The Black Guerrilla Family (BGF) prison gang is one of the most politically revolutionary prison and street gangs in the United States. It has evolved into a highly sophisticated criminal enterprise that not only controls criminal activities inside prison walls but also controls street gangs operating outside prison walls. It is one of the most violent, federal racketeering enterprises in the United States. This entry reviews the background, evolution, and philosophy of the BGF.

Background

The BGF emerged in 1966 at San Quentin State Prison in California. The BGF’s founder, George Jackson, organized the gang as a show of opposition to the prison’s injustice toward Black inmates and as an effort to provide protection for Black inmates from other prison gangs such as the Aryan Brotherhood. He ...

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