Anti-Gang Initiative Expansion
In February, 2006, Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez announced the creation of the Justice Department’s Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative, designed to support law enforcement combating violent gang crime, while also promoting prevention efforts to discourage gang involvement. As part of the initiative, in May 2006 the Department provided anti-gang resources for prevention, enforcement, and offender reentry efforts to six sites across the nation: Los Angeles, CA, Tampa, FL, Cleveland, OH, Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX, Milwaukee, WI, and the “222 Corridor” that stretches from Easton to Lancaster in Pennsylvania.
The Anti-Gang Initiative has made strides in the original six sites. Recently, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention reported Gonzalez’ announcement of the expansion of the Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative to include four additional sites: Rochester, NY, Oklahoma City, OK, Indianapolis, IN, and Raleigh-Durham, NC. Each site will receive $2.5 million in additional grant funding to combat gang violence.
Strategies will address the following areas:
*Prevention-will support prevention efforts like the Gang Reduction Program, which focuses on
reducing youth-gang crime and violence by addressing personal, family, and community factors
that contribute to juvenile delinquency and gang activity
*Enforcement-will help support enforcement programs focusing on law enforcement efforts on
the most significant violent gang offenders
*Prisoner Re-entry-will work with faith-based and other community organizations to create
reentry assistance programs that will provide transitional housing, job readiness and placement
assistance, along with substance abuse and mental health treatment to prisoners re-entering
society.
Read more about the Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative and the progress that has been made at the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention website.
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, juvenile justice, juvenile delinquency, Alberto R. Gonzalez, Attorney General, Justice Department’s Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative, gangs, gang violence, gang involvement, parenting teens, parenting teenagers
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