S p e c i a l N e e d s O f f e n d e r s

a publication of the Federal Judicial Center BULLETIN

INSIDE

T

 by Dennise Orlando-Morningstar

Why Street Gangs Exist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Types of Street Gangs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

How Street Gangs are Organized . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Identifying Gang Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Street Gangs and Crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Detecting and Addressing Street

Gang Problems in Your District . . . . . . . . . 13

No. 1

August

1997

Street

Gangs

criminal offending than nongang youth. Gang membership

also appears to be linked to

criminal activity in adulthood.

One study found that a large

portion of dangerous juvenile

offenders who were gang members became even more serious

adult offenders. A California

study found that convicted

gang members typically continued their lives of crime after

being released from detention.

Worse, law enforcement

agencies report that the number of felonies—assaults, batteries, robberies, burglaries, grand

thefts, auto thefts, murders, and

weapons violations—committed by street gang members is

on the rise. As James C. Howell

states in a report prepared for

the Office of Juvenile Justice

and Delinquency Prevention,

the “gang problem is increasing

from the standpoint of more

violent offenses, more injuries,

and use of more lethal weapons.”

Law enforcement officials

expect this trend to continue.

Implications for the

Federal Judiciary

The juvenile justice system is

generally considered inadequate for dealing with hardcore street gang members who

are minors. State juvenile codes

were not designed for the serious violence that characterizes

street gang crimes. Gang statutes, on the other hand, generally do not cover juveniles. In

addition, many state and local

prosecutors have expressed frustration at the lack of detention

facilities for juveniles and at the

corresponding frequency with

which juveniles receive probation for felony convictions.

Street gangs are aware of the

significant differences between

the juvenile and adult justice

systems and often use juveniles

to commit crimes.

To address these and related

here are certainly hundreds, very probably

thousands, of street

gangs in the United States. In

1994, the Justice Department

estimated that the United

States had close to 1,500 gangs

with a total of more than

120,000 members. A 1992 survey of the 79 largest metropolitan police departments, conducted by G. David Curry for

the National Institute of Justice, estimated that there were

over 4,800 street gangs with almost 250,000 members. More

recently, the Office of Juvenile

Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s National Youth Gang

Center estimated that the

United States has nearly 23,500

street gangs with 665,000 members.

Nor, studies show, is gang

activity confined to large cities. Gang expert Malcolm W.

Klein estimates that 1,100 U.S.

cities have street gangs. The

National Drug Intelligence

Center reports that two of the

largest national street gangs are

active in 115 cities—nearly

half of which have populations

under 100,000.

Membership in a gang is not

by itself proof of criminal activity. Many experts and law enforcement officials report, however, that street gang members

as a whole have higher rates of (continued on next page)

A growing problem

In 1988, 72% of all U.S.

cities reported having a

gang problem. In 1992,

85% of cities reported a

gang problem. In 1994,

90% of police departments in U.S. cities

reported gang-related

activity.

Source: National Institute of Justice,

1995 Annual Report to Congress
Special Needs Offenders Bulletin ◆ August 1997 ◆ Street Gangs 2

concerns, Congress has broadened the federal courts’ jurisdiction in significant ways. Notably, provisions of the Violent

Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 are

bringing more types of cases—

including cases against street

gang members—into the federal judicial system.

Specifically, the Act authorizes adult prosecution of those

13 and older charged with serious violent crimes. The Act

also prohibits the sale or transfer of firearms to, or possession

of certain firearms by, juveniles,

and it triples the maximum

penalties for using juveniles to

distribute drugs in or near protected zones such as schools,

playgrounds, video arcades, and

youth centers.

Other significant provisions

of the Violent Crime Control

and Law Enforcement Act include

◆ bans on 19 military-style

assault weapons, assault

weapons with specific combat features, “copy-cat”

models, and certain highcapacity ammunition magazines of more than ten

rounds;

◆ expansion of the federal

death penalty to cover

about 60 offenses, including

murder of a federal law enforcement officer, largescale drug trafficking, driveby shootings resulting in

death, and carjackings resulting in death; and

◆ newer and stiffer penalties

for violent drug trafficking

crimes committed by gang

members.

Since January 1997, some

12 bills that address youth violence or street gangs have been

introduced in Congress . Some,

if passed, would expand the federal court’s role in prosecuting

violent juvenile offenders. For

example, the Anti-Gang Youth

and Violence Act of 1997

would provide for federal prosecution of serious and violent

juvenile offenders and detention of juveniles prior to sentencing. The Juvenile Crime

Control Act of 1997 would reform the federal juvenile justice

The federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO)

has been law enforcement’s

most effective tool for combatting organized criminal

activity for 20 years. The

Act was designed to facilitate prosecution of criminal organizations’ leaders

and to allow the government to seize the leaders’

assets.

U.S. agents have begun

using RICO to prosecute

members of street gangs

and nontraditional orgaRacketeer Influenced and

Corrupt Organizations Act

nized criminal threat

groups. Among the gangs

whose members have recently faced RICO charges

are the Latin Kings, the

Abdullahs in Atlantic City,

N.J., and the Bottom Boys

in Shreveport, La. Due to

increased federal investigation and prosecution efforts, the Bureau of Prisons

anticipates an increase in

the number of inmates who

are members of the Vice

Lords, Crips, Bloods, Latin

Kings and other street

gangs.

The states with the

most street gangs

According to a 1995

survey conducted by the

Office of Juvenile Justice

and Delinquency

Prevention’s National

Youth Gang Center, the

ten states reporting the

most gangs were (in

order) California, Texas,

Illinois, Colorado,

Arizona, Florida,

Missouri, Washington,

Oregon, and Utah.

(continued from page 1)
Special Needs Offenders Bulletin ◆ August 1997 ◆ Street Gangs 3

The offender and defendant

population arrested, tried, and

incarcerated in the federal judicial system is evolving.

Changes stem primarily from

public pressure for stricter law

enforcement, new legislation

that broadens the jurisdiction

of the federal courts, and

changes in law and policy resulting in larger numbers of offenders receiving prison sentences followed by supervised

release.

The changing profile of federal offenders and defendants

poses new challenges for federal

probation and pretrial services

officers. To help districts meet

this challenge, the Federal Judicial Center has developed the

Special Needs Offenders series of

educational products, on-line

workshops, and satellite broadcasts. The Special Needs Offenders series will provide officers

the latest information concerning the unique offender/defendant populations on their

caseloads.

The Center will produce

approximately two Special

Needs Offenders programs a

year. Each program will deal

with a different offender/defendant population and will be introduced by a Special Needs Offenders Bulletin. The bulletins

will not be definitive studies of

the offender/defendant populations at issue. Rather, they will

serve as primers outlining the

general characteristics of those

populations. Each bulletin will

be followed by a Center-sponsored on-line workshop or satellite broadcast in which officers will have an opportunity to

share effective case management practices and useful resources applicable to the offender/defendant population in

question.

