CHAPTER 3.5. Gang Violence Suppression [13826. - 13826.7.]

Cal. Penal Code - PEN 3.5.

in effect

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 13826. Section 13826.

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) That violent activity by gangs is a serious and growing problem in the State of California. (b) There is an increasing percentage of school age pupils involved in gang activity. (c) There are many schools that serve a disproportionate number of youth involved in gang activity which are unable to effectively implement programs designed to prevent youth from becoming involved in gang activity. There is no statewide funded educational program developed for this purpose. (d) There is evidence that gang involvement among youth begins at an early age. (e) There is evidence that the parents of gang members lack appropriate parenting skills. (f) There is evidence that drug activity is increasing among youth involved in gang activity. (g) There is evidence that gang members have no contact with positive role models. (h) There is evidence that most gang members lack basic educational skills. In enacting this chapter, the Legislature intends to support increased efforts by district attorneys’ offices to prosecute the perpetrators of gang violence, support increased efforts by local law enforcement agencies to identify, investigate, and apprehend perpetrators of gang violence, support increased efforts by county probation departments to intensively supervise gang members who are on court-ordered probation, support gang violence prevention and intervention efforts by school districts and county offices of education, and support gang violence suppression efforts by community-based organizations.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 13826.1. Section 13826.1.

(a) There is hereby established in the Board of State and Community Corrections, the Gang Violence Suppression Program, a program of financial and technical assistance for district attorneys’ offices, local law enforcement agencies, county probation departments, school districts, county offices of education, or any consortium thereof, and community-based organizations which are primarily engaged in the suppression of gang violence. (b) Funds made available pursuant to this chapter are intended to ensure the highest quality provision of services and to reduce unnecessary duplication. Funds disbursed under this chapter shall not be used by local agencies to supplant other funding for Public Safety Services, as defined in Section 36 of Article XIII of the California Constitution. Funds awarded under this program as local assistance grants shall not be subject to review as specified in Section 10295 of the Public Contract Code.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 13826.2. Section 13826.2.

Gang violence prosecution units receiving funds under this chapter are encouraged to concentrate enhanced prosecution efforts and resources upon cases identified under the suggested criteria set forth in Section 13826.3. Enhanced prosecution efforts may include, but not be limited to: (a) “Vertical” prosecutorial representation, whereby the prosecutor who makes the initial filing or appearance in a gang-related case will perform all subsequent court appearances on that particular case through its conclusion, including the sentencing phase. (b) Assignment of highly qualified investigators and prosecutors to gang-related cases. (c) Significant reduction of caseloads for investigators and prosecutors assigned to gang-related cases. (d) Measures taken in coordination with law enforcement agencies to protect cooperating witnesses from intimidation or retribution at the hands of gang members or associates.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 13826.3. Section 13826.3.

(a) An individual is subject to gang violence prosecution efforts if he or she is under arrest for the commission or the attempted commission of any gang-related violent crime where the individual is (1) a known member of a gang, and (2) has exhibited a prior criminal background. (b) For purposes of this chapter, “gang-related” means that the suspect or victim of the crime is a known member of a gang. (c) For purposes of this chapter, gang violence prosecution includes both criminal prosecutions and proceedings in Juvenile Court in which a petition is filed pursuant to Section 602 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 13826.4. Section 13826.4.

Law enforcement agencies receiving funds under this chapter are encouraged to concentrate enhanced law enforcement efforts and resources upon cases identified under criteria set forth in Section 13826.3. Enhanced law enforcement criteria efforts may include, but not be limited to: (a) The formation of a specialized gang violence unit whose staff shall be composed of the most highly qualified and trained personnel. (b) The efforts of the gang violence unit may include, but not be limited to: (1) Increased efforts to apprehend, prosecute, and convict violent “hard core” target gang members. (2) Increasing the clearance rate of reported crimes which are targeted as gang related. (3) Establishing more positive relations with, and encouraging the support of local citizens, community-based organizations, business representatives, and other criminal agencies. (4) Aiding and assisting other criminal justice and governmental agencies in protecting cooperating witnesses from intimidation or retribution at the hands of gang members and their associates. (c) Law enforcement agencies receiving funds under this program shall maintain a crime analysis capability which provides the following type of information: (1) Identification of active gang members who have exhibited a prior criminal background. (2) Identification of evolving or existing crime patterns that are gang related. (3) Providing investigative leads. (4) Maintaining statistical information pertaining to gang related criminal activity.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 13826.5. Section 13826.5.

