I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3922 
To expand and improve Federal gang prevention programs. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 22, 2007 
Mr. BUCHANAN (for himself and Mr. KELLER of Florida) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and 
in addition to the Committee on Education and Labor, for a period to 
be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned 
A BILL 
To expand and improve Federal gang prevention programs. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Gang Reduction, Investment, and Prevention Act’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Findings. 
Sec. 3. Designation of and assistance for high intensity gang activity areas. 
Sec. 4. Gang prevention grants. 
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Sec. 5. Enhancement of Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative to improve en-
forcement of criminal laws against violent gangs. 
Sec. 6. Additional resources needed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to 
investigate and prosecute violent criminal street gangs. 
Sec. 7. Grants to prosecutors and law enforcement to combat violent crime. 
Sec. 8. Expansion and reauthorization of the mentoring initiative for system in-
volved youth. 
Sec. 9. Demonstration grants to encourage creative approaches to gang activity 
and after-school programs. 
Sec. 10. Short-term State witness protection section. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Violent crime and drug trafficking are per-
vasive problems at the national, State, and local 
level. 
(2) According to recent Federal data, sharp in-
creases in violent crime are attributable in part to 
the spread of criminal street gangs and the willing-
ness of gang members to commit acts of violence 
and drug trafficking offenses. 
(3) State and local prosecutors, local law en-
forcement officers, and community leaders, in hear-
ings before Congress and town hall meetings in con-
gressional districts, have called on Congress to pro-
vide Federal investments to combat and prevent 
gang recruitments and crimes. 
(4) Because State and local prosecutors and 
law enforcement have the expertise, experience, and 
connection to the community that is needed to assist 
in combating gang violence, consultation and coordi-
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nation between Federal, State, and local law enforce-
ment is critical to the successful prosecutions of 
criminal street gangs. 
SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF AND ASSISTANCE FOR HIGH IN-
TENSITY GANG ACTIVITY AREAS. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) GOVERNOR.—The term ‘‘Governor’’ means 
a Governor of a State, the Mayor of the District of 
Columbia, the tribal leader of an Indian tribe, or the 
chief executive of a Commonwealth, territory, or pos-
session of the United States. 
(2) HIGH INTENSITY GANG ACTIVITY AREA.— 
The term ‘‘high intensity gang activity area’’ or 
‘‘HIGAA’’ means an area within 1 or more States 
or Indian country that is designated as a high inten-
sity gang activity area under subsection (b)(1). 
(3) INDIAN COUNTRY.—The term ‘‘Indian coun-
try’’ has the meaning given the term in section 1151 
of title 18, United States Code. 
(4) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian tribe’’ 
has the meaning given the term in section 4(e) of 
the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assist-
ance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b(e)). 
(5) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means a State 
of the United States, the District of Columbia, and 
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any commonwealth, territory, or possession of the 
United States. 
(6) TRIBAL LEADER.—The term ‘‘tribal leader’’ 
means the chief executive officer representing the 
governing body of an Indian tribe. 
(b) HIGH INTENSITY GANG ACTIVITY AREAS.— 
(1) DESIGNATION.—The Attorney General, 
after consultation with the Governors of appropriate 
States, may designate as high intensity gang activity 
areas, specific areas that are located within one or 
more States, which may consist of one or more mu-
nicipalities, counties, or other jurisdictions as appro-
priate. 
