Compilation of Gang-Related Legislation — 2/8/2021
For more than 15 years, the National Gang Center (NGC) has hosted a compilation of U.S. gang-related legislation on its website. This resource, which includes statutory citations organized by state and subject categories, has proven to be a valuable tool for various professions throughout the criminal justice field. The extensive volume of gang-related law is synthesized here to provide a snapshot view of applicable laws and gang-related definitions nationally or within a given state. The database has been used for legal research, constructing cases for prosecution, as well as being an informative resource for task forces who are in the process of developing gang reduction strategic plans.
Expanded over the last three years by more than 800 laws and additional subject categories, this database not only includes laws that explicitly reference gangs and gang activity (e.g., gang databases, gang recruitment/threats/intimidations, graffiti) but also encompasses laws that may be leveraged to investigate gang-related criminal activity, apprehend and prosecute criminals, reduce gang involvement, and protect citizens (e.g., accomplice liability, forfeiture, data reporting and sharing, Racketeer Influence and Corrupt Practices Act [RICO]/criminal enterprise/criminal profiteering, penalties/fines/damages).
As of this posting, the database is updated through July 2020. Gang-related laws are displayed for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and federal jurisdiction. For each statutory provision, users are directed to find the full provisions on each state’s official state code website. The federal laws are categorized by subject, and users are directed to access the United States Code and the Code of Federal Regulations to find the complete provision. The database also offers links to Congressional Research Service Reports for background information on a wide range of issues under federal law such as forfeiture, the Hobbs Act, the meaning of the “Crime of Violence” definition, money laundering, RICO, juvenile delinquency, and more. For additional instructions on how to use the gang legislation database, visit this page.
NGC is interested in hearing from you. If the NGC Compilation of Gang-Related Legislation has been helpful to you, please share your experience with us at [email protected].