Since the initiation of this project, the law enforcement component combines the resources of federal, state, and local law enforcement throughout the 222 Corridor. In addition to original partners, the partnership has expanded and now includes representatives from the Middle District of Pennsylvania, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office, five federal agencies, the Pennsylvania State Police, six district attorneys, and seven mayors and their police chiefs. In addition, a 222 Corridor Coordinating Committee brings together representatives of each of these agencies each month to evaluate, and disseminate, intelligence information about gangs and gang members and to provide strategies to prosecute them.
Under the leadership of the mayors of Easton, Bethlehem, Allentown, Reading, and Lancaster in the Eastern District and the mayor of York in the Middle District, a separate anti-gang prevention task force has been established in each of their cities. These task forces are utilizing their existing local resources, supplemented by this initiative’s $1,000,000 in prevention funding, to enhance existing efforts to prevent gang activity among youths and young adults through the combined forces of government, community and faith-based organizations. Prevention Coordinator Jim Tice meets with each of the task forces regularly to monitor their programs, to provide resources and technical assistance where needed, and to share successful programs implemented by other task forces. Quarterly, representatives of each task force meet to discuss their progress. Each of the six cities has run or will be running a series of anti-gang community awareness meetings to outline the specific city problem, describe prevention task force efforts and to provide practical strategies for community involvement and individual participation.
Reentry activity is underway in each of the four counties in the Eastern District – Northampton, Lehigh, Berks, and Lancaster – focusing primarily on inmates returning from the each of the four country prisons. Overseeing this effort is Reentry Coordinator Maureen Barden. A unique structure has been implemented to provide effective organization and oversight of the prisoners returning to society. Two case managers are at work, one handling the reentry effort in the eastern half of the region in Northampton and Lehigh Counties; and the other in Berks and Lancaster Counties. As of June 30, 2007, there were 24 people (17 males and 7 females) in the program: Northampton - 7; Lehigh - 5; Berks - 11; Lancaster -1. Of these, nine individuals are still in county jails; 7 are females.
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History of 222 Corridor Anti-Gang Initiative
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In the Spring of 2006, the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania applied for a U.S. Department of Justice $2.5 million grant to attack gang violence along the 222 Corridor in Southeastern Pennsylvania. In June of 2006, the USAO learned that it had been named as one of six ("super-six”) sites to receive anti-gang funding. The 222 Corridor Super Six-Site grant has sparked the most comprehensive anti-gang effort in the history of this region.
Since it was awarded, more than 100 public officials and community leaders in the Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania have participated in an unprecedented collaboration in each of the three areas of focus: law enforcement, prevention, and re-entry. Through the intensive early planning, the partners in the 222 Corridor Initiative have developed a plan, which is expected to produce a substantial reduction in gang crime, gang violence, and gang membership and to provide positive alternatives for former gang members returning to society.
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