(2) ASSISTANCE.—In order to provide Federal 
assistance to high intensity gang activity areas, the 
Attorney General shall— 
(A) establish local collaborative working 
groups, which shall include— 
(i) criminal street gang enforcement 
teams, consisting of Federal, State, tribal, 
and local law enforcement authorities, for 
the coordinated investigation, disruption, 
apprehension, and prosecution of criminal 
street gangs and offenders in each high in-
tensity gang activity area; 
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(ii) educational, community, and faith 
leaders in the area; 
(iii) service providers in the commu-
nity, including those experienced at reach-
ing youth and adults who have been in-
volved in violence and violent gangs or 
groups, to provide gang-involved or seri-
ously at-risk youth with positive alter-
natives to gangs and other violent groups 
and to address the needs of those who 
leave gangs and other violent groups, and 
those reentering society from prison; and 
(iv) evaluation teams to research and 
collect 
information, 
assess 
data, 
rec-
ommend adjustments, and generally assure 
the accountability and effectiveness of pro-
gram implementation; 
(B) direct the reassignment or detailing 
from any Federal department or agency (sub-
ject to the approval of the head of that depart-
ment or agency, in the case of a department or 
agency other than the Department of Justice) 
of personnel to each criminal street gang en-
forcement team; 
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(C) direct the reassignment or detailing of 
representatives from— 
(i) the Department of Justice; 
(ii) the Department of Education; 
(iii) the Department of Labor; 
(iv) the Department of Health and 
Human Services; 
(v) the Department of Housing and 
Urban Development; and 
(vi) any other Federal department or 
agency (subject to the approval of the head 
of that department or agency, in the case 
of a department or agency other than the 
Department of Justice) to each high inten-
sity gang activity area to identify and co-
ordinate efforts to access Federal pro-
grams and resources available to provide 
gang prevention, intervention, and reentry 
assistance; 
(D) prioritize and administer the Federal 
program and resource requests made by the 
local collaborative working group established 
under subparagraph (A) for each high intensity 
gang activity area; 
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(E) provide all necessary funding for the 
operation of each such local collaborative work-
ing group in each high intensity gang activity 
area; and 
(F) provide all necessary funding for na-
tional and regional meetings of such local col-
laborative working groups, criminal street gang 
enforcement teams, and educational, commu-
nity, social service, faith-based, and all other re-
lated organizations, as needed, to ensure effec-
tive operation of such teams through the shar-
ing of intelligence and best practices and for 
any other related purpose. 
(3) COMPOSITION OF CRIMINAL STREET GANG 
ENFORCEMENT
TEAM.—Each 
team 
established 
under paragraph (2)(A)(i) shall consist of agents 
and officers, where feasible, from— 
(A) the Federal Bureau of Investigation; 
(B) the Drug Enforcement Administration; 
(C) the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Fire-
arms, and Explosives; 
(D) the United States Marshals Service; 
(E) the Department of Homeland Security; 
(F) the Department of Housing and Urban 
Development; 
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(G) State, local, and, where appropriate, 
tribal law enforcement; 
(H) Federal, State, and local prosecutors; 
and 
(I) the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of 
Law Enforcement Services, where appropriate. 
(4) CRITERIA
FOR
DESIGNATION.—In consid-
ering an area for designation as a high intensity 
gang activity area under this section, the Attorney 
General shall consider— 
(A) the current and predicted levels of 
gang crime activity in the area; 
(B) the extent to which qualitative and 
quantitative data indicate that violent crime in 
the area is related to criminal street gang activ-
ity, 
such 
as 
murder, 
robbery, 
assaults, 
carjacking, arson, kidnapping, extortion, drug 
trafficking, and other criminal activity; 
(C) the extent to which State, local, and, 
where appropriate, tribal law enforcement agen-
cies, schools, community groups, social service 
agencies, job agencies, faith-based organiza-
tions, and other organizations have committed 
resources to— 
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(i) respond to the gang crime prob-
lem; and 
(ii) participate in a gang enforcement 
team; 
(D) the extent to which a significant in-
crease in the allocation of Federal resources 
would enhance local response to the gang crime 
activities in the area; and 
(E) any other criteria that the Attorney 
General considers to be appropriate. 
(5) RELATION
TO
HIDTAS.—If the Attorney 
General establishes a high intensity gang activity 
area that substantially overlaps geographically with 
any existing high intensity drug trafficking area (in 
this section referred to as a ‘‘HIDTA’’), the Attor-
ney General shall direct the local collaborative work-
ing group for that high intensity gang activity area 
to enter into an agreement with the Executive Board 
for that HIDTA, providing that— 
(A) the Executive Board of that HIDTA 
shall establish a separate high intensity gang 
activity area law enforcement steering com-
mittee, and select (with a preference for Fed-
eral, State, and local law enforcement agencies 
that are within the geographic area of that high 
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laps, utilize the intelligence-sharing, administra-
tive, and other resources of that HIDTA. 
