Dangerous Convictions for PDF - ADL

H AMMERSKINS AND H AT E
Dangerous
Convictions:
AN INTRODUCTION TO EXTREMIST ACTIVITIES IN PRISONS
In contrast to the activities of the extreme left, prisoner support from the
extreme right is less well organized and very poorly coordinated. There are no
overarching organizations designed specifically to support imprisoned members
of hate groups or anti-government groups. Web sites established for that
purpose (with titles such as “Caged Patriots” and “Patriots Undersiege”) have
typically not lasted long. Moreover, fewer “celebrity” prisoners exist on the
extreme right. Timothy McVeigh, now executed, was not supported publicly
very much during his years of imprisonment. Among hate groups, imprisoned
members of The Order receive the most support and attention; anti-government
groups tend to support incarcerated militia leaders such as John
Pitner (now released), Bradley Metcalf and Mark Koernke. None have the
same profile as a Leonard Peltier or a Mumia Abu Jamal.
As a result of the lack of organization, prisoner support on the part of the
extreme right tends to come mainly from individual groups and organizations.
Extremist publications ranging from the American’s Bulletin to Alert to The
Nutmeg Informer regularly publish lists of prisoners for their readers to write,
while extremist groups raise support for their own imprisoned members or for
members of like-minded groups. Individual extremists, such as Christian
Identity ministers, may visit prisoners or attempt to speak to groups of them.
Though the organizational level is lower, there is no less support among rightwing
extremists for their imprisoned comrades than among the left. Prisons
are a major focus of extremist support and recruiting efforts on the right just
as on the left.
Hammerskin Nation (HSN) provides a good example of how right-wing
extremist groups may provide support for prisoners. HSN is a large skinhead
group, racist and anti-Semitic in nature, centered around the white power
music scene. It is recognized as one of the best-organized—and most violent—racist
skinhead groups in the United States. HSN actively and publicly
supports convicted members, whom they hold up as examples of white men
willing to sacrifice for the betterment of their race, but does not recruit new
members from the prison population. Like many extremist groups, HSN
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