This bulletin on street

gangs is the first in the Special

Needs Offenders series. Officers

can use the bulletin for individual or group study. It will

also provide the framework for

discussion during the October

1997 on-line workshop on

street gangs, as well as the foundation for the satellite broadcast on street gangs scheduled

for December 1997.

If you have any questions

about programs on street gangs

or about the Special Needs Offenders series, please contact

Dennise Orlando-Morningstar

or Mark Maggio at (202) 273-

4115. ◆

About the Special Needs Offenders Series

system, combat violent youth

crime, and increase accountability for juvenile criminal offenses. And the Federal Gang

Violence Act would define juvenile delinquency

as a gang crime and

amend the sentencing guidelines

to increase the offense level for activities committed

in connection with

a criminal street gang. As of

July, all these bills had been referred to the House or Senate

judiciary committees.

Despite the implications of

the developments described

above, some probation and pretrial services officers may ask,

Are street gangs really my “business”? The answer is yes.

The Federal Probation and

Pretrial Services mission statement directs officers to protect

the public, make

appropriate pretrial release decisions, and develop

supervision plans

that appropriately

manage risk. Satisfying this directive

requires examination of all possible risks associated with a defendant or offender, including

whether or not the individual

is a member of a street gang.

And even in districts where

caseloads contain few street

gang members, officers likely

will be making contacts in communities controlled by street

gangs. Consequently, officers

should be aware of the dangers

that these groups may pose to

their personal safety.

The Special Needs

Offenders Bulletin

Clearly, probation and pretrial

services officers and their supervisors need to add a knowledge

of street gangs to their professional “tool boxes.” This bulletin is intended to address that

need. It synthesizes information

obtained from journals, research monographs, and interviews with federal probation

and pretrial services officers.

(continued on next page)

Some officers

may ask if

street gangs are

really their

business. The

answer is yes.
Special Needs Offenders Bulletin ◆ August 1997 ◆ Street Gangs 4

American street gangs are not

a new phenomenon. One of the

first reports of disruptive youth

gangs appeared in Philadelphia

in 1791. In the nineteenth century, New York City experienced problems with youth

campaigning for the Know

Nothing Party and with Irish

street gangs that started draft

riots during the Civil War. And

many Americans are familiar

with the classic Broadway musical West Side Story, which depicts two twentieth-century

street gangs.

Street gangs emerged in

U.S. cities in the course of successive waves of migration, beginning with movement from

farms to cities, followed by

waves of foreign immigration

through the present day. Until

the first third of the twentieth

century, most street gang members were therefore primarily

White Europeans (e.g., Irish

and Italian). By the 1970s,

however, about four-fifths of

street gang members were either African American or Hispanic. Today, the proportion of

White and Asian youths in

gangs appears to be increasing.

Street gangs exist for many

reasons. Historically, their formation has been influenced

primarily by socioeconomic

factors such as race, social class,

limited economic advantages,

and immigration. As Robert

Maginnis of the Family Research Council explains, gangs

offer “status, a sense of selfworth, and protection” to individuals at the bottom of the

socioeconomic ladder.

In the 1980s a new reason

for gang proliferation was embraced by the public, the media, and politicians—the rise

of cocaine powder and crack.

Maginnis and others, however,

trace the growth and migration

of street gangs in the past 30

years to multiple causes, including:

◆ removal of manufacturing

plants from the city, leaving

behind service jobs that city

youth are ill-prepared to

handle because of inadequate education and family support systems;

◆ migration of middle-class

minority families from urban centers to more affluent suburbs, destabilizing

the middle-class neighborhoods in the city;

◆ increased density of segreIn general, no single explanation can adequately account for the

formation of all street

gangs. Each gang is

representative of the

social, economic, and

racial makeup of its

community. Federal

officers should focus

their attention on the

specific gangs in their

districts and evaluate the

risks associated with

each identified gang

member on a case-bycase basis.

Why Street Gangs Exist

Officers can use it for individual

study. Supervisors can use it as

the foundation for district-wide

discussion of case management

strategies designed specifically

for street gang members.

The information presented

here is not comprehensive.

Rather, it is intended to serve

as a springboard for investigation in your district. The street

gang phenomenon is complex:

Gangs vary from region to region and city to city. Data on

gangs is scarce. And gangs are

inherently dynamic organizations whose membership, structure, culture, and existence are

continually in flux; the gangs

that exist today may migrate,

Definition

Assessing the scope of gang

problems is complicated by

inconsistent terminology.

Ideas about what constitutes a street gang and

gang-related crime vary

from one state or local jurisdiction to the next. In

general, look for the following indicators when seeking to determine if a group

is a street gang:

◆ differentiated organization with hierarchical

structure and visible

leadership;

◆ distinct mannerisms

and styles of dress and

communication;

◆ discrete geographic territory;

◆ organized and continuous criminal activity;

and

◆ tendency toward violent, criminal acts.

evolve—or vanish. When reviewing this bulletin, therefore,

keep in mind that the only way

to develop expertise in local

street gangs is by working

closely with state and local law

enforcement and by continually studying the gangs and

gang-related activities occurring in your district. ◆

(continued from page 3)
Special Needs Offenders Bulletin ◆ August 1997 ◆ Street Gangs 5

gated minority populations

in the city;

◆ employer discrimination

and wage gaps in service

jobs in the city;

◆ loss of federal and state soSome experts refer to prisons as “gang training

schools.” Gangs may form

in prison and then emigrate. Incarcerated members, especially leaders of

large organized gangs, may

coordinate and order

crimes that are committed

outside prison. The cohesion associated with incarceration seems to amplify

gang loyalty; prison is simply viewed as a home away

from home.

A few prison gangs

have influence over street

gangs. For example, the

Mexican Mafia has influence over Hispanic gangs

such as the El Monte Flores

and the Hazard Street

gangs in East Los Angeles.

The Mexican Mafia is

feared, yet admired, by

many Hispanic gang members who equate membership in prison gangs with

membership in the “major

leagues.”

cial services in the city; and

◆ increases in the number of

youths of gang age, without

commensurate increases in

community infrastructure

for supervising youths.

Thus deprived of the traditional avenues for becoming

productive members of society,

many youths have turned to

street gangs as a source of income, empowerment, acceptance, identity, or status. There

are, of course, many other “risk

factors” that increase the likelihood of gang membership,

including academic failure, low

expectations of success, low

neighborhood and community

attachment, early antisocial

behavior, favorable attitudes

toward drug use, greater reliance on peers than parents,

friendships with drug users, alcohol and tobacco abuse, and

association with gangs.

The editors of The Modern

Gang Reader attribute the

growth of gangs—primarily

There are many types of street

gangs. This bulletin focuses on

three general categories: Bloods

and Crips, Folks and Peoples,

and Hispanic or Chicano

gangs.

Bloods and Crips

Los Angeles street gangs can

mostly be broken down into

interposing “sets” of the Bloods

and Crips gangs. Subgroups of

these two major gangs have also

spread to other cities. Approximately 90% of Bloods and

Crips are African-American

males.

