Prison gang
A prison gang is an organized group that forms within prisons.[1] These gangs have power structures, unique symbols, and strict rules for behavior.[1]
United States
Currently, the most powerful and violent prison gangs in the United States are the Aryan Brotherhood, Mexican Mafia, Nuestra Familia, and Black Guerrilla Family.[2] These gangs initially formed for self-defense in California prisons during the 1950s and 1960s.[1]
However, since then, they have expanded into organized crime. Prison gangs play a major role in the prison black market (its underground economy, where prisoners sell or trade items secretly).[1]
Six major prison gangs (including the Aryan Brotherhood and the Mexican Mafia) operate across the United States.[1]
According to David Skarbek in his 2014 book, powerful prison gangs can even "govern the outside":[3]
Powerful prison gangs can “tax” drug dealers on the street because drug dealers [expect to go to prison], have high [re-offending] rates, and recognize prison gangs’ power. Because prison gangs can tax drug dealers on the street, they have incentives to provide governance to the drug market. Three important types of governance [that prison gangs give drug dealers] are protection of property rights, enforcement of agreements, and adjudication of disputes.
According to a 2022 article by David Pyrooz, about 15% of prisoners in the United States belong to a prison gang.[4] Pyrooz wrote that research says people join and quit prison gangs while incarcerated.[4]
England
Prison gangs are a major cause of violence in English prisons, according to a 2024 BBC article.[5]
At just one London prison called HMP Isis, there are around 600 inmates and 136 active gangs in the prison, according to a recent Independent Monitoring Board report.[5] The report estimated that half of all inmates were part of a gang.[5]
These gangs include "postcode gangs" (who rule over a specific territory), drug gangs, and religious gangs.[5]
Latin America
In a 2024 article, the New York Times declared: "In Latin America, Guards Don't Control Prisoners, Gangs Do."[6]
As of 2025, El Salvador has imprisoned thousands of suspected gang members in a mega-prison called the Center for Terrorism Confinement (CECOT).[7] CECOT is the largest prison in the Americas: it can hold 40,000 prisoners.[7] Inmates are not allowed visitation, recreation, or education programs.[7]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Prison gangs in the United States | Research Starters | EBSCO Research". EBSCO. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
- ↑ "Prison Gangs: Inmates Battle for Control | Office of Justice Programs". www.ojp.gov. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
- ↑ Skarbek, David (2014-07-01). The Social Order of the Underworld: How Prison Gangs Govern the American Penal System. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199328499.003.0006. ISBN 978-0-19-932849-9.
- 1 2 Pyrooz, David C. (January 2022). "The Prison and the Gang". Crime and Justice. 51: 237–306. doi:10.1086/720944. ISSN 0192-3234.
- 1 2 3 4 "Prison gangs: 'I've chopped people, attacked staff, hidden drugs'". www.bbc.com. 2024-10-15. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
- ↑ "In Latin America, Guards Don't Control Prisons, Gangs Do (Published 2024)". 2024-02-21. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
- 1 2 3 Rios, Michael (2025-03-17). "What we know about El Salvador's 'mega prison' where Trump is sending alleged Venezuelan gang members". CNN. Retrieved 2025-10-05.