Sometimes presented as the only solution, using police, prisons and punishment to deal with gangs is ineffective.

The U.S.-based Justice Policy Institute makes this argument in a recent report, Gang Wars: The Failure of Enforcement Tactics and the Need for Effective Public Safety Strategies.

The Justice Policy Institute is a research organization that advocates for alternatives to incarceration. Nastassia Walsh, a researcher with the Institute, talks with Stark Raven about the report and the issue of gangs.