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"Youth gang involvement is an epidemic among First Nations. It is ruining the lives, health and well-being of our children across the province."
These strong words, spoken by Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) Vice-Chief Lawrence Joseph, demonstrate how seriously the organization is taking the issue of youth gang activity.
On Aug. 20, the FSIN released the Alter-Natives to Non-Violence Report, the first step in its efforts to deal with the problem. The report gives the findings of a year-long study into Aboriginal gang activity, which included community consultations in Saskatoon, Prince Albert, North Battleford, Fort Qu'Appelle, Regina and Yorkton. More than 400 people took part in these consultations, providing report authors Sam Badger and Cal Albright with insights from law enforcement, First Nations government, community agencies, youth and gang members themselves.
From this process came a number of conclusions, all of which helped in developing the report's recommendations for future action. For example, the consultations revealed that young people are initially attracted to gangs for a variety of reasons-they offer surrogate families, they allow kids to fit in and identify with a peer group, they give protection and they can even provide money
Responding to these findings, the report calls for more gang awareness initiatives that directly involve First Nations youth. It also urges parents, communities and government to better address the underlying social issues of gang involvement, such as family conflict, poverty and the lack of alternate recreation and employment options.
The report cited several problems with the youth justice system, calling existing correctional facilities and institutions "breeding grounds for gang recruitment." The Regina Integrated Intelligence Unit of the RCMP estimates that as many as 20 per cent of the inmates in correctional facilities have gang affiliations, and new youth entering these institutions often face extreme pressures to join.
To block this steady stream of recruits, the report calls for a decrease in the number of beds at youth facilities, an increased reliance on alternate, community-based punishment options, and a more in-depth study of current law enforcement and judicial policies.
Achieving results, according to Albright and Badger, will require a long-term, multi-faceted effort. The FSIN now has a five- year strategic plan in place, which will direct their efforts toward the report's five stated goals: decreasing the number of institutionalized Aboriginal youth; establishing the Alter-Natives Foundation to support crime prevention activities in First Nations communities; developing training, education and awareness initiatives; conducting further research to aid in new policy development; and providing provincial coordination and planning so that all communities can better deal with their local situations.
"What is required is a policy that focuses broadly on the root social problems experienced by youth who join gangs, and that redirects our collective efforts to the causes of the problem and not the symptoms," the report urges.
"Our study clearly indicates that 'gang-busting' or labelling, punishing and incarcerating young people only encourages gang involvement," Joseph said. "We have taken an innovative approach that is based on healing and holistic health."
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