Juvenile crime, particularly gang related crime, has Californians up in arms. In response to increasing gang related crimes, California voters overwhelmingly passed proposition 21 (Juvenile Crime Initiative). Proposition 21 allows courts to try juveniles as young as fourteen in adult court, imposes stiffer penalties for gang related offenses, and increases penalties for serious crimes (Text of Proposition 21, 2000). According to U.S Department of Justice (1994-1996), several states have, or will be, revamping their juvenile justice system to better address juvenile crime issues. In response to increased juvenile crime, particularly violent crime, several states have enacted new programs and laws that place a greater emphasis on public safety, and imposes tougher sentences for violent juvenile crime. In addition to passage of proposition 21, California is recognized as a leader in developing and implementing gang initiatives that pool the resources of state, local, and federal agencies in a combined effort to fight crime. .
An estimated 150,000 members belong to the various 1,000 gang factions in the Los Angeles area. According to Newton (1992), gang related murders accounted for forty percent of the homicides in Los Angeles County in recent years. Juveniles commit many of these homicides. (p.A1). In response, Federal officials, in cooperation with local law enforcement, established the Los Angeles Metropolitan Task Force (LA Task Force), and launched its largest crackdown ever on LA gangs. The FBI increased its gang investigations unit by approximately 25%, the U.S. Attorney's Department brought in its most experienced gang prosecutors, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, hired an additional ten agents to investigate gang members (U.S. Department of Justice, 1994-1996). In Michigan, the Safe Streets-Violent Crime task force was established in response to the "Home Invaders," a gang responsible for over one hundred home invasion robberies.
