SALINAS VALLEY PRISON GANG WARS | GANG WARS INSIDE CALIFORNIA PRISON

The whites and southern Mexicans are peaceful. So on the fourth day, the prison allows inmates back outside. But as they head out, an alarm shrieks. It’s coming from C facility all the way down. California’s Selenus Valley State Prison is under a code 2 emergency, their second highest state of alert. Officers rush to sea block, but when they get there, it’s over.

 Two whites jump two southern Mexicans on the walkway outside their cells. They struck as soon as the cell doors opened. As the inmates walked to Seyard, it was the White’s best chance to retaliate for last week’s stabbing. Hey fam, what’s good, man? It’s your boy Eat the King and this is the Incarceration Podcast.

 Today, I’m doing a reaction video to Prison Gang Wars. And I believe once again, this is another classic National Geographic um documentary. I’m not sure what prison it’s at, but I know it’s in the California prison system. and they are documenting prison gang wars. So, let’s go ahead and check it out. Y’all >> be stabbed internally. >> Brown, who has just turned 21, [music] thinks he can handle this prison.

>> When I hit the yard, I know exactly what to do. I ask little questions here and there to see how this prison is ran. >> He talks [music] tough about what he will do and what he won’t. Can’t nobody dictate who you talk to and who you hang around with. That’s one thing they can’t do. Uh >> pretty much, >> but he’s a stranger here and doesn’t [music] know what lies ahead.

>> Shower shoes, which I’m going to put right here. >> I said, I never heard about this this prison exact, but I hope I hope I hope it’s all right. Man, I just can’t wait to get a sale and call it a day. >> I believe this is like 20 years old. isn’t heading to a cell. His new home has 120 dangerous inmates. >> Open door >> and it’s hovering on the brink of war.

>> Maybe Desert Valley. I’m not sure. >> Brown coming out. Two officers lead the new inmate to see facility of California’s Selenus Valley State Prison. >> Selena Valley. Selena’s Valley. I’m not sure. Things in the desert for real. >> Behind these walls, a race war between the southern Mexicans and whites is reaching a breaking point.

Chris Brown enters his dorm. Chris, what’s happening, homie? >> Once again, I always say, bro, not only going into prison, your first day is hectic and nerve-wracking enough, but imagine walking in your first day to your dorm, the prison compound with the freaking camera crew documenting you. It’s got to be crazy.

 How y’all feel about that, man? Drop it in the comments. What would you think if you were already in that dorm and you seen a new guy come in with a camera crew following him? >> Jumpsuit broadcasts that he’s new. >> Hey, I just came to visit that [ __ ] homie. >> He scans the sea of faces for one thing. Other blacks. >> Hey, where my where my where my people at, man? >> He knows that the safest place for him is with his own race. Straight this way.

>> Brown makes his way to the back corner and [clears throat] is assigned bunk. >> What’s happening? >> All right, I’m going to go ahead and cut it short real quick. Hey, so look, that right there is a bad move. You don’t ever want to be in prison your first day in the first dorm and being overly friendly.

 I’m not saying he’s being like dramatically overly friendly, but like saying what’s up to everybody and asking questions, that’s a no no. You know what I mean? When you ask too many questions, it kind of shows fear and uncertainty. And especially when you’re talking with multiple people, it’s like you’re overly friendly.

 You know what I mean? You kind of want to act like you know what’s going on and kind of stick to yourself, man. That’s normally the wisest best thing to do. If you think differently, man, let me know. He gets a mattress, one bag of personal belongings, and some sheets. But Brown didn’t expect to be sleeping with 119 other criminals. >> Man, I thought I was going to go to some sales, man.

>> His world is now reduced to the bottom bunk. >> Man, >> as he gets settled, other black inmates gather around him. >> Bakersfield, man. >> All right. strollers. >> With no bars to protect him, >> Brown knows his survival depends on these men. >> Bakersfield. >> With each introduction, Brown identifies himself by his gang, the Crips.

