Criminal Street Gangs (S 2644)

A bill from the Attorney General’s office has again been introduced and heard this year that would set enhanced and mandatory sentences for “criminal street gang” activity.  Each year the bill is met with strong opposition from the ACLU and the Providence Youth Student Movement (PrYSM) because of its disproportionate impact on youth of color, and because the broadly defined “criminal street gang” is so all-encompassing that it would easily include non-gang members. Though it has been introduced several years in a row, the bill has never passed out of committee.