Thirteen formerly incarcerated people were set to graduate Saturday from a Loyola Law School program designed to prepare them to testify in court as independent forensic gang experts.
The graduates completed the Independent Forensic Gang Expert College at LMU Loyola Law School, where participants with past gang involvement undergo training in California gang law, rules of evidence and courtroom procedure, according to program officials.
The certification allows them to serve as expert witnesses in cases involving California’s gang enhancement law, which can significantly increase prison sentences for defendants accused of acting in association with a criminal street gang.
Program leaders said the effort is intended to bring firsthand perspective into courtrooms and challenge traditional approaches to gang-related prosecutions.
“This work is about moving the needle — challenging deeply held assumptions about youth gang involvement and who is seen as an expert in our courts,” Sean Kennedy, executive director of the Center for Juvenile Law & Policy, said in a statement. “Our graduates, and the families who stand beside them, are a testament to what is possible when we invest in rehabilitation and education instead of relying on mass incarceration.”
The program, launched in 2021, is led by Loyola’s Center for Juvenile Law & Policy and this year’s class marks its fourth cohort of graduates.
Advocates have increasingly raised concerns about the use of California’s gang enhancement law, saying it can disproportionately affect young people and communities of color. Program officials said the goal is to expand opportunities for rehabilitation while influencing how courts evaluate gang involvement and expert testimony.