(c) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than December 1 
of each year, the Attorney General shall submit to 
the appropriate committees of Congress, the Direc-
tor of the Office of Management and Budget, and 
the Domestic Policy Council a report that describes, 
for each designated high intensity gang activity 
area— 
(A) the specific long-term and short-term 
goals and objectives; 
(B) the measurements used to evaluate the 
performance of the high intensity gang activity 
area in achieving the long-term and short-term 
goals; 
(C) the age, composition, and membership 
of gangs; 
(D) the number and nature of crimes com-
mitted by gangs and gang members; 
(E) the definition of the term ‘‘gang’’ used 
to compile that report; and 
(F) the programmatic outcomes and fund-
ing need of the high intensity gang area, includ-
ing— 
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(i) an evidence-based analysis of the 
best practices and outcomes from the work 
of the relevant local collaborative working 
group; and 
(ii) an analysis of whether Federal re-
sources distributed meet the needs of the 
high intensity gang activity area and, if 
any programmatic funding shortfalls exist, 
recommendations for programs or funding 
to meet such shortfalls. 
(2) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES.—In this sub-
section, the term ‘‘appropriate committees of Con-
gress’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on the Judiciary, the 
Committee on Appropriations, and the Com-
mittee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pen-
sions of the Senate; and 
(B) the Committee on the Judiciary, the 
Committee on Appropriations, the Committee 
on Education and Labor, and the Committee on 
Energy and Commerce of the House of Rep-
resentatives. 
(d) ADDITIONAL ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTOR-
NEYS.—The Attorney General is authorized to hire 94 ad-
ditional Assistant United States attorneys, and non-attor-
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ney coordinators and paralegals as necessary, to carry out 
the provisions of this section. 
(e) ADDITIONAL DEFENSE COUNSEL.—In each of 
the fiscal years 2009 through 2013, the Director of the 
Administrative Office of the United States Courts is au-
thorized to hire 71 additional attorneys, non-attorney co-
ordinators, and investigators, as necessary, in Federal De-
fender Programs and Federal Community Defender Orga-
nizations, and to make additional payments as necessary 
to retain appointed counsel under section 3006A of title 
18, United States Code, to adequately respond to any in-
creased or expanded caseloads that may occur as a result 
of this section. Funding under this subsection shall not 
exceed the funding levels under subsection (d). 
(f) NATIONAL GANG RESEARCH, EVALUATION, AND 
POLICY INSTITUTE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Office of Justice Pro-
grams of the Department of Justice, after consulting 
with relevant law enforcement officials, practitioners 
and researchers, shall establish a National Gang Re-
search, Evaluation, and Policy Institute (in this sub-
section referred to as the ‘‘Institute’’). 
(2) ACTIVITIES.—The Institute shall— 
(A) promote and facilitate the implementa-
tion of data-driven, effective gang violence sup-
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pression, prevention, intervention, and reentry 
models, such as the Operation Ceasefire model, 
the Strategic Public Health Approach, the 
Gang Reduction Program, or any other prom-
ising municipally driven, comprehensive commu-
nity-wide strategy that is demonstrated to be 
effective in reducing gang violence; 
(B) assist jurisdictions by conducting time-
ly research on effective models and designing 
and promoting implementation of effective local 
strategies, including programs that have objec-
tives and data on how they reduce gang violence 
(including shootings and killings), using preven-
tion, outreach, and community approaches, and 
that demonstrate the efficacy of these ap-
proaches; and 
(C) provide and contract for technical as-
sistance as needed in support of its mission. 