>> What’s up, homie? >> [ __ ] Stroller boy [ __ ] >> Bakersfield. Stroller boy [ __ ] Bakersfield. >> What’s happening, homie? Crib. Stroller boy crib. Bakersfield. Okay. >> At his last prison, Brown stuck with fellow gang members. But at Selenas, most inmates band together by race, not outside gang affiliations.

>> It’s only a few. It’s only like you make 13 people for the road. >> 13 blacks in here. >> The group of blacks who run with two different gangs on the streets would be rivals outside prison. >> What’s up, friends? >> But with the race war escalating, their safety depends on sticking together. Brown is quickly brought into the circle.

>> He gave you some pants already. >> No. Where them pants at? Where the pants? >> His bunkmate called a bunky loans him a regular uniform to help him blend in. >> Follow me over here. >> Inmates all around him are prepared for battle. walking down the aisles like >> they explain that the escalating war has all the groups on edge.

>> We don’t get to go to commissary. You don’t do nothing here. >> All right. So, I was mistaken. It’s not his first prison. He came from another prison. So, bro’s already accustomed to the system. And you can see he’s already like getting well acquainted, linking with everybody. And they’re just lacing them up, you know, with like the dorm and the prison politics.

 Every dorm, every prison can have different culture, different rules, different laws of the land. And they’re just lacing them up, you know what I mean? They’re just giving them the rundown about that compound and what’s going on in their dorm rules and all that so we can fly. Right. Go to the yard. We always yard down.

 We always got to be on our stomachs. >> Blacks really don’t be getting into since I’ve been here. They ain’t really been getting into it’s been like personal to >> it ain’t been no stab between the blacks and but the southsiders and the white boys is always, you know, stabbing or some [ __ ] like that going down. But right now they on lock down.

You know, somebody just got stabbed like 5 days ago. So, so they on lock down, >> man. It’s been like five of them, five last two weeks. >> That’s why >> it is more than Brown bargain for >> down, take a shower. >> He has one advantage. Most of the black inmates are assigned to the gym’s back corner. They’ve made this their main hangout, hoping that staying on the sidelines will help them avoid trouble.

 Their survival strategy in the midst of the escalating war. Ignore violence [music] between the whites and southern Mexicans. Mind >> your own business in here. If you get in that, hey yo, what’s going on? You know what I mean? Why are you guys fighting? Next thing you know, we got a problem. >> Seen that ditch that I do when I’m with it cuz every day we >> to stay safe.

 The blacks avoid the most dominant group, the southern Mexicans. This deadly gang has strict rules. among them. No one talks on camera. >> All right, that that left room for my next question. All right, so listen. If this was you going into the prison, whether you’ve been down or it’s your first day in prison, you’re going into this prison, whether whether you’ve been down or it’s your first day in prison and there’s a camera crew here and they want to follow you in with the camera.

What would you do? Would you be like, “All right, that’s cool. Y’all, you know, I’ll be a a quick, you know, five minute celebrity on National Geographic or whatever.” You know me. Yeah, for sure. Y’all can videotape me. Or would you be like, “Nah, like heck no. I’m not going to walk in the dorm with no camera and media team behind me.

” What would you do? What would you say? Would you be cool with it or nah? And why? >> A lot of people won’t talk to you because the repercussions of them speaking to you will be bodily harm. >> But one person will reveal their secrets. the inmate who used to command them. >> Some call me Cholo. I don’t go by that name anymore.

>> For a year and a half, Oscar Cristales was a CER general. He’s serving life for murder. >> I was kind of a CEO of CR. Uh being in charge of close to 250 people. I was on my way up. >> With each year behind bars, he rose in [music] rank. fighting his way to the top with stabbings and [music] assaults. But when southern Mexican leaders told him to have his middle school teacher killed, Cristales refused.

The southern Mexicans now have a hit out on him. >> I was blinded. And it took me many years to see that. Now he lives in protective custody, away from the gang life he knows so well. >> Everybody was required to get up at a certain time, 5:30. You can’t miss ciao. In case something happened, you were there.

