Photograph By: Bryan Schlosser, Leader-Post Files

Mark Totten, who works on anti-gang initiatives across the country, says there are several issues — witnessing violence at an early age, growing up in poverty, sexual abuse, cognitive disorders such as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder — that can lead to gang involvement and understanding those is the key to prevention.

Photograph by: Bryan Schlosser, Leader-Post files

REGINA — More money needs to be directed to gang prevention and intervention within the Canadian justice system says a prominent gang expert.

"We spend almost all the money in this country and in Saskatchewan in terms of gang-involved people on corrections and policing and suppression," said Mark Totten, who works on anti-gang initiatives across the country.

"Although we need that, we spend pennies on prevention and intervention. Things will never get better until we can increase prevention, intervention and education. I just don't see that on the horizon.

"We're trying to move a mountain here and it's going to take everyone to do that."

Totten is in Regina this week to speak at the Western Canada Gang Conference, which begins today.

Totten, who will give the keynote speech during a public forum on Friday, said there are several issues — witnessing violence at an early age, growing up in poverty, sexual abuse, cognitive disorders such as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder — that can lead to gang involvement and understanding those is the key to prevention.

But, he said, keeping young people away from gangs or helping them get out cannot be taken lightly.

Totten said 10 per cent of gang members in Saskatchewan spent at least part of their childhoods in the youth justice or child welfare systems and some he spoke to were not exposed to gang activity until then. Others were forced into gangs as a means to protect themselves while in custody.

Totten also pointed to the loss of life around young aboriginal people as a force driving people into gangs.

"(Gangs members are able to) rhyme off a long list of people close to them who have committed suicide, who have been murdered, who have died in accidental situations ... " said the Ottawa-based Totten. "Many young Aboriginals grow up believing, 'What's the point of anything? Everybody around me has died really young. If I end up in prison or dead or if I kill somebody ... ' It's not that it's acceptable, but it's so common that it seems to be an accepted way the world works from the perspective of a young aboriginal person."

He pointed to two Saskatchewan programs — the Regina Anti-Gang Services (RAGS) and the Warrior Spirit Walking Gang program in Prince Albert — as leaders in Canada for their work in prevention and intervention.

"(RAGS) is having tremendous success in helping gang-involved people exiting out of gangs and the Prince Albert project is having success getting kids out of gangs and preventing kids from becoming gang-involved on the front end," said Totten. "Things are looking very, very promising."

More such programs are needed, said Totten, as Saskatchewan's aboriginal population is expected to double in the next five to 10 years and most gang members in the province are aboriginal.

"If we try to incarcerate our way out of this, what are we going to do, just build more jail cells?" Totten said. "That's not an effective response and it's way too expensive to do that."