[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 3, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21852-21934]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-10333]
[[Page 21851]]
_______________________________________________________________________
Part II
Department of Justice
_______________________________________________________________________
Office of Justice Programs Fiscal Year 1995 Program Plans; Notice
Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 85 / Wednesday, May 3, 1995 / Notices
[[Page 21852]]
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Office of Justice Programs
[OJP NO. 1048]
ZRIN 1121-ZA11
Office of Justice Programs Fiscal Year 1995 Program Plans
AGENCY: Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs.
ACTION: Notice of program plans.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DATES: See specific Program Plan.
ADDRESSES: All questions concerning these Program Plans should be
addressed to the appropriate Bureau or Office at 633 Indiana Avenue,
NW., Washington, DC 20531.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carol Winfield of the Department of
Justice Response Center at 1-800-421-6770.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Preface
OJP Bureaus' Fiscal Year 1995 Program Plans
The increasing crime rate, particularly escalating violent crime by
juvenile offenders, continues to be a major concern of the American
public. No community is untouched. Law enforcement and criminal justice
agencies around the country are faced with new and increasing
challenges as they respond to crime.
The Fiscal Year 1995 Program Plans for the United States Department
of Justice, Office of Justice Programs (OJP) Bureaus--the National
Institute of Justice, the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Office of
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the Office for Victims
of Crime--reflect an effort to address these problems aggressively.
Their simultaneous publication in the Federal Register reflects an
emphasis on collaborative relationships among the Bureaus and a strong
commitment to working in partnership with communities across the
country in addressing the problem of crime.
These plans not only reflect a renewed commitment to coordination
among the OJP Bureaus, but also demonstrate a recognition that the only
way in which we can hope to have an impact on the country's crime
problems is by reaching out to public agencies at all levels of
government, as well as a broad range of community and private groups.
In developing their Program Plans, the Bureaus solicited input from
State and local criminal justice agencies, constituent and community
groups, law enforcement, prosecutors, courts, corrections agencies, and
victim service providers, as well as other Department of Justice
components and other Federal agencies. Thus, in addition to embracing
existing Administration and Department of Justice initiatives--reducing
violent crime, developing comprehensive community-based approaches to
crime and violence, focusing on youth crime and firearms, actively
involving citizens in prevention efforts, and meeting the needs of
crime victims--the Fiscal Year 1995 OJP Program Plans also reflect
needs expressed by the field.
The Program Plans encourage applicants to forge partnerships along
new frontiers, often reaching beyond criminal justice boundaries to
find solutions. By approaching crime and violence in a comprehensive
fashion--bringing all the players in the system together--applicants
are encouraged to improve the effectiveness of their services, reduce
wasteful duplication, and identify new and innovative approaches to
tough problems.
For example, OJP Bureaus are working together on several
initiatives, such as Project PACT (Pulling America's Communities
Together), the Comprehensive Communities Program (CCP), and the new
Safe Futures Program, that fund communities to mobilize their law
enforcement and justice system resources together with a coalition of
government agencies and private sector resources. Working in
partnership with the community, key officials and community leaders
develop broad-based, coordinated strategies to reduce the high rates of
drug abuse and related crime and violence in their neighborhoods.
Project PACT, CCP, and Safe Futures are examples of programs that
empower communities to impact crime and violence, particularly youth
violence, through comprehensive planning, and improved
intergovernmental relationships.
Another recurrent theme in the OJP Program Plans is the Federal
government's role in providing leadership and guidance on crime
control, prevention and victims issues by developing and testing new
approaches and determining ``what works.'' As model programs are tested
and developed through research, evaluation, and demonstration grants,
information on effective programs and practices is disseminated widely
to State and local criminal justice and social service agencies. Local
communities should not have to ``road test'' new ideas without solid
knowledge about what has been tried before in other jurisdictions, what
has worked, and what has not. The Program Plans also provide
information on the availability of training and technical assistance to
assist States and local jurisdictions interested in implementing ``best
practices.''
Important priorities identified in the 1994 Crime Act--particularly
with regard to violence against women, the illegal possession and use
of firearms, and comprehensive, innovative prevention and early
intervention strategies aimed at high risk youth--are also reflected in
the Program Plans.
Another key goal for OJP was to make it easier for States and local
communities to access OJP services, programs, and information. As a
result, we have set up a new inter-department, Internet-based
clearinghouse called PAVNET. PAVNET will provide information on
promising programs, available funding, and technical assistance. We
have also set up the Department of Justice Response Center to answer
questions concerning program availability and funding.
The Program Plans that follow, describe in greater detail OJP's
funding goals and priorities for this Fiscal Year. For more information
about the application process, as well as about Crime Act programs, you
can call the DOJ Response Center at 1-800-421-6770.
* * * * *
As we move ahead with our initiatives for Fiscal Year 1995, the
Office of Justice Programs is committed to working in close partnership
with communities at the State and local level. Only by working together
can we hope to have an impact on the enormous problems of crime and
violence confronting our nation today.
Laurie Robinson,
Assistant Attorney General Office of Justice Programs.
Bureau of Justice Assistance
Fiscal Year 1995 Program Plan
I am pleased to announce the Bureau of Justice Assistance's (BJA)
Discretionary Program Plan for FY 1995. BJA assists States and local
jurisdictions through the Edward Byrne Memorial State and Local Law
Enforcement Assistance Program. Through the Byrne Discretionary Grant
Program, BJA provides leadership and guidance on crime and violence
prevention and control and criminal justice system improvement at the
State and local levels. BJA also develops and tests new approaches in
criminal justice and crime control, and encourages replication of
effective programs and practices by State and local agencies.
[[Page 21853]]
This year, BJA's plan focuses primarily on national scope
demonstration programs. These programs support two goals: to assist
States and local units of government to reduce and prevent crime,
violence, and drug abuse and to improve the criminal justice system. To
meet these goals BJA will work with communities to develop
comprehensive strategies and expansive, problem-solving partnerships.
Special emphasis is placed on anti-violence initiatives, particularly
those dedicated to reducing the availability of illegal firearms and
providing young people with alternatives to gangs and criminal
involvement. Additionally, BJA will continue to work in partnership
with State and local law enforcement, as well as the United States
Attorneys; improve the adjudication process; assist States with
alleviating prison overcrowding by fostering corrections options
programs; and focus resources on both evaluation of promising programs
and dissemination of information about these programs to the field.
BJA's Program Plan for FY 1995 includes a $50 million appropriation
for general programs and a $12 million appropriation for Corrections
Options Programs. It describes planned activities for the Regional
Information Sharing Program (RISS) and the National White Collar Crime
Center. Joint efforts planned with other Federal agencies are also
described.
Obviously, our dollars are limited. Consistent with the
Administration's policies and in an effort to get the most for each
dollar spent, I am committed to making BJA's Discretionary Grant
Program as competitive as possible and to maximizing the impact of
these limited competitive dollars through a wide array of programs
directed toward urban communities, rural areas, and Native American
communities. For this reason, in FY 1995 BJA will:
Give preference to applicants who leverage BJA dollars
through partnerships among organizations bringing a commitment of other
resources to the table (such as Empowerment Zones/Enterprise
Communities);
Notify all grantees that continuation funding in future
years is not guaranteed but, rather, will be based on performance and
other relevant factors;
Institute the practice of awarding a declining BJA share
of funding for second and subsequent years where continuation funding
is provided;
Complete the process of developing, in consultation with
the National Institute of Justice, a strategy for obtaining early
evaluative information on particularly promising programs for early
dissemination to our constituents;
Promote activities complementing the initiatives being
implemented through the Crime Act; and
Continue to maximize OJP resources by working in
partnership with the National Institute of Justice, the Office for
Victims of Crime, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention, and other components of the Justice Department.
These initiatives, coupled with focused goals and objectives, will
build stronger partnerships at all levels. I envision these
partnerships to be a continuum of relationships encompassing all
components of the criminal justice system.
Goals
The FY 1995 Program Plan addresses BJA's two goals: To help State
and local units of government (1) reduce and prevent crime and violence
and (2) improve the functioning of the criminal justice system.
Enhanced coordination and cooperation of Federal, State and local
efforts facilitate the achievement of these goals. The objectives for
each of the goals are outlined below. The programs developed to address
the objectives are described in the plan.
Reduce and Prevent Crime and Violence
Encourage the development and implementation of comprehensive
strategies, in coordination with human service providers, to reduce and
prevent crime and violence.
Encourage the active participation of community organizations and
citizens in crime- and violence-prevention efforts.
Provide national scope training and technical assistance to support
local crime-, drug use-, and violence-prevention efforts.
Provide young people with legitimate opportunities and activities
which serve as alternatives to crime and involvement with gangs.
Reduce the availability of illegal weapons and develop programs to
address violence in our communities, homes, schools, and workplaces.
Improve the Functioning of the Criminal Justice System
Enhance the ability of law enforcement agencies to reduce crime,
drug trafficking and sales, and violence.
Improve the effectiveness and efficiency of all aspects of the
adjudication process.
Assist States in freeing prison space for serious and violent
offenders through the design, development, and implementation of
effective correctional options for nonviolent offenders.
Enhance the ability of State and local agencies, in conjunction
with the Immigration and Naturalization Service, to apprehend and
deport criminal aliens.
Evaluate the effectiveness of funded programs, disseminate results,
and enhance the ability of criminal justice agencies to use new
information technologies.
How Priorities Were Established
Priorities for the FY 1995 Discretionary Grant Program reflect a
balance of congressional mandates, Administration priorities, and needs
expressed by State and local criminal justice practitioners. The goals
are defined by the authorizing legislation for the Edward Byrne
Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance Program. Priorities
for a number of specific programs to address those goals are mandated
by Congress through the earmarking of the appropriation.
BJA's priorities also reflect Administration and Department of
Justice priorities, especially those related to reducing violent crime,
the need to develop comprehensive approaches to crime and violence, the
focus on youth, and the need for active citizen participation in
prevention efforts.
During the planning process, BJA solicited input on priorities from
national organizations which represent State and local governments,
criminal justice agencies, and community groups. Input was also
requested from the State agencies which administer the Byrne Formula
Grant Program as well as from U.S. Attorneys. A number of programs that
address current issues were incorporated into the plan in response to
this valuable input.
