Running head: MULTI-AGENCY GANG TASK FORCE PROPOSAL 1

Multi-Agency Gang Task Force Proposal

Team Charlie

University of San Diego

Multi-Agency Task Force Proposal

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has dedicated $30 million in funding to support

new and expanded anti-gang prevention and enforcement efforts under the Project Safe

Neighborhoods (PSN) Initiative. The new Anti-Gang Initiative funds will enhance PSN task

force efforts to combat gangs by building on the effective strategies and partnerships developed

under PSN. Through the development of region-wide comprehensive anti-gang strategies, the
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U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California will partner with local law enforcement and

others in the gang task force to pattern strategies for anti-gang initiatives.
Scope of the Problem
The Aryan Brotherhood (AB) is a national crime syndicate. It is the nations oldest major

white supremacist prison gang. The AB was founded at Californias San Quentin State Prison in

1964 by Irish bikers as a form of protection for white inmates in newly desegregated prisons.

The AB organized itself defensively against a violent black prison gang, the Black Guerilla

Family and in the process, became the first major white supremacist prison gang in the country.

The AB is now the largest and deadliest prison gang in the United States, with an estimated

20,000 members in and out of the prison system. (Southern Poverty Law Center 2016)
The ABs motto is simple, blood in, blood out. AB chapters can be found in most major

federal and state prisons in the country. As a crime syndicate, the AB participates in drug

trafficking, male prostitution rings, gambling, and extortion inside prison walls. On the streets,

the AB is involved in practically every kind of criminal enterprise, including murder-for-hire,

armed robbery, gun running, methamphetamine manufacturing, heroin sales, counterfeiting and

identity theft. (Southern Poverty Law Center 2016)

The ABs criminal operations on the outside received a huge boost when Italian-

American Mafia boss John Gotti was sentenced to life in prison without parole and transferred to

the federal penitentiary in Marion, Ohio, in 1992. Gotti hired the AB to protect him and he went

on to organize a business partnership between his associates and AB members on the outside.

This gave the AB unprecedented power on the streets, where the group had been operating in

major cities since the 1980s, with an appointed leader in each city or, in the case of more sparsely

populated areas, each region. Gotti was not the gangs first high-profile client. During the early

1970s, cult leader Charles Manson sought the ABs protection. He was refused membership

because he declined to kill other inmates because of their skin color but the AB still used his
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coterie of female fans to smuggle drugs and weapons into San Quentin (Southern Poverty Law

Center 2016).
Outside of the prisons, the AB runs a meth distribution network, enforced with black

market guns. The proceeds are allegedly laundered with the help of associates, or non-AB

members. Women, referred to as featherwoods, likewise assume a key part by transporting

both drugs and drug money at the direction of AB leaders. The AB was recently charged with

racketeering that was fueled by meth and enforced with arson, assaults, torture and murder. In

Texas, 34 AB of Texas members were arrested for their roles in a methamphetamine distribution

network. The AB of Texas gang members sold an average of four kilos of meth in a 60-square-

mile area of rural Central Texas. The methamphetamine distribution network impacted the

community in Central Texas since meth users generally commit crimes to feed their habit. In

multiple Central Texas counties, crimes like burglaries, property crimes, arsons, assaults,

firearms thefts, and homicides spiked and local authorities realized the crime problem resulted

from the meth trade. (Salem-News 2016)

The FBI with the assistance of other local law enforcement agencies led a three-year

investigation and developed confidential sources and administered court-ordered wire taps.

Controlled drug buys were made, and evidence was compiled against the gang members.

Eventually, investigators learned the source of the gangs cartel-affiliated supplier in Dallas. All

34 AB of Texas members who have been charged and convicted for their roles in the drug

network are now serving time in federal prison. This case had a big impact in the community on

the grounds that the local police departments reported a significant drop in crime, particularly

property crimes, after the AB drug operation was stopped. (Salem-News 2016)
Social Structural Context
Since its foundation, the AB has been explicitly racist from its inception. It has drilled

white supremacist ideology into all its new recruits. The ABs constitution explicitly calls for
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exclusive loyalty and respect on the basis of a shared white heritage. For the first ten years of its

existence, the gang took this blood oath very seriously and kept its members far away from other

races (Stockton, 2016). Therefore, it was common for individuals to join the AB if they were of

white heritage and seeking a sense of belonging. The AB is now the largest and deadliest prison

gang in the United States, with an estimated 20,000 members inside prisons and on the streets.
The AB has a hierarchal social structure. For example, the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas

has a leadership structure called, The wheel consisting of five Generals that have regional

command. The AB intends to spread itself to other correctional facilities by recruiting new

members. The AB combines the criminal know how of organized crime with the ideological

convictions of a hate group. However, the AB does not let those same convictions interfere with

making money. The AB of Texas constitution states that it can be a hindrance to place ideology

before business (Discovery Channel, 2009). Notwithstanding the swastikas, lightning bolts and

KKK tattoos, their racist rhetoric derives primarily from economic considerations. The AB wants

to enforce their share of the highly lucrative drug market (Arenberg, 2009).
The AB is a powerful prison gang that generally recruits inmates and pressures them to

join. Dan Miller is an individual example of this when he was incarcerated for the first time.