(3) NATIONAL CONFERENCE.—Not later than 
90 days after the date of its formation, the Institute 
shall design and conduct a national conference to re-
duce and prevent gang violence, and to teach and 
promote gang violence prevention, intervention, and 
reentry strategies. The conference shall be attended 
by appropriate representatives from criminal street 
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gang enforcement teams, and local collaborative 
working groups, including representatives of edu-
cational, community, religious, and social service or-
ganizations, and gang program and policy research 
evaluators. 
(4) NATIONAL
DEMONSTRATION
SITES.—Not 
later than 120 days after the date of its formation, 
the Institute shall select appropriate HIGAA areas 
to serve as primary national demonstration sites, 
based on the nature, concentration, and distribution 
of various gang types, the jurisdiction’s established 
capacity to integrate prevention, intervention, re- 
entry and enforcement efforts, and the range of par-
ticular gang-related issues. After establishing pri-
mary national demonstration sites, the Institute 
shall establish such other secondary sites, to be 
linked to and receive evaluation, research, and tech-
nical assistance through the primary sites, as it may 
determine appropriate. 
(5) DISSEMINATION
OF
INFORMATION.—Not 
later than 180 days after the date of its formation, 
the Institute shall develop and begin dissemination 
of information about methods to effectively reduce 
and prevent gang violence, including guides, research 
and assessment models, case studies, evaluations, 
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and best practices. The Institute shall also create a 
website, designed to support the implementation of 
successful gang violence prevention models, and dis-
seminate appropriate information to assist jurisdic-
tions in reducing gang violence. 
(6) GANG
INTERVENTION
ACADEMIES.—Not 
later than 6 months after the date of its formation, 
the Institute shall, either directly or through con-
tracts with qualified nonprofit organizations, estab-
lish not less than one training academy, located in 
a high intensity gang activity area, to promote effec-
tive gang intervention and community policing. The 
purposes of an academy established under this para-
graph shall be to increase professionalism of gang 
intervention workers, improve officer training for 
working with gang intervention workers, create best 
practices for independent cooperation between offi-
cers and intervention workers, and develop training 
for community policing. 
(7) SUPPORT.—The Institute shall obtain initial 
and continuing support from experienced researchers 
and practitioners, as it determines necessary, to test 
and assist in implementing its strategies nationally, 
regionally, and locally. 
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(8) RESEARCH
AGENDA.—The Institute shall 
establish and implement a core research agenda de-
signed to address areas of particular challenge, in-
cluding— 
(A) how best to apply and continue to test 
the models described in paragraph (2) in par-
ticularly large jurisdictions; 
(B) how to foster and maximize the con-
tinuing impact of community moral voices in 
this context; 
(C) how to ensure the long-term sustain-
ability of reduced violent crime levels once ini-
tial levels of enthusiasm may subside; and 
(D) how to apply existing intervention 
frameworks to emerging local, regional, na-
tional, or international gang problems, such as 
the emergence of the gang known as MS–13. 
(9) EVALUATION.—The National Institute of 
Justice shall evaluate, on a continuing basis, com-
prehensive gang violence prevention, intervention, 
suppression, and reentry strategies supported by the 
Institute, and shall report the results of these eval-
uations by no later than October 1 each year to the 
Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the 
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Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Rep-
resentatives. 
(10) FUNDS.—The Attorney General shall use 
not less than 3 percent, and not more than 5 per-
cent, of the amounts made available under this sec-
tion to establish and operate the Institute. 
(g) USE OF FUNDS.—Of amounts made available to 
a local collaborative working group under this section for 
each fiscal year that are remaining after the costs of hir-
ing a full time coordinator for the local collaborative ef-
fort— 
(1) 50 percent shall be used for the operation 
of criminal street gang enforcement teams; and 
(2) 50 percent shall be used— 
(A) to provide at-risk youth with positive 
alternatives to gangs and other violent groups 
and to address the needs of those who leave 
gangs and other violent groups through— 
(i) service providers in the community, 
including schools and school districts; and 
(ii) faith leaders and other individuals 
experienced at reaching youth who have 
been involved in violence and violent gangs 
or groups; 
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(B) for the establishment and operation of 
the National Gang Research, Evaluation, and 
Policy Institute; and 
(C) to support and provide technical assist-
ance to research in criminal justice, social serv-
ices, and community gang violence prevention 
collaborations. 