Types of Programs
BJA is authorized by Congress to make awards to public and private
agencies and organizations for national scope and multi-State programs,
demonstration programs, training, and technical assistance to assist
States and local jurisdictions. National scope programs provide a
service or product of benefit throughout the country or across multiple
States or address issues that are of concern nationally. Demonstration
programs are used to develop, test, evaluate, and document new programs
and practices. Training is developed and provided to State and local
criminal justice practitioners and others to provide them with state-
of-the-art information on effective programs and practices. Technical
assistance is [[Page 21854]] provided to sites participating in
demonstration programs or is available to help an individual
jurisdiction implement a program or practice or address a specific
issue.
Competitive and Noncompetitive Grants
Each section of this Program Plan is divided into programs that
will be awarded on a competitive basis and those that are
noncompetitive. Whenever possible, BJA encourages broad participation
in the grants process by public and private agencies and organizations
at the State and local levels and makes awards on a competitive basis.
Each year, BJA also makes noncompetitive awards. There are a number
of factors that limit the number of competitive programs:
Congressional Earmarks--Each year Congress directs BJA to
award a portion of the appropriated funds for specified programs and/or
organizations. In FY 1995, over $23 million of the $50 million
appropriated for general discretionary programs were earmarked for
specific programs. BJA was also directed to review other programs (soft
earmarks) for possible funding.
Continuation and Implementation Grants--Many of BJA's
programs require several years of funding to accomplish their goals.
For example, training efforts require several years of funding to
develop the curriculum and to reach the intended audience.
Demonstration sites, which are generally selected competitively the
first year, require 2-3 years of funding to develop fully, implement,
and evaluate the program. In addition, BJA has funded several planning
efforts with implementation funding provided in subsequent years.
Limited Competition--Limited competition is used when a
limited number of jurisdictions or organizations meet the requirements
of the program. These jurisdictions or organizations are then invited
to compete for an award. A limited competition saves jurisdictions or
organizations that will not qualify the time and expense of preparing
an application. It also allows BJA to concentrate technical assistance
and training on this limited pool of applicants.
Sole Source Selection--In some cases, there is only one
organization or agency that has the capability, expertise, or
constituents to administer a program that BJA wants to implement. For
example, an association that represents a constituency which BJA wants
to reach with technical assistance or training may be the best
organization to implement the program. In other cases, BJA may make an
award on a non-competitive basis to an agency that has developed an
innovative program and has the expertise to implement it.
In FY 1995, BJA has modified applicant requirements and review
criteria to facilitate stronger partnerships with grantee agencies and
to maximize the impact of limited competitive dollars. These include:
Preference will be given to applicants who leverage BJA
dollars through partnerships among organizations bringing a commitment
of other resources to the table;
All grantees are on notice that continuation funding in
future years is not guaranteed but, rather, will be based on
performance and other relevant factors; and
As appropriate, BJA will provide a declining share of
total funding for second and subsequent years where continuation
funding is provided after FY 1995.
Application Process
A Program Announcement and Application Kit, which will be available
in late April, will serve as a request for proposals. It will contain
detailed descriptions of competitive programs and complete forms and
instructions for developing an application.
Competitive Programs--The Program Announcement and Application Kit
will describe for each competitive program: the purpose of the program,
background, goals, objectives, program design, eligibility
requirements, selection criteria, award period, award amount and due
date. Applications for competitive programs are due by June 30, 1995. A
panel of experts will be established for each competitive program area
to review and rank the applications. Funding decisions are made by the
Director of BJA.
Non-Competitive Programs--BJA staff will contact applicants for
noncompetitive programs to discuss application requirements and due
dates.
The Department of Justice Response Center staff are available to
respond to questions and provide technical assistance to applicants and
other interested parties. The Response Center number is (800) 421-6770.
Goal I: Reduce and Prevent Crime and Violence
Comprehensive Communities Program
Encourage the Development and Implementation of Comprehensive
Strategies To Reduce and Prevent Crime and Violence
The Comprehensive Communities Program (CCP) reflects the
Administration's priority of reducing crime and violence by initiating
comprehensive planning and improving intergovernmental relationships.
It requires selected jurisdictions to engage in a comprehensive
planning and strategy development process for crime and violence
control and prevention. It requires law enforcement and other
governmental agencies to work in partnership with communities to
address crime problems, as well as the factors that increase the risk
that individuals will become involved in problem behavior.
In FY 1994, 16 jurisdictions faced with high rates of crime and
violence were selected to participate in CCP. The four Pulling
America's Communities Together (Project PACT) sites were included in
this group. Each jurisdiction was provided with planning funds to
develop a strategy that demonstrates a jurisdictionwide commitment to
community policing, coordination among public and private agencies
(including, social services, public health, etc.), and an active role
by the community in problem solving.
BJA made funding available for a number of program components to
assist with implementation of the strategy. These components are
designed to implement specific models that BJA has already developed
and found to be effective or models the agency wants to test. These
components also allow for the development of new models, which, if
successful, can be replicated by other jurisdictions. The program
components are described below. Each strategy was required to include
community policing and community mobilization/prevention initiatives.
Six sites received awards from the FY 1994 allocation. The remaining 10
sites received awards in FY 1995.
Jurisdictionwide Community Policing
Jurisdictionwide Community Policing, a mandatory program component,
forms the core of the Comprehensive Communities Program. It requires
the applicant to implement a jurisdiction-wide model of community
policing using a framework developed by a consortium of national law
enforcement organizations working with BJA. Funding for this component,
in the amount of $9,990,000 was provided by the COPS Office.
Community Mobilization/Prevention--$969,718
Community mobilization, also a mandatory component, focuses on
implementation of strategies to promote the acceptance and practice of
community policing, rehabilitate crime-ravaged neighborhoods, and
empower [[Page 21855]] communities by strengthening relationships among
citizens, law enforcement, and other public and private service
providers.
Nonviolent Dispute Resolution
The Non-Violent Dispute Resolution component is a joint effort of
BJA and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
(OJJDP) to test a variety of strategies to train teenagers
constructively to manage anger, resolve conflict without the use of
firearms or violence, learn the importance of mutual respect, and be
responsible for their actions. Funding, in the amount of $300,000 is
being provided by OJJDP.
Boys & Girls Clubs Demonstration
The goal of this component is to establish or expand Boys and Girls
Clubs in public housing and other at-risk communities through the Boys
and Girls Clubs of America. This program will be supported under an
earmark to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America described in the section
on Youth and Gangs.
Comprehensive Gang Initiative
The Comprehensive Gang Initiative requires sites to implement a
model comprehensive approach to gang issues that carefully balances
initiatives for prevention, intervention, and suppression. Funding for
this component, in the amount of $799,345, is being provided by OJJDP.
Community Prosecution--$969,719
This program component encourages local prosecutors to be more
responsive to the needs of their communities by bringing the prosecutor
and the community together as partners to maintain public safety.
Community-Based Alternatives to Incarceration--$1,350,000
This program component encourages local communities to develop
community-based alternatives to incarceration that hold offenders
accountable while keeping them in the community where they can
participate in job training and/or work, substance abuse treatment,
restitution or community service, and other services needed to make
them productive citizens.
Continued Comprehensive Planning--$400,000
Four of the sites that participated in the Comprehensive
Communities Program planning process in FY 1994 will be provided with
additional time and resources to refine their comprehensive strategies.
Implementation Funding--$1,600,004
Funds are being set aside to assist the four sites still engaged in
planning with implementation of their strategies.
Training and Technical Assistance--$300,000
Training and technical assistance will be provided to the
Comprehensive Communities Program sites to assist them with the
planning process and the effective implementation of their strategies.
Community-Based Programs
Encourage the Active Participation of Community Organizations and
Citizens in Crime- and Violence-Prevention Efforts
Crime and violence are only symptoms of broader problems which
plague our communities. Crime cannot be stopped by law enforcement
without the active participation of the community and other public and
private agencies. It cannot be eradicated unless we address the causes
which surround our children with violence, crime, and despair.
BJA plans to expand and enhance community mobilization efforts by
assisting local communities and law enforcement agencies actively to
engage residents and community groups in taking back their
neighborhoods. One neighborhood at a time, these partnerships will seek
to rid communities of drug dealers, gangs, and other criminals.
Operation Weed and Seed will be continued and expanded in FY 1995.
This comprehensive, multiagency approach is helping 36 communities
address both public safety and neighborhood revitalization issues. BJA
will also continue to fund several community mobilization/action
programs that encourage citizens to work with the police, government,
community organizations, and the private sector to explore new and
innovative approaches to preventing crime, youth handgun violence, and
drug abuse.
In FY 1995, BJA will also address the Attorney General's commitment
to focus resources on problems faced by many American Indian tribes by
establishing Federal/tribal partnerships with several tribes for the
purpose of developing tribal strategies against violence. Violence in
public housing will also be addressed by assisting local communities
develop comprehensive approaches to crime and violence in public
housing. Both of these planning processes will be documented to serve
as guides for other communities.
To address the rights and needs of the victims of crime, which are
important components of all of the community-based programs, BJA and
the Office for Victims of Crime will jointly fund a number of programs
to assist the victims of crime and to increase the criminal justice
system's responsiveness to the rights and needs of victims.
Competitive
Communities in Action to Prevent Drug Abuse--$400,000
The Bureau of Justice Assistance in cooperation with the Employment
and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, will continue a
unique demonstration program at the grassroots-level. The National
Training and Information (NTIC) and up to ten of its affiliated
neighborhood-based organizations will implement a program to reduce
crime and violence and to help residents access services of local job
training and employment systems. Key program elements are: building
and/or enhancing local planning teams and partnerships made up of
public officials, law enforcement, representatives of private industry
councils and other groups that focus on providing job training and
related services, other service providers, businesses, churches,
schools, community organizations, youth, and other residents; the
development of short-, intermediate-, and long-term strategies;
community policing; prevention education; and, the development of
training opportunities for job placement.
Non-Competitive
Tribal Strategies Against Violence--$300,000
This program is a Federal/tribal partnership initiative designed to
galvanize Native American communities in up to five sites to develop
strategies to reduce the incidence of family violence, child abuse, and
juvenile delinquency as well as to foster community participation and
support in the implementation of the strategies.
