How US Prison Gangs (Nuestra Familia) Actually Work | How Crime Works

Insider・2 minutes read

Former Nuestra Familia gang member John Mendoza recounts his experiences in Northern California prisons, facing off against rival gangs, joining the NR, and transitioning to the NF with a lifetime commitment. He highlights the harsh realities of prison life, including conflicts, covert communication methods, corruption, and the importance of gang affiliations, but now focuses on helping at-risk youth through various platforms to prevent them from following a similar path.

Insights

  • Gang affiliations in prisons are marked by colors, symbols, and tattoos representing membership, with a focus on generating funds for leadership through various criminal activities, including drug investments and territorial expansion.
  • Despite internal conflicts and violence within gangs like Norteños and Sureños, inmates from different gangs can engage in friendly interactions, sharing items and setting aside gang politics to unite against the administration, potentially leading to uprisings within the facility.

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Recent questions

  • What is the structure of the Nuestra Familia gang?

    The Nuestra Familia gang consists of categories I, II, and III, with an inner council and general council making decisions.

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Summary

00:00

Former gang member details prison life.

  • John Mendoza, a former Nuestra Familia prison gang member, shares his experience as a category III regimental commander in Northern California.
  • In the early '90s, he faced off against Southern Mexicans, the Aryan Brotherhood, and the Nazi Lowriders in San Quentin and Pelican Bay.
  • Upon entering San Quentin in 1988, he was approached by NR members for a commitment, leading to a 90-day probationary period.
  • Joining the NR, he engaged in various tasks like security, holding weapons, and studying revolutionary literature.
  • Transitioning to the NF after five to six years, he underwent an induction process involving a lifetime commitment and loyalty tests.
  • The NF structure includes categories I, II, and III, with an inner council and general council making decisions.
  • In the SHU program, inmates are confined for 23 hours a day, with limited time for showers and yard time.
  • The SHU environment is tense, with constant surveillance and potential conflicts, requiring readiness at all times.
  • Weapons are hidden in various locations, including under sinks, in walls, and even moved through keistering.
  • In prison conflicts, like those with the Mexican Mafia and Aryan Brotherhood, inmates would fight on the yard, with COs sometimes betting on the outcomes.

12:28

Prison Gang Dynamics and Corruption Explained

  • In prison, inmates from different gangs can engage in friendly interactions, sharing items like toothpaste and books, playing chess, and avoiding unnecessary stress in the environment.
  • In certain situations, inmates may set aside their gang politics to unite against the administration, potentially leading to uprisings within the facility.
  • Corruption is prevalent in county jails, with instances of relationships between female officers and inmates leading to the smuggling of drugs and other contraband.
  • Cellphones are a significant issue in prisons, with corrupt correctional officers profiting by smuggling them in, enabling real-time communication for criminal activities.
  • Inmates use covert communication methods like Nahua, an Aztec language, to communicate discreetly in front of officers, with specific words having coded meanings.
  • Gang affiliations are marked by colors and symbols, with tattoos representing membership and honor within the organization, such as the Nuestra Familia insignia.
  • Gangs like the Nuestra Familia prioritize generating money for leadership, with funds often used for personal expenses, drug investments, and territorial expansion.
  • In prison, soups are a valuable currency, followed by items like weed, tobacco, and drugs, with white lightning being a high-priced commodity.
  • Violence and bloodshed are seen as a means to gain respect and elevate status within criminal organizations, with regimental structures and leadership roles facilitating criminal activities.
  • Despite a truce between rival gangs like Norteños and Sureños, internal dissent and violence persist, with older leaders reintroducing more violent tactics and causing internal strife within the gangs.

25:45

From Gangs to Redemption: A Troubled Journey

  • The speaker recounts a period of turmoil in their life, including the loss of their wife and mother, leading them to a dark place and contemplating pleading out before cooperating with law enforcement.
  • Despite denouncing their gang membership and agreeing to cooperate, the speaker avoided being a percipient witness and instead provided insights on gang operations, resulting in a reduced sentence of 16 years, eight months.
  • Reflecting on their past involvement in criminal activities, the speaker shares how their life spiraled out of control due to drug addiction, gang affiliations, and escalating criminal behavior, ultimately leading to multiple incarcerations.
  • The speaker now focuses on helping at-risk youth through their book "Nuestra Familia: A Broken Paradigm," YouTube channel "Paradigm Media News," and series "Inner Demons" and "War Stories," aiming to prevent young individuals from falling into a similar destructive lifestyle.
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