The Bloods, which emerged

from the Piru gang in Compton, originally formed to protect members from the Crips.

Smaller gangs that also formed

to protect themselves from the

Crips incorporated “Piru” or

“Bloods” into their names to

signify alignment with the

Bloods. Bloods are typically

from South-central Los Angeles. Although smaller in number than the Crips, Bloods are

violent, loyal to their group,

consider themselves shrewd

businessmen, and share a hatred of the Crips. Some gangs

associated with the Bloods include the Blood Fives, the Lot

Boys, the Outlaws, and the Mid

City Gangsters. Members generally wear the color red to symbolize their association with the

Bloods.

The Crips were first reported in south-central Los

Angeles in 1969. During the

early 1970s, the gang grew and

branched out to other parts of

the country. The new subsidiaries, or realigned existing gangs,

were known as sets and used

“Crips” in their names. Crips

have a reputation for violence,

extortion, ruthlessness, individualism, loyalty to other

Crips, and hatred of other Los

Angeles gangs, particularly the

Bloods.

Types of Street Gangs

Gangs and Prison

(continued on next page)

(continued on next page)
Special Needs Offenders Bulletin ◆ August 1997 ◆ Street Gangs 6

Street gangs exist even in

the military. An investigation conducted by Newsweek found gang members

in all branches of the

armed forces at more than

50 military bases. Although most gang activity

has been limited to minor

incidents, a 1994 gang

symposium sponsored by

the Justice Department

warned that “some gangs

have access to highly sophisticated personal weapons such as hand grenades,

machine guns, rocket

launchers, and military explosives. Some street gang

members who are or have

been in the military are

teaching other gang members concerning the use of

military tactics. With arms,

weapons proficiency, and

tactics, some street gangs

now have the ability to actively engage in terrorist

activities within the

United States.”

Hispanic gangs and gangs in

small cities—whose existence

cannot be adequately explained

by socioeconomic factors to

what they call the diffusion of

Gangs and the Military

There are numerous Crips

gangs, such as the Main Street

Crips, the 43 Gangster Crips,

the Rollin 40’s, and the Westside Crips. Blue is the Crips’

color, and members usually

wear a blue rag or handkerchief

as an identifier.

Folks and Peoples

Virtually all gangs in Chicago

are aligned under the concept

of “nations,” of which there are

two: Folks and Peoples. Both

alliances were established in

the 1980s in the penitentiary

system by prisoners who formed

coalitions to protect themselves. The alliances do not follow traditional racial boundaries and contain White, Black,

and Hispanic members.

Some common street gangs

associated with the Folks Nation are the Black Gangster

Disciples, Imperial Gangsters,

Latin Disciples, Maniac Latin

Disciples, and Spanish Cobras.

Members of the Folks Nation

wear all their identifiers on the

right: earrings in the right ear,

right pants legs rolled up, caps

tilted to the right, arms folded

in a manner pointing to the

right, et cetera.

Gangs associated with the

Peoples Nation include the

Latin Kings, the Vice Lords, the

4 Corner Hustlers, and the

Bishops. Members indicate

their allegiance to the Peoples

by wearing all their identifiers

on the left.

Hispanic or Chicano Gangs

Many independent Hispanic

gangs, such as the Lomas

Cholos, Barrio Azteca, and Los

Solidos, first surfaced in this

country in the early 1900s in

Southern California. They

grew and spread with the waves

of immigrants from Mexico and

Puerto Rico. Hispanic gangs are

strongly influenced by Hispanic

culture. They are very traditional, approaching gang involvement as a “way of life.”

Gang members are proud,

boastful, and loyal to the death.

Involvement in these gangs is

often a “family tradition.” ◆

gang culture. “For decades,” the

editors write,

various fads and styles of

gang costume have been

limited in use to gang

members and close associates. Recently, however,

various aspects of outward

gang culture—clothing,

tattoos, use of hand signals, and so on—have

been picked up by manufacturers and the media

and diffused across the

country. Baggy pants,

Pendleton-style shirts,

high-top shoes, ball caps

worn backward or at an

angle, graffiti styles, words

like “homey” and “hood,”

and other signs of affiliation have become part

of the larger youth culture. . . . It is no wonder

that “copycat” behavior is

found among many youth,

and when youth groups get

into rivalries, they play out

the gangster roles. . . . It

does not take an urban

underclass to foster this

movement. American

youth . . . have learned the

gang patterns. ◆

(“Exist” from page 5)

(“Types” from page 5)
Special Needs Offenders Bulletin ◆ August 1997 ◆ Street Gangs 7

Contact state and local

law enforcement agencies for information on

the street gangs and

gang members in your

district. Many law

enforcement agencies

have a gang investigation

unit that specializes in

gangs and gang-related

crime. Establishing

professional relationships with these agencies

and staff will greatly

enhance your district’s

ability to gather intelligence and learn about

street gangs. Contact the

Sacramento Intelligence

Unit (see page 14) for

the names of known

gang members released

from Bureau of Prisons

facilities to your district.

Street gang migration. In 1992, about 700 cities reported the arrival of gang members from

elsewhere. The overall number of migrants appears to be fairly low, however.

Are Gangs on the Move?

According to some media accounts, street gangs in small cities are frequently satellite operations of gangs in larger metropolitan areas. Preliminary research indicates, however, that

gangs emerge in smaller cities

primarily because of family relocation and local gang evolution—not migration.

In a 1996 gang migration

study, migration numbers were

low in the cities studied, and

gang migration neither influenced the local drug market nor

caused local gang problems.

Forty-seven percent of the cities in the study reported the

arrival of 10 or fewer migrants

in the previous year. Only 5%

estimated that they had 100 or

more recent arrivals.

Many experts think that

gang migration is more a spread

of street gang culture than the

development of individual

gangs with a national infrastructure. Some street gangs do

have national scope, but the

majority are local imitations of

Los Angeles or Chicago gangs.

Only in proximity to large cities (like Chicago and Los Angeles) has there been evidence

of significant migration.

Experts say gang members

migrate for any of eight reasons:

◆ to stay with relocating families;

◆ to avoid apprehension and

prosecution;

◆ to avoid retribution from

rival street gangs;

◆ to participate in private and

public training and rehabilitation programs;

◆ to take advantage of new

criminal markets and

higher illegal profits;

◆ to reduce street gang rivalry

and competition;

◆ to find communities that

are easier to initiate and

manipulate; and

◆ to take advantage of limited

law enforcement resources

and lack of recognition and

awareness of the gang.

The gang members most

likely to migrate are young African American and Hispanic

males, who travel short distances and stay at least several

months. They primarily migrate to stay with their relocated families (57%) or to expand a drug market (20%).

Federal officers should work

closely with local law enforcement to determine the impact

of gang migration in their districts. As the National Institute

of Justice stated in its 1995 report to Congress,

The character of gang migration at the local level

affects the community’s

response to the problem.