Community Drug Abuse Prevention Initiatives--$500,000
The National Crime Prevention Council will continue to provide
cost-effective technical assistance and training to reduce crime,
violence, and the demand for drugs, with a focus on acceptance of
community policing, rehabilitating crime-ravaged neighborhoods, and
community empowerment. [[Page 21856]]
National Neighborhood Mobilization Program to Prevent Crime--$50,000
This program will provide continuation funding for a grassroots
organization in Philadelphia to support community policing through the
implementation of comprehensive, innovative, anti-crime, anti-firearm,
and anti-drug strategies.
Victim Services as a Component of the Criminal Justice System $450,000
This project will provide training and technical assistance to
criminal justice agencies to encourage them to be more responsive to
the needs and concerns of victims and to incorporate victim services
into criminal justice functions.
Operation Weed and Seed--Demonstration and Technical Assistance--
$10,000,000
Operation Weed and Seed is a community-based, comprehensive,
multiagency approach designed to ``weed'' out crime and gang activity
from target neighborhoods and then ``seed'' them with a wide range of
human services that provide opportunities for citizens to live, work,
and raise families in a stable environment. The 36 existing
demonstration sites will receive awards to continue activities and/or
expand into new target neighborhoods. Five sites will also receive
funding to participate in the National Performance Review Lab, focused
on neighborhood revitalization strategies. An array of technical
assistance and training services will be available to the demonstration
sites. Weed and Seed is a joint effort between BJA and the Executive
Office for Weed and Seed. The Executive Office will contribute
approximately $13 million to the program, in addition to the BJA funds.
Community Crime and Drug Abuse Prevention and Education Initiatives
Provide National Scope Training and Technical Assistance To Support
Local Crime-, Drug Use-, and Violence-Prevention Efforts
This program area implements national-level programs which provide
training and technical assistance to local communities to support their
prevention activities. For example, local programs may make use of, and
localize, nationally and professionally developed print and television
crime prevention messages through the National Citizens' Crime
Prevention Campaign. Use of the McGruff the Crime Dog logo, which is
recognized and respected by over 97 percent of school age children,
provides local programs with instant credibility. Similarly,
participation in National Night Out serves as a rallying point for
citizen participation in local efforts. Both of these programs provide
communities with technical assistance and crime prevention materials
that can be used locally.
In FY 1995, BJA will continue to support the five Drug Abuse
Resistance Education (DARE) Training Centers. These centers prepare
State and local law enforcement officers to teach the DARE program in
local schools. These Centers have been critical in facilitating the
expansion of this very popular program and ensuring that both large and
small jurisdictions from across the country have access to the
training. Program funds are also used to develop enhancements to the
DARE program, such as the mentoring program, the DARE parent program,
and DARE training for junior and senior high school students.
The TRIAD Program, initiated in FY 1994, will be continued in FY
1995. This program focuses specifically on reducing the incidence and
impact of crime and violence on the elderly. TRIAD, conducted jointly
by the National Sheriffs' Association, the International Association of
Chiefs of Police, the American Association of Retired Persons, the
Office for Victims of Crime, and BJA will provide technical assistance
and will develop training and materials at the national level for
dissemination to local jurisdictions throughout the country.
Non-Competitive
National Citizens' Crime Prevention Campaign--$3,000,000
The National Citizens' Crime Prevention Campaign, best known for
McGruff the Crime Dog and the TAKE A BITE OUT OF CRIME slogan, will
continue to rally national, State and local crime and violence
prevention efforts through the development and implementation of timely
and effective crime-, violence-, and drug-prevention materials,
publications, technical assistance, training, and programming.
Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE)--$1,750,000
BJA will continue to support the DARE Regional Training Centers
which train law enforcement officers to teach the DARE program to
students from elementary through high school to help them learn how to
resist drug use, gangs, and violent behavior; build self-esteem; and
prevent abduction.
The National Association of Town Watch: Crime- and Drug-Prevention
Campaign--$200,000
Commonly known as ``National Night Out'', this year-long program
provides information, materials, and technical assistance for the
development of effective police/community partnerships to reduce crime,
violence, and substance abuse.
TRIAD--$200,000
TRIAD, a program developed by the National Sheriffs' Association,
the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the American
Association of Retired Persons, strives to reduce the adverse impact of
crime and violence on the elderly and promote a better quality of life
through volunteerism and the provision of prevention services to their
peers. Additional funding of $50,000 will be provided by the Office for
Victims of Crime.
Youth and Gangs Programs
Provide Young People With Legitimate Opportunities and Activities Which
Serve as Alternatives to Crime and Involvement With Gangs
Research has identified certain risk factors which contribute to
substance abuse, delinquency, and violence among adolescents as well as
protective factors which promote positive behavior. BJA's youth and
gang programs are designed to address a number of risk factors related
to: attitudes and norms favorable to problem behaviors, friends who
engage in problem behavior, lack of commitment to school, and parental
attitudes and involvement. The programs help to balance the risk
factors in high-risk communities by establishing or strengthening
protective factors which counter or provide buffers against the risk
factors. These programs are designed to establish or strengthen
protective factors which address the relationships between youth and
their social environment.
Most of the programs are joint efforts between BJA and the Office
of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). Several include
participation by private foundations. All of the programs bring
together various service agencies and community organizations to assist
and provide opportunities for at-risk youth.
Competitive
Pathways to Success--$200,000
The Pathways to Success program, funded jointly by BJA, OJJDP, and
the National Endowment for the Arts, is designed to encourage young
people to explore a wide range of career and life
[[Page 21857]] options. The program will promote arts education,
recreation, job skills training, and business entrepreneurial programs
for after-school and weekend hours at the community level. This program
will fund up to five applications at up to $40,000 under OJJDP's Safe
Futures Program and up to five competitive sites at up to $50,000 each
for the first year of a 2-year project.
Interested applicants will need to demonstrate that collaboration
has taken place with existing arts, education, business and community
groups, and youth-serving agencies in the development of its program,
including, where appropriate, collaboration with existing after school
and weekend youth programs. The Pathways to Success program is designed
to serve at-risk youth from 6 to 18 years of age, but a project need
not cover the full age range. Each applicant will be expected to define
a lasting outcome, i.e. a product that benefits the community, or to
provide an ongoing program that will continue to provide community-
based services beyond the end of the funding cycle. OJJDP will also
contribute $200,000 to and will administer the Pathways to Success
Program.
Non-Competitive
Truancy Reduction Training and Technical Assistance--$200,000
BJA will collaborate with the OJJDP to address the needs of
truants, dropouts, children afraid to go to school, children who have
been suspended or expelled, as well as children in the juvenile justice
system. Program activities include regional hearings, training and
technical assistance, and related support services for communities
interested in comprehensively addressing the needs of these youth.
OJJDP will also contribute $200,000 to and will administer the program.
Boys & Girls Clubs Demonstration--$4,350,000
BJA will provide resources to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America
to promote the establishment of Boys and Girls Clubs in public housing
and other at-risk communities.
Children At-Risk Program--$1,150,000
This program tests a variety of intervention strategies for
preventing and controlling illegal drugs, gun use, and related crime
and for fostering healthy development among young people from drug- and
crime-ridden neighborhoods. In FY 1995, an impact evaluation, technical
assistance with emphasis on community policing, and existing
demonstration sites will be continued. This program is joint venture
between BJA, OJJDP, and the Center for Addiction and Substance Abuse,
with additional funding provided by several foundations. OJJDP will
contribute $350,000 to the program.
Comprehensive Gang Initiative--$150,000
Under the Comprehensive Gang Initiative, BJA developed a model
comprehensive approach to gang issues that carefully balances
initiatives for prevention, intervention, and suppression. In FY 1995,
BJA will provide continuation funding for the four currently funded
projects and provide technical assistance to help other jurisdictions
experiencing emerging gang problems. OJJDP will contribute $600,000 to
this joint BJA/OJJDP effort.
Violence Reduction
Reduce the Availability of Illegal Weapons and Develop Programs to
Address Violence in Our Communities, Homes, Schools, and Workplaces
Efforts to reduce and prevent violence continue to be high
priorities in FY 1995. BJA's efforts will include the continuation and
expansion of programs to reduce the availability of illegal firearms,
prevent homicides, and reduce violence in our communities.
In FY 1993 and 1994, BJA began to address the increase in gun
violence and homicides through the initiation of a Firearms Licensee
Compliance Program, the establishment of a Firearms Investigative Task
Force Program, the creation of a Homicide Task Force, and other
initiatives. These programs will be expanded and built upon in
coordination with the U.S. Attorneys' Anti-Violence and Youth Handguns
Initiatives to assist State and local criminal justice agencies and
communities control and prevent street violence.
BJA will also continue its focus on domestic and relational
violence. According to the Surgeon General, the number one public
health risk to adult women in the United States is violence. For women
ages 15-44, violence is the leading cause of injuries. The nature and
prevalence of this problem has been dramatized by recent news events.
BJA developed a new initiative in FY 1993 to address violence against
women, including spouse abuse, child abuse, elder abuse, sexual
assault, and stalking. This initiative promotes a systems approach
which emphasizes criminal prosecution with comprehensive case follow-
through. This demonstration program will be evaluated and documented
this year to provide guidance to the States as they implement the
Violence Against Women Block Grant Program created by the Violent Crime
Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994.
New initiatives will be implemented to address the growing problem
of violence in the workplace and to create a National Major Gang Task
Force to track and respond to the growing interaction between street
and prison gangs. BJA will also participate in a public/private
partnership against violence in America which is a joint effort among
private and corporate foundations and several Federal agencies to help
local communities address violence.
Competitive
Homicide Investigation Enhancement Program--$300,000
The purpose of this program is to develop a model(s) to assist
jurisdictions faced with high and increasing rates of homicides by
increasing their capacity and ability to investigate homicides. One or
two demonstration sites will implement this model(s) and its various
procedures and policies as appropriate to their situation. The
development of the model(s) will be based on the Homicide Investigation
Enhancement Program at the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD),
District of Columbia. This program, funded in FY 1994, assisted the MPD
in restructuring its Homicide unit and its operations. In addition,
ways to utilize the resources and expertise of the Federal law
enforcement agencies, like the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the
U.S. Marshal's Service, will be explored. The Police Executive Research
Forum will develop this model(s) and provide technical assistance to
the demonstration sites.
