117 S2503 IS: Community-Based Gang Intervention Act U.S. Senate 2021-07-28 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
II117th CONGRESS1st SessionS. 2503IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATESJuly 28, 2021Mr. Booker introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the JudiciaryA BILLTo 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 holistic, integrated intervention services, and for other purposes.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the Community-Based Gang Intervention Act.
<enum>I</enum><header>COMMUNITY-BASED GANG INTERVENTION AGENCIES</header><section id="H752CFCFDB11C446D960B4810AC9BBE01"><enum>101.</enum><header>Community-based gang intervention agencies</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/34/11101">34 U.S.C. 11101 et seq.</external-xref>) is amended—</text><paragraph id="idB4EE0C124C484047A2F7FCBFCF8CC274"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by redesignating title VI (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/34/11321">34 U.S.C. 11321 et seq.</external-xref>) as title VII; </text></paragraph><paragraph id="idE1F0D96F0DD04571AF26D45826BC584B"><enum>(2)</enum><text>by redesignating sections 601 and 602 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/34/11321">34 U.S.C. 11321</external-xref>, 11322) as sections 701 and 702, respectively; and </text></paragraph><paragraph id="idFFAB77ECEC8748719BD9604B912431F3"><enum>(3)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by inserting after title V the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H86B2105A4AB846E3ACF5D158A81DC93B"><title id="H870CCFAAC921412BBB8644F5DCBD2114"><enum>VI</enum><header>COMMUNITY-BASED GANG INTERVENTION GRANTS</header><section id="H7559F3C63D2F421DAF5D88465B16660C"><enum>601.</enum><header>Purpose</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">The purpose of this title is to offer holistic and comprehensive support for community-based gang intervention activities that focus on and engage active and former gang members, their close associates, and gang members in and returning from confinement. 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 gangs. Community-based gang intervention involves proactive and reactive responses to gang activities on several levels, including—</text><paragraph id="HC30B957134FE4AAB9400FC774CE56DB9"><enum>(1)</enum><text>the regional level, to promote and coordinate peace truces and cease-fires between groups;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="H03CC8F3785664E989F5E19A481D87724"><enum>(2)</enum><text>the State and local level, including community and the juvenile halls, camps, Division of Juvenile Justice facilities, county jails, and State prisons; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="H68EE35B30AA14240AD001D915D2CF992"><enum>(3)</enum><text>the neighborhood level, including with active gang members individually.</text></paragraph></section><section id="HD5B8D17C6196406D8A8A3980B6DB34B1"><enum>602.</enum><header>Support of community-based gang intervention agencies</header><subsection id="H1C331DAFED59457A91947AFA50D3A0E6"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Support of community-Based gang intervention agencies</header><text>Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Administrator shall award grants to eligible entities to carry out the activities described in subsection (c).</text></subsection><subsection id="HB2AB4682B15F43AE9BC7D706E8F9F7BB"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Eligible entity</header><text>For the purposes of this section, an <term>eligible entity</term> means a community-based gang intervention agency that is a nonprofit organization with a history of and expertise in providing community-based gang intervention activities through a community-based gang intervention model.</text></subsection><subsection id="HFBBB0419D9D440DC88F3F6708948FBDA"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Grant activities</header><text>Each entity awarded a grant under this section shall carry out activities that promote public safety, with the specific objective of reducing and stopping gang-related and gang-motivated violence and crime, including the following activities:</text><paragraph id="HCE66489362494361A554F0347F41338D"><enum>(1)</enum><text>Conduct street mediation by working with gang members and persons with influence over such member to defuse and de-escalate potential and actual violence between gang members and between rival gangs.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="H9481F0692AF746358A6125D9B5B52804"><enum>(2)</enum><text>Develop local and regional truces by negotiating cease-fires or nonaggression agreements between rival gangs and neighborhoods.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="HE557133B55EF4925A4C635EF1E839CB5"><enum>(3)</enum><text>Serve as conduits who facilitate dialogue and relationship between gangs and neighborhoods.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="HF9B49E2FB1414506973E991A203D5B35"><enum>(4)</enum><text>Provide services that respond to the high levels of anxiety and stress experienced by gang members due to traumatic events.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="H03E04B663D654C52BF55929FA61EF176"><enum>(5)</enum><text>Provide 24-hour, 7-day-a-week crisis intervention services by responding to requests for violence prevention services made by gang members, the families of gang members, school officials, intervention workers, social service agencies, or law enforcement.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="H625062BFC3E3439A84C72FBA88DCA552"><enum>(6)</enum><text>Provide targeted training and technical assistance to violence-plagued communities after a major gang-related incident.