Fighting Gangs and Empowering Youth Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-977
Sponsor: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2011-05-12 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Academic performance and assessments
Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Adult education and literacy
Assault and harassment offenses
Child safety and welfare
Congressional oversight
Correctional facilities and imprisonment
Crime prevention
Crimes against property
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Criminal justice information and records
Criminal procedure and sentencing
Drug, alcohol, tobacco use
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Financial literacy
Firearms and explosives
Government studies and investigations
Housing and community development funding
Indian social and development programs
Judicial procedure and administration
Juvenile crime and gang violence
Law enforcement administration and funding
Law enforcement officers
National and community service
Organized crime
Performance measurement
Physical fitness and lifestyle
Public housing
Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations
U.S. Sentencing Commission
Violent crime

Summary:
action_date: 2011-05-12
text: 
Fighting Gangs and Empowering Youth Act of 2011 - Authorizes the Attorney General to: (1) make grants to public and nonprofit private entities (including faith-based organizations) for projects involving innovative approaches to combat gang activity, (2) make grants to states and other entities to increase police presence and expand and improve cooperative efforts to address gang activity problems, and (3) designate high-intensity interstate gang activity areas.
 
Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to: (1) reauthorize programs for combating criminal gangs, including after-school programs and programs for safe and drug-free schools and communities; and (2) expand the grant program for workplace and community transition training for incarcerated youth offenders (30 years of age or younger). 
 
Amends the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 to add provisions entitled the Public and Assisted Housing Gang Elimination Act of 2010 which authorize the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to make grants to public housing agencies and private, for-profit, and nonprofit owners of federally assisted low-income housing for use in eliminating gang-related crime.
 
Amends the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to: (1) authorize the Attorney General to award grants to assist communities located in a high-intensity interstate gang activity area in developing and carrying out programs that target certain at-risk youth and juvenile offenders, (2) reauthorize the gang resistance education and training projects program, and (3) increase funding for the National Youth Gang Survey.
 
Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to reauthorize and expand adult and juvenile offender state and local reentry demonstration projects.
 
Directs the Attorney General to modify existing procedures and policies to improve the transition of federal prisoners into local communities.
 
Reauthorizes the National and Community Grant Service Program.
 
Amends the USA PATRIOT Act to provide funding to hire additional forensic examiners to fight gang activity.
 
Amends the federal criminal code to: (1) expand the definition of &quot;criminal street gang&quot;, (2) prohibit the recruitment or solicitation of persons to participate in a criminal street gang, (3) impose enhanced penalties for committing violent crimes in furtherance or in aid of a criminal street gang and for use of firearms by felons with multiple felony convictions for violent crimes and drug offenses, (4) increase penalties for use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire or other felony crimes of violence, and (5) increase penalties for violent crimes in aid of racketeering activities.
 
Requires the United States Sentencing Commission to review and, if appropriate, amend guidelines relating to violent gang-related crimes.
 
Amends the Uniform Federal Crime Reporting Act of 1988 to require the Attorney General to create a separate category in the United Crime Reports to distinguish criminal offenses committed by juveniles.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-05-12
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2011-05-12
text: Introduced in Senate