The Gang Denunciation and Gang Renunciation Form (GDGRF)


by


George W. Knox, Ph.D.

NGCRC

 

Copyright 2011, National Gang Crime Research Center.

 

Background

              The Gang Denunciation and Gang Renunciation Form (GDGRF) was designed for use with persons exposed to the risk of gang membership who sincerely want and desire to abandon gang life and all it represents.

 

Types of Uses

              The GDGRF is designed for a host of categories such as the following:

              (1) adults or juveniles on probation or parole need to complete the GDGRF to reduce the probability of recidivism if they have ever been gang affiliated,

              (2) juveniles in special educational programs designed to target “at-risk youth” or children who are starting to develop gang ties can benefit from completing the GDGRF particularly in conjunction with family counseling,

              (3) juveniles in K-12 schools who may experience gang contamination when a parent, sibling, other relative or significant other is a gang influence will benefit from the GDGRF if used in conjunction with school counseling,

              (4) whereas gang fights and gang conflicts and gang threats (sometimes involving the issue of workplace violence or threat of violence) can erupt in the work place setting, employers have found the GDGRF useful in dealing with employees who have been accused, whether true or false, of being gang members or displaying gang behavior that is inappropriate to the work place or place of business, using this form as an alternative to firing decisions may help restore the employee to a positive role in the workplace,

              (5) the GDGRF is ideal for parents who are trying to reclaim their children from the grip of gang membership in conjunction with psychological counseling or similar professional social service help and intervention,

              (6) the GDGRF is highly recommended for every publicly funded program providing services to the offender and ex-offender populations, juvenile and adult, as the factor of gang membership mitigates against rehabilitation efforts that may be implied in said services (e.g., re-entry services, job placement, training, etc),

              (7) any person working in a drug treatment program, gang prevention program, gang intervention program, gang outreach program, at any level of prevention (primary, secondary, or tertiary prevention levels) should probably complete the GDGRF as a part of their personnel package to ensure the integrity of the program staff are not allowed, by default, to maintain their gang affiliations, as it is generally recognized that “ex-gang member” needs a form like the GDGRF to ensure by testimony and self-proclamation that they are genuinely “former gang members”.

              (8) The GDGRF can be used on persons in short or long term correctional custody and is ideal for jail or prison inmates or confined juveniles as a way to achieve a cessation of gang activity through contract programming.

              (9) The GDGRF is also ideal for persons who are in private or public in-patient treatment programs who are undergoing treatment or intervention counseling for multiple diagnostic issues (e.g., gangs, drugs, etc); it is also highly recommended for use in conjunction with clients receiving gang tattoo removal services.

              (10) The GDGRF should be used in any context where you have a person, male or female, juvenile or adult, in custody or at-large, who is at risk of knowingly associating with street gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs, prison gangs, hate and extremist groups, etc.

              Clergy members, social workers, psychologists, and all others in the helping profession may find situations where it is useful to use the GDGRF. Research has shown that when persons sign a “contract” like the GDGRF there is a kind of symbolic declaration, a publication of will and purpose, that impacts on human identity in a positive way.

Usage Instructions

              In most applications, the GDGRF simply has two copies of the form signed, one goes to the person signing the form, and the other to the supervising authority (agency, program, hospital, psychologist, officer, employer, etc). Sometimes it is useful to provide one to the client’s parent(s) or other designated significant others (family members, guardian, caregiver, etc).

 

Past Conduct Not Admitted, Future Conduct Promised

              The GDGRF is not an admission of prior criminality, wrongdoing, or subcultural deviance (e.g., it is possible to join a gang and never get arrested for anything at a juvenile or adult level). Rather, the GDGRF form focuses on promises of future behavior to steadfastly avoid gang life and all the “risks” that stem from routine contact with gangs and gang members.

              In short, the GDGRF is like a “promissory note” to avoid gang members and the negative things that can happen from hanging out with gangs.

              The GDGRF obviously can be used very effectively in cooperation with debriefing initiatives. It works well with witness and testimony agreements for persons who are assisting in the prosecution of gang crime. Debriefing and helping the government suppress gangs is good for a complete identity transition from gang-associate or gang-member to becoming “gang-free” or a “recovering gang-impacted person”. Sometimes the dosage of intervention requires only the GDGRF itself, it is an agreement, a contract with a significant other or official, and it is the equivalent of contractual programming for a “gang-free future”. It focuses on future conduct, not past conduct.