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="H99CC453C7E3B4B6B96762A076F63201A"><enum>(7)</enum><text>Facilitate the development of a community response plan to gang-related activities, including training protocols, situational scene scenarios, and emergency response.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="H8E8A06E97EC2422490D7183619BA8F29"><enum>(8)</enum><text>Establish relationships with community stakeholders to inform and engage them in quality-of-life activities that enhance intervention activities.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="H1B37639BD8E84CDF9292CFDC647626FA"><enum>(9)</enum><text>Serve as intervention representatives in communities by attending local meetings involving nonprofit organizations, schools, faith-based organizations, and other entities.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="H0477419FBE4E4C0A8742AB872A153CA1"><enum>(10)</enum><text>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 neighborhoods.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="H5DC4025EF8A541D3B388A442DB3E788A"><enum>(11)</enum><text>Work with schools to respond to gang-related issues and crises both in and outside of school.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="H00108E7B607445E697582007D7215F49"><enum>(12)</enum><text>Provide support services for youth and families affected by gang violence and other victims of gang violence (including any individual who is physically, emotionally, financially, or otherwise harmed by criminal activity, and those affected by harm done to or by a family member), which may include—</text><subparagraph id="HF388D695214F4097ACDC2A5FFE7A0B29"><enum>(A)</enum><text>advocating for public sector and private sector assistance and services;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H3050E4BF88D54DB8A1C84B14909A75F1"><enum>(B)</enum><text>grief counseling; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H2714CE766F5446E1AFD5B3B5944B1E6E"><enum>(C)</enum><text>referrals to treatment and rehabilitation for cognitive, mental, emotional, physical, or financial injury, loss, or suffering.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H82C9C0B015664F0F9827D55D1CC993B2"><enum>(13)</enum><text>Provide comprehensive mental health services to youth and families affected by gang violence or involvement, including—</text><subparagraph id="H98CE42E8D286481DAF238108317F1ED7"><enum>(A)</enum><text>integrated services comprised of individual, family, and group therapy modalities, and psychological education provided through youth and parent training programs; or</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H9B32BA82B00A4DCEA8DE9DB1C9CC6A8A"><enum>(B)</enum><text>gang-responsive services including skills training, assessing and servicing youth with developmental disabilities, behavioral modification, and services to address substance use and abuse, anger management, emotional regulation, traumatic stress, family violence, depression, suicide, anxiety, and educational problems.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="HE0164414D87E47E99F4AB6EDF355E864"><enum>(14)</enum><text>Provide public and private sector career job training, development, and placement, including—</text><subparagraph id="H03AF7885784F47CDAE53077401636D9C"><enum>(A)</enum><text>job-finding and job-maintaining skills, including skills related to resume writing, interviewing, workplace decorum, interpersonal communication, and problem-solving;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H454B01B18EE7425B9B491C5F8851402E"><enum>(B)</enum><text>information about legal rights in the workplace; or</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="HCB03054DAE064B3682D99B493F3EFA19"><enum>(C)</enum><text>financial literacy.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="HC3581FDC0DA9460AA5BC4A988ABF6A8B"><enum>(15)</enum><text>Assist with substance use and abuse treatment, domestic violence victims, and voluntary tattoo removal of markings on the body related to gang involvement.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" id="HBAAF38A091C74404ABABAE3BBEB04286"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Availability of victims assistance</header><text>An entity awarded a grant under this section that provides victim assistance under paragraph (13) of subsection (c) shall not discriminate in the provision of such assistance to an individual based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic level, or criminal history.</text></subsection></section><section id="H8CE61CCFB3CF4D3087488CEF33A16581"><enum>603.</enum><header>Definitions</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">In this title:</text><paragraph commented="no" id="H43224F5BFAA84A7A9A962DAFE5EFA8D5"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Community</header><text>Notwithstanding the definition of <term>community based</term> in section 103, the term <term>community</term> means a unit of local government or an Indian Tribe.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="HB34964D32F134063847AAD7F37E4B77C"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Community-based gang intervention agency</header><text>The term <term>community-based gang intervention agency</term> means a community-based organization, association, or other entity that—</text><subparagraph id="H91B13AD083D140A49390783192F406E6"><enum>(A)</enum><text>promotes public safety, with the specific objective of reducing and stopping gang-related and gang-motivated violence and crime; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="HF41368CAD94149848C9F052E1FC9883C"><enum>(B)</enum><text>has a history of, or training in, effectively working with gang-involved youth and their families.