Gang Enhancement Legislation. The Writer Term Paper

20, California Street Terrorism Enforcement and Prevention Act, STEP Act California 186.20 (http://www.streetgangs.com/laws/stepact.html)," as well as any community that has a disproportionate juvenile arrest rate, or a high percentage of gang related criminal activity or a high number of gang affiliated acts of violence.

The Act hopes to reduce crimes of violence committed by gang members by alerting local law enforcement to their identity thereby reducing their feelings of anonymity in committing those crimes.

The Act also supports funding for the purpose of education and offering counseling and other services to current and past gang members in the hopes they will decide to leave the gang and become a productive member of society.

CONCLUSION

The gang problem is a serious one in which the dynamics create a cycle of feeling alone, finding a "family" in the gang membership, committing acts of violence for the gang and becoming incarcerated. The legislative action that is aimed at enhancing punishment packages will provide leverage for those who prosecute gang members as well as an incentives for those who have not yet been caught to change their lives before getting into legal trouble. Enhancement packages growing in popularity across the nation. Statistics show that since the introduction of such packages the gang problem has begun to taper off or stabilize which indicates they are in fact effective.

References

California 186.20, California Street Terrorism Enforcement and Prevention Act, STEP Act California 186.20 (Accessed 11-04-06)

http://www.streetgangs.com/laws/stepact.html

California 213. Punishment for Robbery (accessed 11-04-06)

http://www.iir.com/nygc/gang-legis/california.htm

PENAL CODE SECTION 186.20-186.33(accessed 11-04-06)

http://home.comcast.net/~jasonanderson102/stepact.htm

Vitiello, Michael (1997) Three strikes: can we return to rationality? (includes appendix of laws enacted in California and other states) Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

What is a youth gang? (accessed 11-04-06)

http://www.iir.com/nygc/faq.htm#q3