Thursday, November 27, 2008

Trouble in the Nevada State Prison System

Many prisons throughout the country are famous for being dangerous, violent places, Newark, Huntsville, San Quentin, to name a few. But this is the first glimpse I've had into the frightening world of Nevada State Prisons.

The Las Vegas Sun reported a couple months ago on the dramatic situation of the leader of the Aryan Warriors.

Daniel Joseph Egan, also known as "Dano," was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kent J. Dawson to over 16 years in prison for ordering violent prison assaults of two men in order to enhance his position in the gang, U.S. Attorney Greg Brower of Nevada said.
Egan admitted he'd stabbed another inmate in order to join the Aryan Warriors. He then rose to lead the movement from within the prison.

Today the Las Vegas Sun reports on the sentencing of Kory Allen Crossman, who goes by the nickname “Lobes.” He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kent J. Dawson to 140 months in prison and five years of supervised release.

In August 2005, investigators said Crossman sold 3 ounces of meth to an undercover informant for $2,200. The next month he sold 7 ounces of meth to the same undercover informant for $3,900.
Crossman had come in contact with the gang in prison while serving time between 2001 and 2005. Upon his release he became the gang's manufacturer and supplier of methamphetamine.

Authorities said members of the Aryan Warriors gang, made up of white men, distribute narcotics, extort money from people through threats and violence, run illegal gambling operations and assault other inmates. The organization, which operates in Las Vegas and elsewhere in the state, wants to control the Nevada prison system.

Wikipedia offers a pretty interesting article on the etymology of the word Aryan.

To me these seem like fairly heavy sentences. I'm sure that will come as no surprise to anyone. What I mean is, if for selling drugs and for doing violence in prison we're already talking about time like this, 11 years and 16 years, no wonder we hand out life sentences so easily. And, is there any possibility at all that a guy like Crossman will improve during his long incarceration? There's got to be a better way, don't you think?

And what is it with these white supremacists and methamphetamine? Is that something unique to them or is everyone into that drug these days? I'm afraid I'm definitely out of that loop, and glad of it.

Please feel free to leave a comment.

1 comment:

  1. And what is it with these white supremacists and methamphetamine? Is that something unique to them or is everyone into that drug these days?

    it's not unique to white supremacists exactly, but it seems to be the white-trash drug of choice for some reason. meth abusers tend to be caucasian, rural, poor, usually unemployed or underemployed to begin with --- once they get thoroughly addicted, of course, meth renders them unable to hold a job.

    meth is the drug of the trailer parks, backwoods towns, and mountain villages; it just so happens that most white supremacists also stem from such backgrounds.

    (said he, white-skinned young man living in a backwoods town on less of a paycheck than he could use... although, since i do have a full-time job for a good deal more than minimum wage --- white collar, no less --- i'm more into the marijuana demographic myself, i think. never tried that either, though.)

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