NCJ Number
143337
Date Published
1992
Length
0 pages
Annotation
Using the events and experiences of two juveniles involved in gang membership, this video portrays the activities, attitudes, and consequences of gang membership.
Abstract
Sweetwater, who influences June to go along with his impulsive criminal behavior, has a "nothing-to-do" night that he eventually fills with a carjacking at gun-point and a drive-by shooting at another gang's hang-out. Based upon a witness' description of the stolen car driven by Sweetwater in the shooting, police sight the car and eventually arrest the two juveniles. June is booked and then released to the care of his mother pending the disposition of his case. As June and his mother are approaching their house, the gang members on whom Sweetwater had fired earlier in the evening, drive by and fire at them, killing both June and his mother. Meantime, Sweetwater has been kept in custody at a detention center. A group counseling session at the detention center is portrayed, where Sweetwater and another juvenile detainee get into a fight and both are returned to their cells. Through the cell wall, the youth who fought with Sweetwater talks with him about the futility of their lives, the opportunity for change, and the possibility that it is too late for them to change. Sweetwater, apparently in despair about his life, hangs himself in his cell. The video tells the story of two gang members, and conclusions are left to the viewer. A pamphlet that accompanies the video presents learning objectives, discussion questions, and suggested activities.