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H587FC1D60F4B46C99A6252CFD51C8275"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Community-based gang intervention model</header><text>The term <term>community-based gang intervention model</term> means a holistic and comprehensive approach to reducing gang violence that uses the 2-prong approach of community-based intervention as defined in section 103 and an integrated approach of providing rehabilitative service delivery to gang-involved youth through trained specialists in community-gang intervention.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="H2D7CBC31E28D41FC9A222699A5D2ACB0"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Gang</header><text>The term <term>gang</term> means a group of individuals—</text><subparagraph id="H476873742C874D8F83777F0CE4686E3E"><enum>(A)</enum><text>organized by geography, culture, or activity;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="HCBE23D521E444F84BACB80F0880F851A"><enum>(B)</enum><text>that have a group name, and may have other identifying characteristics of the group such as colors and nicknames; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H18EBA17136CD418F989C9385B4852292"><enum>(C)</enum><text>who engage in the use of violence to defend the members or territory of the group.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H80BAE9FB54244681A06C23935CEC3090"><enum>(5)</enum><header>Youth</header><text>The term <term>youth</term> means—</text><subparagraph id="H68740506868D433194382E963F80986A"><enum>(A)</enum><text>an individual who is 18 years of age or younger; or</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="HAE11EFDB53F440F781E02EDDAE870428"><enum>(B)</enum><text>in any State in which the maximum age at which the juvenile justice system of such State has jurisdiction over individuals exceeds 18 years of age, an individual who is such maximum age or younger.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></section>.<enum>II</enum><header>AMENDMENTS TO THE OFFICE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION</header><section id="HFCC0302B16A8453BAA82A556845205BB"><enum>201.</enum><header>Definition of community-based gang intervention</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 103 of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/34/11103">34 U.S.C. 11103</external-xref>) is amended—</text><paragraph id="H15912C83B2BB4B25AFD962F4C1ABCC5C"><enum>(1)</enum><text>in paragraph (1), by inserting <quote>except as provided in title VI,</quote> before <quote>the term</quote>;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="H3E23689A8E064A1CB879E2F21FF3CC97"><enum>(2)</enum><text>in paragraph (44)(C), by striking <quote>and</quote> after the semicolon;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="HF25D4096621942E2BAA790EF41AB250B"><enum>(3)</enum><text>in paragraph (45), by striking the period at the end and inserting <quote>; and</quote>; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="HD09F69AFD972479FACC2B67353E2C244"><enum>(4)</enum><text>by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" id="HEF62BEABCFF8496C8B7B033B8E107F1E"><paragraph id="HEBB6D6CE64214717A4B76541BD5C3239"><enum>(46)</enum><text>except when used as part of the term <term>community-based gang intervention agency</term> or <term>community-based gang intervention model</term>, the term <term>community-based gang intervention</term> means a 2-prong approach to reducing gang violence that—</text><subparagraph id="HB1DDBBCBE2FF412891E49B750B5EBE98"><enum>(A)</enum><text>provides specialized, gang-specific mediation and mitigation to stop or prevent violence by, within, and between gangs; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H27286FA0F0A0417F95A400A3B475FD17"><enum>(B)</enum><text>provides the redirection of individual gang members and their families through proactive efforts that increase peace and safety for gang members, their families, and their communities.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph></section><section id="H27265F9F62DB48379AF3A83D53498518"><enum>202.</enum><header>Community-based gang intervention representative to State advisory boards</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 223(a)(3)(ii) of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/34/11133">34 U.S.C. 11133(a)(3)(ii)</external-xref>) is amended—</text><paragraph id="H791D27DF7F3D494C87EC6DBB99ABF4D2"><enum>(1)</enum><text>in subclause (III), by inserting <quote>, or community-based gang intervention</quote> after <quote>delinquency prevention or treatment</quote>; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="H62880E623E3448F79962061DBC8FBD0B"><enum>(2)</enum><text>in subclause (IV), by inserting <quote>community-based gang intervention,</quote> after <quote>prevention and treatment,</quote>.</text></paragraph></section><section id="HB659BAB9A66648E6B022D0072608964E"><enum>203.</enum><header>Grants for delinquency prevention programs</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 504 of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/34/11313">34 U.S.C. 11313</external-xref>) is amended—</text><paragraph id="HC4A502224003465ABEF6C925A50D2576"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in subsection (a) by inserting after <quote>programs</quote> the following: <quote>, including community-based gang intervention and gang prevention activities,</quote>; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="HA6424D4623184AE6BDAB20A55A87922D" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in subsection (e)(1)(B)(ii), by striking <quote>activities</quote> and inserting <quote>programs and community-based gang intervention</quote>.</text></paragraph></section>