Miller was arrested for burglary charges when he was 16 years old and was propositioned for sex

by a black homosexual inmate. Miller was approached by the AB and was told he had to take

action against the inmate so gangs in prison wouldnt ostracize him. Miller carried out the action

and immediately joined the AB because he wanted to be socially accepted in prison. Miller

enjoyed the structure of the gang and became successful. He rose up the ranks of the AB and

eventually became the one ordering attacks on fellow inmates. Miller ultimately left the AB to

join a faith-based reentry program. Miller stated that he joined the gang since he believed he had

no other choice and needed them to survive in prison (Rogers, 2012).

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The four general reasons that young individuals like Miller join a gang are due to identity,

protection, fellowship and intimidation (Violence Prevention Institute, Inc., 2016). Miller joined

the AB to gain an identity in the prison culture. As Miller explained, Its hunt or be hunted.

Miller likewise joined the AB for protection from violence and attack from rival gangs. Miller

enjoyed the family structure of the AB when he was incarcerated since he was away from his

biological family. Lastly, Miller was intimidated by the AB and feared he would be targeted if he

did not act on the inmate who propositioned him for sex.
Initial membership in the Aryan Brotherhood (AB) requires receiving a prison sentence in

either a state or in the federal prison system. Most AB members are probably well over 40 years

old with long prison terms for crimes such as robbery, drug trafficking and assault (Arenberg,

2009). The 2010 U.S. Census puts the rate of incarceration for whites at 380 per 100,000 (Bureau

of Justice Statistics, 2010). The same census put that rate at 966 for Hispanics and 2,207 for

blacks. Of men, specifically, 1 in 106 white males is incarcerated compared to 1 in 15 blacks and

1 in 36 Hispanics. Based on incarceration rates it appears that the Aryan Brotherhood has the

smallest pool of potential new recruits. In 2016 the Federal Bureau of Prisons put the white

population of inmates at 25.1 percent of the total federal inmate population (Federal Bureau of

Prisons, 2016). Black inmates measured 37.8 percent and Hispanics at 33.6 percent. According

to the National Gang Center, of all the documented gang members in 2011, 46.2% where

Hispanic, 35.3% were Black and only 11.5% were white. The AB feels that since they are

outnumbered in prison the AB operates in pure terror believing that the more ruthless the

violence then the stronger the message will be (Discovery Channel, 2009).
According to a 2015 U.S. Census Bureau report on poverty, 9.1 percent of whites were

identified as living below the poverty level compared to 24.1 percent of blacks and 21.4 percent

of Hispanics respectively (National Center for Education Statistics, 2012). A correlation linking
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minority poverty rates with crime victimization and perpetration is frequently cited but often

white poverty is ignored. The federal threshold for poverty is about $11,500 in annual income for

an individual and about $23,000 for a family of four. A census report found that poverty rates for

whites is lower compared to non-whites but according to Bureau of Justice statistics,

impoverished people have the highest rates of violent victimization and this pattern is consistent

for both whites and blacks. Poor persons living in urban areas (43.9 per 1,000) had violent

victimization rates similar to poor persons living in rural areas (38.8 per 1,000). Poor urban

blacks (51.3 per 1,000) had rates of violence similar to poor urban whites (56.4 per 1,000)

(Harrell et al. 2014) (Walton 2015).

As for recidivism, according to a study in the Journal of Criminal Justice, it was found

that inmates who join prison gangs have a higher rate of recidivism than those prisoners who do

not join a prison gang. The study also found that individuals not currently in prison, but with

direct ties to prison gangs via a previous prison term are more likely to be rearrested (Dooleya,

2014). A 2015 Bureau of Justice Statistics study reported that within three years of release, 67.8

percent of released prisoners were rearrested. Within five years of release, 76.6 percent of

released prisoners were rearrested. Of those prisoners who were rearrested, more than half (56.7

percent) were arrested by the end of the first year. Property offenders were the most likely to be

rearrested, with 82.1 percent of released property offenders arrested for a new crime compared

with 76.9 percent of drug offenders, 73.6 percent of public order offenders and 71.3 percent of

violent offenders (National Institute of Justice, 2015). Based on the statistics for drug and violent

offenders it is highly likely that AB members will reoffend and find themselves back in prison.

Experts agree that the more counseling and education available to inmates, the better off inmates

will be when leaving prison (National Geographic, 2016). A traditional approach to general gang
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prevention focusing on education could be effective in diverting future AB members from ever

entering the prison system and becoming members.