 CR was run as a military camp. >> When it was time for war, the orders came from his cell block. The generals would send messages into the gym in forms of kites or notes. Um, they would be hidden in many places. They would be taken in and they would have to be read by the person who is the voice for the gym.

 They have to have someone there that takes the order and he passes it on to everybody else. >> And his soldiers had to obey. If someone was to say no, they would get stabbed. >> Cristala suspects today’s escalating war started because the whites broke southern Mexican rules. Every yard that it’s run by southerners, the whites have to abide by our rules.

 These are the consequences of people not bowing down to southerners. >> [music] >> We have the people. Um, we have the weapons. They’re just trying to show them who’s lost. >> That’s all I knew for a fact this ain’t supposed to be >> because obviously he’s on PC. He feels protected and he feels safe that he can talk to the media.

 And no offense to him. I’m just saying that I’m sure his motive and his intention of like speaking to the media. He’s probably just trying to get like eyes on his case, you know what I mean? and maybe his rehabilitation and his, you know, attempt of maybe overturning his case and being released back in society. That’s just my assumption.

>> Know the southern Mexican rules yet. >> That’s why I think a lot of people, >> but he’s become fast friends with convicted drug dealer Philip Vaughn, nicknamed Louisiana, >> he got some flicks. >> They crack jokes and goof off. >> Said, “Why? Who? What would he say? Why he take that Ferrari? Why he didn’t take that?” Then Louisiana offers to teach Brown how to avoid southern Mexican territory.

 Every square foot is segregated. >> These first the first the first death the first five 1 2 3 4 five is only ones we mess with. >> Okay. >> We don’t we don’t go the first five. The first five deaths. You know what I’m saying? You only mess with these right here. The rest of them know what I’m saying.

 Down at the remainder is the southsiders and the whites. You know what I’m saying? Excuse me. You know what I’m saying? Damn. Brown could be stabbed for using the wrong toilet. >> Okay, this right here, this is this is what I’m saying. The sinks we we brush your teeth, wash your face, you know what I mean? If it’s emergency, you need to use a two number two.

 That’s what it’s for. But we don’t we use number twos on all those right there. That whole row pit stools stools. Emergency, it could be this one. You know what I’m saying? Little sour area. You know what I’m saying? This this is one of ours right here. This one’s right here. And the other one up there is for the southern is for the southerners of white smoke. This is ours right here.

 This one. If nobody’s in line for that one, we can use that one. >> The most important rule, never walk through southern Mexican bunk areas. >> This other table right here. >> If Brown does, they’ll suspect he’s going to attack. >> We don’t walk straight through the day over here, man. It’s just cut off right here.

 When you come through from over here, cut through right here. We got state area. This is us right here, man. >> And there is one place that terrifies Louisiana. It’s right here. >> All these hours. >> He refuses to go outside. >> That’s a yard. That’s our yard right there. That’s yard we go through. I don’t That’s our yard right there. That’s the one yard.

 This is two yard right here. You know what I’m saying? You feel me? N I’m good, man. >> The brewing war could silence on the yard, forcing Louisiana to fight. If he does, the prison will add 3 months to his sentence. Back at his bunk, Brown admits he’s overwhelmed by living with 119 inmates all around him. >> I was counting on going to sales.

>> Sales is cool. You ain’t got to, you know, mess with the different folks, you know, just one person. >> But there is one thing Louisiana failed to tell him. >> Brown has to be careful within his own race as well. [laughter] Like all gangs, the black inmates have a hierarchy. >> Louisiana is near the bottom.

>> Brown’s bunkmate, Tico Mack, who goes by Holiday, >> is at the top. And he doesn’t approve of Brown’s new friend. >> Buddy now, he going to pretty much follow you anywhere he’s stuck and try to warn you. Hey, hey, hey, hey. I’m going to tell you something like this, my guy.

