Department of Justice's Youth Gang Prevention Initiative
On February 15, 2006, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales launched the Department of Justice's initiative to combat gang violence, under its Project Safe Neighborhoods. The Attorney General's strategy is twofold. First, prioritize prevention programs to provide America's youth and offenders returning to the community with opportunities that help them resist gang involvement. Second, ensure robust enforcement policies when gang-related violence does occur.
As reported in the most recent National Youth Gang Survey, some 760,000 gang members and 24,000 gangs were active in more than 2,900 U.S. jurisdictions in 2004, representing all 50 states and all cities with a population over 250,000. As most gang members join between the ages of 12 and 15, prevention is a critical strategy within a comprehensive response to gangs that includes law enforcement, prosecution, and reentry.
History
The following describe the inauguration and expansion of DOJ's comprehensive anti-gang initiative.
- Fact Sheet: Department of Justice Initiative To Combat Gangs
On February 15, 2006 , DOJ announced that under Attorney General Gonzales' leadership, the Department will establish a comprehensive anti-gang prevention and enforcement program that will incorporate prevention, enforcement, and reentry efforts to address gang membership and gang violence at every stage.
- Prepared Remarks of Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales at the Los Angeles Gangs Press Conference
On March 31, 2006, Attorney General Gonzales announced the initial six sites selected to implement DOJ's anti-gang initiative (Los Angeles, CA, Cleveland, OH, Dallas-Fort Worth, TX, Milwaukee, WI, Tampa, FL, and the 222 Corridor that stretches from Easton to Lancaster, PA, near Philadelphia).
- Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales Announces Expansion of Justice Department's Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative
On April 26, 2007, Attorney General Gonzales announced expansion of DOJ's Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative to include four additional sites (Oklahoma City, OK, Indianapolis, IN, Raleigh-Durham, NC, and Rochester, NY) targeting dangerous street gangs and promoting prevention efforts to keep communities and neighborhoods safe.
Additional information about DOJ activities to combat gangs may be found at the following:
- Department of Justice Highlights Achievements Under Project Safe Neighborhoods
DOJ highlighted the significant accomplishments of federal, state and local officials in combating gang violence and reducing gun crime through Project Safe Neighborhoods before more than 1,000 members of PSN task forces.
- Fact Sheet: Project Safe Neighborhoods: America's Network Against Gun Violence
By linking together federal, state and local law enforcement, prosecutors, and community leaders, Project Safe Neighborhoods has provided a multifaceted approach to prosecuting and deterring gun crime. In 2006, DOJ expanded PSN to include new and enhanced anti-gang efforts.
- Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales Highlights Achievements Under Project Safe Neighborhoods and New Initiatives on Combating Gang Violence
Attorney General Gonzales highlighted the significant accomplishments of Federal, state, and local officials in combating gang violence and reducing gun crime through Project Safe Neighborhoods before more than 1,300 members of PSN task forces meeting in Denver, CO, on May 2, 2006.
- Attorney General Gonzales Highlights Department Efforts to Fight Gang Violence in Los Angeles
Attorney General Gonzales joined Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on March 7, 2007 , to highlight the collaboration between the Department of Justice and the City of Los Angeles to curb the threat of violent gang crime.
OJJDP's Gang Reduction Program
OJJDP's Gang Reduction Program is designed to reduce gang activity in targeted neighborhoods by incorporating a broad spectrum of research-based interventions to address the range of personal, family, and community factors that contribute to juvenile delinquency and gang activity. The program integrates local, state, and federal resources to incorporate state-of-the-art practices in prevention, intervention, and suppression. As part of this program, OJJDP has developed a Strategic Planning Tool to help communities assess and address local youth gang problems.
The Gang Reduction Program is funding pilot sites in four communities characterized by significant existing program investment, strong indicators of citizen involvement, and high rates of crime and gang activity. The sites are located in:
With support from OJJDP, Homeboy Industries is partnering with the Gang Reduction Program site in Los Angeles to offer gang-involved and at-risk youth an opportunity to become productive members of society through its employment-centered services.
Other OJJDP Gang Prevention Activities
Through its Gang-Free Schools and Communities Program, OJJDP seeks to reduce youth gang crime and violence in schools and communities. While specific activities vary across program sites, all sites follow the five broad strategies outlined in OJJDP's Comprehensive Gang Model: community mobilization, social intervention, opportunities for educational and vocational advancements, suppression, and organizational change.
OJJDP's National Youth Gang Center provides training and technical assistance to programs funded by OJJDP. Visit the NYGC Web site for the latest research on gangs and comprehensive information on the development and implementation of effective gang prevention, intervention, and suppression strategies.
To learn more about OJJDP's ongoing efforts to prevent gangs, see the following information, drawn from its bimonthly newsletter http://ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/enews/newsletter.html and its JUVJUST e-mail list.
- OJJDP Initiates Gang Prevention Coordination Assistance Program
OJJDP's Gang Prevention Coordination Assistance Program provides funding to enhance coordination of local, state, and Federal resources in support of community partnerships implementing two or more of the following anti-gang strategies: primary prevention, secondary prevention, gang intervention, and gang enforcement.
El Salvador Training Pinpoints Anti-Gang Strategies
OJJDP conducted gang prevention training at the International Law Enforcement Academy in San Salvador, El Salvador, January 29–February 2, 2007. - Six Sites Meet for Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative Conference
On November 8–9, 2006, community teams participating in DOJ's Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative gathered in Dallas, TX, to exchange information and build on local efforts to combat gangs using a combination of prevention, law enforcement, and prisoner reentry strategies.
- Grants Support Volunteer Service for High-Risk and Gang-Involved Youth
With funding from OJJDP, Youth Service America launched its Youth Rising Program, which provides grants to support projects that engage high-risk and gang-involved youth in volunteer service.
- Fact Sheet Highlights Youth Gang Survey
Written by researchers from OJJDP's National Youth Gang Center, the fact sheet summarizes findings from the National Youth Gang Survey for 2004 and reports data on the number of gangs, gang members, and gang-related homicides.
- OJJDP and COPS Sponsor Gang Prevention Webcasts
In partnership with the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), OJJDP hosted a two-part Webcast on Preventing Gangs in Our Communities on May 23 and June 6, 2006 .
Additional information is available in the following OJJDP publications:
The latest gang-related resources may be found on OJJDP's Web site, by searching by the keyword "gang".
To keep informed on gang and other juvenile-justice related issues subscribe to http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/enews/newsletter.html and JUVJUST.
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