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Introduction Juvenile crime, particularly gang related crime, has Californians up in arms. In response to increasing gang related crimes, California voters overwhelmingly passed proposition 21 (Juvenile Crime Initiative). Proposition 21 allows courts to try juveniles as young as fourteen in adult court, imposes stiffer penalties for gang related offenses, and increases penalties for serious crimes (Text of Proposition 21, 2000). According to U.S Department of Justice (1994-1996), several states have, or will be, revamping their juvenile justice system to better address juvenile crime issues. In response to increased juvenile crime, particularly violent crime, several states have enacted new programs and laws that place a greater emphasis on public safety, and imposes tougher sentences for violent juvenile crime. In addition to passage of proposition 21, California is recognized as a leader in developing and implementing gang initiatives that pool the resources of state, local, and federal agencies in a combined effort to fight crime. An estimated 150,000 members belong to the various 1,000 gang factions in the Los Angeles area. According to Newton (1992), gang related murders accounted for forty percent of the homicides in