Firearms Trafficking Program--$1,000,000
The purpose of the BJA Firearms Trafficking Program, working in
cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, is
to demonstrate effective strategies to reduce the level of violent
crime by controlling the illegal trafficking of firearms. The goals of
the program are to: (1) Reduce the number of Federal firearms licensees
and ensure that those who do obtain licenses have a legitimate reason
for doing so, and (2) reduce the level of firearms-related violent
crime in the demonstration sites. Applicants may address either of the
two program goals set forth for this program or develop a strategy
which combines both of the [[Page 21858]] program goals in a
comprehensive approach to reducing firearms-related violence. Three or
four demonstration sites will be funded.
Non-Competitive
Firearms Trafficking Program--$1,750,000
The Firearms Trafficking Program is designed to assist State and
local governments reduce incidents of violence by reducing the
availability of and the illegal trafficking in firearms. This program
contains several components which BJA has found to be effective or
promising in reducing the availability of firearms.
The Firearms Licensee Compliance Program enhances the
ability of State or local law enforcement agencies to conduct more
complete and comprehensive background investigations on applicants for
new or renewed Federal Firearms Licenses.
The Firearms Investigative Task Force Program is designed
to identify, target, investigate, and prosecute individuals and
dismantle organizations involved in the unlawful use, sale, or
acquisition of firearms in violation of the Federal and/or State
firearms laws.
Interstate Firearms Trafficking Program supports a
cooperative effort among the Governors of 14 States, the District of
Columbia, and the ATF to address the increase in violent crime
committed with firearms obtained through interstate trafficking of
guns.
Innovative Firearms Program assists State or local
jurisdictions in developing and implementing innovative new or enhanced
projects designed to control illicit firearms trafficking. In addition,
BJA, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP),
ATF, and U.S. Attorneys will work together to develop a State or local
project to implement the new Youth Handgun Safety Act. OJJDP will
contribute $250,000.
Public/Private Partnership Against Violence in America--$1,000,000
A Funding Collaborative, comprised of private and corporate
foundations, the Department of Justice, and other Federal agencies, has
been established to address violence in America, particularly violence
affecting children and youth. Local sites will be selected to
participate in this program on a competitive basis by the Funding
Collaborative.
Arson and Explosives--Investigation and Prosecution Training for
Prosecutors--$50,000
This program supports national training for State and local
prosecutors in the investigation and prosecution of arson and bombings
by addressing the personal and economic losses caused by incendiary and
suspicious fires. The U.S. Fire Administration will also contribute
$50,000 to this program.
Prison Gang Tracking System--$450,000
This program will support a National Major Gang Task Force designed
to provide a coordinated law enforcement and corrections response to
the growing interaction between street and prison gangs.
Firearms Legislation Program--$125,000
The purpose of this project is to develop a body of general
information about key provisions of States' firearms codes. The Office
for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention contributed $52,500 to
this program.
Violence Against Women Demonstration Program--$400,000
This program is designed to demonstrate and assess a systems
approach to violence against women including spouse abuse, child abuse,
sexual assault, and stalking, which coordinates criminal prosecution
with comprehensive case follow-through of court orders, monitoring and
enforcement services, and protection for victims. This program will
provide continuation funding for three existing sites.
Violence Against Women Program--Training and Technical Assistance--
$150,000
A consortium, established between BJA, the American Prosecutors
Research Institute, and the National Council of Juvenile and Family
Court Judges, will assist the demonstration sites described above in
addressing the critical issues related to violence against women.
Goal II: Improve The Functioning Of The Criminal Justice System
Comprehensive Law Enforcement Initiatives
Enhance the Capacity of Law Enforcement Agencies To Disrupt Crime, Drug
Trafficking and Sales, and Violence
The Comprehensive Law Enforcement Initiatives are designed to
develop and test new programs and practices that enhance the
effectiveness of State and local law enforcement agencies in making our
communities safe from serious and violent criminals. In addition to
continuing several drug task force and financial investigation
demonstration programs in FY 1995, BJA will fund an Anti-Car Theft
Demonstration Program; a Major Crime Problem Solving Unit; and Gang
Organized Crime Narcotics and Violence Enforcement Task Forces. Under
these programs, new approaches to major crime and gang problems will be
developed, implemented, documented, and made available to other
jurisdictions.
Training and technical assistance related to Organized Crime
Narcotics (OCN) Enforcement, Financial Investigations, and Clandestine
Laboratory Investigation and Interdiction, which have been in great
demand by local agencies, will be continued. Training currently under
development through a BJA grant to the National Organization of Black
Law Enforcement Executives will be initiated in FY 1995 to enhance the
ability of law enforcement officers to draw on social and economic
support systems available in their community to assist minority
families.
BJA will also continue the National Law Enforcement Policy Center,
which provides a national resource for local agencies to use in
establishing and enhancing their policies and procedures. The Center
focuses on new and difficult issues facing local law enforcement
agencies. It is a valuable resource to many small- and medium-sized
departments that do not have the resources or expertise to conduct
research.
Competitive
Auto-theft Deterrence, Investigation and Prosecution Program--$200,000
The purpose of the Auto-Theft, Deterrence, Investigation, and
Prosecution Program is to develop, demonstrate, and assess effective
strategies to reduce the incidence of auto theft, carjackings and
trafficking in stolen motor vehicles or motor vehicle parts. It is
designed to: Develop new and innovative strategies to reduce, prevent
and deter motor vehicle theft and violence; develop tactical
coordination and interagency plans between law enforcement agencies and
prosecutors to increase the likelihood of arrest and prosecution for
motor vehicle theft and carjacking; and target repeat offenders. The 25
cities with the highest motor vehicle theft rates per 100,000
population in 1993 and/or the 15 cities with the highest number of
carjackings in 1992 are eligible to apply for one of two awards to be
made. See the Program Announcement and Application Kit for a list of
eligible cities. [[Page 21859]]
Non-Competitive
Anti-Car Theft Program--$300,000
The purpose of this program is to establish a National Stolen Auto
Part Information System to assist law enforcement agencies in tracking
parts from stolen vehicles.
Training and Technical Assistance to Rural Areas--$150,000
This program assists rural areas in the development of approaches
and strategies to address rising rates of crime, drug abuse and
violence through the provision of technical assistance and training
related to such issues as: Prevention, intervention, law enforcement,
prosecution, courts, corrections, and treatment.
Non-Traditional Law Enforcement Responses to Minority Families--
$150,000
The National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, in
partnership with the Jefferson Institute, will continue the development
and implementation of a training program through which law enforcement
officers will be taught how to access a variety of community resources
to address problems facing minority families.
National Law Enforcement Policy Center--$200,000
The National Law Enforcement Policy Center, administered by the
International Association of Chiefs of Police, will continue to develop
and disseminate model policies for use by State and local law
enforcement agencies.
Washington Metropolitan Area Drug Enforcement Task Force--$2,000,000
The Washington, DC, Metropolitan Area Drug Enforcement Task Force
will continue to: (1) Provide a visible law enforcement presence; (2)
disrupt major links between drug suppliers, distributors, and users;
(3) initiate enforcement action against property owners who knowingly
allow their property to be used in the distribution of illicit drugs;
(4) develop comprehensive intelligence systems; and (5) coordinate with
appropriate agencies regarding illegal firearms used by drug
organizations.
Major Crime Problem Solving Unit--$400,000
The North Miami Beach Police Department will expand its innovative
community policing approach to the detective function.
Chicago Building Interdiction Team Efforts--$500,000
This program will continue the Chicago Building Interdiction Team
(BITE), a joint effort of the Chicago and the Chicago Housing Authority
Police Departments, in the Robert Taylor Homes/Gateway Gardens Public
Housing Developments. It is designed to regain control of these
developments from gangs committing violent crime, particularly firearms
crimes, and restore tenant confidence in law enforcement agencies.
Organized Crime Narcotics (OCN) Program--Technical Assistance--$300,000
This program will continue to provide technical assistance to the
OCN projects, that are demonstrating the effectiveness of law
enforcement agencies working together under a shared management concept
to attack multijurisdictional criminal conspiracies involving
narcotics.
Gang OCN Violence Enforcement Program--$500,000
This program is designed to assist local law enforcement and
prosecution agencies in addressing the growing problem of gang-related
violence, with a special focus on drugs and firearms. Two sites will be
selected to gather intelligence and develop investigative and
prosecutorial strategies designed to weaken the structure and
activities of violent gangs.
Statewide Intelligence Sharing (SIS) Program--Demonstration and
Technical Assistance--$850,000
This program will continue to develop, implement, and demonstrate
the efficacy of centrally coordinated statewide narcotics intelligence
sharing, using the OCN approach to system design, management, and
operation. The four SIS projects will be continued in FY 1995.
Financial Investigations (FINVEST)--Demonstration and Technical
Assistance--$900,000
The FINVEST sites will continue to demonstrate the effectiveness of
coordinated multijurisdictional financial investigations and
prosecutions, using the shared management concept and attacking the
profit motive of illegal narcotics trafficking at the State and local
levels.
OCN/FINVEST--Multi-Agency Response Training Project--$650,000
The Multi-Agency Response Training Project will continue to help
State and local agencies address management issues and provide
dedicated training and technical assistance in support of the OCN--New
Directions, Statewide Integrated Resources Model, the Financial
Investigations Demonstration Programs, as well as for other State and
locally funded multi-agency task forces.
Financial Investigation and Money Laundering--Training and Technical
Assistance--$250,000
This program will enable the National Association of Attorneys
General to continue comprehensive program development initiatives,
develop program documentation, and provide training and technical
assistance to State Attorneys General to assist them in conducting
complex financial investigations of and prosecuting illicit drug
enterprises.
Clandestine Laboratory Training and Certification $300,000
The Clandestine Laboratory Model Enforcement Program assists State
and local policymakers and practitioners develop policies, procedures
and programs related to the hazardous chemicals problems associated
with clandestine laboratories. In FY 1995, training and followup
technical assistance will be provided in approximately nine locations
by The Circle, Inc. BJA funding will also enable the Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA) to continue to provide regional safety
certification training to State and local law enforcement officers.
Community-Focused Adjudication
Improve the Effectiveness and Efficiency of All Aspects of the
Adjudication Process
BJA is committed to the development of partnerships among the
various components of the criminal justice system to focus on problem
solving in the adjudication process and in the wider community.
The Community Focused Adjudication programs address a wide variety
of issues facing all of the players in the adjudication process: The
courts, local prosecutors, and defense attorneys. A number of the
programs, such as Tribal Courts, Partnerships for the Improvement of
Adjudication, Technical Assistance to State Courts, and the National
Judicial College, are designed to enhance the capacity of State and
local judges and court systems effectively and efficiently to process
the large numbers of cases and to address the complex issues that are
presented to the courts.