 I know how to get rid of him cuz I’m already knowing who’s solid and who, you know what I mean? Mhm. >> I’m going to get at you with that situation. >> You know, >> huh? >> You know >> who? >> Dude, >> no. >> But I’m going to let you know, you know. >> Best friends. >> Best friends. >> Boom. Perfect example about being too friendly, especially your first day in there cuz that’s when like you don’t know who’s who.

 You know what I mean? You don’t know who’s like people’s reputation are. And a lot of times like he mentioned the other guy who he doesn’t like is like the bottom of the totem pole may have a bad reputation or whatever. Normally guys who are ostracized like that they look forward to new people coming in because the new people coming in don’t know their bad reputation.

 You know what I mean? So that’s why it’s a bad look your first day coming in. If you’re being friendly and you’re willing to talk to anybody, you don’t even know who you’re talking to. And immediately you’re guilty by association. You know what I mean? So that’s just psychological prison warfare and prison politics. Man, >> who’s serving seven years for armed assault lets Brown know he has ways of getting rid of black inmates he doesn’t like.

>> You notice my other monkey is gone, right? >> Huh? You guys notice he’s missing. He’s in the hole now for nothing. >> Oh man, this place is messed up, man. >> Already. >> Brown finally realizes just how dangerous his new home is. >> This This is it. That’s all I It’s all I got to look for until I get out. That’s about it, man.

Hopefully everything will go good. Maybe he’s thinking right now like, “Dang, I shouldn’t have came here with a camera on >> or he don’t care.” >> Outside Cym, the yard is empty. The inmates are kept inside for 3 days. The whites and southern Mexicans are peaceful. So on the fourth day, the prison allows inmates back outside.

But as they head out, an alarm shrieks. It’s coming from C facility >> all the way down. >> California’s Selenas Valley State Prison is under a code 2 emergency. Their second highest state of alert. Officers rush to sea block, but when they get there, it’s over. Two whites jumped two southern Mexicans on the walkway outside their cells.

 They struck as soon as the cell doors opened as the inmates walked to Seyard. It was the White’s best chance to retaliate for last week’s stabbing. Take this blood on top. >> White generals are sending a clear message about prison dog. all the lockdowns and especially when there’s like a you know some type of like gang war and just static going on on the compound like you’ll be on lockdown for a week couple days the moment the moment you come off lockdown immediate lockdown again bro until it gets resolved I remember one time we were on lockdown

for like a week and then they had let us off lockdown this is at jit camp years ago and we all had a march to the front and the um warden had like all the dorms out there and the warden was giving a speech Now remember during the speech, one of the comics was sliding through the crowd and bam bam bam wet up a guy in the middle of the warden speech laid everybody down.

 People getting sprayed locked down again. They will fight at any opportunity. It means Selenus Valley State Prison has a race war on its hands. The officers now know that recent violence between the two races was all interconnected. The past few weeks, we’ve had some uh major issues going on with between these two races in the prison system.

 The whites and the some of the Mexicans, they’ve been having they’ve been assaulting each other, and this is what led up to today. To stop the attacks, officers put C facility on lockdown. Inmates are confined to their cells and bunks 22 hours a day. But the isolation won’t stop two waring gangs. In fact, gangs often instigate lockdown on purpose to plot their next move.

>> We go on lockdown whenever we want. We have control of everything that happens in the prison except the gates. Restricted to their cells, the whites and southern Mexicans have time to make weapons, turning everyday items into knives and shanks. And they’ll find ways to communicate their battle plans.

 If everybody’s on lockdown, they will pay people. They pay them off with dope money to get a message to wherever they need to get to. >> All the foot soldiers can do is wait for orders. Prison is just it’s it’s two things. It’s boring and it’s terrifying. [music] Boring because nothing ever happens and terrifying cuz anything can happen.

[music] The war makes new inmate Chris Brown nervous. He’s struggling to adjust, something he’ll only discuss out of earshot from the other inmates. When I walked into the gym for the first time, I thought it was going to be pretty cool. You know what I mean? You know, so I thought it was going to be lovely.

