Tom Hayden - Street Wars: Gangs and the Future of Violence Books

The renowned activist's impassioned look at gangs and youth violence in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York
"How come when the violence goes down, it's because of the police, and when it goes up, it's us?—Salahadeen Betts, gang member, New York City
Though never officially acknowledged, over 25,000 young people have died in America's gang wars since 1980. In cities across America, members of the Crips, Bloods, Mara Salvatrucha, 18th Street, Latin Kings, Blackstone Rangers, and Gangster Disciples are like traumatized war veterans with no way home. Drawn from ten years as an activist and public official working to understand and prevent gang violence in Los Angeles, Street Wars is Tom Hayden's searing indictment of the neo-conservative politics of law and order that dominates current policy and suffocates inner city youth.
Weaving together cutting analysis with numerous first-hand stories from gang leaders, Hayden shows how the prison-industrial complex reinforces gang identity thro