Gang-Free Schools Initiative
In fiscal year 2000, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) launched the Gang-Free Schools Program, a replication of the OJJDP Comprehensive Gang Model, that seeks to reduce youth gang crime and violence in schools throughout the nation. Four sites were selected through a competitive process to participate in the two phases of this program.
- Miami-Dade County, Florida
- East Cleveland, Ohio
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Houston, Texas
In Phase One, sites assembled Steering Committees and Assessment Teams drawing on the wide range of stakeholders in each community. Sites conducted an extensive assessment of their gang problem by using multiple sources of information, including school and law enforcement records, community leaders, students, parents, teachers, and youth gang members. Applying their assessment findings, sites developed strategic plans for implementing the OJJDP Comprehensive Gang Model. Implementation plans included designs for gang prevention, intervention, and suppression at the community level, with an emphasis on school involvement.
In Phase Two, sites began to implement their plans. Specific activities vary from site to site, based on the nature of the local gang problem as revealed in the assessment; however, sites follow the five broad strategies outlined in the Comprehensive Gang Model: community mobilization, social intervention (including street outreach), opportunities for educational and vocational advancements, suppression, and organizational change.
NYGC provides training and technical assistance to the sites through cluster meetings, site visits, telephone contacts, printed materials, the Internet, and e-mail.
