"Are Gangs in America here to stay for the foreseeable future?" .
This article tries to approach the concept of a gang as a malleable organism that adjusts to the environment around it. Sanchez-Jankowski shows how researchers fail to sociologically distinguish gangs from other types of collective behavior. Socioeconomic factors that plague the areas these gangs thrive in are rife throughout the piece, highlighting the attractiveness of gangs to individuals who feel as they have no future whilst surrounded by such bleakness. A means of ending the monotony and becoming someone in place of nobodies is a huge draw for misled, impoverished youths. Breaking the 150 year history of social and organizational development of gangs into 5 parts. (Gangs in times of immigration, times of blue-collar expansion, times of drug regulation, times of mass incarceration, times of and monopoly behavior) strengthens the view that regardless of what's going on around the gang, it can manipulate itself to survive and continue its existence. This article did a masterful job of branching out from the generic broad definition of gangs and looking at the concept of a gang from an alternative perspective. The ability of the article to show how gangs can alter themselves to adjust to the social structure in the areas they inhabit displays the longevity and potential lifespan of gangs in America. .
The National Gang Intelligence Center. (2009). National Gang Threat Assessment. Washington D.C.
This report does an exceptional job detailing how serious of a threat gangs pose to communities throughout the United States. Estimating that more than 1 million active gang members belonging to more than 20,000 gangs are active in all 50 U.S. states details the seriousness of the threat. Additional statistics show criminal gangs commit nearly 80 percent of all crime in many American communities. The migration patterns of gang members from urban environments to rural and suburban areas is comprehensive and helps in showing the expanding sphere of influence gangs will continue to possess in America.
Annotated Bibliography The Death Penalty for Juveniles The following research draws upon different opinions and perceptions for and against the further enactment of the death penalty for juvenile offenders. ... Recent polls indicated that 70% of the American public favor capital punishment which reflects the society's attitude to get tough with offenders. ...