(h) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$75,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2009 through 
2013. Any funds made available under this subsection 
shall remain available until expended. 
SEC. 4. GANG PREVENTION GRANTS. 
(a) AUTHORITY TO MAKE GRANTS.—The Attorney 
General of the United States, through the Office of Justice 
Programs of the Department of Justice, may make grants, 
in accordance with such regulations as the Attorney Gen-
eral may prescribe, to States, units of local government, 
tribal governments, and qualified private entities, as speci-
fied by the Attorney General, to develop community-based 
programs that provide crime prevention, research, and 
intervention services that are designed for gang members 
and at-risk youth. 
(b) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a grant 
under subsection (a), a State, unit of local government, 
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tribal government, or qualified private entity shall submit 
to the Attorney General an application at such time, in 
such manner, and accompanied by such information as the 
Attorney General may reasonably require. 
(c) USE OF GRANT AMOUNTS.—A grant under this 
section may be used (including through subgrants) for— 
(1) preventing initial gang recruitment and in-
volvement among younger teenagers; 
(2) reducing gang involvement through non-
violent and constructive activities, such as commu-
nity service programs, development of nonviolent 
conflict resolution skills, employment and legal as-
sistance, family counseling, and other safe, commu-
nity-based alternatives for high-risk youth; 
(3) developing in-school and after-school gang 
safety, control, education, and resistance procedures 
and programs; 
(4) identifying and addressing early childhood 
risk factors for gang involvement, including parent 
training and childhood skills development; 
(5) identifying and fostering protective factors 
that buffer children and adolescents from gang in-
volvement; 
(6) developing and identifying investigative pro-
grams designed to deter gang recruitment, involve-
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ment, and activities through effective intelligence 
gathering; 
(7) developing programs and youth centers for 
first-time nonviolent offenders facing alternative 
penalties, such as mandated participation in commu-
nity service, restitution, counseling, and education 
and prevention programs; 
(8) implementing regional, multidisciplinary ap-
proaches to combat gang violence though coordi-
nated programs for prevention and intervention (in-
cluding street outreach programs and other peace-
making activities) or coordinated law enforcement 
activities (including regional gang task forces and 
regional crime mapping strategies that enhance fo-
cused prosecutions and reintegration strategies for 
offender reentry); or 
(9) identifying at-risk and high-risk students 
through home visits organized through joint collabo-
rations between law enforcement, faith-based organi-
zations, schools, and social workers. 
(d) GRANT REQUIREMENTS.— 
(1) MAXIMUM.—The amount of a grant under 
this section may not exceed $1,000,000. 
(2) CONSULTATION AND COOPERATION.—To be 
eligible to receive a grant under this section an enti-
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ty shall have in effect as of the date of the applica-
tion submitted by the entity under subsection (b) 
agreements to consult and cooperate with local, 
State, or Federal law enforcement and participate, 
as appropriate, in coordinated efforts to reduce gang 
activity and violence. 
(e) ANNUAL REPORT.—Each recipient of a grant 
under this section shall submit to the Attorney General, 
for each year in which funds from the grant are expended, 
a report containing— 
(1) a summary of the activities carried out with 
such funds during the year; 
(2) an assessment of the effectiveness of the 
crime prevention, research, and intervention activi-
ties of the recipient, based on data collected by the 
recipient; 
(3) a strategic plan for the use of grant funds 
under this section during the year following the year 
described in paragraph (1); 
(4) evidence of consultation and cooperation 
with local, State, or Federal law enforcement or, if 
the grant recipient is a government entity, evidence 
of consultation with an organization engaged in any 
activity described in subsection (c); and 
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(5) such other information as the Attorney 
General may require. 
(f) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘‘units of 
local government’’ includes sheriffs departments, police 
departments, and local prosecutor offices. 
(g) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$35,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2009 through 
2013. 
