Gangs in My Little Town? Three Teens Find Out the Truth

Gang activity is not limited to the big city's mean streets. In fact, gangs are found in every state in America, but because smaller cities and rural areas aren't well-equipped to cope with the problem, recruitment and activity can be all the more successful. Three teenagers--a white male, a black male, and a white female--were given video cameras and asked to investigate gang activity in the unlikely state of Vermont. Their straightforward prison interviews with ex-gangsters comprise the heart of the program: these incarcerated young men, barely in their twenties, talk about how gangs promise respect and love but instead manipulate, endanger, and sometimes cause the deaths of members. Because the "gangsta" lifestyle is so often glorified by music and movies, it is important that kids, especially less "at-risk" groups who think they're safe from that influence, be aware of the truth about gangs (even your clothing choices can hurt you). Although the production values are sometimes sketchy (odd framing, bad audio), it's forgivable considering that it was made by non-professional, barely experienced teens, and this approach may well be more effective than listening to adults, especially law-enforcement people, lecture and warn. Recommended. Aud: J, H, P. (E. Gieschen)