Anti-gang legislation is expected to be considered again in Washington when Congress reconvenes next month. The National Council on Crime and Delinquency today issued an analysis of pending bills. The council says that a bill introduced by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) that passed the Senate last year contains “an over-reaching definition of both gangs and gang-related crimes.” The measure “calls for suppression-heavy strategies,” says the council. Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA) has introduced the Youth PROMISE Act, which would invest in promising and evidence-based prevention and intervention in high-need communities, NCCD says.
The council report says that “gang-related violent crime has fluctuated in the past 10 years and current figures are neither alarmingly high nor low.” The report was issued at a youth violence summit sponsored by Scott. Scheduled speakers included NCCD president Barry Krisberg, Judith Greene of Justice Strategies, Frank Straub, public safety commissioner of White Plains, N.Y., and Shay Bilchick of Georgetown University.
Link: http://www.nccd-crc.org/nccd/pubs/2008_eval_fed_gang_bills.pdf