| This policy analysis examines California's Proposition 21, the Gang Violence and Juvenile Crime Prevention Act passed by voters in 2000. This law increases the severity of sentences for juvenile offenders at younger ages by easing the process by which their cases can be transferred to adult criminal court, as well as expanding the surveillance and punishment of alleged gang members. The thesis employs a policy analysis framework to explore the development, passage, and implementation of the policy, and its corresponding impact on juvenile offenders, crime rates, and society as a whole. This policy analysis demonstrates that the result of Proposition 21 has been fewer rehabilitative programs and resources available for youth, higher rates of recidivism after release from adult facilities, and a disproportionate impact on youth of racial and ethnic minorities. Implications for social work practice, policy, and education are discussed. |
