Kristine Diekman is not one to shy away from difficult subjects. Her previous videos have addressed mental illness and mothers on trial for killing their children.

Her current multimedia installation at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido, Museum is based on the experiences of women living with traumatic injuries.

Documentary on gangs What: Screening of “Not Too Early, Never Too Late”/“No Es Muy Temprano, Nunca Es Muy Tarde” When: Noon Monday Where: Clarke Field House, Cal State San Marcos, 333 Twin Oaks Valley Road Cost: Free Information: reyes046@csusm.edu or kdiekman@csusm.edu The DVD will be distributed free to county schools and agencies such as the Boys & Girls Clubs and YMCA. To obtain a copy, contact Kathy Valdez at (760) 643-2892 or Anthony Ceja at aceja@sdcoe.net.

Her latest work, a video on gang prevention, will be screened for the first time on Monday at Cal State San Marcos, where Diekman teaches video and new media art.

Diekman began working on the video about a year ago at the request of Vista sheriff's officials. Working with a crew of six and with the help of several agencies in the area, she set out to document the stories of current and former gang members, their families and the complex set of circumstances that snare young people into gangs.

The result is the thought-provoking “Not Too Early, Never Too Late,” a 25-minute video geared toward helping parents prevent and put an end to their children's gang involvement.

As Diekman's camera rolled, she found her subjects forthcoming.

“They were willing to tell their stories,” Diekman said. “It was a way for them to give back to the community. Their experiences are cautionary tales that would be very helpful.”

Among those who appear in the film is a young man on the cusp of separating himself from a gang and former gang members. The common threads that run through their lives are poverty, broken families, and mothers and fathers too busy making ends meet to stay connected with their children.

A young woman talks about growing up in a family steeped in gang culture. Another talks about losing connection with busy parents. They discuss the feelings of power and belonging that gangs hold for youngsters.

Terri Perez, deputy district attorney, and Lt. Joe Young of the Oceanside Police Department offer their insights. Diekman also talked to a mother who lost her son to gang violence and another who is incarcerated.

“The mothers were very interested in talking,” Diekman said. “I think it was therapeutic to them.”

The video is packaged with another program on gangs by Anthony Ceja, coordinator of student support services at the San Diego County Office of Education.

In “Gangs: Awareness and Prevention,” Ceja talks about the signs of gang involvement such as writing on binders, hand signals and clothing. He urges parents to be on the alert and pay close attention to how their children are spending their time.

“Many parents are in denial or unaware of their children's involvement,” Ceja said. “This provides viewers a look at the serious issues, they hear it from other parents and law enforcement.”

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