A presenter from the State University of West Georgia reported that up to 30 percent of youth incarcerated in Georgia's juvenile corrections facilities claimed active gang membership. Many youth said they had become gang members for the first time while they were incarcerated. Staff observed that youth who had been members of gangs seemed to be recruiting new members inside the institution. Thus, it seems that the institution may be a breeding ground for new gangs. Eighty-four percent of institutional staff surveyed said they had not received any training on how to deal with gang members.
Staff receive gang training with annual updates.
CYA does not allow gang activity or gang behavior in its facilities. The speaker said gang leaders need to be given challenging alternative activities because they are generally very bright. CYA gang violence reduction programs, including culturally sensitive parenting programs for fathers, appear to be having an impact. These programs were to be evaluated beginning in 1997. A speaker from the Oregon Youth Authority described community-based gang intervention.