County probation departments receiving funding under this chapter shall strictly enforce court-ordered conditions of probation for gang members. (a) County probation departments supported under the Gang Violence Suppression Program may implement the following activities: (1) A Gang Violence Intensive Supervision Unit dealing with gang members may be established. (2) Criteria used to determine which probationer may be assigned to the Gang Violence Intensive Supervision Unit may be approved by the district attorney having a Gang Violence Prosecution Unit described in Section 13826.2. (3) County probation departments are encouraged to inform probationers whose cases are assigned to the intensive supervision unit of what types of behavior are prescribed or forbidden. The counties are encouraged to provide notice in both oral and written form. (4) County probation departments are encouraged to inform probationers whose cases are assigned to the intensive supervision unit, in writing, that all court-ordered conditions of probation will be strictly enforced. (5) County probation departments are encouraged to ensure that deputy probation officers in the intensive supervision unit have reduced probationer caseloads and coordinate their supervision efforts with law enforcement and prosecution personnel. The coordination is encouraged to include informing law enforcement and prosecution personnel of the conditions set for probationers and of the strict enforcement procedures to be implemented. (6) Deputy probation officers in the intensive supervision unit are encouraged to coordinate with the district attorney in ensuring that court-ordered conditions of probation are consistently enforced. (7) Intensive supervision unit deputy probation officers are encouraged to coordinate, whenever feasible, with community-based organizations in seeking to ensure that probationers adhere to their court-ordered conditions. (b) County probation departments may implement the California TEAM (Together Each Achieves More) Sports Camp Program, as described in Article 23.5 (commencing with Section 875) of Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 2 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 13826.6. Section 13826.6.

For purposes of this chapter, a “community-based” organization is defined as a nonprofit operation established to serve gang members, their families, schools, and the community with programs of community supervision and service that maintain community participation in the planning, operation, and evaluation of their programs. “Community-based” organization also includes public park and recreation agencies, public libraries, and public community services departments that provide gang suppression activities, either alone or in cooperation with other public agencies or other community-based organizations. (a) Unless funded pursuant to subdivision (c), community-based organizations supported under the Gang Violence Suppression Program may implement the following activities: (1) Providing information to law enforcement agencies concerning gang related activities in the community. (2) Providing information to school administrators and staff concerning gang related activities in the community. (3) Providing conflict resolution by means of intervention or mediation to prevent and limit gang crisis situations. (4) Increasing witness cooperation through coordination with local law enforcement and prosecutors and by education of the community about the roles of these government agencies and the availability of witness protection services. (b) Community-based organizations funded pursuant to subdivision (a) may also implement the following activities: (1) Maintaining a 24-hour public telephone message center for the receipt of information and to assist individuals seeking services from the organization. (2) Maintaining a “rumor control” public telephone service to provide accurate and reliable information to concerned citizens. (3) Providing technical assistance and training concerning gang related activities to school staff members, law enforcement personnel, and community members, including parental groups. This training and assistance may include coverage of how to prevent and minimize intergang confrontations. (4) Providing recreational activities for gang members or potential gang members. (5) Providing job training and placement services for youth. (6) Referring gang members, as needed, to appropriate agencies for the treatment of health, psychological, and drug-related problems. (7) Administration of the Urban Corps Program pursuant to Section 13826.62. (8) Mobilizing the community to share joint responsibility with local criminal justice personnel to prevent and suppress gang violence. (c) Community-based organizations funded under the Gang Violence Suppression Program for specialized school prevention and intervention activities shall only be required to implement activities in the schools which are designed to discourage students from joining gangs and which offer or encourage students to participate in alternative programs. (d) Community-based organizations funded pursuant to the Gang Violence Suppression Program as of January 1, 1997, shall receive preference over public agencies in any future funding awards.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 13826.7. Section 13826.7.