In cities where migration

occurs primarily for social

reasons, migrants can be

targeted for prevention

and intervention efforts.

But cities whose gang migration occurs for the purpose of drug expansion

confront a qualitatively

different problem. In these

cities research suggests

that targeted law enforcement and suppression tactics, guided by anti-narcotic expertise, may have

a beneficial impact. ◆

Source: National Institute of Justice Journal, February 1996
Special Needs Offenders Bulletin ◆ August 1997 ◆ Street Gangs 8

Virtually every gang evolves

from a smaller group or

“clique.” Cliques usually form

around a particular concern—

for example, racial or ethnic

heritage, a desire to guard territory, or a need for protection

from other groups—or around

a particular money-making,

criminal, or artistic activity.

Many gangs have fairly short

lives, often breaking up or drifting apart after a few months.

Once formed, a street gang

can range in size from ten members to as many as 1,000 or

more. The term “supergang”

was coined in Chicago in the

late 1960s to describe a gang

with thousands of members.

As FBI agents Alan C.

Brantley and Andrew DiRosa

observe, many gangs “last only

a short time before they weaken

and wither away, either because

of successful prosecution efforts

or lack of interest by members.

More successful gangs excel at

extending their economic base

and recruiting new members.”

As the successful gangs

flourish, Brantley and DiRosa

explain, they may extend their

reach into legitimate businesses

and begin laundering money

and corrupting public officials,

eventually coming to resemble

organized crime groups.

Understanding how gang

organization progresses is important for several reasons,

Brantley and DiRosa assert.

Supergangs, they say,

generally change their tactics as their criminal focus

evolves. For example,

there are indications that

the Los Angeles-based

Crips gang is attempting to

unify all Crips sects across

the nation into one major

organization with a chief

executive officer-style

leadership structure. To

protect such entrenched

criminal enterprises from

the scrutiny of law enforcement, leaders of these

gangs often suppress overt

acts of violence. In fact,

supergangs actually welcome the turf violence of

other less-entrenched

gangs because it diverts

the attention of law enforcement.

Structure and Member

Status

Research suggests that most

street gangs are less sophisticated and hierarchical than traditional organized crime

groups. Gang expert Malcolm

Klein says most street gangs are

“loosely knit and poorly organized groups that engage in ‘cafeteria-style’ crime—a little of

this, a touch of that, two attempts at something else . . . .”

On the other hand, as Brantley

and DiRosa’s comments indicate, supergangs, nations, and

gangs organized around particular criminal activities can be

highly structured. ➤

Many law enforcement

officers do not perceive

females as threats. You

should assume, however,

that female gang members are as capable of

violence as male gang

members. Since many

female gang members

believe they are “immune” from suspicion

and searches by police,

they often carry guns,

razor blades, knives,

and narcotics.

Females have traditionally

played an auxiliary role in

street gangs by transporting

and hiding weapons or narcotics, gathering intelligence on rival gangs, and

providing sexual favors.

Female gang members, primarily aged 12 to 18, often

have a history of victimization, low self-esteem, and

lack of long-term goals.

Gang membership provides

them excitement, identity,

money, drugs, and a sense

of family. Although female

members speak of the status afforded them by male

members, most of the males

view the females as insignificant and routinely subject them to physical and

sexual abuse.

A National Institute of

Justice study estimated that

less than 3% of the individuals involved in street

gangs are female. Law enforcement officials note,

however, that female gang

members are becoming

more aggressive. A 1994

FBI study indicated a 28%

increase in the number of

girls arrested for violent

crimes, nearly twice the

rate for boys. Female gang

members are demonstrating an increasing willingness to use weapons when

provoked; to assault teachers, innocent victims, and

rival gang members to

prove their fearlessness;

and to go on crime sprees

to steal things they cannot

afford to buy. In some cases,

young women have established their own autonomous gangs.

How Street Gangs are Organized

Female Street Gang Members
Special Needs Offenders Bulletin ◆ August 1997 ◆ Street Gangs 9

A gang’s exact structure

depends on size of membership,

extent of the gang’s illegal activities, and locale. Some gangs

have formal leaders known as

king, prince, prime minister,

general, don, or chief. The

higher levels of the organization may change because of the

death or imprisonment of the

leaders, or because of in-gang

rivalry. The lower levels tend

to be loosely organized. In some

gangs, various factions or semiindependent groups may share

allegiance to the leader or king.

According to Klein, street

gangs mostly attract young

males who have low self-esteem, are experiencing difficulty in school, have trouble

controlling impulses, lack social skills, and have few useful

adult contacts. “The gang is . . .

an aggregate of individuals held

more together by their . . .

shared incapacities than by mutual goals,” Klein states.

Street gang members can

Another type of gang

member officers may

find on their caseloads is

the retired or nonactive

member. Nonactive

members often are

employed and maintain

good homes but occasionally associate with

other gang members.

Retired members are

available if a war breaks

out between rival gangs,

may participate in illegal

activities with their

former gang, and

sometimes assume

leadership positions in

the gang. Associating

with former cohorts does

not automatically mean

an individual is involved

in criminal activity,

however.

crimes. Since the gang provides

them a sense of identity, their

lives often center around the

gang. Law enforcement efforts

are generally directed at the

leaders and hard-core members.

Fringe or marginal members

are typically the newest and

youngest members. They drift

in and out of the gang depending on their needs. Fringe or

marginal members generally

lack the direction either to become hard-core members or to

leave the gang.

Gangs have developed their

own terminology for member

status. Police in Omaha, Nebraska, have encountered these

terms: AG (gangster for life),

BG (baby gangster), foot soldier

(lowest-ranking member),

homeboy (fellow gang member), hoodsta (gangster), killa

(killer), wannabe or mark

(want-to-be gang member),

queen (female gang member),

and triple OG (third-generation gangster). ◆

range in age from 8 to 25 years

old. Although generalizing

about the interpersonal dynamics that characterize street

gangs is difficult, it is possible

to classify members according

to their level of involvement.

Basically, there are three types

of street gang members: leaders,

hard-core members, and fringe

or marginal members.

Leaders are usually the oldest members of the gang and

have the most extensive criminal backgrounds. Leaders direct

the gang’s criminal activity—

frequently from prison. Studying the leader often provides

insight into the culture and

nature of the gang. A leader

usually surrounds himself with

trusted members and advisors,

forming an inner circle. Leadership responsibilities are sometimes shared among various

members of the inner group.

Hard-core members are usually the most violent and have

committed the most serious

Street gang members use identifiers to signify membership, to

promote solidarity within the

gang, and to communicate with

one another. Identifiers include

colors, graffiti, tattoos, monikers, hand signs, codes and ciphers, and clothing. Many

identifiers, such as tattoos and

graffiti, contain symbols unique

to the gang.

Some of the most common

symbols are a five- or sixpointed star, a crown, pitchforks, the cross in various forms,

a heart with horns, a spear, the

“all-seeing” dog, the gang’s initials, a cane, and various numerals.

