Evaluating Anti-Gang Legislation and Gang Prosecution Units in Clark and Washoe Counties, Nevada, 1989-1995
Description
In response to several high profile, violent crimes by
minority males, which were reported by law enforcement officials as
being gang-related, Nevada lawmakers enacted an array of anti-gang
legislation, much of it drafted by law enforcement personnel. This
study attempted to provide answers to the following research
questions: (1) How often and under what specific conditions were the
various anti-gang statutes used in the prosecution of gang members?
(2) How had the passage of anti-gang statutes and the development of
the gang prosecution units influenced the use of more conventional
charging practices related to gang cases? and (3) Did specialized gang
prosecution produce higher rates of convictions, more prison
sentences, and longer prison terms for gang offenders? Court
monitoring data were collected from both Clark and Washoe counties to
document the actual extent and nature of gang crime in both
jurisdictions over several years. Variables include the year of the
court case, whether the defendant was a gang member, total number of
initial charges, whether all charges were dismissed before trial,
whether the defendant was convicted of any charge, the length of the
prison sentence imposed, whether the defendant was charged with a gang
enhancement statute, and whether the defendant was charged with
murder, sexual assault, robbery, kidnapping, burglary, auto theft,
larceny, a drug offense, a weapon offense, or assault. Demographic
variables include the race, sex, and age of the defendant.