The Board of State and Community Corrections is encouraged to utilize any federal funds that may become available for purposes of this chapter. This chapter becomes operative only if federal funds are made available for its implementation.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 13826.11. Section 13826.11.

(a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares the following: (1) There is a greater threat to public safety resulting from gang- and drug-related activity in and near California’s inner cities. (2) Young people, especially at-promise youth, are more vulnerable to gang- and drug-related activity during the potentially unsupervised hours between the end of school and the time their parents or guardians return home from work. (3) Without local prevention and treatment efforts, hard drugs will continue to threaten and destroy families and communities in and near the inner cities. Drug-related violence may then escalate dramatically in every community, and thereby burden the criminal justice system to the point that it cannot function effectively. (4) Los Angeles currently leads the nation in the number of gang members and gang sites, the consumption of drugs, the amount of drugs confiscated, drug-related violent crimes, and has the greatest number of young people between 6 and 18 years of age who are “at risk.” (5) It is the intent of the Legislature that a pilot program, the “After School Alternative Program” (ASAP), be established and implemented within a specified Los Angeles community. This community program would utilize the public schools, businesses, and community facilities to provide supportive programs and activities to young people during the time between the end of school and the return home of their parents or guardians (from approximately 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.).

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 13826.15. Section 13826.15.

(a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that the implementation of the Gang Violence Suppression Program, as provided in this chapter, has made a positive impact in the battle against crimes committed by gang members in California. (b) The Legislature further finds and declares that the program, when it was originally created in 1981, provided financial and technical assistance only for district attorneys’ offices. Since that time, however, the provisions of the program have been amended by the Legislature to enable additional public entities and community-based organizations to participate in the program.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 13826.62. Section 13826.62.

(a) There is hereby established in the Office of Emergency Services the Urban Corps Program. The Urban Corps Program is established as an optional activity under Section 13826.6. Community-based organizations receiving grants to participate in the Urban Corps Program may implement the following activities: (1) Identification of publicly and privately administered programs in the county dealing with the suppression or prevention of criminal gang activities, or both. (2) Maintenance of a listing of programs within the county identified as dealing with the suppression or prevention of criminal gang activities, or both. (3) Surveying gang suppression and prevention organizations for the types of services and activities each is engaged in, and identifying needs among these organizations for resources to provide services and fulfill their activities. (4) Recruitment of volunteers, identification of their skills, abilities, and interests, and matching volunteers with the resource needs of gang prevention and suppression organizations. (5) Establishment of an urban respite program for the purpose of preventing self-destructive activities and diverting (A) identified youth gang members, and (B) youths who are at risk of becoming gang members, for the purposes of reducing or eliminating incentives for those youths to participate in gang-related crime activities. (b) The Urban Corps Program shall operate within the Office of Emergency Services for two years following the establishment of a contract with a community-based organization to administer the program. (c) This section shall be implemented to the extent that funds are available to the Office of Emergency Services for this purpose.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 13826.65. Section 13826.65.

School districts, county offices of education, or any consortium thereof, receiving funding under this chapter shall develop or adopt and implement a gang violence prevention curriculum, provide gang violence prevention and intervention services for school-aged children, and shall be encouraged to do all of the following: (a) Establish a local steering committee comprised of representatives of each local program funded under this chapter, corporations, small businesses, and other appropriate local, county, and community organization knowledgeable in the area of youth gang violence. (b) Develop and distribute information concerning parent education and parenting classes, including methods whereby parents may recognize youth gang involvement. (c) Identify and utilize the resources of appropriate community-based organizations involved in the coordination of after school activities for school-aged youth. (d) Establish contact between positive role models and youth involved in gang activity through adopt-a-youth programs and similar programs. (e) Incorporate into gang prevention activities references to the relationship between drug abuse and gang violence. (f) Develop partnerships between schools and businesses for the purpose of enhancing pupil achievement through such methods as tutorial services, field trips, role modeling, and other supportive services. (g) Develop methods of assuring followup services for children receiving the initial gang violence prevention and intervention services.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026