What Is a Gang? Definitions - National Institute of Justice Defining "gang member" and "gang crime" Localities interested in pursuing anti-gang policies, strategies and programs face the challenge of developing operational definitions for the terms "gang," "gang member" and "gang crime" (or "gang-related offense")
Changing Course: Preventing Gang Membership - National Institute of Justice The gang problem in the United States has remained stubbornly persistent over the past decade Here are the facts: One in three local law enforcement agencies in 2010 reported youth gang problems in their jurisdiction [1] In a 2010 national survey, 45 percent of high school students and 35 percent of middle-schoolers said that there were gangs — or students who considered themselves part of
Overview of Gangs and Gang Crime - National Institute of Justice Gang members engage in a higher level of serious and violent crime than their non-gang-involved peers Research about gangs is often intertwined with research about gun violence and drug crime It is clear that gangs, guns, drugs and violence are interconnected [1]
Gangs vs. Extremists: Solutions for Gangs May Not Work Against . . . Much is known about the workings of criminal gangs and traits of gang members, and much of that knowledge has informed community-focused anti-gang programs It was long hoped that what works against gangs could also help build community resilience to the emergence of homegrown violent extremists, but recent research suggests that gang members and domestic extremists have too few traits in
The Prison and the Gang - National Institute of Justice A prison gang is a durable group that shares a collective identity, maintains a locus of custodial influence, exhibits collective behavior, and engages in a pattern of illegal activity Emerging evidence suggests that prisoners enter and exit gangs while incarcerated Prison officials have constructed intelligence apparatuses to document and manage gang populations There is no consensus
Using Restrictive Housing to Manage Gangs in U. S. Prisons Gangs remain one of the more formidable issues that corrections officials face in managing prisons About 200,000 of the 1 5 million people incarcerated in the U S are affiliated with gangs, and there is no sign that prison gang activity is abating [1] Gangs are responsible for a disproportionate amount of prison misconduct and violence, and their presence and actions challenge ongoing
Race and Ethnicity: What Are Their Roles in Gang Membership? The roles of race and ethnicity in gang membership are becoming increasingly complicated; more gangs are becoming multiracial, which affects the role of race and ethnicity, especially with respect to conflicts between gangs Research-based evidence on how race and ethnicity should influence gang membership prevention strategies is still limited
Experts Identify Priority Needs for Addressing Correctional Agency . . . Gang activity is linked to increased violence, including homicides, and gangs often control black markets and seek to manipulate correctional staff To better combat and neutralize the security threat groups, the working group called for development of best practices beyond existing concentration, dispersion, and isolation approaches