24/7 Wall St. Key Takeaways:

• In many prisons, gangs dominate internal life. Often, they operate under strict codes of conduct and foster a culture of fear. 
• Despite constant pressure from the prison staff, gangs continue to thrive in many American prisons today. 
• Also, read “The Next NVIDIA.”

Prison gangs might operate behind bars in America, but they are some of the most dangerous groups around. These gangs wield significant power and often control criminal activities inside the prison system. 

While gangs do differ from each other, many are very violent and have learned to manipulate the prison system to their advantage. Below, we’ll go over some of the most feared prison gangs in the United States:

Why Are We Covering This?

Prison gangs have actually been the topic of several economic studies. Why prison gangs form and how they allocate resources is a must-know topic for those in charge of managing prisons and an interesting topic of study for economists, too. 

We’ve also covered some of America’s most infamous criminal gangs outside of prison, too. 

1. Aryan Brotherhood

This white supremacist gang is particularly known for its violent extortion, drug trafficking, and murder. 

2. Mexican Mafia

A dominant Latino gang in California prisons with ties to street gangs and organized crime.

3. Black Guerrilla Family

This Marxist-Leninist gang primarily tries to disrupt the prison system. Often, this results in violent uprisings. 

4. MS-13

A ruthless international gang with roots in El Salvador, known for extreme violence and recruitment of younger members.

5. Bloods

A highly organized gang that controls huge networks of activities both inside and outside prisons. They may not primarily be a prison gang, but they operate heavily inside prisons. 

6. Crips

Just about everyone has heard of the Crips, too. They’re another notorious gang that’s known for street-level violence. Often, they are competitors to the Bloods. 

7. 18th Street Gang

A violent Latino gang involved in drug trafficking, human smuggling, and violent assaults.

8. The Nation of Islam

Originally, this gang was a religious movement. However, this gang has risen to be a prominent prison gang in the US. It’s known for both its organized structure and ability to manipulate prison hierarchies.

9. Hells Angels

While traditionally a motorcycle club, the Hells Angels have a criminal presence in many U.S. prisons, known for their violent retaliation and drug trafficking.

10. Pagans Motorcycle Club

This violent outlaw motorcycle club is often associated with drug trafficking and violent crime within the prison system.

11. Vice Lords

This is one of the oldest and most influential prison gangs in America. They’re involved in just about every illegal activity, ranging from drugs to arms trafficking. 

12. Latin Kings

A national Latino gang that engages in drug trade, violence, and other illegal activities in prison.

13. The Black P. Stones

This is a faction of the larger Gangster Disciples gang. It’s a violent street and prison gang that engages in many illicit trades. 

14. The Five Percent Nation

Known for its philosophical teachings, it has become an influential gang inside the prison system, engaging in violent acts when necessary to protect its members. However, they aren’t known for being quite as violent as other gangs on this list. 

15. White Knights

This white supremacist group has strong ties to the prison system, though they are seen outside of the system as well. They’re notorious for their race-based violence. 

16. Nuestra Familia

A California-based Latino gang that is highly involved in narcotics trafficking, murder, and prison violence.

17. The New Black Panther Party

While a political movement on the outside, inside prison, it has evolved into a group with significant control over prison activities, often engaged in conflict with other gangs. While politics are involved inside the prison, it is not the primary function of the gang. 

18. The Aryan Circle

This violent white supremacist gang takes part in many types of illegal activities, ranging from drug trafficking to extortion. They’re also known for their violent attacks on both inmates and correction officers. 

19. Insane Clown Posee

Despite their interesting name, this gang is known for violent behaviors and criminal activities inside and outside prisons. They got their name from the music group Insane Clown Posse but have evolved far past just being interested in music. 

20. Black Disciples Nation

A splinter group of the Black Disciples that is known for committing violent acts on both inmates and correctional officers. As you might guess, they are primarily an African-American gang. 

21. Gotti Crew

Named after the infamous Gambino crime family leader, this group is involved in organized crime activities like racketeering, extortion, and drug trafficking. They’re very active inside prison, though they’re found outside, too. 

22. The Zulu Nation

Known for their violent rivalry with the Bloods and Crips, they control parts of the prison’s illegal economy and are involved in street-level drug trafficking. While primarily a drug-based gang, they participate in violence to protect their trade. 

25. The Klan

While a broader white supremacy movement, within prisons, Klan groups are still active, spreading their hateful ideology through violence and control over inmates. This group is surprisingly common inside and outside the prison system. 

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