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THE DISCUSSION IS DUE WEDNESDAY 02/10/21 BY 8PM AND THE MAIN ASSIGNMENT IS DUE SATURDAY 02/13/21

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Week 5: Interventions to Combat Criminal Organizations—Part II

Thus far, you have been studying gangs and criminal organizations operating freely in the United States and the legal statutes that address violence perpetrated by them. Thousands are prosecuted, sentenced, and incarcerated based on this legislation.

Unfortunately, confinement to a correctional facility does not prevent gang-related activities from occurring. Prison gangs are often sophisticated, with their own hierarchical structure, communication pathways, and codes of conduct. As such, prison gangs bring with them unique challenges for criminal justice professionals.

In this second week focused on combating criminal organizations, you discuss some of these challenges while also explaining the difference between street gangs and prison gangs. You then return to analysis of your own community—this time proposing new law enforcement, judicial, and correctional interventions to better address the problem of criminal organizations.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

· Differentiate between street gangs and prison gangs

· Analyze factors that contribute to the proliferation of gangs in prisons

· Analyze correctional challenges to combating prison gangs

· Recommend law enforcement, judicial, and correctional interventions to combat criminal organizations 

Learning Resources

Note: To access this week’s library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.

Required Readings

Institute for Intergovernmental Research. (2009, July). Gang prosecution manual. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgangcenter.gov/content/documents/gang-prosecution-manual.pdf

 

Note: Read pp. 60–110 only.

Kirby, S., & Snow, N. (2016). Praxis and the disruption of organized crime groups. Trends in Organized Crime, 19(2), 111–124. doi:10.1007/s12117-016-9269-0 

Lessing, B. (2016, September). Inside out: The challenge of prison-based criminal organizations (Local Orders Paper Series). Retrieved from https://www.brookings.edu/research/inside-out-the-challenge-of-prison-based-criminal-organizations/

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. (2009, May). OJJDP comprehensive gang model: Planning for implementation. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgangcenter.gov/Content/Documents/Implementation-Manual/Implementation-Manual.pdf

 

Note: Scan this resource to identity intervention strategies you could implement in your community and challenges associated with doing so. 

Pyrooz, D. C., Decker, S. H., & Fleisher, M. (2011). From the street to the prison, from the prison to the street: Understanding and responding to prison gangs. Journal of Aggression, Conflict and Peace Research, 3(1), 12–24. doi:10.5042/jacpr.2011.0018 

Smith, R. G. (2014). Responding to organised crime through intervention in recruitment pathways. Trends & Issues in Crime & Criminal Justice, 473, 1–9.

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (2018j, May). Module 11: International cooperation to combat transnational organized crime. Retrieved from https://www.unodc.org/e4j/en/organized-crime/module-11/index.html

U.S. Department of Justice. (2015, May 11). Prison gangs. Retrieved from https://www.justice.gov/criminal-ocgs/gallery/prison-gangs

DUE WEDNESDAY 8PM

Discussion: Prison Gangs

In 2013, members of the Black Guerilla Family (BGF) prison gang were indicted on racketeering charges. The gang infiltrated several detention centers in Maryland and conspired with some corrupt correctional officers to distribute drugs and launder money. A high-ranking member of the gang, Travon White, was captured on a phone call saying, “This is my jail. You understand that? I’m dead serious. . . . I make every final call in this jail” (U.S. Attorney’s Office, 2013, para. 16). An FBI agent who worked on the case echoed this sentiment, suggesting that the BGF prison gang seemed to be running the detention centers.

In this Discussion, you examine the differences between prison gangs and street gangs, factors that contribute to the proliferation of prison gangs, and challenges related to combating prison gangs.

Reference: U.S. Attorney’s Office. (2013, April 23). Thirteen correctional officers among 25 Black Guerilla Family gang members and associates indicted on federal racketeering charges. Retrieved from https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/baltimore/press-releases/2013/thirteen-correctional-officers-among-25-black-guerilla-family-gang-members-and-associates-indicted-on-federal-racketeering-charges

By Day 3

Post a response that addresses the following:

· What are the differences between prison gangs and street gangs?

· What factors contribute to the proliferation of gangs in prisons?

· Why is it challenging to combat prison gangs? 

THIS IS DUE SATURDAY 02/13/21

Assignment: Proposal for Effective Interventions Against Criminal Organizations

Over the past 2 weeks, you have examined several different criminal justice interventions for combating criminal organizations. As you did so, you may have had some initial thoughts about whether those interventions are or would be effective for combating criminal organizations in your own community. Periodically reviewing the effectiveness of existing criminal justice interventions is important because criminal organizations are constantly evolving and what once worked well may no longer be effective. New or different interventions may be needed to keep up with the threat of those organizations.

For this Assignment, imagine that you are tasked with developing a proposal to improve criminal justice interventions against criminal organizations in your community. Think about existing interventions you would continue to use and the ones you would replace. 

By Day 7

Submit a 950- to 1,350-word proposal that includes the following components:

Part I: Current Interventions (350–500 words)

· Briefly summarize existing law enforcement, judicial, and correctional interventions used to combat criminal organizations in your community.

· Explain which interventions should be retained and which interventions should be eliminated or changed and why.

Part II: Proposed Interventions (350–500 words)

· Propose at least one new intervention that should be implemented for each of the criminal justice subsystems (law enforcement, courts, and corrections).

· Explain why each would be more effective than current interventions alone.

Part III: Obstacles (250–350 words)

· Describe the obstacles you may encounter while attempting to implement these recommendations.

· Explain how you could overcome the obstacles. Be specific.

Be sure to reference the course readings to support your responses.