SEC. 5. ENHANCEMENT OF PROJECT SAFE NEIGHBOR-
HOODS INITIATIVE TO IMPROVE ENFORCE-
MENT OF CRIMINAL LAWS AGAINST VIOLENT 
GANGS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—While maintaining the focus of 
Project Safe Neighborhoods as a comprehensive, strategic 
approach to reducing gun violence in the United States, 
the Attorney General is authorized to expand the Project 
Safe Neighborhoods program to require each United 
States attorney to— 
(1) identify, investigate, and prosecute criminal 
street gangs, as defined in section 521(a) of title 18, 
United States Code, operating within their district; 
and 
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(2) coordinate the identification, investigation, 
and prosecution of such criminal street gangs among 
Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies. 
(b) ADDITIONAL STAFF FOR PROJECT SAFE NEIGH-
BORHOODS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General may 
hire Assistant United States attorneys, non-attorney 
coordinators, or paralegals to carry out the provi-
sions of this section. 
(2) ENFORCEMENT.—The Attorney General 
may hire agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, 
Firearms, and Explosives for, and otherwise expend 
additional resources in support of, the Bureau’s 
Project Safe Neighborhoods/Firearms Violence Re-
duction program. 
(c) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated $20,000,000 for each 
of the fiscal years 2009 through 2013 to carry out this 
section. Any funds made available under this subsection 
shall remain available until expended. 
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SEC. 6. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES NEEDED BY THE FED-
ERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION TO INVES-
TIGATE AND PROSECUTE VIOLENT CRIMINAL 
STREET GANGS. 
(a) EXPANSION OF SAFE STREETS PROGRAM.—The 
Attorney General is authorized to expand the Safe Streets 
Program of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the 
purpose of supporting criminal street gang enforcement 
teams described in section 3(b)(2)(A)(i). 
(b) NATIONAL GANG ACTIVITY DATABASE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General shall 
establish a National Gang Activity Database to be 
housed at and administered by the Department of 
Justice. 
(2) DESCRIPTION.—The database required by 
paragraph (1) shall— 
(A) be designed to disseminate information 
on gangs to law enforcement agencies through-
out the country and, subject to appropriate con-
trols, to disseminate aggregate statistical infor-
mation on such gangs to other members of the 
criminal justice system, community leaders, 
academics, and the public; 
(B) contain critical information on gangs, 
gang members, firearms, criminal activities, ve-
hicles, and other information useful for inves-
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tigators in solving and reducing gang-related 
crimes; 
(C) operate in a manner that enables law 
enforcement agencies to— 
(i) identify gang members involved in 
crimes; 
(ii) track the movement of gangs and 
gang members throughout the region; 
(iii) coordinate law enforcement re-
sponse to gang-related violence; 
(iv) enhance officer safety; 
(v) provide realistic, up-to-date figures 
and statistical data on gang-related crime 
and violence; 
(vi) forecast trends in such crime and 
violence and respond accordingly; and 
(vii) more easily solve such crimes and 
prevent such violence; and 
(D) be subject to guidelines, issued by the 
Attorney General, specifying the criteria for 
adding information to the database, the appro-
priate period for retention of such information, 
and a process for removing individuals from the 
database, and prohibiting disseminating gang 
information to any entity that is not a law en-
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forcement agency, except aggregate statistical 
information where appropriate. 
(3) USE
OF
RISS
SECURE
INTRANET.—From 
amounts made available to carry out this section, the 
Attorney General shall provide the Regional Infor-
mation Sharing Systems such sums as are necessary 
to use the secure intranet known as RISSNET to 
electronically connect existing gang information sys-
tems (including the RISSGang National Gang Data-
base) with the National Gang Activity Database, 
thereby facilitating the automated information ex-
change of existing gang data by all connected sys-
tems without the need for additional databases or 
data replication. 
(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—In addition to amounts oth-
erwise authorized, there are authorized to be appro-
priated to the Attorney General $10,000,000 for 
each of the fiscal years 2009 through 2013 to carry 
out this section. 
