مجلة المفكر
Volume 21, Numéro 1, Pages 54-75
2026-06-10
Neighborhood Gangs In Algeria Under The Legal Approach: The Legislative Framework And Deterrence Mechanisms Between Effectiveness And Challenges.
Authors : Atmani Fatima .
Abstract
Abstract: Over the past decade, Algeria has witnessed a dramatic escalation in the phenomenon of neighborhood gangs, a form of organized urban criminality threatening public security and social cohesion. Emerging primarily in the context of large-scale urban relocation programs toward newly constructed residential complexes lacking adequate security infrastructure, this phenomenon has entrenched itself as a persistent social pathology across Algeria's major cities. In response to the inadequacy of pre-existing criminal legislation, the Algerian legislator enacted Order No. 20-03 of August 30, 2020, on the Prevention and Combat of Neighborhood Gangs, confirmed by Law No. 20-12 of October 22, 2020. This article undertakes a comprehensive critical analysis of the Order, examining its definitional framework, preventive institutional architecture, victim protection mechanisms, procedural innovations, and graduated penal sanctions system. Adopting a descriptive-analytical legal methodology supplemented by comparative reference to French and Canadian experiences, the study finds that while Order 20-03 constitutes a structurally coherent legislative instrument, its deterrent value remains constrained by the failure to operationalize its preventive mechanisms and the persistence of socioeconomic root causes.
Keywords
neighborhood gangs, ; Algeria, ; Order 20-03 ; penal deterrence ; urban security ; gang prevention
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