HAND in HAND's
Gang Research Project Executive Summary

Introductory Assessment of Gang Activity
and Issues in Minnesota

This research report was driven by the experience of the two researchers, Police Commander John Harrington and Addiction Counselor Kate Cavett, who discovered that male and female gang members were able to articulate the history, needs, drives and issues that constitute their lives as gang members in Minnesota. Professionals and community leaders will benefit from understanding the issues identified with this research project about life in the gang and the spread of gang activity in the state of Minnesota.

The project presents two basic beliefs: that “prescription without diagnosis is malpractice,” and that many approaches used to curb gang violence fail because they are not based on a clear picture of what gang life really is in Minnesota.

Why do individuals join gangs? This question is addressed in the research. It is a question crucial to understanding those fundamental issues that, if properly identified, drive successful prevention and intervention programs.

Although the answers to the questions are complex, the research discusses several important issues that must be recognized. Most experts identify money as one of the reason for gang membership. These researchers studied oral history interviews of 103 gang members and found that while money plays a role, it is rarely the only reasons or the most important reason identified by gang members.

The following reasons were suggested in interviews by gang members:

In a response to these issues youth identify five needs that the gang supplied:

• Safety and security
• Love and belonging
• Power and respect
• Freedom and choices
• Fun

Each youth interviewed had different ways of expressing what these needs meant to him or her.

The needs are complex sets of emotional elements that play a major role in the formation of the gang member’s mind set. The study used William Glasser’s Control Theory as a way of organizing the issues surrounding the needs identified by gangs members. Youth join gangs to have specific needs met according to the researchers, and once in the gang, youth become addicted to the life of being a gangster. In other words, youth become psychologically addicted to gang life in general, and to the rush experience in particular. For a more precise definition of addiction, the study project refers to Craig Nakken’s The Addictive Personality. Addiction exists in stages, and as youth progress through each stage, it is harder for them to stay away from the gang itself. The youth convincingly state that their addiction to gang life is even stronger than the addiction to drugs. The research also explores gangs’ involvement in a wide variety of criminal activities, not just drug dealing. The sample indicates that 97 percent of gangsters are chemically dependent.

Several significant gang activities are identified that support the gangster’s ongoing relationship with the gang organization. The role of females in gang culture and the extensive abuse they experience are discussed as well. Males and females participate in rituals, use certain behaviors, wear certain clothing or uniforms, and engage in ceremonial activities designed to foster involvement in the gang life. The researchers identify three types of initiations used in Minnesota that promote continual gang relationship. The study supports the belief that to develop effective prevention and intervention programs, one must recognize and understand these addictions, attractions, and activities, as well as the addiction to chemicals.

Finally, from the gangsters themselves, the researchers were told that leaving the gang life is difficult. There is a caveat, however, for the criminal justice system. Gangsters state that when the system holds them accountable, they are motivated to leave the gang. Extended Juvenile Jurisdiction (EJJ), when constructively enforced, appears to be a serious motivator to consider leaving the gang. Most gang members indicate that relocation is critical to their success. Getting beyond the addictive aspects of gang life is a major challenge, and extensive program support is needed to assist gangsters in their attempts to leave.

The research recognizes that Minnesota gangs have often evolved or mutated to look different than national gang models or the parent organizations in the cities where they were founded. The research also clarifies that gangs are migrating from the metropolitan area to the suburbs and outstate Minnesota, as well as continuing to migrate from other states into all areas of Minnesota.

The lack of community response contributes to the growth of gangs. The researchers indicate that it appears neither out state Minnesota nor the suburbs appear to have learned from Minneapolis’ or Saint Paul’s experience that denial allows gangs to cultivate and expand.If Minnesota is going to effectively address its gang problem, strategies must include prevention, intervention, and suppression. To be functional, each of these strategies must understand the style and cultures of gangs in Minnesota.

Finally, the report outlines program and intervention recommendations:

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