NCJ Number
132168
Date Published
Unknown
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Based on data from recent national research that involved 155 juvenile institutions (State training schools and camps) in 49 States, this study addresses some of the gang problems in juvenile correctional institutions, how these institutions are countering the problems, and ways to improve the management of juvenile gangs in these institutions.
Abstract
In the 155 institutions that responded to the survey, there were 212 female and 4,457 male gang members. An average of 17.7 percent of the males confined were gang members compared to 4.4 percent of the females. A total of 28.3 percent of the institutions reported one or more incidents of gang-member assaults on correctional staff during the recent year. About half of the institutions reported gang-member responsibility for property damage in the institution. The study determined the extent to which previously documented techniques for dealing with gangs in adult correctional institutions were also being used in juvenile corrections. The following techniques were used in the indicated percentage of juvenile institutions: transfers (34 percent), the use of informers (17.5 percent), segregation (26.8 percent), isolation of leaders (38.1 percent), lockdown (22.7 percent), prosecution (17.5 percent), interruption of communications (33 percent), case by case dealings (69.1 percent), and joint meetings between various gang leaders (8.2 percent). Currently, there are no national standards for the management of gang problems in juvenile institutions. Some suggestions by respondents for improving the management of gangs in juvenile correctional institutions are staff training for gang-member management, counseling for gang members, and the increased use of a "get-tough" policy. 5 references