Citation

Petersen RD. J. Crim. Justice 2000; 28(2): 139-149.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/S0047-2352(99)00036-7

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

At the turn of the 21st century, the U.S. prison population is at an all-time high. In large part, this is due to the punitive response, by policymakers, of locking up offenders. Incarceration is not the solution to crime. This country needs more prevention and intervention programs to tackle the problem of crime before it spreads, especially with regard to the rapid increase of gangs. Gang prevention programs should be based upon the knowledge of those who have some insight into such issues, that is, those most affected by the policies. This is the only way to ascertain a more holistic understanding of gangs and crime. The present study examines the perspectives of thirty-four incarcerated young women–some involved with gangs and some not– by analyzing their definitions of gangs. It is hoped that their insights might be incorporated into more effective policies while simultaneously empowering a marginalized population.