Posted: February 14th, 2023

Part 1: Gang Problems

Three Part Assignment
Part 1: Gang Problems
Research your police department’s gang problems in their local community. Identify what gangs are present, what issues arise, how law enforcement responds/handles these issues and if your agency has a specific unit assigned to these issues. Discuss what can be done from a law enforcement perspective to change the gang problems in your community. Minimum of 400 words. Must have APA intext citation and reference section.

Part 2: Prison Based Program
Locate a prison-based program within the United States. You may choose any state and choose between male, female or coed prisons of all security levels. Provide a link to your identified prison-based program so that other students can view the pros/cons of how the state operates their prison system. Discuss the pros/cons of this program, the need for the program, and any benefits to the program. Minimum of 200 words. Must have APA intext citation and reference section.

Part 3: Two State’s Juvenile Justice
After reviewing any two state juvenile justice websites, discuss the recent trends in criminal activity by the youth in each state, discuss programs available to the youth in each state and how they compare/contrast, and provide information regarding each state’s community treatment programs. Be sure to compare and contrast both states for this assignment showing similarities and differences. Minimum of 250 words. Must have APA intext citation and reference section.

Three Part Assignment
Part 1: Gang Problems
Gang-related problem is an issue of concern in the society and police departments as they result to increase in crime rates at the expense of the citizens. The New York Police Department (NYPD) acknowledges different gangs within New York (Densley, 2013). In this case, the gangs include Bloods, Zulu Nation, Crips, Rat Hunters, Latin Kings, Matatones, Nietas, Silenciosos, and Five Prisoners. The different gangs have their origins in race, ethnicity, and neighborhoods, where they come together for a common purpose.
The gangs engage in different forms of crime that disrupt law and order in society. In this regard, the gangs are involved in the sale and distribution of illegal drugs, leading to an influx of illegal drugs in society. The gangs deal with heroin, cocaine, and crack cocaine that has changed the gangs from social groups to economic enterprises (Densley, 2013). Consequently, gangs have been involved in the selling and distribution of guns, leading to gun violence in society. Gang-related homicides have increased with the existence of gangs. Furthermore, gangs have increased violence and murders in New York, especially in poor neighborhoods. There is a proliferation of guns in the inner cities leading to violence where violence transformed from fists, sticks, and knives to the use of guns. Additionally, the gangs are involved in other crimes such as extortion to the society members, victimization of people through kidnapping and robbery. Therefore, gangs engage in a wide range of crimes that negatively affect domestic and international parties.
New York has different gangs, all involved in different forms of crimes, thus inclining the NYPD to devise different solutions and strategies to address the gang problem. In this regard, the police departments establish that the gangs use automobile culture to enable drive-by shooting and drug dealings with great anonymity, thus encouraging the establishment of a mass transit system that poses a barrier to gang operations (Howell, 2015). Consequently, the police department liaises with the cities and other related parties to provide youths opportunities, thus discouraging them from joining gangs. The youths have economic opportunities, access to religious groups, cultural and arts cubs, thus ensuring that they are actively engaged to the point of avoiding gangs and related activities.
Additionally, some strategies can be adopted by law enforcement in countering gangs and their activities. In this regard, law enforcement needs to maintain a proactive patrolling to monitor and prevent gang activities (Howell, 2015). Proactive patrolling ensures that the officers are in constant movement, enhances officer presence, and ensures that they are alert; thus, they can maintain vigilance. Additionally, law enforcement needs to enhance community engagement operations to enhance social and employment skills, behavior change, community education, and awareness to combat gangs and related activities.

References
Howell, K. B. (2015). Gang policing: The post stop-and-frisk justification for profile-based policing. U. Denv. Crim. L. Rev., 5, 1.
Densley, J. (2013). How gangs work. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan, 10, 9781137271518.

Part 2: Prison Based Program
Link: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/197018.pdf
Different prison programs are adopted in meeting the goals and objectives of the criminal justice system. In this regard, boot camp programs that were used as alternatives for juvenile prisons enhance behavior change. The correctional boot camp programs are modeled after basic military training such as basic training, physical activity, drill, and ceremony to target young and non-violent offenders having limited criminal history (Franke, Bierie, and MacKenzie, 2010). The foundation of the boot camps ensures that there are behavior change and rehabilitation of civilian prisoners. Offenders are removed from the environment with negative influences and triggering aspects that result in self-destructive behavior, reckless behavior, and self-defeating behavior. Additionally, there are activities under the program, such as wilderness therapy, adventure therapy, and outdoor education.
Advantages and disadvantages correctional boot camps
Boot camps have different advantages and disadvantages in line with the rehabilitation of the objectives of the offenders. In this regard, the advantages ensure that criminal justice goals and objectives are attained (Bergin, 2016). In this regard, the juvenile boots camps are efficient in rehabilitation since the offenders gain self-control. This fact prevents people from engaging in violation of the law. Furthermore, boot camps significantly contribute to effective and efficient transformation and rehabilitation of the people or the juveniles. The boot camp program is conducted in a militaristic atmosphere characterized by physical training, strict discipline to enhance rehabilitation and transformation.
On the other hand, boot camp programs have their share of disadvantages. In this regard, boot camp programs are characterized by humiliation and threats that are not effective for young offenders (Bergin, 2016). Therefore, the program does more harm than good since it makes the offenders inclined to violate the law. Additionally, boot camps program subject the young offenders to undue stress since they are exposed to dangers that derail the criminal justice objectives.

References
Bergin, T. (2016). The evidence enigma: Correctional boot camps and other failures in evidence-based policymaking.
Franke, D., Bierie, D., & MacKenzie, D. L. (2010). Legitimacy in corrections: A randomized experiment comparing a boot camp with a prison. Criminology & Public Policy, 9(1), 89-117.

Part 3: Two State’s Juvenile Justice
Different states have similar or different programs to address the delinquent behaviors by the youths. In this case, California and Texas’s states can be compared and contrasted on the programs adopted in handling young offenders. The youth programs in California and Texas are directed towards providing the youths with opportunities that incline them to be law-abiding by avoiding violations of the law (Caldwell, 2016). Youth programs in California are directed towards rescuing the most vulnerable inmates who have entered the correctional system while they are young to ensure that their needs are accommodated to enhance their rehabilitation of operations. On the other hand, Texas’s youth programs are handled and operated under the Rehabilitation Programs Division that provides a vehicle of positive change in the course of their time (Trulson et al., 2016). Therefore, despite the differences in youth programs in California and Texas, both the programs aim to achieve positive changes among the youths.
California and Texans have similar and different youth programs. In this regard, California’s youth programs include education services, rehabilitation, treatment programs, Inmate reentry programs, and training and employment programs (Cate, 2016). On the other hand, Texas’s youth offender programs are composed of a single program dubbed Champion Youth Program that uses different intervention strategies such as education, positive communication skills, creative expressions, and life skills to help address the developmental and problem behaviors among the youths. Therefore, Texas provides a more elaborate strategy to handle delinquent behaviors among youths as compared to California.

References
Caldwell, B. (2016). Creating Meaningful Opportunities for Release: Graham, Miller and California’s Youth Offender Parole Hearings. NYU Rev. L. & Soc. Change, 40, 245.
Cate, S. (2016). The politics of prison reform: Juvenile justice policy in Texas, California and Pennsylvania.
Trulson, C. R., Haerle, D. R., Caudill, J. W., & DeLisi, M. (2016). Lost causes: Blended sentencing, second chances, and the Texas youth commission. University of Texas Press.