Law & Policy Description

Prison inmates tend to band together along racial and ethnic lines. This is for their

protection but it creates invisible boundaries that separate one racial group from another

(National Geographic, 2016). With growing prison populations, it is likely that extremist

behaviors and radicalization of incarcerated gang members will likely continue. For example,

throughout the first decade of the 21st Century, there was a notable spike in Islamic radicalization

of many state prisoners across the nation (Ballas, 2010). This study on Islamic radicalization of

prisoners found that there was a predominant set of beliefs within radicalized inmates that

despised the government and advocated for violence against the United States. While most

known radicalized inmates were found to have not overtly taken action against the United States,

there have been several who, once released from prison, were later arrested for committing

and/or conspiring to commit terrorist acts. While Islamic radicalization and terrorism has vast

differences to some of the more common criminal dealings of prison gangs, this phenomenon

demonstrates the heavy recruiting into criminal organizations that is occurring within prison

walls.
The prevention, intervention and suppression of the Aryan Brotherhood (AB) will require

an unprecedented level of collaboration and partnerships between all levels of law enforcement

and the community. Extensive liaising between law enforcement and corrections officials is

essential to building investigations and intelligence (National Gang Intelligence Center, 2015). A

multipronged approach will be necessary in combating the AB such as maintaining a watchful

eye on parolees while providing educational, vocational and counseling services to keep inmates
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from reoffending. Incentives to leave the AB needs to be given and the isolation of AB members

away from non-AB inmates should be considered.

Narcotics are the source of power for the AB (National Geographic, 2007). Females and

even corrupt correctional staff are used to smuggle narcotics into correctional facilities (National

Gang Intelligence Center). The isolation of visitors of known AB and other prison gangs may be

a way to combat smuggling. In California, all prisoners are eligible to receive visits unless they

have temporarily lost that privilege due to disciplinary action. During visits, prisoners are

allowed brief physical contact with their visitors such as a brief kiss and or hug at the beginning

and end of the visit (CDCR, 3, 15). AB members should be disciplined for the safety risk they

pose. Sanctions could include restricted visiting privileges, such as having the visitor sit in a

secured booth without physical contact instead of that visit taking place in a crowed visiting

room with other inmate visitors. For every narcotic handoff that is noticed by prison staff, dozens

go unnoticed (National Geographic, 2007).

The California Special Service Unit is an arm of the California Department of

Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) that works with local, state and federal law enforcement

in keeping communities safe (Khokhobashvili, 2015). Since all narcotics ultimately come from

the street, the Special Service Unit keeps tabs on paroled prison gang members to try to stop the

flow of drugs into the prisons because ex-convicts do the work of the AB on the outside

(National Geographic, 2007). To keep ex-convicts from recidivism it is important to afford them

support needed for them to be more successful in society. It does society no good to release

inmates without any skills or economic prospects. Educational and other support services such as

tattoo removal and counseling can be used as incentives to get AB members to renounce their AB

membership. Later in this report, the Step Down Program will be discussed, which has had

some success in removing prisoners from the gang culture.

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Dr. Mike Carlie, a professor of sociology and criminology at Missouri State University

conducted a survey of 85 former Texas prison gang members who defected from their prison

gang while in prison. Dr. Carlies study found that all the respondents reported no previous

participation in street gangs. Their active participation in prison gangs before defecting was 3.36

years. The survey found that only 12 of the respondents admitted to having committed gang-

related violence. Findings show that the single most important reason for leaving the gang was

loss of interest in the gang, followed by refusing to carry out a "hit" on a non-gang member.

Other reasons included disagreeing with the direction in which the gang was going, refusal to

carry out a "hit" on a fellow gang member, violating gang rules, and "growing out" of it. Michael

Thompson and Casper Crowell are two former AB members that quit the AB. Thompson, a chief

architect of the AB, quit after the AB started killing non-members including violence against

women and children. Crowell debriefed and informed about the AB because he became

disillusioned about the AB and he no longer wanted to commit violence against AB members.

Crowell stated that the AB should be called the Heroin Brotherhood because making money is

what the AB is about and not about racial ideology (National Geographic, 2007). Whatever the

motivations, ex AB members should be rewarded for their cooperation and testimony with

greater privileges.
Current prison conditions are a stimulus for prison gang development because many

inmates find it difficult to survive in prison unless they are affiliated with a gang. Most prison

officials separate the gangs in an attempt to keep the peace but a suppression strategy that should

be used is to isolate inmates that are not members of a prison gang away from prison gang

members. The Taylorville Correctional Center in Illinois is an example of a prison which does

not tolerate gang activity. Admission to this facility requires inmates to have no documented

history of gang membership or activity. Strong disciplinary sanctions are employed for any
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inmate identified as gang members including transfer, loss of good time, disciplinary segregation

and loss of privileges (Carlie, 2002). This will keep those inmates that are kept away from AB

members from feeling the need to join their ranks. Suppression efforts should also include the

isolation of gang members within the prison and reducing the influence of identified gang leaders

by moving them to different prisons or centralizing them in one prison (Carlie, 2002). This

strategy is in contrast to the beliefs by some advocates that prison gang members should remain

in general population amongst all other inmates, the argument being that no single strategy has

been proven to effectively suppress prison gang activity within the entire prison system (Ruddell

