,i #aacth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #bffi ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,july #aa1 #bjac ,mr4 ,crdenas 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,scott of ,virginia1 ,ms4 ,bass1 ,mr4 ,vargas1 ,mr4 ,mc,nerney1 ,mr4 ,rush1 ,ms4 ,hahn1 ,ms4 ,michelle ,lujan ,grisham of ,new ,mexico1 ,mr4 ,garcia1 ,mr4 ,gutirrez1 ,mr4 ,ben ,ray ,lujn of ,new ,mexico1 ,mrs4 ,napolitano1 ,mr4 ,castro of ,texas1 ,ms4 ,jackson ,lee1 ,mr4 ,cummings1 ,mr4 ,rangel1 ,mr4 ,hinojosa1 ,mr4 ,nolan1 ,mr4 ,lowenthal1 ,mr4 ,serrano1 and ,mr4 ,cohen7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,education and the ,workforce ,a ,,bill ,to provide definitions of terms and services related to community-based gang intervention to ensure that funding for such intervention is utilized in a cost-effective manner and that community-based agencies are held accountable for providing holistic1 integrated intervention services1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,community-,based ,gang ,intervention ,act4 #b4 ,findings2 sense of ,congress 7a7 ,findings ,the ,congress finds as follows3 7#a7 ,for the first time in the history of the ,united ,states1 more than one in every #ajj adults is incarcerated4 7#b7 ,the ,united ,states incarcerates more people than any other country in the world1 with more than #b1bjj1jjj people behind bars and another #e1jjj1jjj people on probation or parole4 7#c7 ,the ,united ,states has only #e percent of the world's population1 but #be percent of the world's prisoners4 7#d7 ,in #bjjg1 the ,federal ,government spent #ai1fag1jjj1jjj on police protection1 corrections1 and judicial and legal services1 representing a #bhf percent increase since #aihb4 ,this included a #dge percent increase for corrections and a #bhg percent increase for police protection4 7#e7 ,the growing prison system is also impacting ,state budgets1 with total ,state spending on incarceration topping #ec1jjj1jjj1jjj in #bjab1 up from #aj1jjj1jjj1jjj in #aihg4 7#f7 ,with increased prison costs1 vital social programs and services such as education1 job creation1 housing1 and healthcare are being cut or eliminated to maintain the prison industry4 7#g7 ,between #aihg and #bjjg1 the amount ,states spent on corrections increased #abg percent1 while the increase in higher education spending was only #ba percent4 7#h7 ,over the past #aj years1 the ,state of ,california's general fund expenditures for higher education have fallen #i percent1 while general fund expenditures for corrections and rehabilitation have increased #bf percent4 7#i7 ,the ,state of ,california has the second largest prison population in the nation with #afe1jfb prisoners under the jurisdiction of ,state or ,federal correctional authorities in #bjaj4 7#aj7 ,according to one study1 there are now #f times as many gangs and at least twice the number of gang members in ,los ,angeles since the start of the #cj year war on gangs4 7#aa7 ,the ,city and ,county of ,los ,angeles have been dubbed the gang capital of the ,nation with an estimated #dfc gangs and #ch1igd gang members in the ,city1 and more than #a1cjj gangs and #aej1jjj gang members in the ,county4 7#ab7 ,according to the ,office of ,juvenile ,justice and ,delinquency ,prevention1 allowing #a youth to leave school for a life of crime and drug abuse costs society between #a1gjj1jjj and #b1cjj1jjj4 7#ac7 ,in the ,state of ,california1 the average annual cost per inmate is #dg1dba for an adult inmate1 and #bah1jjj for a youth inmate4 7#ad7 ,the most recent data on overall ,state spending on juvenile justice programs reveals that in #aiih1 ,states spent nearly #d1bjj1jjj1jjj on juvenile justice related programs1 which was a #fe percent increase from fiscal year #aiid4 ,of those expenditures1 #fg percent went towards residential placements1 while only #h4d percent went towards delinquency prevention4 7#ae7 ,gang and youth violence substantially decreases when governments address the root causes of gang violence and adequately fund community-based programs and practices4 7#af7 ,studies continue to prove that community-based gang intervention provides long-lasting1 cost-effective results and opportunities for the youth and families most susceptible to gang violence4 7b7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that1 in developing a comprehensive violence reduction strategy1 the ,united ,states should acknowledge and address larger1 entrenched social conditions and issues such as poverty1 homelessness1 inadequate educational systems1 and limited economic opportunities that give rise to gangs and gang violence4 ,i ,,community-,,based ,,gang ,,intervention ,,agencies #aja4 ,community-based gang intervention agencies ,the ,juvenile ,justice and ,delinquency ,prevention ,act of #aigd 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #efja et seq47 is amended by adding at the end the following new title3 ,,vi ,,community-,,based ,,gang ,,intervention ,,grants #fja4 ,purpose ,the purpose of this title is to offer holistic and comprehensive support for the variety of community-based gang intervention activities that focus on and engage active and former gang members1 their close associates1 and gang members in and returning from confinement4 ,gang-involved youth and their families require specialized intensive and comprehensive services that