BJA is also committed to assisting State and local courts expand
[[Page 21860]] sentencing or referral options to better meet the needs
of the community, the victim, and the offender. The Drug Court Resource
Center and the Denial of Federal Benefits Program, which will be
continued in FY 1995, help to make such options available to judges.
BJA is also committed to assisting State and local prosecutors
address new and complex issues such as the growing problem of fraud and
abuse by health care providers. As with other components of the
criminal justice system, BJA will continue to support activities which
encourage prosecutors to work more closely with and be more responsive
to the needs of the communities they serve.
Competitive
Adjudication Partnership--$250,000
The purpose of this program is to enhance the State and local
adjudication process by improving practices and partnerships among the
various components of the criminal justice system. Innovative,
coordinated adjudication efforts across component systems will be
identified, documented, and assessed. A symposium will be held to
discuss the barriers to cooperation as well as creative methods of
overcoming those impediments. One award will be made. Two jurisdictions
will receive subawards of $50,000 each to implement model programs.
Improving the Interaction Among State, Tribal, and Federal Courts--
$200,000
In close collaboration with the tribal courts, this program will
improve the interrelations of State, tribal and Federal courts. The
goals of the program are to identify and develop a long-range research,
demonstration, and training agenda to improve tribal, State, and
Federal court relations; provide direct technical assistance to tribal
courts on issues of court organization, personnel management,
facilities, automation, caseflow, evaluation, and criminal justice
records; and enhance the tribal administration of justice by helping
prosecutors, probation officers, and judges develop long term plans and
strategies with the tribal government. One award will be made.
Litigation Project--$100,000
The purpose of this program is to examine the impact of pro se
inmate litigation and to document innovative methods to address the
growing demands on State Attorneys General, Federal (and to a limited
extent, State) courts, and State correctional departments caused by
State prisoners' direct access and appeal to the courts. The program
will identify and develop strategies to assist civil and criminal
justice agencies in dealing with the increase in inmate litigation;
develop and initiate stringent screening procedures to determine which
cases have sufficient merit to proceed in forma pauperis; and produce
more efficient case management systems for managing and disposing of
pro se inmate litigation. A single award will be made to an educational
institution, not-for profit private organization, prosecution agency or
State court.
Health Care Fraud Investigation and Prosecution Demonstration--$600,000
The purpose of this program is to develop a prototype Statewide
Health Care Fraud Prosecution Unit capable of investigating and
prosecuting all types of health care fraud. It will provide support for
the planning, organization and implementation of demonstration health
care fraud prosecution units. The program will assess and document
State Attorney General's leadership role in directing and coordinating
complex health care fraud investigations. Grant awards of up to
$200,000 each will be awarded to up to three State Attorneys General
offices.
Non-Competitive
Health Care Fraud Investigation and Prosecution Training and Technical
Assistance--$250,000
This project will enable the National Association of Attorneys
General to work with the demonstration sites described above to develop
prototype strategies for conducting health care fraud investigations
and prosecutions by State Attorneys General, including health care
consumer fraud, Medicaid fraud, and fraud against traditional insurance
companies and HMOs.
Community Prosecution--$250,000
BJA and NIJ will conduct a joint effort in FY 1995, to assess the
state of the art in community prosecution and develop a program
initiative that will move this important community-based effort to its
next phase of development and implementation. This effort will build on
the American Prosecutors Research Institute's earlier work to define
and document community prosecution.
Model State Drug Enforcement and Treatment Statutes--$200,000
This program will continue the education and promotion of
comprehensive model State drug laws which significantly reduce, with
the goal to eliminate, substance abuse through effective use and
coordination of enforcement, treatment, education, prevention,
community, and corrections resources.
Technical Assistance to State Courts--$150,000
American University will provide technical assistance to State
courts that request help in addressing specific problems related to
such issues as case processing and backlog, family violence and
protective orders, sentencing, and other emerging problems.
Denial of Federal Benefits--$125,000
This program provides an information system for the courts to use
to notify the Federal government about offenders convicted of certain
drug-related offenses that disqualify them from receiving various
Federal benefits, including contracts and grants.
Drug-Related Legal Education for Judges--$100,000
The National Judicial College will provide approximately 175
scholarships to State and local trial court judges to attend training
on subjects identified by the Administration as high priorities, such
as Alcohol and Other Drugs and the Courts; Domestic Violence; Equal
Justice in the Courts; and Effective Sentencing and Probation
Management for Judges and Probation Officers.
DNA Legal Assistance Unit--$150,000
This project will fill the void created when the Federal Bureau of
Investigation discontinues DNA testing and related legal and technical
services for local prosecutors.
Correctional Options, Boot Camps, and Treatment
Assist States in Freeing Prison Space for Serious and Violent Offenders
Through the Design, Development, and Implementation of Effective
Correctional Options for Nonviolent Offenders
The purpose of the Correctional Options Program is to help States
plan, design, develop, implement, and evaluate innovative alternatives
to traditional modes of incarceration for youthful offenders, including
offender education, training, work, skill development, substance abuse
treatment, and transitional release programs.
The program operates under the authority established by Title XVIII
of the Crime Control Act of 1990 and provides grants to both public
agencies and private organizations. The goals of the Correctional
Options Program are to reduce the costs of incarceration, relieve
prison and jail crowding, lower recidivism rates for youthful
offenders, [[Page 21861]] and introduce innovation in correctional
practices.
Congress appropriated $12 million for this program in FY 1995,
which is allocated by Congress among the three program areas described
below. The balance of the allocation for Part I will be awarded under
the Comprehensive Communities Program for Community-based Alternatives
to Incarceration.
Part I--Demonstration Programs--$8,250,000
The purpose of this program is to demonstrate the development and
implementation of correctional options within existing correctional
systems. The term ``correctional option'' includes community-based
incarceration, weekend incarceration, correctional boot camps,
transitional programs and aftercare services, drug courts, day
reporting, structured fines, electronic monitoring, intensive
probation, and other innovative sanctions designed to have the greatest
impact on offenders who can be dealt with more effectively in a
nontraditional correctional environment.
Some sites, funded with demonstration grants in FY 1992 and FY
1993, will receive continuation funding. Up to 10 new sites will be
selected competitively from among the 24 sites funded with planning
grants in FY 1994, to receive Correctional Options Demonstration
Grants.
BJA will also provide $1.5 million to support two demonstration
sites for the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency's (OJJDP)
Accountability Based Community Intervention Program. In addition,
$500,000 has been allocated to support OJJDP's Intensive Aftercare
Program.
From Part I, $1.35 million has been allocated for the development
of community-based alternatives to incarceration under the
Comprehensive Communities Program.
Part II--Training and Technical Assistance--$1,200,000
The purpose of this program is to make grants to private, nonprofit
organizations to provide training and technical assistance to criminal
justice personnel and establish small, innovative demonstration
projects. In FY 1995, the Correctional Options Technical Assistance and
Support Program will continue to provide services to public agencies
that have been awarded Part I grants for demonstration programs and
Part III grants for correctional boot camps. The program will also
implement a nationwide outreach program to jurisdictions seeking to
plan, develop, implement, improve, or expand alternatives to
traditional modes of incarceration.
As described below, the nationwide outreach program will include
the efforts of a number of other nonprofit organizations with
specialized areas of expertise, some of which will not receive new
awards in FY 1995.
Treatment Alternatives for Special Clients (TASC)--The
National Consortium of TASC Programs will provide technical assistance
and training on developing linkages between treatment and criminal
justice.
American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) will
provide technical assistance and training on Intensive Supervision
Programs and mobilizing community involvement and support for
correctional options programs.
The Sentencing Project will provide training and technical
assistance on defense-based sentencing initiatives.
The American Correctional Association will convene a
National Meeting to Promote Correctional Options, support follow-up
regional meetings and training sessions, and provide training and
technical assistance to support the Federal Surplus Property Program.
Productive Work and Employment Preparedness--The
Correctional Industries Association (CIA) will provide technical
assistance and support to the Prison Industries Enhancement and
Certification Program. BJA will also continue to provide technical
assistance and program development to support productive work
opportunities in local jails, through a continuation grant to the Jail
Work and Industries Center.
Structured Sentencing-- The National Council on Crime and
Delinquency will complete a study of structured sentencing practices
and experiences nationwide and will develop a dissemination and
technical assistance initiative.
Telecommunications to Support Correctional Options--The
Community Corrections Improvement Association will develop
informational and training videos, a national satellite teleconference
on correctional options, and other telecommunications products, such as
telephone training conferences, computer bulletin boards, or regional
teleconferences.
Transitional and Aftercare Services--The VERA Institute
will provide technical assistance and support to strengthen
transitional and aftercare services available to youthful offenders
that successfully complete correctional boot camp programs. It will
also support the design of community-based intervention services for
drug dependent offenders.
Prosecutor and Public Defender Training--The Institute for
Law and Justice will continue to work with prosecutors and public
defenders to promote a greater understanding of the issues that
influence the development, implementation, and successful operation of
correctional options.
Part III--Boot Camps--$1,200,000
The purpose of this program is to develop and test the
effectiveness of correctional boot camps as a correctional option.
Sites that received boot camp implementation grants in FY 1992 and FY
1993 will be eligible to receive continuation funding in FY 1995. Funds
will also be available to support boot camp applications developed by
FY 1994 planning grant recipients.
Criminal Aliens Initiatives
Enhance the Ability of State and Local Agencies, in conjunction with
the Immigration and Naturalization Service, To Apprehend and Deport
Criminal Aliens
The number of criminal aliens being arrested and incarcerated is
increasing, adding to the already enormous criminal justice caseload
and to the crowding in our jails and prisons. An estimated 100,000
illegal aliens convicted of felonies reside in our Federal, State, and
local correctional/detention facilities. The identification and
deportation of criminal aliens are high priorities for the Department
of Justice. BJA, in conjunction with the Immigration and Naturalization
Service (INS), will continue to assist State and local law enforcement
and corrections agencies in addressing the problems associated with the
investigation of criminal aliens involved in drug trafficking and other
serious crime as well as the impact of criminal aliens detained in
State correctional systems.