& Winterdyk, 2010, p. 731). To refute this ideology, Gaes, Wallace, Gilman, Klein-Saffran, and

Suppa (2002) found in their research that prison gang membership has a direct effect on higher

levels of violence. Given the higher probability of prison gang members committing crimes

within institutions, it would seem that prison staff has an obligation to protect the general

population from victimization. To keep the public society safe, criminals are incarcerated. To

keep incarcerated criminals safe, it may be necessary to remove those prisoners from the general

prison society by enhancing their incarceration level to that of isolation. At a minimum, the

removal of extremely violent predators from the general population will likely aid in maintaining

a safe and secure environment for all prisoners.

Intervention Strategies

If no one joins a gang and if current gang members make the decision to leave the gang

lifestyle, and are actually able to do so, then common sense would infer that the gang will

eventually cease to exist as an organization. Intervention strategies that target both juveniles and

those incarcerated can serve to reduce the potential for those at-risk individuals to join gangs.

The Aryan Brotherhood is predominantly within the prison systems, but due to it having a
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powerful influence outside of the prison walls then it is necessary to develop intervention

policies both inside and outside of the prison walls.

In his experiences and research on the prison gang culture and recruiting, Morales (2008)

found that there were reports of Aryan Brotherhood members in various juvenile institutions

around the nation. While there is little data on the recruiting efforts and methodology that the AB

utilized to recruit within juvenile institutions, it is direct evidence that AB is a direct security

threat to all levels of penal institutions throughout the United States.

Part of the cohesive gang task force strategy should be aimed at providing education and

mentorship programs for children who live in areas considered high-risk. The U.S. Department

of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention conducted an extensive study

on risk factors that enhance the propensity for juveniles to join gangs. The study found that

certain individual risk factors such as substance abuse, crime victimization, and negative life

events have tremendous influence on youths who end up joining gangs (Howell, 2010). The

same study also found that popular culture glamorizing the gang life and glorifying incarceration

can have an influence on a juveniles decision to join a gang. Lastly, the study confirmed that

juveniles living in neighborhoods with high crime rates, prominent gangs, indications of little

neighborhood pride, and widespread drug use are much more likely to become involved in gangs

than those who do not live within those conditions. To combat this, the gang task force should

attempt to target those at-risk juveniles living under said conditions. Mentorship programs that

allow at-risk juveniles to be regularly exposed to positive role models can positively influence

their behavior and perhaps offer insight into the merits of a productive lifestyle free from crime

and violence. In researching this topic, there was little credible data available that suggested the

AB directly targeted at-risk juveniles over those who would not be considered at-risk. Despite
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this lack of real data, one could easily presume that if a juvenile is considered at-risk for joining

a gang, then the type of gang they choose is likely based on their immediate surroundings and

influences. For this reason, education and mentorship efforts should be directed towards

abstinence from all gang activity, not just the AB.

The U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

(2012) found that the most common age for youths joining gangs is between 13-15 years old.

The intervention program should heavily focus on youths within this age group, but also target

those younger than the high-risk group in order to begin to foster a relationship with youths

while they are still extremely impressionable.

Given the current issues involving recidivism, it can be an uphill battle to try to intervene

with active gang members and convince them to leave the gang lifestyle. Gang intervention

programs within juvenile correctional facilities have proven successful in guiding juveniles away

from the gang lifestyle both in and out of custody (Wilson, 1994). The task force should work

with the juvenile probation department and state corrections on implementing mentorship and

educational programs that provide opportunities for juvenile offenders to interact with positive

role models as well as receive counseling based on issues that may have underlying causes to

their behavior, such as substance abuse, anger management, and/or victimization.

Gang Suppression in California

In California, gang enhancements became law in the late 1980s, at a time when chaos and

violence in some of the states cities had reached alarming levels. The State Legislature

responded with the Street Terrorism Enforcement and Protection Act (STEP Act). The STEP Act

produced statute 186.22 of the penal code, which legally defined gang in the state of California

as a formal or informal group of three or more, sharing a common identifying name, symbol or

sign, and whose primary activity is crime. The law augments a prison sentence, adding anywhere
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from two years to life, depending on the severity of the underlying conviction. The Los Angeles

County district attorney at the time, Ira Reiner, whose office helped draft the law, said it would

help rid the streets of hoodlums that are terrorizing and killing our citizens. Similar laws are

now in place in 31 states across the country (Jones, 2011). Regarding STEP prosecutions, data

are typically limited to the actual prosecution itself and information on frequency of this type of

prosecution on specific gangs is not compiled in any specific database.