Colors

All members of a gang will dress

in the same or similar colors to

indicate their gang affiliation.

The Vice Lords, for example,

wear red and black or black and

gold; the Latin Counts, black

and red; the Latin Kings, black

and gold. Colors, which may

change over time, may be displayed on members’ jackets,

shirts, bandannas, shoelaces,

rubber bands (in the hair), and

baseball caps.

Some youths have mistakenly been identified as gang

members or victimized by gangs

simply because they innocently

wore clothing containing a

gang’s colors.

Graffiti

Gangs use graffiti to stake out

their territory and to challenge

rivals—for example, by placing

their name in a rival gang’s territory and crossing out the riIdentifying Gang Members

(continued on next page)

Graffiti associated with

the Vice Lords often features crescent moons.
Special Needs Offenders Bulletin ◆ August 1997 ◆ Street Gangs 10

val gang’s name. Graffiti may

also claim credit for a crime or

eulogize slain members.

Gangs will place graffiti in

most any open space. The more

graffiti you see on buildings and

walls, the closer you are to the

gang’s core territory. Gangs vigorously protect their graffiti

from defacement by rival gangs,

and degradation of a gang’s graffiti may lead to gang wars, gangrelated homicides, or drive-by

shootings.

Tattoos

Tattoos are an extension of a

gang’s graffiti. Tattoos typically

can be found on a gang member’s arms, hands, chest, back,

neck, or legs. There are no rules

for the number, size, or ornateness of gang tattoos. Some are

professionally done; many are

homemade. Sometimes a gang

member will hide the gang tattoo by putting a more intricate

tattoo, such as a girl with long

flowing hair, a peacock, or a spider web, over the gang tattoo.

Experienced probation officers suggest taking several

Polaroids of an offender’s tattoos during the initial supervision interview. Some of the

photos can be kept in the file,

the rest can be shared with local law enforcement.

Monikers

Gang members usually have

nicknames or monikers that fit

their personal traits—for example, Shorty, T-bone, Rebel,

or Ghost. Gang members may

only know one another by their

monikers. Some gang members

include monikers in their tattoos.

Hand signs

Gang members use hand signs,

known as “flashing,” to communicate gang affiliation or to

challenge rival gangs. Hand

signs are made by forming the

gang symbol, initial,

or other gangrelated information

with the

fingers

and hands.

One of the most

common uses of hand signs

is to show disrespect for a rival

gang.

For example, to incite a

member of the Disciples, a Vice

Lord may make one of the Disciples’ signs, such as the pitchfork, upside down. “Throwing

down” a gang’s symbol may lead

to retaliation, even homicide.

Gang members may also engage

in false flashing to misrepresent

their membership or trick another gang member into declaring his affiliation. The hand

sign pictured here translates, “I

am going to kill you.”

Codes and Ciphers

Codes are words or terminology

that have a specific meaning to

gang members. Ciphers involve

substituting or transposing

the 26 letters of

the alphabet.

Gangs use

codes and

ciphers for

secret communication, often

to thwart law enforcement. Refer to the figures below for

sample codes and ciphers.

Clothing

Gang members often wear specific styles or brands of clothing. For example, many Hispanic gangs wear Pendleton

shirts in gang colors. Omaha

police reported that Crips and

Bloods gang members wore Levis 501 or Dickie work pants

and snakeskin or eel skin belts.

Top, Vice Lords graffiti and

tattoos often employ martini glasses, top hats, and

canes, in addition to crescent moons (see illustration on previous page).

Middle, the Star of David

is sometimes used by the

Black Gangster Disciples.

Above, a symbol used by

the Spanish Lords.

Sample of code words commonly used

by the Crips.

Sample of a Latin

Disciples cipher.

A

B

C

D

E

Crips Term Meaning

Black flag Kill

Chessmen Crips

Dice Hit

Dog face Infiltrator

Garage Cell

Georgetown San Quentin

Hard candy Knife

Headlight Money

Mafia Police

Mar’s Bar Bomb

Mid city Mainline

Play house Hospital

Reporter Informer

Shark Traitor

(continued from page 9)

➤
Special Needs Offenders Bulletin ◆ August 1997 ◆ Street Gangs 11

Experts and law enforcement

officials disagree over whether

gangs tend to be more violent

than other youth groups. The

editors of The Modern Gang

Reader claim that the “illegal

acts most commonly engaged in

by gang members are things like

petty theft, truancy, smoking

dope, writing graffiti, drinking

alcohol, and just plain scaring

people by seeming to take over

the streets. . . . When we say

gang members are into everything, that ‘everything’ is usually of the bothersome but not

serious type.”

Gang members talk about

violence much more than they

commit it, gang expert Malcolm W. Klein says. For the

most part they lead boring, aimless lives. “Gangs have potential for violence when things go

wrong, but it usually takes a lot

to activate that potential,”

Klein says.

Law enforcement surveys,

on the other hand, suggest that

gang members regularly commit serious crimes such as driveby shootings, carjackings, drug

trafficking, armed robbery, extortion, and intimidation. The

National Institute of Justice asserts that over half of all recorded street gang crimes are

homicides and other violent

crimes. In Los Angeles, police

reported a 250% increase in

gang-related homicides between 1979 and 1990. In 1991,

California reported 1,000 gangrelated killings and at least

3,000 gang-related drive-by

shootings.

Gang members commit

crimes to:

◆ represent or identify themselves as gang members;

◆ recruit new members (initiation rites);

◆ intimidate victims or new

members (to force them to

join);

◆ protect turf that has been

violated by rival gangs;

◆ glorify the gang or gain rank

within the gang;

◆ settle intragang conflicts

over leadership or violation

of gang rules;

◆ extort money from local

businesses; and

◆ retaliate when fellow members have been victimized

by rival gangs.

According to a National

Institute of Justice-sponsored

study, certain gangs tend to

commit certain types of crime.

Specifically, the study revealed

Street Gangs and Crime

(continued on next page)

Some gangs like to wear the

sports jacket, cap, or athletic

shoes of a sports team whose insignia contains the gang’s colors or lends itself to a particular interpretation.

For example, a blue “Kansas City Royals” cap with the

initials KC could identify a

“Killer Crip.” Similarly, British

Knight (BK) athletic shoes are

popular with the Crips, who say

that the BK stands for “Blood

Killer.” Crips, who favor the

colors blue and black, often

wear Oakland Raiders or Los

Angeles Dodgers sportswear.

Bloods, who prefer red, green,

and black, often wear clothing

associated with the Chicago

Bulls, the Boston Celtics, or

the Washington Redskins.

Accurate Identification

Officers can use identifiers and

symbols to help distinguish

gang members from nongang

youth. Look for them when interviewing offenders, making

employment and home contacts, and driving in the community.

Never make assumptions

about gang membership based

solely on one or two identifiers. Individual identifiers must

be considered within the total

context of the defendant’s or

offender’s life. For example, an

offender’s clothing and use of

hand signs may make him appear to be a full-fledged member of a street gang when he is

only an affiliate or a youth who

has adopted gang clothing and

gestures.