The Gang Denunciation and Gang Renunciation Form (GDGRF)

                                                                                                                                                          

              Whereas, gangs are criminal and violent forces in society, I do hereby solemnly promise by affixing my signature in front of a witness to henceforth and for the entire duration of my life to have no intentional association with gangs or gang members; and I recognize that “gangs” means any street gang, drug gang, prison gang, or group of three or more persons who are recurrently involved in crime; and I recognize that hate/extremist groups are also included in what is meant in this declaration as a “gang” (e.g., the KKK is a gang, outlaw 1% biker clubs are a gang, party crews that violate drug laws are a gang, etc).

              I will carefully avoid gang life, by which I mean I will not intentionally want to hang out with or associate with gang members or persons involved in the gang lifestyle.

              I will not conduct any personal business of any kind with gangs or gang members.

              I hereby declare my intent to completely avoid the influence of gangs and gang members for the rest of my natural life.

              I will accept no new close personal friends and associates who are members of gangs or extremist groups. I will begin immediately to distance myself from any existing close personal friends and associates who might be members of gangs or extremist groups. If I discover someone I am friendly with is a member of a gang or extremist group, then I will cease and desist from further efforts to have ongoing contact with such a person.

              I will not knowingly associate with persons who are gang members, indeed even if I am accidentally put in contact in a random way with persons involved in the gang life I will find some way to quickly extract myself from the social situation to minimize my risk of being drawn into the negative influences of gang life.

              In my mind I will endeavor to develop 1,001 ways of saying “NO” to gang members and gang life, I will always be ready to say “NO, I am not interested in becoming involved directly or indirectly with gangs or gang members”, I will find creative and non-risky ways of saying “NO” when asked to get involved in gang activities, gang events, gang parties, gang meetings/reunions, and any gang relationships whatsoever.

              From this day onward and for the rest of my natural life, I will not use gang slang; I will not wear gang clothing; I will not “represent gang affiliation”, I will not display gang colors or gang symbols, I will not utter gang threats or put-downs against rival gangs, I will not visit gang websites on the Internet, I will not leave “gang messages” on Internet blogs where gang members may communicate on the internet, I will neither attack nor approve of gang members in writing on the Internet where it is easy to leave messages about other gangs and gang members.

               I will not watch gang movies or listen to gang-related music.

              I will not visit a gang-dominated or gang-owned business, club house, home, apartment, or location where gangs and gang members can be expected to be found.

              I will change my preferences for goods and services if I encounter gangs or gang members in my daily, regular routine activities; if I see a former gang associate at the park, I will find a new park to visit; if I see a gang member I knew from the gang life at a local health club, I will find a new health club to attend; if I see former gang friends at a restaurant, I will find a different place to eat. I will avoid any possible contact with gangs or gang members.

              I will not provide loyalty, support, help or assistance of any kind to my former gang or gang friends/associates, or to gangs or gang members generally. I will provide no material support and no emotional support to anyone caught up in the gang life, including former or current gang friends/associates, or to gangs or gang members generally, or members of hate/extremist groups generally.

              If I am ever asked to do something illegal or illicit by a gang or gang member or extremist group, while I am at my place of employment, I will immediately report it to___(example, “My Supervisor”, “My Probation Officer”, etc)_________________ or to the local police having jurisdiction over the potential crime if it happens outside of the work environment.

              I have no loyalty to any “gang nation” or extremist organization, I have loyalty only to my true nation, the United States of America. I may also have legitimate loyalty to God, my country, my family, and my employer.

 

 

              Standing and placing my right hand over my heart, in witness whereof, I now read out aloud, as respectfully as I can, all of the words of the Pledge of Allegiance as I face the Flag:

              I pledge allegiance to the flag,

              of the United States of America,

              And to the Republic for which it stands,

              One nation, under God, indivisible,

              With Liberty and Justice for all.

 

CLIENT:

 

Print your name:_______________________________________________

 

Sign your name:________________________________________________

 

Today’s Date:__________________________________________________

 

WITNESS:

 

Witnessed by:__________________________________________________

 

Today’s Date:__________________________________________________

 

 

A copy of this goes to the client, who should be congratulated for being, by self-proclamation, “gang-free”.


Copyright 2011, National Gang Crime Research Center.