What types of criminal and civil laws have been used to try to deal with gang problems?

What will be an ideal response?


A number of state and city governments have passed criminal laws to regulate gang behavior. In some places, it's a crime to participate in a gang. Some statutes and ordinances have stiffened the penalties for crimes committed by gang members. Others make it a crime to encourage minors to participate in gangs. Some have applied organized crime statutes to gangs. A few have punished parents for their children's gang activities. Cities have also passed ordinances banning gang members from certain public places, particularly city parks. In addition to criminal penalties, cities have also turned to civil remedies to control gang activity. For example, in the ancient civil remedy injunction to abate public nuisances, which is still used, government attorneys ask courts to declare gang activities and gang members' public nuisances and to issue injunctions (court orders) to abate (stop) the public nuisance.

Criminal Justice

You might also like to view...

During the 1600s and 1700s, England implemented a form of punishment known as (the)_______________ on a widespread scale. During this time, criminals were sent to the American colonies under reprieve and through stays of execution. Thus, the convicts had their lives spared, but this form of mercy was generally only implemented to solve a labor shortage that existed within the American colonies.

a. ticket-of-leave b. banishment c. mark system d. chain gang

Criminal Justice

Violent crimes in the United States ________ in the early 1990s and have _______ since that time.

a. peaked; have generally declined b. peaked; continued to climb c. dropped; risen sharply d. dropped; risen at a slow rate

Criminal Justice

Accused persons can be allowed to avoid pretrial incarceration if they are considered a "good risk" to appear. This is known as _________________________

Fill in the blank(s) with correct word

Criminal Justice

The screening of cases by the juvenile justice system is referred to as disposition

a. True b. False Indicate whether the statement is true or false

Criminal Justice