As reported in the latest National Youth Gang Survey, some 788,000 gang members and 27,000 gangs were active in more than 3,550 U.S. jurisdictions in 2007. 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.
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 Federal, state, and local 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 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 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.
OJJDP's Latino Youth Mentoring Program focuses on developing and supporting a peer mentoring program that proactively reaches youth before they are recruited by gangs to develop and strengthen protective factors against gang involvement and other problem behaviors.
OJJDP's National Youth Gang Center provides training and technical assistance to OJJDP-funded programs. Visit the Center's Web site for the latest research on gang 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 electronic newsletter OJJDP News @ a Glance and its JUVJUST listserv.
- Youth Gang Symposium Promotes Partnering
OJJDP's National Youth Gang Symposium, held June 24–26, 2008, in Atlanta, GA, featured the theme “Partnering to Prevent Gang Violence: From Faith-Based and Community Organizations to Law Enforcement.” The report “Best Practices To Address Community Gang Problems: OJJDP's Comprehensive Gang Model” was released at the symposium.
- 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.
- 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.
Publications
 Best Practices Report Addresses Gang Problems
The OJJDP report Best Practices To Address Community Gang Problems: OJJDP's Comprehensive Gang Model guides communities responding to a gang problem in implementing OJJDP's Comprehensive Gang Model. It describes best practices learned from practitioners experienced in planning and implementing the model and notes findings from evaluations of programs demonstrating the model.
Additional information is available in the following OJJDP publications:
- Highlights of the 2007 National Youth Gang Survey (Fact Sheet, April 2009)
- Highlights of the 2006 National Youth Gang Survey (Fact Sheet, July 2008)
- Highlights of the 2005 National Youth Gang Survey (Fact Sheet, July 2008)
- National Youth Gang Survey: 1999–2001 (Summary, July 2006)
- Highlights of the 2002–2003 National Youth Gang Survey (Fact Sheet, July 2005)
- Highlights of the 2004 National Youth Gang Survey (Fact Sheet, April 2006)
- "Strategic Risk-Based Response to Youth Gangs" (in Juvenile Justice Journal, September 2004)
- Youth Gangs in Indian Country (Bulletin, March 2004)
- "New Program Supports Community Gang Programs" (in OJJDP News at @ Glance, September/October 2003)
- Modern Day Youth Gangs (Bulletin, June 2002)
- National Youth Gang Survey Trends From 1996 to 2000 (Fact Sheet, February 2002)
Resources
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 OJJDP's bimonthly electronic newsletter OJJDP News @ a Glance and its JUVJUST listserv.
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