Gang Injunctions

Christopher Bruell

Gang injunctions, also known as civil gang injunctions, are court orders sought by public prosecutors to quell a specific gang or named gang members and associates' routine activities in a geographically defined space. The injunctions that have been granted primarily affect impoverished, minority neighborhoods and may actually serve to further stigmatize and oppress innocent minority youth who also live in these communities. This entry briefly explains the history of gang injunctions and the gang injunction process and touches upon the potential for abuse in acquiring gang injunctions. The primary goal of a gang injunction is to eliminate a public nuisance caused by a gang or gang members within a specified target area. Although a couple of gang injunctions have been granted in Texas and Illinois, the overwhelming majority of injunctions have been obtained in southern California. The use of gang injunctions can be traced back to Santa Ana, California, where, ...

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