Gang Prevention, Intervention, and Suppression Act

Bill: 111-hr-1022
Sponsor: Rep. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA-29]
Introduced: 2009-02-12 in the House
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Crime prevention
Crimes against children
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Criminal justice information and records
Criminal procedure and sentencing
Department of Justice
Drug trafficking and controlled substances
Evidence and witnesses
Executive agency funding and structure
Firearms and explosives
Government information and archives
Juvenile crime and gang violence
Law enforcement administration and funding
Policy sciences
South Carolina
Violent crime
Vocational and technical education
Youth employment and child labor

Summary:
action_date: 2009-02-12
text: 
Gang Prevention, Intervention, and Suppression Act - Amends the federal criminal code to define &quot;criminal street gang&quot; and &quot;gang crime&quot; and to prohibit: (1) the commission of, or an attempt or conspiracy to commit, a gang crime to further the activities of a criminal street gang; and (2) the recruitment of another person to join a criminal street gang.

Amends the Controlled Substances Act to impose criminal penalties for murder and other violent crimes committed in the course of a drug trafficking offense.

Increases criminal penalties for possession of firearms by repeat criminal offenders and for firearm transfers to commit crimes of violence or drug trafficking crimes.

Authorizes the Attorney General to: (1) designate certain areas in states as high intensity gang activity areas and provide assistance to such areas; (2) expand the Project Safe Neighborhoods program to require U.S. attorneys to identify, investigate, and prosecute criminal street gangs operating in their districts; (3) expand the Safe Streets Program of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to support criminal street gang enforcement teams; and (4) make grants to states to prevent abductions of children by family members.

Directs the Office of Justice Programs of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to establish a National Gang Research, Evaluation, and Policy Institute. Authorizes such Office to make grants to governmental and private entities to develop community-based crime prevention programs designed for gang members and at-risk youth.

Amends the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to provide for grants to prosecutors and law enforcement to assist in identifying gang members and violent offenders and to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime.

Establishes in the U.S. Marshals Service a Short-Term State Witness Protection Section to provide protection for witnesses in state and local trials involving homicide or other violent crimes. Expands the federal witness relocation and protection program to include protection for witnesses against criminal street gangs.

Directs the Secretary of Labor to make grants for juvenile offender reintegration projects and for employment programs for young adult gang members to reduce recidivism and promote long-term employability.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities.
action_date: 2009-03-30
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness.
action_date: 2009-03-16
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
action_date: 2009-02-12
text: Referred to House Education and Labor
action_date: 2009-02-12
text: 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 consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2009-02-12
text: Referred to House Judiciary
action_date: 2009-02-12
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-02-12
text: Introduced in House