Aryan Brotherhood

The Aryan Brotherhood originated on the West Coast during the 1960s, specifically in 1967 in the San Quentin State Prison, California Department of Corrections. The Brotherhood, which has members in prisons throughout the United States, exhibits an intense hatred of Jews and blacks, including members of black gangs such as the Crips, Bloods, and Black Guerrilla Family (BGF). Members are recognized by identifiers and symbols such as the shamrock clover leaf, the initials “AB,” swastikas, double lightning bolts, and the numbers “666.” Membership in the Aryan Brotherhood has traditionally come from white male inmates. A lifelong allegiance is a requirement, and a significant act of violence is commonly required before membership is earned. The Brotherhood has ties to the Aryan Nations, an Idaho-based paramilitary organization ...