RACISM BEHIND BARS

Introduction

Hate groups can be found all over the United States, in every state of the union, with names like: Aryan Nation, The American Nazi Party, Church of the Creator, United White Peoples’ Party, and one of the oldest American hate terrorist groups, the Ku Klux Klan, which has many factions around the country. But you rarely think of these groups having much power or say in the jail and prison systems of the United States, where prisoners are watched twenty-four hours a day. But this is the very setting that makes it easy for them to recruit people to follow their messages of hate, people who already want to blame someone for their lives of bad addictions and choices, and extreme violence. “Prison officials estimate that up to 10 percent of the nation’s prison population is affiliated with such gangs” (Bigotry Behind Bars: Racist Groups in U.S. Prisons). These groups (or gangs as they are called ), recruit prisoners who are already prejudice against some minority or those who feel that they got a “bad break” somewhere along the way, and want to put a face on this perceived oppressor.

Some of these white supremacist prisoners come from families who raised them in a prejudice household, where another race, ethnic or religious group is viewed as inferior, less than human. Others follow peers who introduce them to the racist lifestyle, either before or after being incarcerated, in both the jail (where they may be first introduced to the philosophy) and prison systems. Some prisoners come to the prison system because of violent hate crimes they have committed, some are members of racist groups already, others are not, but follow that lifestyle. But most are just violent criminals, looking for someone to blame for their own actions, and looking for a way to go on with their violent criminal career and behavior. Whichever way these criminals started as a racists, it ends up meaning more violence in the prison system, putting guards and fellow prisoners at risk, especially minority prisoners. After these prisoners are released their racist violence follows them into the outside world, putting ordinary citizens at risk. The sadistic murder of James Byrd Jr. in Texas in 1998, by three white men (John William King, Shawn Berry, and Lawrence Brewer Jr.) is proof that these white power gangs take their hate and violence with them when they are released. James Byrd Jr. was beaten savagely, and then chained and dragged behind a pickup truck until he was beheaded. “Both King and Brewer had links to white supremacist groups while serving terms in state prison” (The murder of James Byrd, Jr. - Racial violence and the social forces in America that fuel it, By Martin McLaughlin, 13 June 1998).

This was not the only incident in Texas, a state with particularly high percentage of a white supremacist, especially the Aryan Brotherhood (an extremely powerful white gang) and their crimes. White supremacist groups outside of the prison system also encourage the racist messages and violent actions. They promote “white power” while spreading hatred towards minorities groups, blaming African -Americans, Jews, Latinos, and others for the problems in the world, including pushing the idea that that is why the prisoner is unfairly imprisoned.

Racism, Money and Loyalty

These gangs are run much like the mafia, where loyalty is rewarded and disloyalty can mean death. When joining one of these white supremacist gangs, prisoners find someone that will protect them from other prisoners, finding a haven behind bars, where violence happens on a daily bases. Some join only because of the protection the gang offers them, finding themselves either agreeing with them or finding themselves trapped within the gang. Most will be forced to commit a murder of a minority prisoner, to prove their loyalty to the gang, and then they have no more options. These racist gangs also find ways to make their groups criminal empires, dealing in drugs (especially methamphetamine, heroin, and prescription painkillers), guns, prostitution, extortion, money laundering, and other lucrative crimes. Many join for the power and money involved, not just the racist messages, feeling they can control and manipulate the prison system with fear, terrorizing those that cannot get away, making them give up their food and other resources, to enforce this power. Many of these groups will assassinate other prisoners and even guards that they think have crossed them in some way or those they cannot control. These white supremacists gangs have outside connection, using prison guards that they can pay off, and wives, girlfriends, and family that will help smuggle in goods. Gangs bring into the correctional facilities drugs, alcohol, and tobacco, and are responsible for kidnappings, assaults, and murders, in and out of the prison systems.

The Aryan Brotherhood and Others

Aryan Brotherhood is one of the most powerful white supremacist gangs; they have been around for four decades, starting their long and violent career in California’s San Quentin prison, back in the sixties. Splitting into two separate groups in 1980, one for federal prisoners and one for state prisoner, the Aryan Brotherhood is one of the strongest criminal organizations in the United States behind bars. This gang has spread throughout the United States’ prison systems, using them to spread hate, violence, and making a crime empire. They follow a strict racist and anti-Semitic message, wanting a constant race war within the prison culture, which not only intimidates and endangers minority prisoners and prison guards, but makes the Aryan Brotherhood and their outside contacts very wealthy.). The Aryan Brotherhood has also made strong connections with other hate groups, behind bars and beyond. There are many other hate groups behind bars, including Latino, Black Muslims and other white supremacists, following the same racial code of separatism and violent action against other races that the Aryan Brotherhood follows. They also make money and create power over other prisoners, through these violent actions, using intimidation and murder to enforce their will.

Stopping Hate Gangs

Stopping hate groups in and out of the prison system is not an easy job; these groups are protected by the First Amendment, which allows them to spread their messages of hate. Groups like the Aryan Brotherhood, the Black Muslims, and others are also protected by the First Amendment’s Free Exercise Clause and Establishment Clause, which guarantees freedom of religion. The Aryan Brotherhood has long been affiliated with the Aryan Nation, a nationwide hate group, that also call themselves The Church of Jesus Christ Christian, to get protection as a religious organization. “This “church” is a purveyor of the “Christian Identity” religion preached by late Aryan Nations founder and head pastor Richard Butler, whose “prison ministry” for decades promoted the doctrine that non-whites are “mud people” and Jews are the literal descendants of Satan”( Hate Crimes in Prison, By David Holthous). Minister Louis Farrakhan, leader of The Nation of Islam, also has a strong outreach in the nation’s jail and prison systems, recruiting violent African-American gangs, with his strong anti-white and anti-Semitic propaganda.

Controlling these hate gangs are very difficult for prison authorities, not much works to stop them. Solitary confinement of the leaders does not work; they will find ways of communicating to their followers. Most gang members are already serving single or multiple life sentences, many are even on death role. These prisoners have all the time in the world, even those on death row (because of many appeals), to create a powerful violent following.

Conclusion

White supremacist and other racist organizations pose a threat to those in the outside world and those behind bars; it is just a fact of life in our country. What can be done with these groups and gangs is a very difficult question. They hide under the guise of religious and political organizations, with their rights protected under free speech and religious freedom. If America changes the laws to control them, we may lose some basic religious freedoms and free speech rights. If we do nothing the violence will most likely continue, in and out of the prison system, and increase as the group’s members grow.