Gangs are not all that mysterious. Reformers know what works with them and what doesn't. "Gang experts, intervention practitioners, social scientists, researchers and enlightened law enforcement officials all agree." What works is prevention, intervention and enforcement.

You prevent kids from joining gangs by offering after-school programs, sports, mentoring and positive engagement with adults. You intervene with gang members by offering alternatives and employment to help redirect their lives. You deal with areas of high gang crime activity with real community policing.

....What's really going on here is politics. Feinstein and Hatch are promoting the image of the juvenile super-predator -- using fear and hysteria to garner support for their ill- advised bill. A better name for their bill would be the "Gang Fear and Pandering Act". It is one that will neither prevent nor deter gang-related crime.