Accurate gang identification is based on (1) facts of

record; (2) statements and interviews with the offender and

collateral contacts, and with

law enforcement, corrections,

and Bureau of Prison personnel;

and (3) observation of several

identifiers. Be aware that gang

identifiers change over time

and are affected by many variables, including individual gang

members’ interpretation and

tastes, regional differences, specific gang modifications, and

the need to stay ahead of police intelligence. ◆
Special Needs Offenders Bulletin ◆ August 1997 ◆ Street Gangs 12

the following:

◆ Black gangs are more likely

than Latino gangs to perpetrate acts of “instrumental”

violence where the primary

purpose is not to hurt, injure, or kill but to obtain

money or property;

◆ Latino gangs and many

small gangs tend to carry

out acts of “expressive violence” such as turf battles;

◆ Latino gangs are also more

likely to use guns or commit aggravated assault and

battery than their black

counterparts.

Most of the planned, collective violence associated with

street gangs is undertaken to

expand gang territories or markets or to protect turf, research

shows. Nevertheless, innocent

citizens are increasingly becoming victims of drive-by

shootings, robberies, and seemingly random homicides perpetrated by gang members.

Guns

Researchers are trying to determine the precise relationship

between crime committed by

youth and rising gun use. One

explanation for the increasing

lethality of gang-related violence is the availability of more

powerful weapons and an increasing propensity to settle disputes with guns. Whatever the

reason, law enforcement surveys indicate that street gang

youth are better armed than

nongang youth. For example, in

a National Institute of Justice

study, researchers reported that

“the death weapon in most all

gang-motivated homicides in

Chicago was a gun” and that

the increase in gang-motivated

homicides noted at the time of

the study coincided with an increase in killings committed

with large-caliber, automatic,

or semiautomatic weapons.

 Researchers and law enforcement agents agree that the

semiautomatic pistol (especially the 9-millimeter) appears

to be the weapon of choice for

many street gang members. Tec

10’s, Uzis, and AK-47s are also

popular. Gangs obtain weapons

from older gang members with

Firearm Identification cards,

from underground markets, or

Virtually every antisocial

behavior increases during

the years of gang membership, a recent University of

Washington study of youth

gangs in Seattle discovered.

The federally funded

study, which tracked 808

youths for seven years,

found that 15% of the juveniles studied committed

85% of the robberies, 54%

of the felony thefts, 62% of

the drug sales, and 58% of

the juvenile crime overall.

“We’ve known for a

long time that having delinquent friends is predictive of anti-social behavior,” said David Hawkins,

Gang Members Commit Most

Juvenile Crime, Study Finds

professor of social work at

the University, “but this

study shows that being in a

gang predicts a higher offense rate.

“Before this, I wasn’t

sure that gangs were any

worse than groups of delinquents hanging out on

street corners. But in fact,

gangs contribute significantly to crime.”

According to Hawkins,

the higher level of criminal

activity by youth gang

members could be seen in

juvenile court records and

in the youths’ self-reports

of their activities to researchers.

Mean delinquency scores

of nonoffenders, street

offenders, and gang

members.

Source: Esbensen, et al. “Gang and

Nongang Youth: Differences in

Explanatory Factors” (see

references).

Behavior Non- Nongang Gang

type offenders street members

offenders

Street 0.00 6.74 16.07

Serious 1.49 9.71 21.85

Minor 4.93 13.67 23.76

Drug sales 0.00 4.05 5.64

Alcohol use 5.45 16.82 34.31

Drug use 1.50 11.92 21.69

(continued from page 11)
Special Needs Offenders Bulletin ◆ August 1997 ◆ Street Gangs 13

from military personnel who

sell their weapons (see sidebar,

page 6).

Drugs

As with the issue of street gang

violence, there are two competing views about the role of

street gangs in drug sales. Some

observers believe that street

gangs are well-organized drug

traffickers who reinvest drug

sales into their gangs. Others

think that members act independently of the gang when

selling drugs. Research supports

the latter view and suggests that

Is a street gang problem emerging in your district? Here is a

list of warning signs:

◆ Gang graffiti appears, starting small and getting larger

as the gang becomes bolder.

Typical places for graffiti include schoolbooks, school

desks, basketballs, service

station rest rooms, park

benches, walls, and buildings. If the graffiti is crossed

out, there is a high probability that more than one

street gang is in the area.

◆ Assaults in schools and in

the community increase.

◆ Calls to emergency law enforcement agencies involving “shots fired” increase.

◆ The number of violent

crimes increases overall.

◆ The number of wounded

persons being dropped off at

emergency rooms by unisome law enforcement estimates overemphasize the role of

gangs in illicit drug sales.

For example, a study of

street gangs and drug sales in

two cities in suburban Los Angeles revealed that of the 1,563

cocaine sales incidents on

record, the proportion involving gang members was about

30% in one city and 21% in the

other. These rates indicate substantial gang involvement in,

but not domination of, cocaine

distribution.

Although some gangs sell

drugs and some gang members

use drugs, few gangs are organized specifically to sell drugs.

As Klein explains, “drug distribution requires good organization, and most street gangs are

not well organized.”

Studies indicate that most

narcotics sold by street gangs

are sold at the street level by

individuals or small groups of

members, versus at the national

level. The profits are primarily

kept by the member selling the

drugs and are not distributed

within the gang. In general, individual use and low-level drug

dentified individuals, as opposed to arriving in ambulances, increases.

◆ The number of drive-by

shootings and murders increases.

Additional warning signs

may not have significance

when viewed alone but, when

noted in connection with the

signs listed above, may indicate

an emerging gang problem.

These warnings include flashing of hand signs, the arrival of

“new faces” in town known

only by street names or monikers, the appearance or growth

in popularity of certain types of

clothing and tattoos, increased

truancy, and the rise of certain

types of slang.

Gaining expertise

There are four things you can

do to confront a street gang

problem:

The best way to discover

warning signs of street

gang activity is to get out

of the office and into the

community. Talk with local law enforcement; local merchants; school officials; and the employers, families, and neighbors of offenders during

home and employment

contacts. Attend local

and regional gang task

force meetings. And establish relationships with

Detecting and Addressing Street Gang

Problems in Your District

(continued on next page)

(continued on next page)

local police, FBI, DEA,

and other law enforcement agents. Each of

these contacts is a potential source of intelligence

regarding street gangs in

your district.

In addition, observe

neighborhoods and their

inhabitants in your community. Look for signs of

street gang activity, such

as graffiti or particular

clothing worn by young

adults.

Gathering Intelligence

1. Learn more about the specific street gangs in your district.

2. Establish partnerships and

professional working relationships with local law
Special Needs Offenders Bulletin ◆ August 1997 ◆ Street Gangs 14

enforcement to supplement

and expand knowledge and

district resources.