Non-Competitive
Criminal Alien Identification and Intervention--$1,000,000
The Criminal Alien Identification and Intervention Program is
designed to enable the earliest possible identification of aliens
arrested for felony offenses through INS's Law Enforcement Support
Center (LESC). During FY 1995, the six States that have documented the
largest alien populations in their correctional systems will continue
to serve as demonstration sites. Technical assistance will be provided
by the [[Page 21862]] Institute for Intergovernmental Research.
Training in Anti-Drug Activities and Cultural Differences Involving
Illegal Aliens--$125,000
This project will, through a collaborative effort between the
International Association of Chiefs of Police and INS, continue to
present a series of training seminars to local law enforcement officers
that will enable them more effectively to investigate crimes involving
criminal aliens.
Evaluation, System Improvement, and Information Dissemination
Evaluate the Effectiveness of Funded Programs, Disseminate Results, and
Enhance the Ability of Criminal Justice Agencies To Use New Information
Technologies
The primary purpose of the programs in this program area is to
determine ``what works'' in crime control/prevention and criminal
justice system improvement and to disseminate that information to
practitioners throughout the country. BJA will continue to work with
the National Institute of Justice to support the evaluation of BJA-
funded Discretionary and Formula Grant Programs. BJA will also continue
to support the building of an evaluation capacity at the State and
local levels to increase the quality and quantity of programs funded
with formula grant and local resources.
Dissemination of the evaluation results is accomplished through the
BJA Clearinghouse and Response Center, conferences, publications,
technical assistance, and training.
The other important purpose of this program area is to enhance the
capacity of State and local criminal justice agencies to share
intelligence information and to use information system technology.
Non-Competitive
Evaluation--$1,500,000
This program will be implemented by the National Institute of
Justice (NIJ) which will evaluate several BJA funded programs and then
disseminate information to States and local jurisdictions on ``what
works'' against crime and violence. Additionally BJA and NIJ will
convene a national conference on ``Evaluating Violent Crime and Drug
Abuse Initiatives.''
Operational Systems Support Training and Technical Assistance--
$1,000,000
This program will continue to provide training and technical
assistance on criminal justice information management, the use of
microcomputer technology among criminal justice agencies, and the
operational benefits of technology. An award will be made to SEARCH
Group, Inc.--the National Consortium for Justice Information and
Statistics.
Federal/State/Local Partnership Conference--$200,000
This project will enable BJA to hold a conference with State and
local governmental and criminal justice officials to discuss issues
related to crime and violence in America.
Technical Assistance and Training to State and Local Criminal Justice
Agencies--$1,500,000
This program will provide training and technical assistance to
States, local, and Native American Indian jurisdictions in developing
and implementing comprehensive strategies. It also encourages States to
include the programs and strategies developed through BJA's
Discretionary Program in their State violent crime and drug control
strategies developed under the Formula Grant Program.
Peer Review Services--$150,000
Applications submitted to BJA in response to a competitive program
announcement are reviewed by a panel of independent experts who have
experience and expertise in the subject area. A Peer Review Services
contract provides administrative support and pays the expenses of the
reviewers.
Department of Justice Response Center and BJA Clearinghouse--$1,139,000
This program supports the BJA Clearinghouse which serves as an
information and dissemination source for the criminal justice field.
BJA is also responsible for the management of the Department of Justice
Response Center, which provides timely and accurate information on
Department of Justice initiatives.
Report Publication and Dissemination--$200,000
This allocation enables BJA to produce and disseminate information
to the criminal justice field about state-of-the-art programs and
activities to improve the criminal justice system through publications
and other media materials (e.g., brochures, pamphlets, videos, and
updating electronic bulletin boards).
Regional Information Sharing Systems--$14,500,000
The Regional Information Sharing Systems (RISS) program is composed
of six regional projects that share intelligence and coordinate efforts
of State and local law enforcement against criminal networks that
operate in many locations across jurisdictional lines. In FY 1995, all
RISS projects will enhance gang and firearms intelligence, provide
linkages within RISS and outreach linkages to other systems, and assist
the U.S. Attorneys antiviolence initiative.
National White Collar Crime Information Center--$1,400,000
The National White Collar Crime Center takes the lead in multi-
State investigations of white collar crimes including but not limited
to: Investment fraud, telemarketing fraud, securities fraud, boiler
room operations, and advanced fee loans.
Immediate Response to Emerging Problems--$1,500,000
This program will provide BJA the resources to respond quickly to
emerging problems or target ``hot spot'' areas by providing programs,
training, and/or technical assistance to State and local criminal
justice agencies.
Automated Speech Recognition--$200,000
BJA will provide an award to Advanced Solutions Group of South
Carolina to develop automated speech storage and retrieval software and
automated speech recognition for input into database fields, in order
to reduce the time that law enforcement officers devote to preparing
incident reports and to fulfilling other reporting requirements.
State and Local Evaluation Capacity Building Initiative--$1,000,000
Technical assistance and training will be provided by the Justice
Research and Statistics Association to State and local agencies
responsible for implementing, monitoring, evaluating, and developing
reporting mechanisms for violent crime and drug control programs
implemented under the Byrne Formula Grant Program.
Nancy E. Gist,
Director, Bureau of Justice Assistance.
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Final
Comprehensive Program Plan for Fiscal Year 1995 and Notification of the
Availability of the FY 1995 Competitive Discretionary Assistance
Program and Application Kit
Introduction
The Nation's juvenile justice system stands at a crossroads. We are
faced with a disturbing increase in violent [[Page 21863]] crimes
committed by juveniles and an alarming rise in abuse, neglect, and
street violence perpetrated against American youth. In light of this
emerging crisis, we can no longer afford a narrow focus by separate
disciplines to attack this problem. To effectively address the rising
levels of juvenile crime, participants from all community sectors,
public and private, and across specializations, must plan
collaboratively and comprehensively to reduce violence and build safer
and healthier communities. Collectively, we must launch a two-pronged
assault on juvenile delinquency and violence, and their causes.
Prevention and early intervention programs, coupled with a strong focus
on law enforcement and a comprehensive system of graduated sanctions
are crucial to this battle.
The public's fear of youth violence is well founded. Assuming that
juvenile violent crime arrest rates increase annually at the rate they
have in the past decade, juvenile violent crime arrests would more than
double by the year 2010. The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform
Crime Reports for 1992-1993 show that the greatest increase in arrests
of violent offenders involves children under the age of 18. Offenders
under the age of 15 show the greatest increase in offenses involving
the use of weapons. No place is a haven. Our neighborhoods, our schools
and our homes are becoming increasingly violent. In 1992, 1.55 million
violent crimes were committed against juveniles age 12 to 17, a 23.4%
increase since 1987. The increased use of weapons, particularly
firearms, by juveniles has created a climate of fear both for and of
our children.
An increased emphasis on law enforcement and corrections has been
the most common response to rising levels of juvenile violent crime.
Assuredly, our communities have a vital stake in ensuring that serious,
violent and chronic offenders are removed from the street. However,
providing more detention beds and secure commitment facilities and
increasing prosecution of juveniles as adults can only protect our
communities in the short term. Such measures alone cannot put an end to
youth violence. While we need to take immediate steps to protect our
communities today, programs that prevent delinquency and violence
tomorrow are the greatest hope for the future.
We must intensify our efforts to prevent delinquency by seeking
ways to target services to youth and families at risk and to intervene
immediately to hold first time juvenile offenders accountable before
they become serious, violent, or chronic delinquents or graduate to
become adult criminals. Working with our communities, we must integrate
a system of support for families and children that will help them live
in a safe and healthy environment. America's children should awaken
each morning in homes that are free of child abuse and neglect; they
should attend schools that are free of drugs, gangs, and guns; and
after school, they should be able to play in parks that are safe and
return to homes that provide a nurturing and supportive atmosphere.
Much of the public debate about juvenile delinquency centers on at-
risk youth. If we are to provide early and effective intervention to
prevent delinquency, we must begin by more precisely targeting at-risk
children and families, but we should not exclude any child who needs
services.
The road to adulthood has become increasingly hazardous in our
society, and many families have broken apart. We must strengthen and
preserve families. In particular, we must help families provide their
children with the support that young people need to become productive
and law abiding citizens.
If we are serious about combating crime, we must start early to
ensure the healthy development of our children. We know that the early
years of life are highly significant in a child's development. It is
during that period that children learn empathy from caring adults with
whom they have secure attachments and develop a sense of trust derived
from parental responsiveness and loving attention.
Therefore, it is critical to:
Offer parents the tools they need to nurture their children
effectively, through parent training classes and home visitation
programs, including parents of offenders and juvenile offenders who are
teen parents.
Enable children to enter kindergarten ready for school with a
chance to succeed, through programs such as Head Start and HIPPY (Home
Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters).
Keep students in school, where they can acquire the tools to
become self-sufficient through truancy and dropout prevention and
intervention programs.
Give youth a positive alternative to being out on the street
and the violence this encourages through after-school activities and
conflict resolution programs.
Provide youth with positive role models through mentoring
programs.
There are clear correlations between child abuse and neglect and
increased delinquency and violence. A National Institute of Justice
study on the cycle of violence reports that childhood abuse and neglect
increase the likelihood of arrest as a juvenile and as an adult. The
direct connection between violence and child neglect is striking: 12.5
percent of neglected children and 15.8 percent of physically abused
children will be arrested for a violent offense by the age of 25. An
ongoing OJJDP study on the causes and correlates of delinquency found
that adolescents from families in which two or more forms of violence
are present (e.g. child and spouse abuse) are almost twice as likely to
report committing violent offenses as their peers from nonviolent
families.
Thousands of alleged incidents of child abuse and neglect are
reported to authorities every day. These reports must be handled within
systems that are ill-equipped to properly investigate cases, report
adequately to the court, or provide effective protective supervision,
appropriate foster care, or timely permanent placement. As a result,
children may be harmed by the very systems designed to protect them.
The juvenile justice system's inability to properly deal with the
deluge of abuse and neglect cases is devastating families.
In addition to manageable caseloads, child protective service
workers, investigators, police officers, and others responsible for
protecting children need expert training in child development and
investigative techniques. This will enable them to gather the
information needed to make legal determinations while displaying
sensitivity to the child and the family. To effectively manage their
cases, court counselors must have sufficient time to get the critical
details needed to make appropriate recommendations regarding such
matters as placement and future court action. Social workers must have
adequate time to work with families, ensure compliance with court
orders, and, above all, ensure the safety of children. Monitoring a
child's status in foster care and minimizing the trauma of out-of-home
placement is a time consuming responsibility. Judges need the time to
thoughtfully and thoroughly deliberate in order to render informed
decisions that are in the best interests of the child, justice and
society. Finally, necessary resources to meet the treatment needs of
the child and the family must be available in the community.
