Youth Violence Focus of Conference

CONFERENCE FOCUSES ON YOUTH VIOLENCE

     COLUMBUS -- Drive-by shootings and drugs are a fact of life 
in many neighborhoods as communities see an increase in gangs, 
threat groups and youth violence.  Ripples from this tidal wave 
of violence are felt in schools, by law enforcement, the criminal 
justice system and the prison system.

     "We have kids sleeping in bathtubs because they're afraid 
of being killed in a drive-by shooting," said C.Ronald Huff, 
director of the Criminal Justice Research Center and the School 
of Public Policy and Management at The Ohio State University.

     Huff has organized a two-day conference to examine the many 
aspects of youth violence.  Gangs, Threat Groups and Youth 
Violence will be held Oct. 30-31 at the University Ramada Inn, 
3110 Olentangy River Road.  Through the conference Huff hopes to 
improve coordination across the many groups that deal with youth 
violence and to increase community awareness of the problem.

     Huff has done considerable field research on youth gangs and 
is editor of Gangs in America and The Gang Intervention Handbook. 
He has interviewed gang members in Columbus and Cleveland as well 
as Colorado and Florida.  He will speak on results of his 
research on criminal behavior of gangs and at-risk youth.  The 
agenda includes:

Oct.30
9:00 a.m. -- Welcome, Michael Lee, director, Office of Criminal 
Justice Services, State of Ohio.

9:10-10:30 a.m. -- Gangs, Threat Groups and Youth Violence, Ron 
Huff, Ohio State University.

10:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m. -- Law Enforcement Strategies. Kent Shafer, 
commander of Strategic Response Bureau and threat group 
coordinator for the Columbus Division of Police, will speak on 
gangs, threat groups, and law enforcement/community 
collaboration.

1:15-2:45 p.m. -- Prosecutorial Strategies. U.S. District Judge 
Edmund Sargus, former U.S. Attorney, will discuss prosecution of 
gang related crime, specifically the Short North Posse in 
Columbus.

3:00-4:30 p.m. -- Strategies for Correctional Institutions.
Matthew Meyer, threat group coordinator, Ohio Department of 
Rehabilitation and Correction, will speak on prison gangs and 
other threat groups.

Oct. 31
8:30-10:00 a.m. -- Strategies for Schools.  Kenneth Trump, 
assistant director, Tri-City Task Force, and a school safety and 
security expert, will speak on what schools can do about gangs, 
drugs and youth violence.

10:15-11:45 a.m. -- Strategies for Communities. Michael Walker 
and Linda Schmidt, Partnership for a Safer Cleveland, will speak 
on outreach, networking and responses to gangs and youth 
violence.  

12:45-2:45 p.m. --  Breakout Sessions and Development of Action 
Plans.  Each speaker with the exception of Ron Huff will lead a 
discussion.

     The conference is supported by the Ohio Office of Criminal 
Justice Services.

     Reporters are welcome to attend any of the sessions.

                             #

Contact: Ron Huff, School of Public Policy and Management, 
Criminal Justice Research Center, 292-4544.


[Submitted by: Von Reid-Vargas (ereid@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu)
               
Mon, 21 Oct 1996 09:16:11 -0400]
All documents are the responsibility of their originator.