3. Work with management

and colleagues to revise the

district’s case management

practices to address the

challenges that street gang

members present.

4. Continually update your

knowledge of street gangs

through training and education.

The Center suggests that

each district appoint a representative to

◆ talk to district officers and

compile their strategies for

investigating and supervising offenders and defendants suspected of being

street gang members or of

affiliating with gangs;

◆ participate in the FJC online workshop on street

gangs and report the street

(“Detecting” from page 13)

dealing are what first bring most gang members

into the judicial system.

As noted earlier, some gangs are well organized and therefore capable of large-scale drug

trafficking. The Bloods and Crips have established criminal organizations that capitalize on

the trafficking and selling of crack cocaine and

other narcotics. Even within these gangs, however, there are different levels of involvement,

ranging from narcotic selling by adolescents to

trafficking by older members.

The relationship between drug trafficking and

street gangs varies from city to city and gang to

gang. The best advice for federal officers is to contact local law enforcement to learn which gangs

may be trafficking narcotics in their districts. ◆

(“Crime” from page 13)

The Sacramento Intelligence

Unit (SIU) is a joint operation of the Bureau of Prisons

(BOP), U.S. Marshal Service, and U.S. Probation and

Pretrial Services. It was established in 1990 to provide operational intelligence and direct investigation support to

officers and field employees of

these agencies and other federal, state, and local law enforcement and judicial organizations.

SIU is hosted by the BOP

Intelligence Section, Central

Office, and staffed by employees from each of the three

agencies. While special emphasis is placed on street and

prison gangs, intelligence is

also provided for other threat

groups who pose a danger to

officers and the community.

Selected SIU services include

intelligence summaries on

gang or security threat groups,

gang-related incident analysis, intelligence trends, assistance in gang membership

validation procedures, support in analyzing threats to

the judiciary, notice to officers of pending releases, and a

wide variety of bulletins,

guides, and investigative support materials such as the Security and Threat Groups Symbols and Terminology Manual.

SIU operates Monday

through Friday from 7 a.m. to

5 p.m. (PST). For assistance

or to order a copy of the Security and Threat Groups Symbols and Terminology Manual,

contact Karen Meusling, Disruptive Groups Specialist,

SIU, Suite 210, 2941 Sunrise

Boulevard, Rancho Cordova,

CA 95742; phone (916)

851-0204; fax (916) 851-

0207.

Sacramento Intelligence Unit

(continued on back page)

Special Needs Offenders Bulletin

a publication of the Federal Judicial Center

No. 1, August 1997

Written by

Dennise Orlando-Morningstar

Training Specialist

Court Education Division

Edited and designed by

Nathan Dotson

Publications & Media Division

Send questions or comments to Dennise OrlandoMorningstar or Mark Maggio, Court Education Division, Federal Judicial Center, Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building, One Columbus Circle, N.E.,

Washington, D.C. 20002-8003.

This publication was undertaken in furtherance of the

Center’s statutory mission to develop and conduct education programs for judicial branch employees. The

views expressed are those of the author and are not

necessarily those of the Federal Judicial Center.
Special Needs Offenders Bulletin ◆ August 1997 ◆ Street Gangs 15

References

American Correctional Association. Gangs in Correctional

Facilities: A National Assessment.

Laurel, Md., April 1993.

Block, Carolyn Rebecca, and

Block, Richard. “Street Gang

Crime in Chicago.” In The

Modern Gang Reader, edited by

Malcolm W. Klein, Cheryl L.

Maxson, and Jody Miller. Los

Angeles, Cal.: Roxbury Publishing Company, 1995.

Brantley, Alan C., and DiRosa,

Andrew. “Gangs: A National

Perspective.” FBI Law Enforcement, May 1994: 1–19.

Bureau of Justice Assistance.

Comprehensive Gang Initiative

Program Fact Sheet. Washington,

D.C., November 1995.

Bursik, Robert J., and Grasmick,

Harold G. “Defining Gangs and

Gang Behavior.” In The Modern

Gang Reader, edited by Malcolm

W. Klein, Cheryl L. Maxson, and

Jody Miller. Los Angeles, Cal.:

Roxbury Publishing Company,

1995.

California Department of Justice.

Gangs 2000: A Call to Action. The

Attorney General’s Report on the

Impact of Criminal Street Gangs on

Crime and Violence in California in

the Year 2000. Sacramento, Cal.,

March 1993.

Campbell, Anne. “Female

Participation in Gangs.” In The

Modern Gang Reader, edited by

Malcolm W. Klein, Cheryl L.

Maxson, and Jody Miller. Los

Angeles, Cal.: Roxbury Publishing Company, 1995.

Casillas, Victor A. “Identifying and

Supervising Offenders Affiliated

with Community Threat

Groups.” Federal Probation 58, no.

2 (June 1994): 11–19.

Curry, David; Ball, Richard A.; and

Fox, Robert J. “Gang Crime and

Law Enforcement Record

Keeping: Research in Brief.”

National Institute of Justice Series in

Brief (NCJ 148345). Washington, D.C.: Office of Justice

Programs, Bureau of Justice

Statistics, June 1994. Available at

http://ncjrs.aspensys.com:81/R0-

39230-range/ncjrswais/data/

gcrime.txt.

Dart, Robert W. Untitled presentation on gangs. Chicago, Ill.:

Chicago Police Department,

undated.

Decker, Scott H., and Van Winkle,

Barrik. “Slinging Dope: The Role

of Gangs and Gang Members in

Drug Sales.” Justice Quarterly 11,

no. 4 ( December1994): 583–604.

Department of Justice. Violent

Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. Available at

http://gopher.usdoj.gov/crime/

crime.html.

Esbensen, Finn-Aage; Huizinga,

David; and Weiher, Anne. “Gang

and Non-gang Youth: Differences

in Explanatory Factors.” In The

Modern Gang Reader, edited by

Malcolm W. Klein, Cheryl L.

Maxson, and Jody Miller. Los

Angeles, Cal.: Roxbury Publishing Company, 1995.

Federal Bureau of Prisons, Intelligence Section. Security Threat

Groups Symbols and Terminology

Manual. Washington, D.C.,

September 1994.

Federal Bureau of Prisons, Intelligence Section. Special Law

Enforcement Briefing Guide.

Washington, D.C., November 13,

1995.

“Gang Crime and Law Enforcement Recordkeeping Research

Report.” Organized Crime Control

Digest, August 24, 1994: 7.

“Gangs Becoming Popular in

Smaller Towns, Study Finds.”

Crime Control Digest, September

26, 1994: 7.

Hahn, Sandra. “Female Gang

Members: Violence on the Rise.”

Topics in Community Corrections.

Washington, D.C.: National

Institute of Corrections, Winter

1992.

Howell, James C. Gangs (Fact

Sheet no.12). Washington, D.C.:

Office of Juvenile Justice and

Delinquency Prevention, April

1994. Available at http://ncjrs.

aspensys.com:81/R0-9127-range/

ncjrswais/data/gang2.txt.

