The American Society of Criminology: Crime and Social Institutions 2010 Conference

Last week, I attended the American Society of Criminology (ASC) Conference in San Francisco. The ASC hosts the largest annual criminal justice conference in the nation. My goal was to attend as many gang and youth violence related sessions as possible. Although mentally exhausting, I managed to attend three or more sessions each day. This post will focus on two themes that came out of those sessions: 1) How are communities responding to violence in their neighborhoods 2) The benefits of ethnography.

Community responses, of course, vary. In Carson city, part of L.A. County, for example, the Sheriff’s department in collaboration with community-based organizations, implemented the Gang Diversion Team (GDT), an intervention plan focused on at-risk youth and their families. The program operates a four tier intervention model working with both high and low risk youth. This includes monthly partner meetings to discuss each case, case management, and client incentives. The program has had the greatest success with mid-level risk youth. High risk youth respond best to the faith-based programming.

One interesting presentation by Deanna L. Wilkinson discussed her work implementing the Columbus Violence Prevention Collaborative (CVPC) in Columbus Ohio. CVPC is based on the (Chicago) Ceasefire model that uses a public health behavior change approach to violence reduction. CVPC is also utilizing community mapping to map crime hotspots in Columbus.

Ethnography is a field research approach used in the social sciences that relies on participant-observer strategies, surveys and interviews to collect direct data on human subjects in their natural settings (work, community, family, etc). It has been used successfully in the study of street gangs and drug crews to compliment more traditional data gathering approaches. During the conference many suggested that ethnography was under-utilized in gang research. David Kennedy recommended that anyone trying to learn or do work around youth gangs should read “Who You Claim: Performing Gang Identity in School and on the streets” by Robert Garot. Other good books to read include Code of the Streets, by Dr. Elijah Anderson, and The Cocaine Kids, by Terry Williams.

To learn more about the American Society of Criminology conference visit their website here.

Susanna Osorno-Crandell

Task Force Coordinator

Baltimore Turns The Corner on Youth Violence

Historically ranked as one of the most dangerous cities in the United States, Baltimore has been making steady progress in reducing juvenile crime and delinquency. According to the Baltimore Sun, The City has:

• Decreased child deaths by 80%
• Lowered the school dropout rate from 10% to 4%
• Lowered the juvenile arrest rate

These achievements occurred in a City where a reported 92% of juveniles arrested were chronic truants and 62% had been expelled from school.

So how did Baltimore do it? The article points to a few factors including: a focus on truancy reduction; innovative leadership in the schools, police and the state juvenile justice agency; collaborative efforts focused on keeping kids in schools and helping truant youth reintegrate back into school; and, a movement away from zero-tolerance policies.

Baltimore is not out of the woods yet. There is still much more that needs to be done, according to the Sun article. Baltimore is proving that it is possible to choke off the school to prison pipeline.

Read the full article here.

Two Teens Killed in Brooklyn Gang Fued

Today's Daily News includes an article about two young men killed in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn. The tragedy, like so many others, stemmed from circumstances that to the outside observer might seem incomprehensible. As you read the article consider all the ways that the community, including law enforcement, might have intervened to to stop the cycle of violence; consider also what could be done now in the wake of this tragedy to prevent further violence and strengthen the community. Please share your thoughts on this blog.

To read the article click here.

New Report Highlights Poor Black Male Outcomes

A state of crisis exist for black males in America, according to a new report entitled, "Call for Change: The social and educational factors contributing to the outcomes of black males in urban schools." Released by The Council of the Great City Schools, the report uses data from several sources, including the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress. The Report focuses on the continued gap between black and white student achievement.

According to the Council:

• In 2009, the average reading scale score of large city (LC) Black males who were not eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (Non-FRPL) was one point lower at grade 4 and seven points lower at grade 8 than the score of White males in national public schools
  (NP) who were


• In 2008, Black males were nearly twice as likely to drop out of high school as White males. Nine percent of Black males dropped out of high school compared with 5 percent of White males.


• In 2009, the average SAT scores of Black males were lower than those of White males in critical reading, mathematics, and writing. The gap between White and Black students taking the SAT was 104 points in critical reading, 120 points in mathematics, and 99
  points in writing.


• In 2008, gang activities were more likely to be reported by public schools in cities; public schools with a high percentage of minority students; and public schools with a high percentage of reduced/free lunch students than other types of public schools.


• In 2009, Black males were less likely than White males to enroll in a two-year or four-year college after high school graduation. Three out of 10 Black males enrolled in a four-year institution, compared with four out of 10 White males.


• In 2008, Black males ages 18 and over represented only 5 percent of the total college student population but 36 percent of the total prison population.


• Black males age 18 and over were more likely to have a lower income than White males with similar educational backgrounds. In 2006, the wage gap between Black and White males who did not graduate from high school was approximately $5,000, compared with a gap of over $20,000 for those with a master’s degree.

One of the recommendations in the report encourages local collaborations to address violence in schools and the community.

Click here to read the New York Times Article on the Report.

District Attorney Cyrus Vance Addresses Crime in Harlem

On November 4, 2010, District Attorney Cyrus Vance hosted a West Harlem Town Hall meeting where he highlighted two initiatives to reduce crime. The District Attorney’s Office created a new Crime Strategies Unit that will work closely with the commuinity and the NYPD to use data to address crime. The District Attorney also announced his interest in pursuing the development of a Family Justice Center in Upper Manhattan to address the 60% of Manhattan domestic violence cases coming from Northern Manhattan.

An attendee at the Town Hall, expressed interest in a community court in Upper Manhattan like the Midtown Community Court, to address increased crime and open-air drug markets. The District Attorney responded, “I’m very interested in exploring a Northern Manhattan community court.”

Read “DA Cy Vance Jr. Trying to Stop Crime Before it Starts in Harlem” to learn about other issues discussed at the Town Hall meeting.

Report Finds Gang Membership Growing

Gang membership is rising nantionally even as murder and other violent crime has declined substantially, according to a USA Today article. Citing data from the National Gang Threat Assessment, the report highlights a 25% increase in gang membership between 2005 and 2009. There are an estimated one million gang members according to the report. Other key findings from the Threat Assessment include:

• Criminal gangs commit up to 80% of the crime in many local jurisdictions


• Most illegal drugs are distributed by gang members


• Gangs are actively using the Internet to recruit new members


• Neighborhood gangs account for the largest number of gang members

The Threat Assessment relies on law enforcement data on gang activity. A gang is defined as: "A group or association of three or more persons with a common identifying sign, symbol, or name who individually or collectively engage in criminal activity that creates an atmosphere of fear and intimidation."

New Report on Juvenile Justice

A new Report highlights growing support for evidence-based interventions, including specialized courts, to address juvenile delinquency and crime. Using survey responses from a diverse sample of juvenile justice practitioners, the Report suggests that there is a movement away from the “get tough” ideology prominent in the 90s.

Read the full report here.

State Closes Tryon Residential Center

There are fewer than 700 juveniles in New York State placement facilities and the state has saved 58 million dollars by closing 16 under-utilized facilities, according to an article in the Albany Times Union. Reforming the state’s costly juvenile placement system is at the center of a restructuring effort led by the Commissioner of the Office of Children and Family Services, Gladys Carrion, which emphasizes lower cost, community-based supervision and treatment approaches that are shown to be more effective than state placement.

Click here to read the article.