With the caveat that I have little or no practical experience in these matters, here is my opinion on what needs to be done to prevent the recurring cycle of gang violence. It seems to me that being a gang member is a lot like being an addict--they are addicted to a culture (well, subculture, really) rather than a specific substance. Just as an addict needs first detoxification and thereafter complete abstinence from the addictive substance, which will usually entail a radical change of lifestyle, so a "recovering" gang member needs the same. Detox would be to get out of the gang and out of the reach of the gang. Complete abstinence would be to stay out of the gang, out of the reach of the gang, and to abandon all the trappings of the gang lifestyle (including the gangsta rap, clothing fashions, etc.) The radical change of lifestyle would include everything from education or job training to new taste in music (that's where we come in) to tattoo removal to psychological/spiritual counseling. Which brings me to a point best illustrated by (at the risk of returning to silliness) this joke: How many psychologists does it take to change a light bulb? Just one, but the light bulb has to really want to change.

Jon W.