State’s Attorney Glasgow providing gang prevention books free to every school district in Will County
August 28
JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announced this week his office will give away his gang prevention book free to every educator in Will County to help them protect students from street gang influences.
State’s Attorney Glasgow appeared before a gathering of Will County school district superintendents on Thursday morning (Aug. 28, 2008) to encourage them to place orders on behalf of their districts for the free book: “Gangs: Awareness, Prevention, Intervention.”
The state’s attorney developed the 40-page, full-color book last year in cooperation with the Joliet Township High School District’s YESS! Initiative. Funding for the initial printing of the book was provided through a federal Safe Schools, Healthy Students grant awarded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Because response to the book has been overwhelmingly positive, Glasgow printed an additional 10,000 copies of the book this summer with the hope of distributing it to educators, counselors, administrators and school liaison officers in every school district in Will County. To fund the additional printing costs, the state’s attorney used money seized from criminals engaged in narcotics or money laundering. No taxpayer funding was used to print the book.
“This book will serve as a critical educational tool to instruct our educators about street gang activity in their own schools and communities,” Glasgow said. “The book provides information about how gangs operate in Will County and includes detailed descriptions and photographs of the clothes they wear, the hand signals they flash and the graffiti they use to identify their turf. Educators must be alert to signs of gang activity around them if they are to keep their schools safe.”
Gang prevention books have been an important component of Glasgow’s administration for 15 years. The state’s attorney published several black-and-white editions of the book in the 1990s. “Gangs: Awareness, Prevention, Intervention” takes the 1990s books to the next level.
The new gang prevention book is an eye-catching, full-color book that will appeal to parents and teachers. All of the information is presented in short, easy-to-read chapters that are illustrated through original art as well as high-quality photographs provided by local police departments. With input from gang experts in local law enforcement, the new prevention book also includes short, real-life stories about gang cases that have been investigated and prosecuted in Will County.
The state’s attorney’s office this week began rolling out the free gang prevention books to more than a dozen Will County school districts.
School administrators can place orders for “Gangs: Awareness, Prevention, Intervention” by calling the state’s attorney’s office at (815) 723-1630.