The goal of the G.R.E.A.T. Program is to help youth develop positive life skills that will help them avoid gang involvement and violent behavior. G.R.E.A.T. uses a communitywide approach to combat the risk factors associated with youth involvement in gang-related behaviors. The curricula were developed through the collaborative efforts of experienced law enforcement officers and specialists in criminology, sociology, psychology, education, health, and curriculum design and are designed to reinforce each other. The three (3) different curricula are intended for different audiences and are most effective when youth are exposed to more than one of the curricula. The lessons included in each curriculum are interactive and designed to allow students to practice positive behaviors that will remain with them during the remainder of their development years.
Over the 15 years since the G.R.E.A.T. Program went nationwide, many law enforcement agencies and schools from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam have implemented the program. In 2006, the G.R.E.A.T. Program was delivered in 400 communities across the United States. In order to maintain the integrity of the G.R.E.A.T. Program, it is necessary to have a strong organizational structure to regulate decisions and program or curricula changes.
The structure of the G.R.E.A.T. Program oversight organization is depicted in this one-page interactive Organizational Chart. It shows the relationship between the federal and regional partners and the local communities. Click the button below to view a PDF version of the Organizational Chart.
http://www.great-online.org/Organization/organizationchart.aspx
G.R.E.A.T. Governing Policies
The G.R.E.A.T. Program is governed by a Strategic Plan, Policy Manual, Training Procedures, and Quality Review Committee Guidelines. Each of these documents is made available below:
Strategic Plan
The G.R.E.A.T. Strategic Plan, last revised in February 2006, is a statement of the short- and long-term goals of the G.R.E.A.T. national program through 2010. It contains several overall goals and the specific objectives that must be accomplished in order for the national program to measure its success. The following button will provide the full text of this document in PDF.
http://www.great-online.org/Share/PDF/GREAT_2010_StrategicPlan.pdf
Policy Manual and Training Procedures
The G.R.E.A.T. Policy Manual and G.R.E.A.T. Training Procedures provide policy guidance and help to ensure the consistency of the program. These documents were created and are periodically updated by the National Policy Board and National Training Committee, respectively. The following buttons will provide the full text of these documents in PDF.
http://www.great-online.org/Share/PDF/GREAT_Policy_Manual.pdf
http://www.great-online.org/Share/PDF/GREAT_Training_Procedures.pdf
G.R.E.A.T. Quality Review Committee Guidelines
The G.R.E.A.T. Quality Review Committee Guidelines outline the terms and conditions of using the G.R.E.A.T. trademarked logo so that the products displaying the G.R.E.A.T. name are appropriate and of the highest quality. The following button will provide the full text of this document in PDF.
http://www.great-online.org/Share/PDF/QualityGuidelines.pdf
I would to get your thoughts on the G.R.E.A.T. Program to see if it is working, if it is not, why it does, why it doesn't etc.
Please be as honest as you can as it will only benefit us all in the end.
Showing posts with label gangmember. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gangmember. Show all posts
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Adolescent Homicides in Los Angeles
Are They Different From Other Homicides?
Why would we expect homicides that involve adolescents to differ from other homicides?
First, the research on age-based violent offending patterns (Elliott, 1994)tells us that most juveniles "mature out," especially when they get jobs and form relationships that help keep them out of trouble. The serious and violent offender research points to only a small number of chronic offenders that continue to cause trouble well into adulthood.
Second, developmental theorists tell us there is something special about adolescents: peer influences are stronger and we might expect more spontaneous or expressive violence (Elliott and Tolan, 1998; Flannery, Huff and Manos, 1998). Certainly, we expect more co-offending and youth-involved events that would have amore chaotic or less organized flavor. Status issues might come into play more and there may be less thoughtful reasoning around the use of guns.
Finally, routine activities theory tells us that youth hang out more. They have more unstructured time, engage in risky behaviors, and have more opportunity for violence exposure than do adults.
I want to get your thoughts on this issue - Based on the little information I have provided, what are your thoughts and concerns with this view?
Why would we expect homicides that involve adolescents to differ from other homicides?
First, the research on age-based violent offending patterns (Elliott, 1994)tells us that most juveniles "mature out," especially when they get jobs and form relationships that help keep them out of trouble. The serious and violent offender research points to only a small number of chronic offenders that continue to cause trouble well into adulthood.
Second, developmental theorists tell us there is something special about adolescents: peer influences are stronger and we might expect more spontaneous or expressive violence (Elliott and Tolan, 1998; Flannery, Huff and Manos, 1998). Certainly, we expect more co-offending and youth-involved events that would have amore chaotic or less organized flavor. Status issues might come into play more and there may be less thoughtful reasoning around the use of guns.
Finally, routine activities theory tells us that youth hang out more. They have more unstructured time, engage in risky behaviors, and have more opportunity for violence exposure than do adults.
I want to get your thoughts on this issue - Based on the little information I have provided, what are your thoughts and concerns with this view?
Los Angeles Gangs - MS 13
MS 13 is the United States Most Dangerous Gang
They perpetrate violence—from assaults to homicides, using firearms, machetes, or blunt objects—to intimidate rival gangs, law enforcement, and the general public.
They often target middle and high school students for recruitment. And they form tenuous alliances...and sometimes vicious rivalries...with other criminal groups, depending on their needs at the time.
Who are they?
