V. Gang-Involved Offenders

A gang is a group of individuals who associate with one another for the purpose of committing criminal acts. Gang members are commonly bonded by race or territory, but also by an overall need for belonging. Gangs provide a sense of "family" and allow offenders to feel that they are an integral part of a group. In addition, there are gangs of offenders who are drawn together by their crime, such as drug dealers, who are bonded together mainly by their desire to make money. The threat posed by these groups in many metropolitan areas as well as small towns alike is difficult to ignore.