An overview of the sentencing regime for gang members under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act 121/1998 and the potential for restrorative justice

Sec. 10 of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act 121 of 1998 creates a sentencing regime for those found in contravention of the substantive gang-related offences under sec. 9. This contribution provides a brief overview of the sentencing options available when found guilty of one of these substantive offences, against the backdrop of the general principles of sentencing in South Africa. The potential role of restorative justice in gang-related cases is also considered.

Causes and Measures of Conflicts among Gang Inmates in Dipolog and Dapitan City Jails

Current jail management models strictly prohibit inmates from assisting with jail administration or governance. This is feasible in developed countries where governments can provide adequate resources, security, and personnel. It is not, however, realistic in developing countries like the Philippines, which is characterized by poverty, corruption, and under resourcing of correctional facilities. In such circumstances, inmate leaders tend to share governance with jail administrators. Gang leaders help in maintaining peace and order in jail. This paper explored the causes of conflicts among gang members in Dipolog and Dapitan City jails and identified preventive measures to eliminate threats caused by the conflicts. There were two groups of respondents who were considered in the study. The first group are the gang inmates composed of 188 who answered the survey instrument intended to determine reasons of joining gang and the different causes of conflicts. The second group was the jail personnel who answered the survey instrument on the measures to prevent the conflicts. study revealed that conflicts usually occur during the start and playoff time of National Basketball Association (NBA) and Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) because it is this time that gambling is usually occurred. Conflicts were mainly caused by unpaid debts, theft and overcrowding. Admonition and forfeiture of good conduct time, close confinement and reduction of visiting hours were among the most common measures to discourage conflict. It is recommended to prohibit gambling of any sort. Conduct more physical activities to make the inmates busy.

EXPLORING GANG RISK FACTORS AMONG URBAN NIGERIAN YOUTHS

The proliferation of urban youth gangs is often attributed to criminogenic factors of economic, family, and community contexts. Among urban Nigerian youths, the sharp increase in youth gangs has been exacerbated by a broken socio-cultural value system arising from a sustained economic dislocation, aping of foreign cultures, as well as a predatory political elite that uses gang members as foot soldiers in the violent struggle for political power by rival political groups. This study examines the etiology, trend, and dynamism of gang culture in Nigeria. Employing a qualitative approach, the study used data from semi-structured interviews with gang members in Ibadan and Lagos, two of the large southwestern cities in Nigeria. Findings revealed that the interplay of multi-dimensional risk factors has contributed to the rapid growth of urban gang culture in Nigeria with the consequent effect on the increase in crime rates

“Every Thought and Dream a Nightmare”: Violence and Trauma Among Formerly Imprisoned Gang Members

Persons involved in gangs disproportionately participate in violence, as both victims and perpetrators. However, much remains unknown about the prevalence and consequences of violence exposure among adult gang members, particularly among those who have been incarcerated. We draw on semi-structured interviews with formerly imprisoned gang members to provide a contextualized account of the continuum of violence before, during, and after prison and illuminate the consequences of cumulative violence exposure among an understudied subgroup at greatest risk for violence. Findings show that adult gang members experience frequent and ongoing exposure to serious violence, as both victims and perpetrators, before, during, and after prison, and directly and vicariously. Although direct involvement in violence dissipated after prison, exposure to vicarious victimization was substantial and ongoing. In addition, respondents reported physiological and psychological consequences related to their chronic exposure to violence and trauma, including nightmares, anxiety, fear, anger, and hypervigilance.

From the Hood to the Home: Masculinity Maturation of Chicago Street Gang Members

This study draws on interviews with 29 former gang members to investigate changes in masculinity practices over time, which we term masculinity maturation. We find that perceptions of masculinity embodied dominant values while in the gang as well as later in the life course. For instance, respondents expressed that men should always act with respect, honor, and integrity toward others. We observed changes, however, in the ways that men accomplished their masculinities reflecting individuals’ shifting perceptions about the gang’s ability to be a resource to gain a masculine identity. Perceptions that the gang was not upholding masculine values spurred masculinity dilemmas that were associated with new dominant practices of masculinity centered on different social institutions like family, work, and religion as they grew older. The level of masculinity maturation that took place was linked to the strength of incongruence between perceptions of age-appropriate masculinity and gang masculinity.