Members of Mara Salvatrucha, better known as MS-13, who are mostly Salvadoran nationals or first generation Salvadoran-Americans, but also Hondurans, Guatemalans, Mexicans, and other Central and South American immigrants. And according to our recent national threat assessment of this growing, mobile street gang, they could be operating in your community...now or in the near future.
Based on information from FBI investigations, from our state and local law enforcement partners, and from community organizations, we’ve concluded that while the threat posed by MS-13 to the U.S. as a whole is at the "medium" level, membership in parts of the country is so concentrated that the FBI has labeled the threat level there "high."
Highlights from the FBI threat assessment
MS-13 operates in at least 42 states and the District of Columbia and has about 6,000-10,000 members nationwide.
Currently, the threat is highest in the western and northeastern parts of the country, which coincides with elevated Salvadoran immigrant populations in those areas.
In the southeast and central regions, the current threat is moderate to low, but recently, we've seen an influx of MS-13 members into the southeast, causing an increase in violent crimes there.
MS-13 members engage in a wide range of criminal activity, including drug distribution, murder, rape, prostitution, robbery, home invasions, immigration offenses, kidnapping, carjackings/auto thefts, and vandalism.
Most of these crimes, you'll notice, have one thing in common—they are exceedingly violent. And while most of the violence is directed toward other MS-13 members or rival street gangs, innocent citizens often get caught in the crossfire.
MS-13 is expanding its membership at a "moderate" rate through recruitment and migration. Some MS-13 members move to get jobs or to be near family members—currently, the southeast and the northeast are seeing the largest increases in membership. MS-13 often recruits new members by glorifying the gang lifestyle (often on the Internet, complete with pictures and videos) and by absorbing smaller gangs.
MS-13 members typically work for legitimate businesses by presenting false documentation. They primarily pick employers that don't scrutinize employment documents, especially in the construction, restaurant, delivery service, and landscaping industries.
MS-13 has no official national leadership structure.
MS-13 originated in Los Angeles, but when members migrated eastward, they began forming cliques that for the most part operated independently. These cliques, though, often maintain regular contact with members in other regions to coordinate recruitment/criminal activities and to prevent conflicts. We do believe that Los Angeles gang members have an elevated status among their MS-13 counterparts across the country, a system of respect that could potentially evolve into a more organized national leadership structure.
The FBI, through its MS-13 National Joint Task Force and field investigations, remains committed to working with our local, state, national, and international partners to disrupt and dismantle this violent gang. For more information visit their website at http://www.fbi.gov or http://www.lacrimeprevention.com/gangs http://www.gangresearch.org http://www.lagangs.us
They perpetrate violence—from assaults to homicides, using firearms, machetes, or blunt objects—to intimidate rival gangs, law enforcement, and the general public.
They often target middle and high school students for recruitment. And they form tenuous alliances...and sometimes vicious rivalries...with other criminal groups, depending on their needs at the time.
Who are they?
Members of Mara Salvatrucha, better known as MS-13, who are mostly Salvadoran nationals or first generation Salvadoran-Americans, but also Hondurans, Guatemalans, Mexicans, and other Central and South American immigrants. And according to our recent national threat assessment of this growing, mobile street gang, they could be operating in your community...now or in the near future.
Based on information from FBI investigations, from our state and local law enforcement partners, and from community organizations, we’ve concluded that while the threat posed by MS-13 to the U.S. as a whole is at the "medium" level, membership in parts of the country is so concentrated that the FBI has labeled the threat level there "high."
Highlights from the FBI threat assessment
MS-13 operates in at least 42 states and the District of Columbia and has about 6,000-10,000 members nationwide.
Currently, the threat is highest in the western and northeastern parts of the country, which coincides with elevated Salvadoran immigrant populations in those areas.
In the southeast and central regions, the current threat is moderate to low, but recently, we've seen an influx of MS-13 members into the southeast, causing an increase in violent crimes there.
MS-13 members engage in a wide range of criminal activity, including drug distribution, murder, rape, prostitution, robbery, home invasions, immigration offenses, kidnapping, carjackings/auto thefts, and vandalism.
Most of these crimes, you'll notice, have one thing in common—they are exceedingly violent. And while most of the violence is directed toward other MS-13 members or rival street gangs, innocent citizens often get caught in the crossfire.
MS-13 is expanding its membership at a "moderate" rate through recruitment and migration. Some MS-13 members move to get jobs or to be near family members—currently, the southeast and the northeast are seeing the largest increases in membership. MS-13 often recruits new members by glorifying the gang lifestyle (often on the Internet, complete with pictures and videos) and by absorbing smaller gangs.
MS-13 members typically work for legitimate businesses by presenting false documentation. They primarily pick employers that don't scrutinize employment documents, especially in the construction, restaurant, delivery service, and landscaping industries.
MS-13 has no official national leadership structure.
MS-13 originated in Los Angeles, but when members migrated eastward, they began forming cliques that for the most part operated independently. These cliques, though, often maintain regular contact with members in other regions to coordinate recruitment/criminal activities and to prevent conflicts. We do believe that Los Angeles gang members have an elevated status among their MS-13 counterparts across the country, a system of respect that could potentially evolve into a more organized national leadership structure.
The FBI, through its MS-13 National Joint Task Force and field investigations, remains committed to working with our local, state, national, and international partners to disrupt and dismantle this violent gang. For more information visit their website at http://www.fbi.gov or http://www.lacrimeprevention.com/gangs http://www.gangresearch.org http://www.lagangs.us
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