Explore Christian Bolden's story and research on the trapped cycle of criminal records, employment discrimination, and deportation fueling gang violence and social marginalization.
Episodes (10)
Explore Christian Bolden's prison journey, desistance theory, and education's role amid structural violence in the U.S. prison system. Can change thrive in spaces built for control?
Professor A explores how ZIP codes determine life chances, from redlining roots in San Antonio to gang presence in marginalized neighborhoods. Dive into neighborhood effects theory, policy impacts, and stories showing how geography influences identity, opportunity, and justice.
Explore Christian Bolden's story to understand how poverty, adultification bias, and systemic racism create conditions where gang involvement is a survival strategy, not a choice.
This episode explores the Little Village Gang Violence Reduction Project in Chicago and how a geographic, community-based approach transformed one of the city’s most gang-affected neighborhoods. Through a close look at The Little Village Project, we break down the strategies, teamwork, and real data that show the power of place-centered interventions in reclaiming community space from gangs.
This episode explores the complex dynamics of transnational gangs, tracing their evolution from local street groups to global crime organizations. Ms. A. unpacks how migration, prisons, politics, and recent U.S.-Venezuela tensions feed into the structure and power of these criminal networks, drawing on recent news, research, and real-world cases.
Explore how geography shaped American gangs from 19th-century immigrant neighborhoods to global networks today, with a focused case study on Louisiana's gang landscape.
Professor A examines the digital divide in gangs—Digitalists vs. Traditionalists—and how tech, economic crises, and social media shape modern gang recruitment and territorial control.
Ms. Andrea Hagan explores the spatial theories underlying gang formation, examining how neighborhood characteristics, environments, and social networks influence gang behavior. Through real-world case studies from Chicago, Los Angeles, and beyond, she highlights the critical role geography plays in shaping crime opportunities and pathways to belonging.
In this inaugural episode of "Let's Talk About Gangs & Criminal Networks," Ms. A. explores how geography fundamentally influences the definition, identification, and understanding of gangs. She unpacks the complexities of gang definitions, territorial identity, mobility patterns, and the implications of place-based labeling, setting the stage for critical discussions throughout the course.