David Kennedy

In the following viewpoint, David Kennedy asserts that the criminal justice system can deter gang violence if the appropriate methods are used. According to Kennedy, the traditional approach to deterrence is not especially successful. However, he argues that the Boston Gun Project, a criminal justice program that seeks to deter violent behavior by dealing with gangs directly, has been effective in reducing gang violence. He contends that program succeeds because it establishes clear standards for gang behavior and imposes immediate criminal sanctions on gangs that engage in violence. Kennedy is the director of the Gun Project and is a senior researcher at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What has been “the main engine for creating deterrence,” as...