the issue

For many years, certain neighborhoods and the people who live in them have been treated unfairly. Stories about gangs and gang members are often racist and dehumanizing, making people seem less worthy of respect. These harmful ideas ignore the work that community members are doing to create peace in their own neighborhoods. They also block people from having a real voice in courts and laws that affect their lives. At the same time, police and court systems still use gang enforcement strategies that are unfair and ineffective. These harsh approaches do not reduce violence. Instead, they stop communities from healing and create injustice by taking away their power to make decisions for themselves.