But protection remains an important factor．When a new inmate enters the prison system he is challenged to a fight，according to a Texas state-pen prisoner．The outcome determines who can fight，who will be extorted for protection money and who will become a servant to other prisoners．Those who can’t ioin a gang or afford to spend$5 a week in commissary items for protection are destined to be servants．Godwin explains，“The environment is set up SO that when you put that many people with anti-social behavior and criminal history together，someone the prey,and that is reality．”
The Texas inmate describes a system in which gangs often recruit like fraternities，targeting short-term inmates because they can help the gang-pay them back，SOto speak-when they leave prison for the free world．Most of the groups thrive onlifelong membership，according to the Florida DC，with“blood in．blood out”oathsextending leadership and membership beyond the prison into the lucrative drugtrade，extortion and pressure rackets．
Prison gangs operating in Texas and Florida include Neta，the Texas Syndicate，the Aztecs，the Mexican Mafia，the New Black Panthers，the Black GuerrillaFamily，Mandingo Warriors，Aryan Brotherhood，La Nuestra Familia，the AryanCircle and the White Knight．Some of these gangs have alliances，and some aremortal enemies，Many on this list originated in California over the decades，someof them(such as the Texas Syndicate)to protect members from the other gangs．In addition，street gangs such as the Crips and Bloods and traditional racial．hategroups such as the Ku Klux Klan also operate in prisons．
What prisoners may not realize is that because the gangs are monitored by prisonauthorities the law-enforcement community is becoming very sophisticated aboutthe gangs．“Sixty percent of what we learn about what is going on in the city streetsof Florida is garnered in prison and not from observing the streets，”says Godwin．Prison officials say they concentrate on inmate behavior to identify gang members．
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