The STEP ACT did two things: subsection (a) created a substantive crime for active

participation in any street gang; and subsection (b) imposed greater punishment for crimes

committed for the benefit of a criminal street gang. Subsection (a) creates a substantive offense

and provides for the punishment of up to three years for anyone actively participating in a

criminal street gang as either a felony or misdemeanor. Subsection (b) creates sentencing

enhancements for felonies committed for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association

with any criminal street gang by a defendant with specific intent to promote, further, or assist

in any criminal conduct by gang members (Jones, 2011).

On January 8, 2015, the Fresno Police Department arrested William McPhederain for

weapons charges, drug charges and identity theft charges. The Fresno Police searched

McPhederains apartment and seized firearms, methamphetamines, marijuana and a Nazi flag.

The Fresno Police Department utilized the Nazi flag to help prove that McPhederain is affiliated

with the Aryan Brotherhood and planned on using the gang enhancement to keep McPhederain

incarcerated for a longer period of time (Hoggard, 2015).

Law, Policy and Efficacy

As current prison conditions exist, it is likely that the Aryan Brotherhood (AB) will

continue to operate. A careful review of prevention, intervention and suppression strategies need
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to be reviewed. Strategies that work should be continued and expanded while ineffective policies

need to be changed. The passage of tough laws and the warehousing of prisoners is not

conducive to combating the AB, incentives such as education, vocational training and social

services such as drug counseling may provide a way to keep AB members from reoffending and

returning to a life of perpetrating crime on behalf of the AB.

In California, gang enhancements became law in the late 1980s, due to high crime rates.

The State Legislature responded with the STEP Act with the hope that it would eliminate street

hoodlums from targeting the public. The STEP ACT proves to be ineffective since gangs are

still expanding, evolving and posing an increasing threat to US communities nationwide.

According to the FBIs 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment, there are approximately 1.4

million active street, prison, and Outlaw Motorcycle Gang (OMG) members comprising more

than 33,000 gangs in the United States. Gang membership increased most significantly in the

Northeast and Southeast regions, although the West and Great Lakes regions boast the highest

number of gang members. Neighborhood-based gangs, hybrid gang members, and national-level

gangs such as the Sureos are rapidly expanding in many jurisdictions. Many communities are

also experiencing an increase in ethnic-based gangs such as African, Asian, Caribbean, and

Eurasian gangs. Furthermore, gangs are responsible for an average of 48 percent of violent

crimes in most jurisdictions and up to 90 percent in several others, according to National Gang

Intelligence Center (NGIC) analysis. Major cities and suburban areas experience the most gang-

related violence. Local neighborhood-based gangs and drug crews continue to pose the most

significant criminal threat in most communities. Aggressive recruitment of juveniles and

immigrants, alliances and conflict between gangs, the release of incarcerated gang members from

prison, advancements in technology and communication, and Mexican Drug Trafficking

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Organization (MDTO) involvement in drug distribution have resulted in gang expansion and

violence in a number of jurisdictions (National Gang Intelligence Center, 2012).

A study on effective prison gang suppression and intervention programs (Fleisher &

Decker, 2001) found that the practices of administrative segregations, lockdowns, and

geographical transfer is effective on gang suppression, but does not necessarily have a bearing on

encouraging prison gang members to leave the gang itself. In contrast, the same study found that

effective prison gang intervention programs focus more on providing job training and counseling

that has an emphasis on community re-entry and post-prison employment. An effective prison

gang intervention program that targets active prison gang members should predominantly focus

on these factors.
In the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) began a pilot

program called the Step Down Program which is aimed towards providing opportunities for

high-risk inmates, many of whom are affiliated with prison gangs, to move away from the prison

gang culture and reintegrate into the general prison population (California Department of

Corrections and Rehabilitation, 2015). This program was implemented in response to extensive

research that found prisoners who are incarcerated in administrative segregation units have

higher rates of recidivism and tend to be actively involved in prison gangs. As a result of their

special high-risk prison housing status, many of the affected inmates are not eligible for special

programs such as substance abuse counseling, anger management, job training, and education

programs. All of those factors have an impact on the ability for those prisoners to successfully

reintegrate into society. This elective program was established to provide the opportunity for

those inmates wishing to remove themselves from the prison gang lifestyle to reintegrate into the

general prison population and receive rehabilitation services. Currently, this program is simply

too new of a concept to have generated any statistical data supporting success or failure.
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The current prison system does not rehabilitate inmates; it is a mass system of

warehousing prisoners. Recidivism is a problem as released inmates struggle to reintegrate into

society. Educational training and social services are needed to help former inmates from

returning to the correctional system. A 2014 report by the Rand Corporation found that inmates

who participate in education programs are 43% less likely to return to prison. Providing

educational opportunities is a cost-effective way of lowering recidivism rates because for every

dollar spent of prison education saves about five dollars in incarceration costs. Project Rebound

is a program based out of San Francisco State University that has expanded to several Cal. State

campuses that provides mentoring and financial assistance to former inmates. According to

Project Rebound, only 3% of the program participants return to prison, compared to Californias

recidivism rate of 65% (Kandil, 2016). The total cost to government of incarceration is $70

billion a year. The privately-run prison industry, which feeds on mass incarceration, is one of the

fastest growing and widest reaching of U.S. industries. In 2009 alone, when most industries were

in a slump, the prison industry brought in $34.4 billion in revenues. (Sloan, 2011)

In consideration that many inmates are in prison for drug offenses and narcotics is a

major source of power for the AB, rehabilitation of drug users is necessary to reduce recidivism.

