10 Most BRUTAL Prison Gangs in America
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at the most feared, violent, and notorious criminal organizations to emerge from behind American prison walls.
United Blood Nation (1993–present)
The United Blood Nation doesn't take kindly to people falsely claiming membership. Founded at Rikers Island in 1993, UBN developed a rigid hierarchy governed by 31 rules known as “The 31.” Members pay dues, follow a militaristic ranking system, and can face violent punishments for breaking the rules. Federal prosecutors revealed how deadly their discipline could be. In 2013, UBN members murdered Kwamne Clyburn for “false claiming” to be a Blood. He failed a “DNA check," meaning he failed to verify his gang credentials. Other members have been convicted of murders committed to further the gang's power. A massive 2017 federal investigation charged 83 alleged members with racketeering and crimes including murder, attempted murder, robbery, and drug trafficking.
211 Crew (1995–present)
The 211 Crew started with a beating and, strangely enough, a bluff. In 1995, white inmate Benjamin Davis reportedly created the gang in Denver County Jail after suffering a severe beating from a Black prisoner. Initially, he hoped pretending an organized white gang existed would protect him from further attacks. But the lie took on a life of its own. The 211 Crew developed into a white-supremacist prison gang whose members have been linked to assault, murder, robbery, and drug trafficking. Its most infamous member, Evan Ebel, went on a murderous rampage in March 2013. He killed delivery driver Nathan Leon before murdering Colorado corrections director Tom Clements. Ebel fled Colorado and ultimately died following a shootout with police in Texas.
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Texas Syndicate (c. 1970s–present)
Despite the moniker, the Texas Syndicate was born hundreds of miles from Texas. Mexican-American inmates formed the gang in California prisons during the 1970s, seeking protection from established prison gangs. Members eventually brought the organization into Texas, where a vicious struggle erupted with the Texas Mexican Mafia. Their war helped fuel roughly 60 prison-gang-related homicides in 1984 and 1985. One particularly bloody episode came on September 8, 1985. During what became known as “Bloody Sunday,” two Syndicate members fatally stabbed three Texas Mexican Mafia members at the Darrington Unit. The violence had become so severe that Texas established a special prison prosecution unit in 1984 to combat escalating gang activity.
Aryan Circle (1985–present)
William “Big Head” Chunn became one of the Aryan Circle’s most powerful and violent leaders. Founded by Mark “Cowboy” Gaspard in the Texas prison system in 1985, the white-supremacist gang grew substantially during the 1990s. Chunn eventually became one of its five highest-ranking national leaders. Federal prosecutors say he ordered stabbings of rival gang members and people suspected of cooperating with law enforcement. Fellow member Jesse Blankenship participated in an especially gruesome punishment: burning another member’s gang tattoo from his skin with a heated metal rod. The Circle eventually spread across several states and federal prisons. In 2022, Chunn was sentenced to life in prison for racketeering violations stemming from his leadership.
Black Guerrilla Family (1966–present)
Black Marxist revolutionaries founded the Black Guerrilla Family at San Quentin in 1966 with an audacious goal: overthrow the U.S. government. Led by George Jackson and other inmates, BGF combined revolutionary politics with opposition to racism. Then they turned to organized crime and spread across the country, particularly Maryland. Its power inside Baltimore's jail system was astonishing. BGF leader Tavon White directed correctional officers to smuggle drugs, cell phones, and other contraband into the Baltimore City Detention Center. He also fathered children with four correctional officers. A massive federal racketeering investigation exposed the corruption in 2013. Ultimately, 40 defendants were convicted, including 24 correctional officers. Two dozen guards ultimately became criminals themselves.
Dead Man Incorporated (c. 1990s–present)
Dead Man Incorporated essentially began as a criminal subcontractor. Founded in Maryland's prison system in the late 1990s, DMI was initially closely allied with the Black Guerrilla Family. It soon made itself available for hire to others. Its predominantly white membership didn't originally make it a white-supremacist organization. But rapid recruitment transformed DMI, and eventually fractured it. Members competed with one another as the gang's once-tight structure broke down. Meanwhile, DMI expanded into drug trafficking and other crimes. In 2011, federal prosecutors charged 22 alleged members and associates in a racketeering case involving murder and drugs. The hired muscle had become dangerous enough to warrant a federal takedown.
Barrio Azteca (1986–present)
Barrio Azteca turned the cycle of incarceration and deportation into a recruitment pipeline. Founded in the El Paso prison system in 1986, the gang expanded into Mexico as members were released or deported. By the early 2000s, it had established considerable power inside Chihuahua's prisons. But Barrio Azteca wasn't content to remain a prison gang. Beginning in the 2000s, it became an important ally of the Juárez Cartel, helping move drugs and people while acquiring weapons and vehicles. During the bloody battle for Ciudad Juárez, La Línea recruited Barrio Azteca members to fight the rival Sinaloa Cartel. In 2010, Barrio Azteca members murdered three people connected to the U.S. Consulate. The gang remains the target of federal prosecutions more than fifteen years later.
Nuestra Familia (1965–present)
Nuestra Familia leaders spent years greenlighting hits from the comfort of their cells. Formed in California during the 1960s, the organization became the bitter rival of the Mexican Mafia. Eventually, the Familia established influence over Norteño gangs throughout Northern California. In the face of their increasing violence, in 1997 federal investigators launched Operation Black Widow. They targeted Nuestra Familia's leadership and its ability to direct crimes from behind bars. Investigators uncovered an organization whose incarcerated leaders could direct drug trafficking, collect criminal proceeds, and order violence. The investigation eventually produced sweeping federal racketeering charges against the gang's leadership. In 2004, eight top-ranking members pleaded guilty to federal racketeering charges. Five agreed to life sentences after each admitted participating in at least two homicides.
Mexican Mafia a.k.a. La Eme (1957–present)
The Mexican Mafia has turned its fearsome reputation into a lucrative revenue stream. Formed at California's Deuel Vocational Institution in 1957, La Eme eventually established enormous influence over Southern California's Sureño gangs. Street-level criminals can be forced to surrender a portion of their proceeds, a practice known as “taxing.” Those who refuse can face deadly reprisals. La Eme can issue a “green light,” marking someone for violent death. Offenses range from refusing to pay taxes, cooperating with police, to disobeying gang orders. Incarcerated leaders use intermediaries to enforce their authority beyond prison. La Eme's business model is brutally simple: pay what you're told, or risk becoming an example.
Aryan Brotherhood (1964–present)
Formed by white inmates at San Quentin in 1964, the gang developed a reputation for extreme violence alongside its white-supremacist ideology. That reputation followed its leaders into maximum security. In 1997, Aryan Brotherhood associates armed with homemade knives attacked Black inmates at USP Lewisburg, killing two and severely wounding four others. The orders came from leaders Barry Mills and Tyler Bingham, imprisoned some 1,700 miles away at ADX Florence. Despite intense restrictions on their communications, Bingham managed to smuggle out the message. Federal prosecutors eventually targeted the Brotherhood's leadership in a massive 2002 racketeering case stemming from 16 murders and 16 attempted murders.
Which of these gangs do you think has had the most devastating impact behind bars and beyond? Let us know in the comments below.
