Statement of Chairman Matthew G. Martinez -- Hearing on the Reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, March 9, 1992

• NCJ Number: 137031
• Author(s): M G Martinez
• Date Published: 1992
• Length: 13 pages
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Presentation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A testimony about alternatives to institutionalization for juveniles is given from the perspective of a boy who grew up in East Los Angeles where gang activity was a familiar part of my life and life in the community.

Abstract

The activities of today's gangs, which are more violent, more sophisticated, and more mobile, range from acts of intimidation and petty theft to brutal assault and homicide. Increasingly, most gangs turn to drug activity to sustain themselves. The crime of choice is drug trafficking for the more organized gangs. To combat these mobile and highly organized gangs, communication between localities of jurisdiction is critical. Recognition that gangs are a problem also is essential for smaller and more isolated communities. The testimony to be presented supports the view that locking up juveniles who do not pose a threat to the general public has failed to make communities safer.