Mexican officials have grown frustrated with the mixed messages, “It seems to me that we should move to authorize exports,” said Cesar Duarte, governor of the violence-plagued State of Chihuahua, which includes Ciudad Juarez. “We could therefore propose organizing production for export, and with it no longer being illegal, we would have control over a business which today is run by criminals. And which finances criminals.”

Supporters of I-502 helped convince a majority of voters to pass it by saying the measure could raise over $500 million in tax revenue for cash strapped state coffers.  Some of that money is supposed to be used to help fight violent crime.  The Washington State Liquor Control Board would be the regulatory body of marijuana, however; it would still be illegal for youth under 21 to purchase it.  Some people have argued that with legalization youth may be more prone to experimentation with other drugs and there’s no guarantee any money will go towards treatment:

http://seattle.about.com/od/localgovernmen1/a/Marijuana-In-Washington-State.htm

Reelected President Barack Obama’s administration so far has rejected calls from across Latin America, including the former presidents of Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil, for drug decriminalization as a means to crimp cartel profits and stop gangland violence.  “It’s worth discussing, but there is no way the Obama-Biden administration will change its policy”, Vice President Joe Biden said during a March, 2012, visit to Mexico City.

There are many who argue that our drug laws and the drug war have not worked.  Like alcohol prohibition in the last century, they say marijuana prohibition has helped fuel violent crime across our country.  Perhaps it is time to reexamine policy on these matters, but it should be done on a nationwide basis, taking into account police concerns, border security, schools, medical needs, and other stakeholders to build a consistent and safe system for all of our citizens.    

Will Federal Designation of Mara Salvatrucha as a Criminal Organization Really Break the Violent Transnational Gang?

A couple of weeks ago, the Feds announced a new crackdown on the Mara Salvatrucha as being a “criminal organization”.  It is the first time that a street gang has received such a designation from the government.  This new effort gives the U.S. Treasury Department the power to freeze financial assets of MS members and bars banks from engaging in any transactions with members of the group.

On the surface, this order against the transnational MS gang may sound like a major victory against organized crime, but the MS gang usually wires money in small amounts via low key Latino stores and outlets or launders money out of the country in other ways often via non-gang involved couriers.  In L.A., the Salvadoran and Latino community have expressed concern the order may stifle and tarnish the reputation of law abiding businesses or people suspected, but not proven, to have ties to MS.   Officials have said the move is designed to reduce the flow of gang money within the United States and across our borders.  Authorities believe money generated by MS clicas here is often funneled back to the group's leadership in El Salvador as well as other countries where they are very active like Honduras and Guatemala.

MS was originally predominately Salvadoran and MS members were treated as outsiders by the Mexican/Chicano gangs of L.A.’s Westside.  About 1994, they made a truce with the Mexican Mafia, also called La EME, and used MS13 as a sign of loyalty.  Most Southern California Hispanic gangs commonly referred to as Sureños use the code number 13 for the 13^th letter of the alphabet “M” or “EME” in Spanish.  MS even paid taxes to La EME and several MS members were considered Camaradas or EME Associates.  But, the gang has always been looked down upon by much larger L.A. gangs such as Eighteenth Street or Florencia 13.  Recently some MS have advised members, especially ones who live far away from L.A. and further away from the rath of La EME, to drop the 13 again.  At one time, most MS had to get a MS or MS13 tattoo to be recognized as being in la clica, now some MS are refraining from doing so in an attempt to evade law enforcement detection.    

Various MS clicas often do network with each other, but MS is set up more horizontal than the vertical nature of traditional organized crime.  Each clica is run by a Shotcaller known as a “Ranflero”.  MS is believed to have as many as 30,000 members worldwide with approximately 8,000 operating within the U.S.  In places like L.A. and Seattle, MS actually has less influence than they did 10 years ago, but is still a viable threat on the East Coast.  Newly organized MS cells in El Salvador soon established beachheads on the East Coast, especially in suburbs of northern Virginia and Maryland.  Many younger generation MS that currently live on the East Coast have never even been to L.A. which was the gang’s birthplace in the early 1980s.

In great part due to deportations, Central American MS clicas have far greater influence on society and operate in more sophisticated ways than most groups there.  It has been reported that older veterano MS in Central America are now dressing more like business men and have diversified from mainly dealing drugs, into ventures like kidnapping, extortion, human trafficking, sex trafficking young girls, working as hired assassins, and other forms of racketeering.  MS in Central America do not hesitate to use vicious machete attacks, dismember their victims, and commit violent rapes.  The gang’s informal motto is “Mata, Controla, y Viola” (Kill, Control, and Rape).  MS in Central America also have far greater control in jails and prisons then they do in the United States.

There have been past documented reports of some MS members working for drug cartels like the Zetas.  But now some experts fear there may be an alliance between the violent cartel and the violent street gang.  Zetas have branched out from their original turf in northeast Mexico in states like Tamaulipas and expanded down to Chiapas and even into Guatemala.  A merger with MS would make sense to move drugs north through Mexican corridors and into the U.S. as Zetas move most of their dope loads via the Tex-Mex border and up through the Mid-West and East Coast.

This alliance was recently revealed by the Combating Terrorism Center at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.  In a report written by Adam Elkus and John P. Sullivan they stated, “The relationship between the Zetas and MS-13 is an alliance, and one that increases the Zetas’ ability to leverage new skills and markets, exploit gaps and vacuums, and extend their reach...It should be understood that MS-13 and the Zetas joining together is not equivalent to a signed treaty that facilitates formal cooperation between two groups...It is not known how such a deal was conducted, but it is sure to be something other than a literal declaration of fealty.”

Gangs are very competitive to protect their reputation and in fighting for their share of the drug market and other criminal enterprises.  Another side effect of this competition may be that the rival Barrio Diesiocho, also known as 18^th Street, may form an alliance with “Chapo” Guzman and the Sinaloa Cartel.  The 18^th Street gang is far bigger than MS on the West Coast and the Sinaloans control most of the drug trade on the West Coast of Mexico so 18^th Street may see such an arrangement as an ideal "win-win situation"?  

On the positive side, the new U.S. order does give law enforcement another tool to disrupt MS activities.

You can read more about MS and 18^th Street in the new book BEST:

http://www.gangpreventionservices.org/merchandise.asp#book