In 1995, in the United Kingdom, The Rehabilitation for Addicted Prisoners Trust (RAPt)

implemented a 12-step treatment program across four prisons. They found that the program was

significant in enabling graduates to become drug free and significantly less likely to be

reconvicted than the non-graduates (Martin, O'Sullivan, & Player, 2000). There most certainly is

a place for law and order but tough drug laws of the past with mandatory sentences have led to a

domino effect of creating a massive prison system and a growing AB presence in the narcotics

trade. Strict enforcement of the law must be accompanied with education and treatment.
Multi-Pronged Strategy
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The mission of our gang unit is to protect citizens through proactive suppression of gang

activity and related crime. The gang unit provides education to the community in an effort to

intervene with youth well before they have interaction with the criminal justice system. The gang

unit is responsible for proactive enforcement, thorough investigations, and aggressive

prosecution of all gang members who commit gang crimes. The overall objective of the gang

unit is to develop a partnership with the community to help achieve our goals and keep the

community safe.
Prison gangs like the Aryan Brotherhood operate from inside correctional institutions,

directing operations of affiliated street gangs (Mantel, 2015). Because members are already

incarcerated and operate with minimal visibility, they are hard for police to oppose (National

Gang Intelligence Center, 2013). Gangs have proven to be hard to control with get-tough policies

that law enforcement officials and policymakers have employed in recent decades. Federal

prosecutors can use the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act to break up

street gangs. At least eight states also allow cities to declare gangs a public nuisance and to use

restraining orders, called gang injunctions, to bar members from congregating in public

(ODeane & Morreale, 2012). Many states have other anti-gang laws, such as California's 1988

Street Terrorism Enforcement and Prevention Act, which lengthens prison time for those

convicted of gang-related crimes (Hofwegen, 2009).

Many experts say the answer to stopping gangs lies in preventing youth from joining

gangs by offering them programs that increase education and job training, but there is no

consensus on how to do that. We concur with the experts, which is why we believe as gangs

grow in size and influence, law enforcement officials, policymakers and gang units should focus

on intervention, prevention and enforcement strategies.

Intervention
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Intervention is a key component of successful gang programs and are most effective

when paired with prevention strategies. Intervention strategies may take a variety of forms,

involve a variety of groups, and target a variety of stages of gang membership. Intervention

targets youths who are at the fringes of gang membership, the early stages of membership, or at a

stage of membership where they can be pushed out of the gang. Intervention is especially

important because of solid research finding that most gang membership is short-lived, typically

less than 3 years (Decker and Van Winkle, 1994).

If no one joins a gang and if current gang members make the decision to leave the gang

lifestyle, and are actually able to do so, then common sense would infer that the gang will

eventually cease to exist as an organization. Intervention strategies that target both juveniles and

those incarcerated can serve to reduce the potential for those at-risk individuals to join gangs.

The Aryan Brotherhood is predominantly within the prison systems, but due to it having a

powerful influence outside of the prison walls then it is necessary to develop intervention

policies both inside and outside of the prison walls.

Part of the cohesive gang task force strategy should be aimed at providing education and

mentorship programs for children who live in areas considered high-risk. The U.S. Department

of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention conducted an extensive study

on risk factors that enhance the propensity for juveniles to join gangs. The study found that

certain individual risk factors such as substance abuse, crime victimization, and negative life

events have tremendous influence on youths who end up joining gangs (Howell, 2010). The

same study also found that popular culture glamorizing the gang life and glorifying incarceration

can have an influence on a juveniles decision to join a gang. Lastly, the study confirmed that

juveniles living in neighborhoods with high crime rates, prominent gangs, indications of little
Running head: MULTI-AGENCY GANG TASK FORCE PROPOSAL 19

neighborhood pride, and widespread drug use are much more likely to become involved in gangs

than those who do not live within those conditions. To combat this, the gang task force should

attempt to target those at-risk juveniles living under said conditions. Mentorship programs that

allow at-risk juveniles to be regularly exposed to positive role models can positively influence

their behavior and perhaps offer insight into the merits of a productive lifestyle free from crime

and violence. The U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Health and Human

Services (2012) found that the most common age for youths joining gangs is between 13-15

years old. The intervention program should heavily focus on youths within this age group, but

also target those younger than the high-risk group in order to begin to foster a relationship with

youths while they are still extremely impressionable.

