Thursday, June 26, 2008

Breakout Sessions
8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Recipe for a Gang Member
Grand Salon B

This session presents the key research-based risk factors leading to gang membership and explains how they operate. A former gang member will use his experiences to illustrate key risk factors that function as a “recipe” for gang involvement. He will also suggest practical ways of buffering the negative effects of risk factors and approaches that are likely to work with future and current gang members.

Presenters: James C. “Buddy” Howell, National Youth Gang Center, Pinehurst, NC; Darrell Ingram, Tioga, LA

White Supremacist Gangs
Grand Salon D

White supremacist organizations are increasingly targeting young people in their quest to spread hate and fear. This workshop will overview white-power groups that commonly recruit young people, the role that young adults play in these organizations, and the identifiers and criminal activities of these gangs.

Presenter: Paul Mohler, Texas Attorney General’s Office, Austin, TX

Understanding and Applying for Federal Funding
Grand Salon C

This workshop will inform participants about current resources available from the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. This session will be presented by representatives from the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and will include current funding resources, Web sites, listservs, publications, and other related and appropriate resources. Participants will also gain a basic understanding of the federal funding process and will learn ways to access additional resources and develop plans to successfully apply for and acquire federal funding.

Presenters: Dennis Mondoro, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Washington, DC; Samuel K. Beamon, Jr., Bureau of Justice Affairs, Washington, DC

Hiring and Supervising Outreach Staff
Cherokee

Street-gang outreach is an integral role in many direct gang-intervention programs. Presenters in this workshop will discuss the role of outreach; characteristics of successful outreach workers; the daily work of outreach workers, including intervention counseling; hiring and supervising outreach workers; safety issues; and other issues central to outreach.

Presenters: Don E. Waters, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Fort Worth, Fort Worth, TX; Melvin C. Carter III, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Fort Worth, Fort Worth, TX; Candice Kane, CeaseFire, Chicago, IL

Gangs in Indian Country—Intervention Strategies
Henry

This session will share what is being done and what needs to be done to assist the Native American population with the youth gang problems they are experiencing in their own communities.

Presenter: Captain Christopher Grant (retired), Rapid City Police Department, Rapid City, SD

Built to Last—Connecting Faith-Based and Community Initiatives to Government
Walton

The Office of the Attorney General of Virginia’s Gang Reduction Program and local faith-based groups will share strategies they have employed to build collaborations, connect with resources, and continue programming funded by OJJDP. Presenters will discuss steps for removing the barriers that could prevent the federal government from partnering with faith-based organizations. This workshop will emphasize the importance of the work of grassroots organizations in the community and their relationship with local government, corporations, and foundations in fulfilling the mission and sustaining the vision of programs. These discussions will stress the importance of understanding the federal funding process to ensure continued viability and capacity expansion. Presenters will discuss the importance of leveraging federal dollars and moving toward self-reliance and sustainability.

Presenters: Mark Fero, Office of the Attorney General, Richmond, VA; Geronimo Aguilar, Executive Director, Richmond Outreach Center, Richmond, VA

U.S. Attorney’s Regional Anti-Gang Effort
Clayton

This workshop will outline the overall anti-gang prevention effort of six cities along the U.S. Route 222 Corridor of Pennsylvania. The workshop will focus on regional efforts and the compounding effects of the initiative as well as a school-based gang survey delivered to more than 3,000 elementary and high school students. There will also be a presentation of community awareness programs designed to promote police/community partnerships around gang prevention.

Presenters: Jim Tice, 222 Anti-Gang Initiative, Cumberland, PA; John Kramer, Center for Community Leadership, Reading, PA

Probation Roundtable
Forsythe

This session will feature informal discussion and dialogue to share ideas and solutions for effectively intervening with gang members involved in youth and adult court systems and/or on probation.

Presenters: Frank Hosch, Ramsey County Community Corrections Department, St. Paul, MN; Mary Hatheway, Allegheny County Juvenile Probation, Pittsburgh, PA

Gangs and Schools Roundtable
Gwinnett/DeKalb

This session will use discussion and brainstorming to allow participants to speak candidly with other professionals about gang activity in and around schools in their area and share ideas and solutions for effectively intervening with youth involved in gangs in a school setting.

Presenter: Duane Bourdeaux, Colors of Success, Salt Lake City, UT

Law Enforcement Roundtable
Douglas/Paulding

Attendees of this workshop will participate in an interactive dialogue with other law enforcement professionals to share information and ideas for strengthening the effectiveness of law enforcement to address gangs in the community.

Presenter: Gregory Joy, Bureau of Justice Assistance, Washington, DC

Outreach Roundtable
Fayette/Newton

Participants will strategize, share ideas, and support other outreach professionals as they discuss the role of outreach in working to effectively address community gang problems. This session will feature brainstorming, discussion, and dialogue.

Presenter: Victor Gonzalez, Jr., Mayor’s Anti-Gang Office, Houston, TX

Unaccompanied Alien Children in Immigration Proceedings
Cobb

Founded in April 2007, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Juvenile and Family Residential Management Unit (JFRMU) is specifically dedicated to the management of issues and challenges posed by unaccompanied alien juveniles and alien families who are awaiting the outcome of their immigration proceedings. Topics of discussion will include JFRMU’s partnership with the Office of Refugee Resettlement and Customs and Border Protection; oversight of ICE’s Field Office juvenile coordinators; and placement of unaccompanied alien delinquents in appropriate juvenile facilities.

Presenters: Reginald J. Sakamoto, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Washington, DC; Deane Dougherty, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Washington, DC