Organizational Structure Of The Aryan Brotherhood (AB)

Introduction A gang is an organized group of close individuals who in most cases are friends or even family members with an established leadership structure. Gang engages in organized crimes claiming ownership over a territory. The Aryan Brotherhood (AB), is the white supremacist prison and street gang and a national organized crime performing syndicate. The AB was founded in 1964 by Irish bikers to provide protection for white inmates in prisons, it is currently the deadliest and largest prison gang in the United States. The estimated number of its members on the streets and in the prison is 20,000 and are guided by their belief strong brotherhood bond of vengeance, not afraid to die for a brother. The AB participate in armed robberies,

The symbols used include; the initials AB, shamrock clover leaf, the number 666, heil Hitler symbol (HH), Swastikas and double lightning bolts. The Aryan brotherhood from different states may include the name of the states they come from in their symbols. Letters separated by happy faces is also a common sign used by the Brotherhood.

Coded Messages They use coded symbols to communicate to each other ensuring that nonmembers do not get the message intended only for the gang members. They also use Gaelic symbols to communicate. The organized form of communication has enabled them execute crimes in prison and even from the isolation units of Pelican Bay, making them the most notorious gangs in both state and federal prisons. Most members in prison use codes and hand language together with binary alphabet system which is over 400 years old in writing encrypted words that are concealed in the prison.

Formation of Allies

• Established a network in working with the Mexican Mafia

• Formed an alliance with few black groups to deal drugs to black prisoners and in union during prison

Established Source of Finance The AB has an organized structure for sourcing funds for their upkeep. Their finances mostly come from drug trafficking and sale, murder for hire, extortion and inmate prostitution.

Compartmentalized Levels The brotherhood has both the lower and the higher level members, both with specialized functions in the gang. The low levels classification varies from prison to prison. In the Arizona jail system, the gang members are called kindred, who are then organized into families. An overall council takes charge of the families. The Kindred recruits new members. The new recruits are known as the progeny. The kindred then mentor the new recruits (Holthouse, 2005).

Crimes conducted by the Aryan Brotherhood

Prison Murders The AB organization prisoners make up less than 1% of the US inmates population, they were responsible for over 18% of all prison murders that were recorded.

Identity Theft The brotherhood is highly involved in identity theft outside prison, making them imposters and committing crimes with fake identities which lead arrest of innocent citizens (Coverson,