Aryan Brotherhood FBI Files, California & Federal Documents

Description

The Aryan Brotherhood: A Violent Prison History

Pre-1960s:

• Racial Segregation in US Prison Systems: Most prison systems in the United States were racially segregated.

1960s:

• Formation of the Aryan Brotherhood (AB): Believed to have been formed in California’s San Quentin State Prison by Irish bikers in response to prison desegregation.

1970s:

• 1974 – California State Legislature Hearing on Gang Violence: A 161-page hearing titled “Gang Violence in California’s Penal Institutions” takes place before the California State Legislature. This hearing largely covers the Aryan Brotherhood, Black Guerrilla Family, Mexican Mafia, and Nuestra Familia.
• Context of 1974 Hearing: Dennis Carpenter, Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Civil Disorder, states that penal institutions are “experiencing probably the worst siege of violence in their history,” with over sixty fatalities (including six prison staff) and more than three hundred stabbings in the preceding two years. The majority of these incidents are attributed to four major prison gangs and outside revolutionary groups.

1980s:

• 1982-1989 – FBI Investigation of the Aryan Brotherhood: The FBI investigates the California prison gang known as the Aryan Brotherhood.
• August 9, 1982 – FBI Opens Racketeering Investigation: The FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office opens a racketeering enterprise investigation into the Aryan Brotherhood.
• 1985 – “Prison Gangs their Extent, Nature, and Impact on Prisons” Report Published: The Criminal Justice Institute publishes a comprehensive 278-page report, including significant material related to the Aryan Brotherhood.
• 1989 – FBI Case Closed (Declined Prosecution): The FBI’s racketeering investigation into the Aryan Brotherhood is closed when the U.S. Attorney, Los Angeles, declines prosecution.

2000s:

• 2002 – Federal RICO Case Filings: Federal court documents indicate that RICO (Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organization) case status was sought against Aryan Brotherhood defendants.
• 2009 – California Department of Justice Report: A report published by California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Investigation and Intelligence characterizes the Aryan Brotherhood as one of the largest white prison gangs in California, “Both well-organized and recognized for its violent propensities,” and controlling “the entire white inmate population inside California institutions” despite relatively low membership.

2010s:

• 2019 – Federal RICO Case Filings: Federal court documents indicate that RICO case status was again sought against Aryan Brotherhood defendants.

Cast of Characters

• Dennis Carpenter:
• Bio: Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Civil Disorder, who stated in 1974 that California’s penal institutions were experiencing “probably the worst siege of violence in their history,” largely due to the activities of major prison gangs like the Aryan Brotherhood.
• U.S. Attorney, Los Angeles:
• Bio: The federal prosecutor who, in 1989, declined prosecution in the FBI’s racketeering enterprise investigation into the Aryan Brotherhood, leading to the closure of the case.
• Irish Bikers (Unspecified Individuals):
• Bio: Alleged founders of the Aryan Brotherhood in California’s San Quentin State Prison in the 1960s, formed in response to prison desegregation.
• Members of the Aryan Brotherhood (Unspecified Individuals):
• Bio: Individuals comprising the violent white supremacist prison gang known as The Brand, Alice Baker, AB, or One-Two. They are alleged to be responsible for numerous attacks and murders of inmates and correctional officers, involved in drug trafficking, and are the subject of multiple state and federal investigations and court cases.
• Inmates (General):
• Bio: Individuals incarcerated within the California and federal penal systems, often victims of violence perpetrated by prison gangs, including the Aryan Brotherhood.
• Correctional Officers / Prison Staff (General):
• Bio: Personnel working within the penal institutions, who have been victims of violence, including murder, perpetrated by prison gangs. Six staff members were killed in the two years prior to the 1974 hearing.

Aryan Brotherhood FBI Files, California & Federal Documents

1,469 pages of Aryan Brotherhood FBI Files, California, and Federal Documents.

The Aryan Brotherhood is a violent white supremacist group allegedly responsible for numerous attacks and murders of inmates and correctional officers throughout the federal and state penal system.

Also known as The Brand, Alice Baker, AB or One-Two, The Anti-Defamation League calls it the “oldest and most notorious racist prison gang in the United States.”

In the United States most prison systems were racially segregated until the 1960s. It is believed that the Aryan Brotherhood was formed in California’s San Quentin State Prison by Irish bikers in response to prison desegregation.

In a report published in 2009 by California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Investigation and Intelligence, the Aryan Brotherhood (AB) is characterized as one of the largest white prison gangs within the California prisons and is “Both well-organized and recognized for its violent propensities… Although the AB’s membership is relatively low, they control the entire white inmate population inside California institutions.”

Collection Contents:

FBI Files

156 pages of FBI files copied from FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C., covering the Aryan Brotherhood. The files show that from 1982-1989, the FBI investigated the California prison gang known as the Aryan Brotherhood. On August 9, 1982, the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office opened a racketeering enterprise investigation into the gang. The case was closed in 1989, when the U.S. Attorney, Los Angeles, declined prosecution.

The files cover the history of the Aryan Brotherhood, its operating practices, involvement in drug trafficking and murders, and the politics between various prison gangs.

State of California Reports

445-pages, in 8 reports covering prison gangs and the Aryan Brotherhood, produced by agencies of the State of California. A highlight is a 161-page report of a 1974 hearing before the California State Legislature titled, “Gang Violence in California’s Penal Institutions.” It largely covers the Aryan Brotherhood, Black Guerrilla Family, Mexican Mafia, and Nuestra Familia.

In the introduction Dennis Carpenter, Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Civil Disorder states, “Our penal institutions are now experiencing probably the worst siege of violence in their history. In the past two years we’ve had over sixty fatalities including six prison staff members and more than three hundred stabbings. Indications are that there are problems, violent problems that we think deserve our examination. According to prison authorities, some of whom we will here from today, the majority of these incidents are the result of activities perpetrated by four major gangs within the prison and gang members outside the prison and other revolutionary groups concentrating on the recruitment of inmates for radical purposes.”

Federal Court Documents

320 pages of court documents from high profile Federal cases involving members of the Aryan Brotherhood. These affidavits and indictments give narratives of the history and methods of the organization. A highlight are two sets of paperwork, one from 2002 and one from 2019 seeking RICO (Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organization) case status against Aryan Brotherhood defendants.
 
Federal Reports

270 pages of reports from Federal agencies covering prison gangs in whole and the Aryan Brotherhood in part.

Prison Gangs their Extent, Nature, and Impact on Prisons (1985)

A 278-page comprehensive report titled, “Prison Gangs their Extent, Nature, and Impact on Prisons,” published in 1985 by the Criminal Justice Institute. Includes much material rated to the Aryan Brotherhood.