Given the current issues involving recidivism, it can be an uphill battle to try to intervene

with active gang members and convince them to leave the gang lifestyle. Gang intervention

programs within juvenile correctional facilities have proven successful in guiding juveniles away

from the gang lifestyle both in and out of custody (Wilson, 1994). The task force should work

with the juvenile probation department and state corrections on implementing mentorship and

educational programs that provide opportunities for juvenile offenders to interact with positive

role models as well as receive counseling based on issues that may have underlying causes to

their behavior, such as substance abuse, anger management, and/or victimization.

Prevention

Prison gangs offer unique challenges in prevention strategies in that many traditional

programs directed towards youths considered at-risk may completely miss the mark for these

types of criminal organizations. Youth gang prevention programs are primarily focused on street

gangs within neighborhoods, and not necessarily institutionalized gangs such as the Aryan
Running head: MULTI-AGENCY GANG TASK FORCE PROPOSAL 20

Brotherhood (ODeane, 2016). Prevention strategies for prison gangs need to be more

sophisticated in order to reach the target audience of individuals who have already committed to

criminal behavior and are now products of the criminal justice system.

Historically, gang prevention within state prisons in California, as well as many other

state and federal institutions, consists of isolating identified members of the gangs leadership in

segregated housing units. By virtue of being segregated, the prisoners often have no access to

education, vocational training, or other forms of rehabilitative services. In his study on prison

gang prevention programs in California, Spencer (2016) found that innovative programs focusing

on the reintegration of administratively segregated prisoner gang members into the general

prison population have been successful in reducing the prison gang population. These programs

include purposely integrating prisoners of various ethnic, racial, and prison gang backgrounds

into the same housing units, forcing them to experience diversity by living with one another.

Prison gang members were also provided with group counseling on anger management and

impulse control. Incentives such as contact visits with family and post-incarceration job

placement for completing programs and reclassifying into general population offer positive

encouragement for individuals to leave prison gangs. This can have an impact on the recruitment

of future prison gang members, as senior gang leadership is encouraged to assimilate into a more

healthy and productive lifestyle outside of the gang. Therefore, a policy that encourages prison

gang members to attend counseling and job training is instrumental in the prevention of

continued prison gang membership. The task force should incorporate a liaison officer or agent

who is responsible for maintaining open communication with prison counselors and religious

leaders.

Enforcement
Running head: MULTI-AGENCY GANG TASK FORCE PROPOSAL 21

It is important to utilize the federal officials in the Gang Task Force when employing

prevention and enforcement strategies. Federal sentencing laws are more stringent than State

laws, and because there is no Federal parole, convicted felons serve their full sentences. Gang

members can also be spread across the Federal system rather than being housed in State prisons

where many of their fellow inmates may have been members of their gang outside prison walls.

In 1992, Federal officials, in cooperation with local law enforcement authorities, launched the

largest crackdown ever on Los Angeles gangs. They called their effort the Los Angeles

Metropolitan Task Force (LA Task Force). The LA Task Force increased law enforcement efforts

to combat violent gang crime. The FBI increased the number of agents who investigate gangs

and gang-related crimes from about 74 to 100; the U.S. attorney's office brought in an

experienced gang prosecutor; and the local Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF)

office announced plans to hire another 10 agents, largely to investigate gang members. The LA

Task Force was successful and cited as an example of an effective program targeting violent

crime in the U.S. Department of Justice's Attorney General's Progress Report to the President on

the Anti-Violent Crime Initiative, released in September 1996.

Our Gang Task Force will utilize the Federal racketeering laws and other tactics such as

wiretapping, in attempt to break down gang factions, including State prison gangs, which

contribute to the drug dealing and violence that plague the inner-city areas. The Federal

assistance also includes witness protection under Federal rules, overtime pay, equipment, office

space, and money for informants and undercover purchases of drugs and firearms. A great

example of a gang task force utilizing the federal racketeering laws occurred in April 2016 in

Mississippi. Two members of the Aryan Brotherhood of Mississippi were convicted on charges

including racketeering and murder. The guilty verdict from a federal jury followed guilty pleas
Running head: MULTI-AGENCY GANG TASK FORCE PROPOSAL 22

by 40 others involved in the case. According to the indictment in the case, Frank George Owens,

Eric Glenn Parker and others murdered a subordinate Aryan Brotherhood gang member, Michael

Hudson, in 2010 because they believed he owed a drug debt to the gang. Due to the Federal

racketeering laws, everyone charged could be sentenced to life in prison (Associated Press,

2016).

