Inmates’ defense wraps up

Smuggling drugs, operating gambling rings, orchestrating assaults, wearing lightning bolt tattoos and closing letters with the phrase, "love and respect," these things are common to inmates across the United States, a prison gang expert testified Monday.

Some prisoners are gang members, others are not, said Daniel Vasquez, a former warden of California's San Quentin State Prison. He testified Monday in federal court on behalf of defendants accused of engaging in a criminal enterprise as members of a white supremacist prison gang.

As the defense wrapped up, Vasquez cast doubt on whether the Aryan Warriors are different from any other gang simply because they assaulted fellow inmates, corrupted guards, sported their "bolts" tattoos, smuggled and sold drugs, and made money by gambling.

Federal prosecutors contend the Aryan Warriors are different from other prison gangs because they are a criminal enterprise that sought control of prison yards.

Defense attorneys have rejected the government's contention that the Aryan Warriors conspired to commit crimes. Instead, they argued that any crime committed was done by individuals in the gang, not the gang itself.

Vasquez, now a corrections consultant, said it is routine for inmates to have a code of conduct and for gangs to have manifestos. Dating back to the 1960s, inmates have followed a code of conduct that includes going after child molesters, rapists and snitches, he said.

"It's generally across the board," he said. "You don't have to be part of the gang to enforce it. It throws up a shield of protection. If you are doing something untoward, for example, you don't want snitches around to turn you in."

Vasquez said it is also not uncommon for gang members to discipline disloyal members. Like the Aryan Warriors, gang members Vasquez has studied since 1972 also write to family and friends using code words "because they want to conceal their criminal activity."

When prosecutors presented their case, they showed several letters to jurors that closed with "love and respect." Jurors were told that was the Aryan Warriors' way of signing off. But Vasquez said many inmates, whether or not they are affiliated with a gang, sign letters that way.

"Inmates use it in letters; it kind of means sincerely," Vasquez said.

Several gangs, some white, some Hispanic and others black, also require members to perform "blood work," or the assault of another prisoner, in order to reach a higher status in the gang. The practice is not specific to the Aryan Warriors, he said.

Prosecutors have contended that the Aryan Warriors are a white supremacist gang. Vasquez indicated the "home-grown" Nevada gang would more accurately be categorized as "peckerwoods."

White supremacists will not associate with inmates of color and will commit violent acts against them, he explained.

"A peckerwood is a white inmate who comes out of a ghetto area; all they know is criminal activity," Vasquez said. "They may have tattoos of lightning bolts or swastikas, but they're not racist. They just sort of get along with everybody. They're not a threat."

These types of white inmates socialize, gamble and deal drugs with inmates of different races.

"The only color you're concerned about is the color of money, green," Vasquez said.

Contact reporter Adrienne Packer at apacker@reviewjournal.com or 702-384-8710.