address the unique issues encountered by youth when they become involved with gangs4 ,community-based gang intervention involves proactive and reactive responses to gang activities on several levels1 including-- 7#a7 the regional level1 to promote and coordinate peace truces and cease-fires between groups2 7#b7 the ,state and local level1 including community and the juvenile halls1 camps1 ,division of ,juvenile ,justice facilities1 county jails1 and ,state prisons2 and 7#c7 the neighborhood and street level1 including with active gang members individually4 #fjb4 ,support of community-based gang intervention agencies 7a7 ,support of community-,based gang intervention agencies ,subject to the availability of appropriations1 the ,administrator shall award grants to eligible entities to carry out the activities described in subsection 7c74 7b7 ,eligible entity ,for the purposes of this section1 an eligible entity means a community-based gang intervention agency that is a nonprofit organization with a proven track record and expertise in providing community-based gang intervention activities through a community-based gang intervention model4 7c7 ,grant activities ,each entity awarded a grant under this section shall carry out the following activities3 7#a7 ,conduct street mediation by working with gang members and persons with influence over such member to defuse and de-escalate potential and actual violence internally between gang members and between rival gangs4 7#b7 ,develop local and regional truces by creating cease-fires or nonaggression agreements between rival gangs and neighborhoods4 7#c7 ,serve as conduits who facilitate constant dialogue and maintenance between gangs and neighborhoods4 7#d7 ,provide services that respond to the high levels of anxiety experienced by gang members to decompress critical situations due to traumatic events4 7#e7 ,provide #bd-;hour1 #g-;day-a-week crisis intervention services by responding to requests for violence prevention services made by gang members1 the families of gang members1 school officials1 intervention workers1 social service agencies1 or law enforcement4 7#f7 ,provide targeted training and technical assistance to violence-plagued communities after a major gang-related incident4 7#g7 ,facilitate the development of a community response plan1 including training protocols1 situational scene scenarios1 and emergency response4 7#h7 ,make a reasonable effort to prevent gang-related rumors from intensifying tension between gangs or igniting violent responses by gangs4 7#i7 ,establish relationships with community stakeholders to inform and engage them in quality-of-life activities that enhance intervention activities4 7#aj7 ,serve as intervention representatives in communities by attending local meetings involving nonprofit organizations1 schools1 faith-based organizations1 and other entities4 7#aa7 ,develop conflict resolution skills and techniques to address and resolve community concerns related to gang activity in order to improve the quality of life within neighborhoods4 7#ab7 ,work with schools to respond to gang-related issues and crises both in and outside of school4 7#ac7 ,provide support services for youth and families affected by gang violence and other victims of gang violence 7including any individual who is physically1 emotionally1 financially1 or otherwise harmed by criminal activity1 and those affected by harm done to or by a family member71 which may include-- 7,a7 advocating for public sector and private sector assistance and services2 7,b7 grief counseling2 and 7,c7 referrals to treatment and rehabilitation for cognitive1 mental1 emotional1 physical1 or financial injury1 loss1 or suffering4 7#ad7 ,provide comprehensive mental health services to youth and families affected by gang violence or involvement1 including-- 7,a7 integrated services comprised of individual1 family1 and group therapy modalities1 and psychological education provided through youth and parent training programs2 and 7,b7 gang-responsive services including skills training1 assessing and servicing youth with developmental disabilities1 behavioral modification1 and services to address substance use and abuse1 anger management1 emotional regulation1 traumatic stress1 family violence1 depression1 suicide1 anxiety1 and educational problems4 7#ae7 ,provide public and private sector career job training1 development1 and placement1 including-- 7,a7 job-finding and job-maintaining skills1 including skills related to resume writing1 interviewing1 workplace decorum1 interpersonal communication1 and problem-solving2 7,b7 information about legal rights in the workplace2 and 7,c7 financial literacy4 7#af7 ,assist with substance use and abuse treatment1 domestic violence victims1 and voluntary tattoo removal of markings on the body related to gang involvement4 7d7 ,availability of victims assistance ,an entity awarded a grant under this section that provides victim assistance under paragraph 7#ac7 of subsection 7c7 shall not discriminate in the provision of such assistance to an individual based on race1 ethnicity1 gender1 sexual orientation1 socioeconomic level1 or past record4 #fjc4 ,definitions ,in this title3 7#a7 ,community ,notwithstanding the definition of community based in section #ajc1 the term community means a unit of local government or an ,indian ,tribe4 7#b7 ,community-based gang intervention agency ,the term community-based gang intervention agency means a community-based organization1 association1 or other entity that-- 7,a7 promotes public safety1 with the specific objective of reducing and stopping gang-related and gang-motivated violence and crime2 and 7,b7 has a history of1 or experience or specific training in1 effectively working with gang-involved youth and their families4 7#c7 ,community-based gang intervention model ,the term community-based gang intervention model means a holistic and comprehensive approach to reducing gang violence that utilizes the two-prong approach of community based intervention and an integrated approach of providing rehabilitative service delivery to gang-involved youth that-- 7,a7 deploys specialists in community-based gang intervention who are trained to utilize the two-prong approach of community-based gang intervention and who intercede1 interact1 and participate with and in the community to quell rumors1 prevent and mediate conflicts1 and respond to crises related to gang activity and violence2 7,b7 delivers rehabilitative services to gang-involved individuals and families2 and 7,c7 addresses the barriers that gang-involved youth and their families encounter and the societal factors that promote gang violence4 7#d7 ,evidence-based ,the term evidence-based1 when used with respect to a practice relating to gang activity prevention and intervention 7including community-based gang intervention71 means a practice 7including a service1 program1 or strategy7 that has statistically significant outcomes that include a reduction in gang-related violence and an increased number of youth in job development1 recreation1 arts-based activities1 or faith-based activities4 ,such outcomes may be determined by-- 7,a7 an experimental trial1 in which participants are randomly assigned to participate in the practice that is the subject of the trial2 or 7,b7 a quasi-experimental trial1 in which the outcomes for participants are compared with outcomes for a control group that is made up of individuals who are similar to such participants4 7#e7 ,gang ,the term gang means a group of individuals-- 7,a7 organized by geography1 culture1 or activity2 7,b7 that have a group name1 and may have other identifying characteristics of the group such as colors and nicknames2 and 7,c7 who engage in the use of violence to defend the members or territory of the group4 7#f7 ,promising ,the term promising1 when used with respect to a practice relating to community-based gang intervention1 means a practice that is not evidence-based1 but-- 7,a7 that has outcomes from an evaluation that demonstrate that such practice reduces gang-related violence and crime2 or 7,b7 about which a study is being conducted to determine if such practice is evidence-based4 7#g7 ,youth ,the term youth means-- 7,a7 an individual who is #ah years of age or younger2 or 7,b7 in any ,state in which the maximum age at which the juvenile justice system of such ,state has jurisdiction over individuals exceeds #ah years of age1 an individual who is such maximum age or younger4 4 ,,ii ,,amendments ,,to ,,the ,,office ,,of ,,juvenile ,,justice ,,and ,,delinquency ,,prevention #bja4 ,definition of community-based gang intervention ,section #ajc of the ,juvenile ,justice and ,delinquency ,prevention ,act of #aigd 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #efjc7 is amended-- 7#a7 in paragraph 7#a71 by inserting except when used in title ,,vi1 before the term2 7#b7 in paragraph 7#bh71 by striking and after the semicolon2 7#c7 in paragraph 7#bi71 by striking the period at the end and inserting 2 and2 and 7#d7 by adding at the end the following new paragraph3 7#cj7 ,community-based gang intervention ,except when used as part of the term community-based gang intervention agency or community-based gang intervention model1 the term community-based gang intervention means a two-prong approach to reducing gang violence that-- 7,a7 provides specialized1 gang-specific mediation and mitigation to stop or prevent violence by1 within1 and between gangs2 and 7,b7 provides the redirection of individual gang members and their families through proactive efforts that increase peace and safety for gang members1 their families1 and their communities4 4 #bjb4 ,community-based gang intervention representative to ,state advisory boards ,section #bbc7;a77#c77;ii7 of the ,juvenile ,justice and ,delinquency ,prevention ,act of #aigd 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #efcc7;a77#c77;ii77 is amended-- 7#a7 in subclause 7,,iii71 by inserting 1 community-based gang intervention1 after delinquency prevention and treatment2 and 7#b7 in subclause 7,,iv71 by inserting community-based gang intervention1 after prevention and treatment14 #bjc4 ,grants for delinquency prevention programs ,section #ejd of the ,juvenile ,justice and ,delinquency ,prevention ,act of #aigd 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eghc7 is amended-- 7#a7 in subsection 7a7-- 7,a7 by redesignating paragraphs 7#g7 and 7#h7 as paragraphs 7#h7 and 7#i71 respectively2 and 7,b7 by inserting after paragraph 7#f7 the following new paragraph3 7#g7 community-based gang intervention and gang prevention activities2 4 7#b7 in subsection 7c77#b71 by inserting and community-based gang intervention before activities24