The juvenile justice system must also be strengthened if we are to
reduce delinquency and juvenile violence. [[Page 21864]] There must be
a full range of graduated sanctions designed to meet the needs of each
juvenile in the juvenile justice system. We have learned that immediate
intervention programs, based on a proper assessment, are a critical
need the first time a juvenile commits an offense. A variety of
innovative early intervention programs for first-time, nonviolent
offenders have been implemented successfully. They include neighborhood
resource teams, informal probation, peer mediation, community service,
victim awareness programs, restitution, day treatment, alternative
education, and outpatient alcohol and drug abuse treatment. These types
of programs need to be replicated across America.
We must ensure that appropriate sanctions are available for more
serious offenders and for offenders who have failed to benefit from the
early interventions described above. Such sanctions include drug
testing, weekend detention, intensive supervision for probationers,
inpatient drug and alcohol abuse treatment, electronic monitoring,
community-based residential programs and boot camps.
Secure facilities are needed for serious, violent, and chronic
offenders who require a structured treatment environment or who
threaten community safety. If a review of the nature of the offense,
the offender's amenability to treatment, and the offender's record
indicate that the juvenile justice system cannot provide appropriate
services and adequately protect the community, the prosecution of such
offenders in the criminal courts is both appropriate and necessary.
Finally, aftercare, or ``community care,'' must be more than an
afterthought. Such services must be an integral aspect of all
dispositions involving residential placement and include the active
involvement of the child's family. It makes little sense to intervene
in a significant way in children's lives only to send those children
back into the same environment without a support system for the family
and child. OJJDP's intensive aftercare program is developing both the
programmatic and policy underpinnings for enhancing our efforts in this
vital area.
Existing research points to the efficacy of a community-wide,
comprehensive, multi-dimensional approach. This approach should include
family support, prevention programs, immediate and intermediate
sanctions, small secure facilities for the most serious offenders, and
sound re-entry and aftercare services. As a result of research and
evaluation, we can now point to a variety of program models proven to
reduce delinquency and control youth violence. In these times of
limited resources, program development should be predicated on this
knowledge and innovative demonstration programs should be evaluated to
measure their impact. Information, technical assistance, and training
on the most promising programs should be provided as quickly and
broadly as possible.
Protecting our communities and protecting our children: this two-
part strategy lies at the heart of OJJDP's leadership of the Nation's
efforts to prevent and combat delinquency and of the programs proposed
in this plan. Community-based, collaborative efforts that involve
comprehensive strategies aimed at reducing delinquency and youth
violence will be critical to our success. Federal departments whose
programs affect youth must work in an interdisciplinary manner,
adopting this approach. With the tools now at hand--including enhanced
community-oriented policing, delinquency prevention and intervention
programs, and new correctional programs and facilities--we have an
opportunity to build prevention and intervention strategies that can be
implemented to reduce juvenile delinquency and violence across America.
OJJDP's Comprehensive Response
The Justice Department has called for an unprecedented national
commitment of public and private resources to reverse the rising trend
of juvenile violence and victimization. OJJDP's Comprehensive Strategy
for Serious, Violent, and Chronic Juvenile Offenders, which outlines
the two principal components of prevention and intervention, is the
centerpiece of this call for action.
The prevention component of the Strategy calls for establishing
community-based planning teams and collaborative efforts between the
juvenile justice system and other service systems, including mental
health, health, child welfare, and education. To be effective,
delinquency prevention programs should be based on a risk-focused
approach in which communities systematically assess their delinquency
problem in relation to known risk factors and implement programs to
counteract them.
A key strategy to counter risk factors for delinquency in young
people's lives is to enhance protective factors that fall into three
basic categories: (1) Individual characteristics (having a resilient
temperament or a positive orientation), (2) bonding (positive
relationships with adult role models), and (3) healthy beliefs and
clear standards.
The intervention component of the Comprehensive Strategy is based
on a model for the treatment and rehabilitation of delinquent offenders
that combines accountability and sanctions with increasingly intensive
treatment and rehabilitation. Families must be integrated into
treatment and rehabilitative efforts at each stage of this continuum.
Aftercare must be a formal component of all residential placements,
actively involving the family and the community in supporting and
reintegrating the juvenile into the community.
The intervention component also calls for a range of graduated
sanctions to provide both immediate interventions and intermediate
sanctions, including extensive use of nonresidential community-based
programs. Many serious, violent, and chronic offenders will require the
use of secure detention to protect the community and provide a
structured treatment environment.
To expand implementation of the Comprehensive Strategy, OJJDP will
fund several key initiatives in fiscal year 1995 designed to assist
both urban and rural communities to address youth violence.
The National Council on Crime and Delinquency and Developmental
Research and Programs have identified the most effective, promising
programs for use in implementing the Comprehensive Strategy. Reports
will be published on:
Effective prevention strategies from birth to age six.
Selected prevention strategies for early childhood and
adolescence.
Effective and promising graduated sanctions programs for
serious, violent, and chronic juvenile offenders.
Use of risk assessment and classification instruments.
These reports will be combined with an operations manual, which
communities can use as a blueprint to assess their efforts in the areas
of prevention and graduated sanctions to design and implement
improvements that respond to community-identified needs.
Extensive efforts to coordinate and develop solutions to youth
violence are ongoing at the Federal level. For example, a national
conference, Solving Youth Violence: Partnerships that Work, was held in
1994. OJJDP is providing extensive technical assistance and training to
four pilot jurisdictions in an interdepartmental initiative called
Project PACT (Pulling America's Communities Together). The Denver
metropolitan area, the District of [[Page 21865]] Columbia, the Atlanta
metropolitan area, and the State of Nebraska are developing coordinated
solutions to violence. Key officials and community leaders are being
trained and assisted in assessing the local adult and juvenile violence
problem and mobilizing their justice system responses and resources to
develop system-wide solutions. Staff are being trained in establishing
effective delinquency prevention programs using a risk-focused strategy
and in intervention efforts employing a range of graduated sanctions
for juveniles in the juvenile justice system.
OJJDP is participating in a collaborative effort with the Bureau of
Justice Assistance called the Comprehensive Communities Program, in
which cities or counties faced with high rates of drug-related crime
and violence are developing a comprehensive strategy for crime- and
drug-control that requires law enforcement and other government
agencies to work in partnership with the community to address these
problems by focusing on the environment that fosters them.
Program Plan Contents
Overview
1992 JJDP Act Amendments
Fiscal Year 1995 Program Planning Activities
Discretionary Program Activities
Discretionary Grant Continuation Policy
OJJDP Funding Policy
Application and Further Information
Strengthening of the Juvenile Justice System
Public Safety and Law Enforcement
Delinquency Prevention
Missing, Exploited and Abused Children
Fiscal Year 1995 Programs
Fiscal Year 1995 Program Listing
Overarching Programs
New Programs
SafeFutures: Partnerships to Reduce Youth Violence and Delinquency
Information and Statistics Projects
OJJDP Management Evaluation Contract
Technical Assistance for State Legislatures
Contra Costa County, California Continuum of Care Program*
Evaluation of SafeFutures: Partnerships to Reduce Youth Violence and
Delinquency Program
Overarching Programs
Continuation Programs
Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse
Coalition for Juvenile Justice*
OJJDP Technical Assistance Support Contract: Juvenile Justice Resource
Center
National Juvenile Court Data Archive*
Juvenile Justice Statistics and Systems Development
Insular Area Support*
Development of OJJDP's Comprehensive Strategy for Serious, Violent, and
Chronic Juvenile Offenders
Research Program on Juveniles Taken Into Custody--NCCD
Children in Custody--Census
Contract for the Evaluation of OJJDP Programs
Pulling America's Communities Together (PACT) Program Development
Juveniles Taken Into Custody (JTIC): Interagency Agreement
Juvenile Justice Data Resources
Strengthening Juvenile Justice
New Programs
Mental Health in the Juvenile Justice System
Bethesda Day Treatment Center
Interventions to Reduce Disproportionate Minority Confinement in Secure
Detention and Correctional Facilities (The Deborah M. Wysinger Memorial
Program)
The Juvenile Justice Prosecution Center
Technical Assistance to Juvenile Corrections and Detention (The James
E. Gould Memorial Program)
Strengthening Juvenile Justice
Continuation Programs
Serious, Violent, and Chronic Juvenile Offender Treatment Program
Juvenile Court Training*
Intensive Community-Based Aftercare Demonstration and Technical
Assistance Program
Native American Alternative Community-Based Program
Training for Juvenile Corrections and Detention Staff
Technical Assistance to the Juvenile Courts*
Due Process Advocacy Program Development
Improvement in Correctional Education for Juvenile Offenders
Robeson County, North Carolina*
P.A.C.E., Center for Girls, Inc.*
Juvenile Restitution: Balanced Approach
Evaluation of Intensive Community-Based Aftercare Demonstration and
Technical Assistance Program
Douglas County, Nebraska*
Professional Development for Youth Workers
Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania*
Public Safety and Law Enforcement
New Programs
Gangs and Delinquency Research
Field-Initiated Gang Research Program
Juvenile Transfers to Criminal Court Studies
Innovative Firearms Program
Gangs, Groups, Individuals, and Violence Intervention
Youth Handgun Study/Model Juvenile Handgun Legislation
Public Safety and Law Enforcement
Continuation Programs
Law Enforcement Training and Technical Assistance Program
Comprehensive Communities Program--Comprehensive Gang Initiative
Targeted Outreach with a Gang Prevention and Intervention Component
(Boys and Girls Clubs)
Comprehensive Gang Initiative
Violence Studies*
Violence Study--Causes and Correlates
Child Centered Community-Oriented Policing
National School Safety Center
Enhancing Enforcement Strategies for Juvenile Impaired Driving Due to
Alcohol and Other Drug Use
Training in Cultural Differences for Law Enforcement/Juvenile Justice
Officials
Delinquency Prevention
New Programs
Community-Based Gang Intervention
Family Strengthening and SupportIncluding Non-English Speaking
Comprehensive Community-Based Services for At-Risk Girls and
Adjudicated Juvenile Female Offenders
Innovative Approaches in Law-Related Education*
Training in Risk-Focused Prevention Strategies
Pathways to Success
Truancy
North Omaha B.E.A.R.S. (Building Esteem and Responsibility
Systematically) Program*
Training and Technical Assistance for Family-Strengthening Services
Youth-Centered Conflict Resolution
ASAP: Athlete Student Achievement Pact*
Project Mister/Project Sister*
Facing History and Ourselves*
La Nueva Vida*
Henry Ford Heath System*
Anti-Crime Youth Council*
Delinquency Prevention
Continuation Programs
Law-Related Education (LRE)*
Teens, Crime, and Community: Teens in Action in the 90s*
Satellite Prep School Program and Early Elementary School for
Privatized Public Housing [[Page 21866]]
Children at Risk
Nonviolent Dispute Resolution
The Congress of National Black Churches: National Anti-Drug Abuse
Program
``Just Say No'' International*
Jackie Robinson Center (JRC)*
Cities in Schools--Federal Interagency Partnership Hate Crimes
Community Anti-Drug Abuse Technical Assistance Voucher Project
Race Against Drugs
Missing, Exploited and Abused Children
New Programs
Lowcountry Children's Center, Inc.*
KidsPeace*
Multipurpose Educational Curriculum for Young Victims
Missing, Exploited and Abused Children
Continuation Programs
Parents Anonymous, Inc.*
Permanent Families for Abused and Neglected Children*
Children as Witnesses to Community Violence
Discussion of Comments
Overview
OJJDP was established by the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention Act of 1974 (Pub. L. 93-415), as amended, to provide a
comprehensive, coordinated approach to prevent and control juvenile
crime and improve the juvenile justice system. Under Title II, OJJDP
administers the State Formula Grants and State Challenge programs in 56
States and territories, funds more than 100 national, State and local
projects through its Special Emphasis Discretionary Grant Program and
its National Institute for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention,
and funds projects under both Part D (Gangs) and Part G (Mentoring)
programs.