Gang Task Force Mission Statement

The Team Charlie Gang Task Force is committed to the suppression of illegal gang

activity. Through the combined efforts of local, state, and federal agencies, the Gang Task Force

will actively pursue and prosecute those groups or individuals who support, perpetrate, or

condone illegal gang activity within the task force region. Our mission is to protect the safety,

dignity, and property of our citizens. The task force focuses its investigative efforts on the

leadership of documented gangs, gang members and their associates who participate in any

ongoing criminal enterprise or pattern of violent criminal activity (Green Bay Police Department,

2016, San Diego County Sheriffs Department, 2016 and Warren County Sheriffs Department,

2009). The Gang Task Force will partner with local communities to support and establish a

comprehensive, sustainable approach to prevent and reduce gang violence and gang related

crime. In order to accomplish this, the task force will:

1. Assess the gang problem in our communities and the resources available to address it.
2. Compile and disseminate updated information.
3. Identify best practices for federal, state and local responses to gang issues.
4. Identify funding and other resources available to state and local governments.
5. Recommend region-wide policies and legislative changes.
Key Stakeholders
To ensure task force effectiveness, participants from all areas of the justice community

who have a vested interest in gang problems should be considered. Numerous federal, state, and

local agencies could have roles in the multidisciplinary approach to solving problems created by

gangs. The goal should be to foster an environment of collaboration in which each participating
Running head: MULTI-AGENCY GANG TASK FORCE PROPOSAL 23

agency has a role and understands the other agencys role in the success of the task force.

Establishing a collaborative environment will enhance the ownership and commitment of each

participating agency (Gang Intelligence Strategy Committee, Global Intelligence Working

Group, Criminal Intelligence Coordinating Council, Global Justice Information Sharing

Initiative, 2008). Analysis of the problem and the development of the mission statement will help

identify who the key participants are to successfully accomplish the task force goals and

objectives, in addition to what roles and responsibilities they will play in the effort.
Potential task force partners could include (Gang Intelligence Strategy Committee, Global

Intelligence Working Group, Criminal Intelligence Coordinating Council, Global Justice

Information Sharing Initiative, 2008):

1. Federal law enforcement.
2. State law enforcement.
3. Local law enforcement.
4. Prosecutors from the federal, state and local levels.
5. Probation/parole from the federal, state and local levels.
6. Juvenile justice agencies.
7. State Department of Corrections, county/city jails, and juvenile detention facilities.
8. Local schools and youth groups.
9. Drug addiction/rehabilitation treatment providers
10. Other community groups with a vested interest in gang crime and violence prevention

such as, Clergy, Boys and Girls Club, Department of Parks and Recreation and non-

profit organizations.
Measuring Task Force Success
Traditionally, task force operations have been measured by the numbers of arrests and

seizures (Gang Intelligence Strategy Committee, Global Intelligence Working Group, Criminal

Intelligence Coordinating Council, Global Justice Information Sharing Initiative, 2008). As a

departure from the status quo, the Team Charlie Gang Task Force will establish performance

measures that are directly linked to our mission statement. We will strive to fully document the

impact of our task force in accordance with our stated mission. Many federal programs currently

utilize an evaluation measurement tool known as the Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART),
Running head: MULTI-AGENCY GANG TASK FORCE PROPOSAL 24

(Gang Intelligence Strategy Committee, Global Intelligence Working Group, Criminal

Intelligence Coordinating Council, Global Justice Information Sharing Initiative, 2008). The

PART evaluation examines inputs (manpower, money, etc.), the process involved (task force

operations/activities), outputs (arrests/seizures) and the outcomes of the program. The outcomes

document the impact the program has had in accordance with the mission statement. The PART

process is intended to evaluate the effectiveness of the task force efforts from an empirical

perspective.
Output measurements could include (Gang Intelligence Strategy Committee, Global Intelligence

Working Group, Criminal Intelligence Coordinating Council, Global Justice Information Sharing

Initiative, 2008):
1. Cases initiated/investigated.
2. Gang members arrested.
3. Drugs seized.
4. Guns seized.
5. Assets seized.
6. Search warrants served.
7. Community and law enforcement gang education programs held.
8. Number of gang members who have left gangs.
Outcome measurements could include (Gang Intelligence Strategy Committee, Global

Intelligence Working Group, Criminal Intelligence Coordinating Council, Global Justice

Information Sharing Initiative, 2008):

1. Percentage of arrested gang members that are prosecuted.
2. Percentage of those prosecuted that are convicted.
3. Gang member sentencing.
4. Length of incarceration of convicted members.
5. Gangs/criminal enterprises disrupted or dismantled.
6. Identification and referral of at-risk youth to diversion resources.
7. Diversion of some gang members and at-risk youth to alternative corrections

programs.
8. Results of preliminary and subsequent community surveys regarding gang problems.
9. Results of preliminary and subsequent school surveys regarding gang problems.
10. The documented impact on gang-related crime in areas of task force operations.
Funding
Running head: MULTI-AGENCY GANG TASK FORCE PROPOSAL 25

The Team Charlie Gang Task Force will be funded by a grant from the Bureau of Justice

Assistance via Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is a nationwide commitment to reduce

gun and gang crime in America by networking existing local programs that target gun and gun

crime and providing these programs with additional tools necessary to be successful. Since its

inception in 2001, approximately $2 billion has been committed to this initiative. This funding is

being used to hire new federal and state prosecutors, support investigators, provide training,

distribute gun lock safety kits, deter juvenile gun crime, and develop and promote community

outreach efforts as well as to support other gun and gang violence reduction strategies (U.S.

Department of Justice, 2016).

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