 And that, man, everything changed from there. >> Lockdown traps Brown in his bunk area. He leaves only for three meals and one shower a day. >> This week been hard, man. All you do is sleep, read. It ain’t it ain’t really been good. >> Brown won’t go into specifics about the war. If he’s learned one thing, it’s that discussing gang politics is strictly off limits.

>> What goes on the yard stays on the yard. You know what I mean? And uh that’s how it is here. That’s how it is in prison. >> His revelations came at a high price. In his short time here, [music] he’s already made a terrible mistake. >> I did a little something I shouldn’t have did already.

 you know what I mean? Walked in a different in the in the Southsiders area on accident, you know, and uh my people talked to me about that. >> Black inmates had to apologize to the southern Mexicans. >> For the black group, which is trying to lay low, it was unwanted attention. >> He won’t make that mistake again. You know what I mean? He’s a grown man.

 He’s not going to keep just deliberatelying up. >> Let’s go. If Brown messes up again, his own race could turn on him. Just a few days ago, they suddenly forced out one of their own. Louisiana is gone. The other black inmates scared him so much he asked to be put in protective custody.

 The ultimate shame in other inmates eyes. He refuses to come out of his cell. And Holiday won’t say exactly what happened. Louisiana had several passes and several opportunities to be a man. He couldn’t step up to the plate, so he had to go. Plain and simple. >> Holiday wants his fellow blacks to take their surroundings seriously. >> You got anything to say on that, man? I got >> especially in the midst of a war >> here. It’s not really funny in here.

 We might we might crack a joke and everyone laughs, but far as walking around giggling like idiot, you can’t do that, man. You see, something’s going to happen to you. Something I’mma leave. I’m stop right there. Yeah, I’m going to stop right there. Get that head crack wide open. >> Brown says he’s ready to fight.

>> We got to stick together. That’s what we got to do. If it if it’s three of us, if it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen. But we soldiers, man. We going to go all out, right? You know what I mean? >> But the soldiers of C Jim are up against another powerful group, the prison’s gang investigation unit.

>> So you know who’s who. >> Officer Renoso gave them a lead that may >> here. Man, I say this all the time, bro. Um, in Florida, I mean, of course, you got some racial boundaries. Uh, but that’s more so based upon like the gangs that are racial for the most part, bro. In the state of Florida, it’s all ran by gangs.

 But I know that some states and from what I hear, I’ve never done time in California. But from what I hear, what I see on YouTube, from story of of other comics that I know who did time in California, I know it can be very predominantly race-based. So, if you did time in California, man, go ahead and let me know in the comments. Is this still like that today where everything is pretty much ran and segregated by race or is it more so with gangs? You know what I mean? Put it in the comments. Let me know.

 Once again, my name is I the King. This is the Incarceration Podcast. If you don’t know, I am a rapper. You can hear my music wherever you listen to your music at the King. Go to my other YouTube channel. Check out my music videos. Eat the King. Check out the full episode playlist on this channel for more fire content.

 And once again, bro, like on this channel, I try not to glorify like, you know, the the negativity that takes place in prison. But what I try to do, and I’m intentional about doing is sharing the full side of the experience of incarceration. And sadly, a lot of times predominantly, it can be negative. But if you don’t know my story, man, throughout my 12 years of incarceration in prison, that’s where my life was forever changed for the better.

 Through faith in Christ Jesus, the Lord radically transformed my life. And in the most chaotic, devastating hell situations, man, that’s where I encountered Jesus the most and forever transformed my life. But also too, on this channel, man, we talk about it all, man. The crazy, funny, goofy, you know, positive, but like this one, negative experience in prison, too.

 So, take away, bro. Stay out the way. Stay out the streets. Don’t go to prison. If you’ve been there, we already know what it’s like. Don’t go back. Know your purpose is only found through faith in Jesus. Be encouraged. I’m out. Peace.