NCJ Number
243822
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 41 Issue: 4 Dated: July - August 2013 Pages: 228-242
Date Published
August 2013
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This article proposes a new typology of gang-control strategies for use with logic models as tools for improving gang program evaluations.
Abstract
The authors first argue that current frameworks for comparing similar gang-control strategies, along with evaluation designs, are inadequate for determining the effectiveness of gang-control strategies. This article proposes a new classification of gang-control strategies that facilitates systematic comparisons among types of programs; it also proposes the use of logic models that explain different types of gang-control strategies. Regarding the proposed classification of gang-control strategies, there are five proposed broad categories: prevention, gang activity regulation, corrections-based interventions, comprehensive, and holistic. These broad categories are broken down into subtypes that further specify distinctions between various types of approaches within each broad category. The subcategories of prevention are prevention awareness and gang membership prevention. The subcategories of gang activity regulation are gang alternatives, gang activity prevention, and gang activity suppression. Subcategories for the corrections-based category are prison-based gang interventions and probation-based gang interventions. Comprehensive strategies include at least one strategy from the prevention category and at least two strategies in the gang activity regulation category. The classification of holistic strategies requires two criteria; it must include at least four strategies from the overall typology, including one from each of the prevention, gang activity regulation, and justice system-based intervention categories. Also, the strategies must be managed by the same organization or under close contact among the various organizations responsible for each strategy. Logic evaluation models and their respective activities are outlined for each of the gang strategy categories. The evaluation domains for each program type are grouped under "Activities," "Output," and "Outcomes." The proposals are based on a review of 45 selected gang-control strategy evaluation reports obtained from a literature review. 2 tables, 1 figure, and 95 references