(2) AVAILABILITY.—Any amounts appropriated 
under paragraph (1) shall remain available until ex-
pended. 
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SEC. 7. GRANTS TO PROSECUTORS AND LAW ENFORCE-
MENT TO COMBAT VIOLENT CRIME. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 31702 of the Violent 
Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (42 
U.S.C. 13862) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(2) in paragraph (4), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting a semicolon; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(5) to hire additional prosecutors to— 
‘‘(A) allow more cases to be prosecuted; 
and 
‘‘(B) reduce backlogs; and 
‘‘(6) to fund technology, equipment, and train-
ing for prosecutors and law enforcement in order to 
increase accurate identification of gang members 
and violent offenders, and to maintain databases 
with such information to facilitate coordination 
among law enforcement and prosecutors.’’. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 
31707 of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement 
Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 13867) is amended to read as 
follows: 
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‘‘SEC. 31707. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
‘‘There 
are 
authorized 
to 
be 
appropriated 
$20,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2009 through 
2013 to carry out this subtitle.’’. 
SEC. 8. EXPANSION AND REAUTHORIZATION OF THE MEN-
TORING INITIATIVE FOR SYSTEM INVOLVED 
YOUTH. 
(a) EXPANSION.—Section 261(a) of the Juvenile Jus-
tice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 
5665(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘The Administrator shall expand the number of sites re-
ceiving such grants from 4 to 12.’’. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF PROGRAM.—Section 299(c) 
of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act 
of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5671(c)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘There are authorized’’ and in-
serting the following: 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(2) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR 
MENTORING
INITIATIVE.—There are authorized to 
be appropriated to carry out the Mentoring Initiative 
for System Involved Youth Program under part E 
$4,800,000 for each of the fiscal years 2009 through 
2013.’’. 
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SEC. 9. DEMONSTRATION GRANTS TO ENCOURAGE CRE-
ATIVE APPROACHES TO GANG ACTIVITY AND 
AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General may make 
grants to public or nonprofit private entities (including 
faith-based organizations) for the purpose of assisting the 
entities in carrying out projects involving innovative ap-
proaches to combat gang activity. 
(b) CERTAIN APPROACHES.—For purposes of sub-
section (a), innovative approaches may include the fol-
lowing: 
(1) Encouraging teen-driven approaches to 
gang activity prevention. 
(2) Educating parents to recognize signs of 
problems and potential gang involvement in their 
children. 
(3) Teaching parents the importance of a nur-
turing family and home environment to keep chil-
dren out of gangs. 
(4) Facilitating communication between parents 
and children, especially programs that have been 
evaluated and proven effective. 
(c) MATCHING FUNDS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General may 
make a grant under this section only if the entity re-
ceiving the grant agrees to make available (directly 
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or through donations from public or private entities) 
non-Federal contributions toward the cost of activi-
ties to be performed with that grant in an amount 
that is not less than 25 percent of such costs. 
(2) DETERMINATION
OF
AMOUNT
CONTRIB-
UTED.—Non-Federal contributions required by para-
graph (1) may be in cash or in kind, fairly evalu-
ated, including facilities, equipment, or services. 
Amounts provided by the Federal Government, or 
services assisted or subsidized to any significant ex-
tent by the Federal Government, may not be in-
cluded in determining the amount of such non-Fed-
eral contributions. 
(d) EVALUATION OF PROJECTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General shall 
establish criteria for the evaluation of projects in-
volving innovative approaches referred to in sub-
section (a). 
(2) GRANTEES.—A grant may be made under 
subsection (a) only if the entity involved— 
(A) agrees to conduct evaluations of the 
approach in accordance with such criteria; 
(B) agrees to submit to the Attorney Gen-
eral reports describing the results of such eval-
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uations, as the Attorney General determines to 
be appropriate; and 
(C) submits to the Attorney General, in 
the application required by subsection (e), a 
plan for conducting such evaluations. 