Johnson, Claire; Webster, Barbara;

and Connor, Edward. “Prosecuting Gangs: A National Assessment.” National Institute of Justice

Series in Brief (NCJ 151785).

Washington, D.C.: Office of

Justice Programs, Bureau of

Justice Statistics, February 1995.

Available at http://ncjrs.aspensys.

com:81/R044535-range/ncjrswais/

data/pgang.txt.

Klein, Malcolm W.; Maxson,

Cheryl L.; and Miller, Jody, eds.

The Modern Gang Reader. Los

Angeles, Cal.: Roxbury Publishing Company, 1995.

“Lethal Gang Violence Linked

More to ‘Turf’ than to Drugs.”

The Criminal Justice Newsletter,

February 25, 1994: 5.

Maginnis, Robert J. “Youth Gangs:

Out of Control and Getting

Worse.” Insight, October 17,

1995. Washington, D.C.: Family

Research Council: 1–10.

Available at http://www.townhall.

com/..RC/insight/is95j3cr.html.

Marinucci, Carla; Winokur Scott;

and Lewis, Gregory. “Girl Gangs

Growing in Numbers, Escalating

Violence.” Houston Chronicle,

January 1, 1995: 38A.

Maxson, Cheryl L.; Woods, Kristi

J.; and Klein, Malcolm W. “Street

Gang Migration: How Big a

Threat? Research in Brief.”

National Institute of Justice Journal,

February 1996: 26–31.

Moore, John P. Highlights of the

1996 National Youth Gang Survey.

Washington, D.C., April 1997.

Available at http://www.ncjrs.org/

txtfiles/gangs.txt.

“Most Juvenile Crime Committed

by Gang Members, Study Finds.”

The Criminal Justice Newsletter,

January 2, 1997: 5.

National Drug Intelligence Center.

NDIC Gang Symposium, Selected

Findings (94-M0119-002A).

Johnstown, Pa., April 1995.

National Institute of Corrections.

Managing Gangs Lesson Plans (92-

M0801). Longmont, Colo., 1992.

National Institute of Justice.

Searching for Answers: Criminal

Justice Research, Development and

Evaluation. 1995 National Institute

of Justice Annual Report to

Congress (NCJ 162042).

Washington, D.C., July 1996.

National Major Gang Task Force.

Quarterly Newsletter 1, no. 3.

(October 1994): 1–4.

Office of Juvenile Justice and

Delinquency Prevention.

Reducing Gun Violence: An

Overview of Programs and

Initiatives. Washington, D.C.,

May 1996.

Omaha Police Department.1995

Gang Slang Dictionary. Omaha,

Neb., 1995.

Omaha Police Department.1995

Gang Unit Investigator’s Guide.

Omaha, Neb., 1995.

Operation Safe Streets (OSS)

Street Gang Detail. “LA Style: A

Street Gang Manual of the Los

Angeles County Sheriff’s

Department.” In The Modern

Gang Reader, edited by Malcolm

W. Klein, Cheryl L. Maxson, and

Jody Miller. Los Angeles, Cal.:

Roxbury Publishing Company,

1995.

Presler, Don. “Enlisting the Feds in

the War on Gangs.” U.S. News &

World Report, March 6, 1995: 38.

Sanders, William. “Drive-bys.” In

The Modern Gang Reader, edited

by Malcolm W. Klein, Cheryl L.

Maxson, and Jody Miller. Los

Angeles, Cal.: Roxbury Publishing Company, 1995.

Schoenberg, Tom. “Attacking

Street-Gang Stereotypes.” The

Chronicle of Higher Education,

October 6, 1995: A8.

Shannon, Elaine. “Crime: Safer

Streets, Yet Greater Fear.” Time

Magazine 145, no. 4 (January 30,

1995).

Sheley, Joseph F.; Zhang, Joshua;

Brody, Charles J.; and Wright,

James D. “Gang Organization,

Gang Criminal Activity, and

Individual Gang Members’

Criminal Behavior.” Social Science

Quarterly 76, no. 1 (March 1995):

53–68.

Stasch, Robert H. Chicago Gangs.

Chicago, Ill.: Chicago Police

Department, undated.

“Street Gangs Proliferate in

America.” The Crime Control

Digest, August 11, 1995: 2–3.

Swart, William J. “Female Gang

Delinquency: A Search for

Acceptable Deviant Behavior.” In

The Modern Gang Reader, edited

by Malcolm W. Klein, Cheryl L.

Maxson, and Jody Miller. Los

Angeles, Cal.: Roxbury Publishing Company, 1995.

Tustin Police Department. Street

Gang Awareness & Prevention.

Tustin, Cal., April 6, 1996.

Available at http://www.tustinpd.

org/gang.html.

Vistica, Gregory. “Gangsta in the

Ranks.” Newsweek, July 24, 1995:

48.

Zawitz, Marianne W. Guns Used in

Crime: Firearms, Crime and

Criminal Justice—Selected Findings

(NCJ-148201). Washington,

D.C.: Bureau of Justice Statistics,

July 1995. Available at www.ojp.

usdoj.gov/bjs/press/guic.pr.
Special Needs Offenders Bulletin

Federal Judicial Center

Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building

One Columbus Circle, N.E.

Washington, D.C. 20002-8003

gang-related information, strategies,

and issues that officers in the district

raised;

◆ put together a list of resources in the

district and community that officers

can use to identify and supervise

street gang members;

◆ serve as the Center’s point-of-contact for the Special Needs Offenders

program on street gangs. ◆

The Federal Bureau of Prisons is reporting an increase in disruptive activities in prisons by street gangs such

as the Bloods, Crips, and Jamaican

Posse; by prison gangs; and by other

security threat groups. The Bureau is

requesting that officers include gang

affiliation information in presentence

and dispositional reports.

The Administrative Office directs

officers to include in their reports

the name of the gang to which an

offender/defendant belongs; the

names of major gang members, including associates or relatives of the

defendant/offender; the defendant’s/

offender’s role in the gang; the length

of time the defendant/offender has

been a member or associate of the

gang; and known gang signals such

as tattoos, colors, special terminology,

hand signs, codes, and ciphers.

In a July 17, 1997, memorandum

to chief probation officers regarding

inclusion of gang information in presentence and dispositional reports,

the Administrative Office stated that

officers must take care in describing the reasons for including gangrelated information in the presentence investigation or dispositional report since it may be relevant to the imposition of the sentence or subsequent correctional

treatment, including designation

by the Bureau of Prisons. If the

gang association can be attributed

to the commission of the instant

offense, such information should

be included in the Offense Conduct Section of the report. If gang

membership is not related to the

offense, such information should

be included in other relevant sections of the report.

Read the AO’s News and

Views for announcements

about the October on-line

workshop and the December satellite broadcast on

street gangs. Or contact

Dennise Orlando-Morningstar or Mark Maggio at

(202) 273-4115 for additional information.

(continued from page 14)

I M P O R T A N T N O T I C E