(e) APPLICATION FOR GRANT.—To request a grant 
under this section, a public or nonprofit private entity de-
siring shall submit an application in such form, in such 
manner, and containing such agreements, assurances, and 
information (including the agreements required by sub-
sections (c) and (d) and the plan required by subsection 
(d)(2)(C)) as the Attorney General determines appro-
priate. 
(f) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than February 
1 of each year, the Attorney General shall submit to Con-
gress a report describing the extent to which innovative 
approaches referred to in subsection (a) have been suc-
cessful in reducing the rate of gang activity in the commu-
nities in which such approaches were carried out. Each 
report submitted under this subsection shall describe each 
such innovative approaches used under subsection (a) and 
the effectiveness of such approach. 
(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000 to carry out this 
section for each of the fiscal years 2009 through 2013. 
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SEC. 10. SHORT-TERM STATE WITNESS PROTECTION SEC-
TION. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Chapter 37 of title 28, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 570. SHORT-TERM STATE WITNESS PROTECTION SEC-
TION. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—There is established in the 
United States Marshals Service a Short-Term State Wit-
ness Protection Section, which shall provide protection for 
witnesses in State and local trials involving homicide or 
other major violent crimes pursuant to cooperative agree-
ments with State and local criminal prosecutor’s offices 
and the United States attorney for the District of Colum-
bia. 
‘‘(b) ELIGIBILITY.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Short-Term State Wit-
ness Protection Section shall give priority in award-
ing grants and providing services to— 
‘‘(A) criminal prosecutor’s offices for 
States with an average of not less than 100 
murders per year; and 
‘‘(B) criminal prosecutor’s offices for juris-
dictions that include a city, town, or township 
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with an average violent crime rate per 100,000 
inhabitants that is above the national average. 
‘‘(2) CALCULATION.—The rate of murders and 
violent crime under paragraph (1) shall be calculated 
using the latest available crime statistics from the 
Federal Bureau of Investigation during the 5-year 
period immediately preceding an application for pro-
tection.’’. 
(2) CHAPTER ANALYSIS.—The chapter analysis 
for chapter 37 of title 28, United States Code, is 
amended by striking the items relating to sections 
570 through 576 and inserting the following: 
‘‘570. Short-Term State Witness Protection Section.’’. 
(b) GRANT PROGRAM.— 
(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection— 
(A) the term ‘‘eligible prosecutor’s office’’ 
means a State or local criminal prosecutor’s of-
fice or the United States attorney for the Dis-
trict of Columbia; and 
(B) the term ‘‘serious violent felony’’ has 
the same meaning as in section 3559(c)(2) of 
title 18, United States Code. 
(2) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General 
is authorized to make grants to eligible prosecu-
tor’s offices for purposes of identifying wit-
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nesses in need of protection or providing short- 
term protection to witnesses in trials involving 
homicide or serious violent felony. 
(B) ALLOCATION.—Each eligible prosecu-
tor’s office receiving a grant under this sub-
section may— 
(i) use the grant to identify witnesses 
in need of protection or provide witness 
protection (including tattoo removal serv-
ices); or 
(ii) pursuant to a cooperative agree-
ment with the Short-Term State Witness 
Protection Section of the United States 
Marshals Service, credit the grant to the 
Short-Term State Witness Protection Sec-
tion to cover the costs to the section of 
providing witness protection on behalf of 
the eligible prosecutor’s office. 
(3) APPLICATION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to receive 
a grant under this subsection a prosecutor’s of-
fice shall submit to the Attorney General an ap-
plication at such time, in such manner, and ac-
companied by such information as the Attorney 
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General may reasonably require in addition to 
the information described in subparagraph (B). 
(B) CONTENTS.—Each application sub-
mitted under subparagraph (A) shall— 
(i) describe the activities for which as-
sistance under this subsection is sought; 
and 
(ii) provide such additional assurances 
as the Attorney General determines to be 
essential to ensure compliance with the re-
quirements of this subsection. 
(4) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this subsection $10,000,000 for each of the fiscal 
years 2009 through 2013. 
Æ 
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