OJJDP serves as the staff agency for the Coordinating Council on
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, coordinates the
Concentration of Federal Efforts Program, and all Federal activities
related to juvenile justice and delinquency prevention, and administers
the Title IV Missing and Exploited Children's Program, the Title V
Prevention Incentive Grants Program, and programs under the Victims of
Child Abuse Act of 1990, as amended (42 U.S.C. 13001 et seq.).
1992 JJDP Act Amendments
The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Amendments of 1992
(Public Law 92-586) expanded the role of OJJDP in Federal efforts to
prevent and treat juvenile delinquency and improve the juvenile justice
system by including three new priorities: strengthening the families of
delinquents; improving State and local administration of justice and
services to juveniles; and assisting States and local communities in
preventing youth from entering the justice system. The Amendments
encourage coordination of services, interagency cooperation, and
parental involvement in treatment and services for juveniles. Seven new
studies were mandated. The Comptroller General is in the process of
completing five of these studies: (1) Juveniles waived, certified, or
transferred to adult court, (2) Admissions of juveniles with behavior
disorders to private psychiatric hospitals, (3) Gender bias in State
juvenile justice systems, (4) Native American pass-through under the
Formula Grants Program, and (5) Access to counsel in juvenile court
proceedings. OJJDP is conducting the other two studies: one on the
incidence, nature, and causes of violence committed by or against
juveniles in urban and rural areas, and a second on the extent and
characteristics of juvenile hate crimes.
The JJDP Act Amendments of 1992 authorized OJJDP to administer
several new grant programs.
Part E, State Challenge Activities, authorizes grants to
States participating in the Part B Formula Grants Program that provide
up to 10 percent of a State's Formula Grants Program allocation for
each of 10 challenge activities in which the State participates.
Part F, Treatment for Juvenile Offenders Who are Victims of
Child Abuse or Neglect, authorizes grants to public and nonprofit
private organizations for treatment of juvenile offenders who are
victims of child abuse or neglect, transitional services, and related
research.
Part G, Mentoring, authorizes three-year grants to local
education agencies, or to private nonprofit or organizations working in
partnership with such agencies, for mentoring programs designed to link
at-risk youth with responsible adults to discourage youth involvement
in criminal and violent activity.
Part H, Boot Camps, authorizes grants to establish up to 10
military-style boot camps for delinquent juveniles.
Title V, Incentive Grants for Local Delinquency Prevention
Programs, authorizes grants to local governments for a broad range of
delinquency prevention activities targeting youth who have had contact
with, or are at-risk of contact with, the juvenile justice system.
In fiscal year 1995, funds were appropriated for three of the five
programs cited above: Part G, Mentoring ($4 million), Title V,
Prevention Grants ($20 million), and Part E, State Challenge Activities
($10 million). These programs are not included in this Plan (except for
$1 million of Part G and $1 million of Title V funds committed to the
SafeFutures Program), nor are programs authorized and funded under the
Title IV Missing Children's Assistance Act and the Victims of Child
Abuse Act of 1990, as amended.
Fiscal Year 1995 Program Planning Activities
The OJJDP program planning process for fiscal year 1995 has been
coordinated with the Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice
Programs (OJP), and the four other OJP Program Bureaus: The Bureau of
Justice Assistance (BJA); the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS); the
National Institute of Justice (NIJ); and the Office for Victims of
Crime (OVC). OJJDP's program planning process involved the following
steps:
Internal review of existing programs by OJJDP staff.
Internal review of proposed programs by OJP bureaus and
selected Department of Justice components.
Review of information and data from OJJDP grantees and
contractors.
Review of information contained in State comprehensive plans.
Review of comments made by youth services providers, juvenile
justice practitioners, and researchers.
Consideration of suggestions made by juvenile justice policy
makers concerning State and local needs.
Consideration of all comments received during the period of
public comment on the Proposed Comprehensive Plan.
An example of the intra-agency coordination between OJP Program
Bureaus involves OJJDP and Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) gang
initiatives. Although these programs are being implemented in a similar
manner, the two initiatives are different in their theoretical approach
and program targets.
BJA's fiscal year 1995 Comprehensive Gang Initiative is based on a
prototype developed through a grant to the Police Executive Research
Forum in 1992. The prototype emphasizes prevention, intervention, and
suppression and encompasses strategies which bring together cooperative
and coordinated efforts of the police, other criminal justice agencies,
human service providers, and community programs. This initiative is
primarily designed to [[Page 21867]] focus on older teens and adults.
In fiscal year 1995, this program is featured in BJA's Comprehensive
Communities program.
OJJDP's fiscal year 1995 Gang-Free Schools and Communities Program
is based on a prevention-based community mobilization model derived
from the research of Dr. Irving Spergel and colleagues. This model
specifically focuses on juveniles and young adults under age 22. This
fiscal year, the program has a specific focus on gang-free schools and
public or federally subsidized housing. Another differentiating factor
is that OJJDP's fiscal year 1995 initiative will be concentrated within
the overarching SafeFutures demonstration program, as part of the
comprehensive continuum of care that the program is designed to
establish.
Discretionary Program Activities
Discretionary Grant Continuation Policy
OJJDP has listed on the following pages continuation projects
currently funded in whole or in part with Part C and Part D funds and
eligible for funding in fiscal year 1995, either within an existing
project period or through an extension for an additional project
period. A grantee's eligibility for continued funding for an additional
budget period within an existing project period depends on the
grantee's compliance with funding eligibility requirements and
achievement of the prior year's objectives.
Consideration for continuation funding for an additional project
period for previously funded discretionary grant programs is based upon
several factors, including:
The extent to which the project responds to the applicable
requirements of the JJDP Act.
Responsiveness to OJJDP and Department of Justice fiscal year
1995 program priorities.
Compliance with performance requirements of prior grant
years.
Compliance with fiscal and regulatory requirements.
Compliance with any special conditions of the award.
Availability of funds (based on program priority
determinations).
In accordance with section 262 (d)(1)(B), 42 U.S.C. 5665a, the
competitive process for the award of Part C funds shall not be required
if the Administrator makes a written determination waiving the
competitive process:
1. With respect to programs to be carried out in areas in which the
President declares under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) that a major disaster
or emergency exists, or
2. With respect to a particular program described in part C that is
uniquely qualified.
In implementing the fiscal year 1995 Program Plan, OJJDP will
continue the process of developing, testing, and demonstrating both the
prevention efforts and the graduated sanctions concept throughout its
programs, such as in SafeFutures: Partnerships to Reduce Youth Violence
and Delinquency, while also prioritizing support for applicants that
reflect the coordinated, interdisciplinary approaches found in Weed and
Seed sites and Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities. This
support will be provided through:
New competitive programs to be funded at the State or local
level and new programs that provide funds to national organizations to
provide services at the State and local level.
Continuation awards, under which OJJDP will negotiate with
grantees and task contractors to identify and ensure the provision of
site specific technical assistance, training, information, and direct
program services to Weed and Seed sites, Empowerment Zones and
Enterprise Communities, and jurisdictions adopting a continuum of care
program approach.
OJJDP Funding Policy
OJJDP focuses its assistance on the development and implementation
of programs with the greatest potential for reducing juvenile
delinquency and crime and that create and strengthen partnerships with
State and local organizations. To that end, OJJDP has defined four
programatic themes that constitute the major elements of a sound policy
for juvenile justice and delinquency prevention:
Strengthening the Juvenile Justice System.
Public Safety and Law Enforcement.
Juvenile Delinquency Prevention and Intervention.
Missing, Exploited and Abused Children.
OJJDP will also fund a new overarching demonstration program,
SafeFutures: Partnerships To Reduce Youth Violence and Delinquency,
which builds on the knowledge accumulated over 30 years of juvenile
justice research. This overarching program builds upon broad-based
community planning and support from all sectors and systems to provide
a continuum of programs that focus on ameliorating known community risk
factors. It stresses addressing the problems of youth along a continuum
of prevention and intervention activities, from those aimed at the at-
risk child to the serious and violent juvenile offender. Other
overarching programs, both new and continuation, that cross
programmatic themes will also receive OJJDP funding under this Plan.
Application and Further Information
Program inquiries are to be addressed to the attention of the OJJDP
staff contact person identified in the FY 1995 Competitive
Discretionary Program Announcements and Application Kit. For general
information, contact Marilyn Silver, Management Analyst, Information
Dissemination Unit, (202) 307-0751. This is not a toll-free number. Due
dates for all competitive programs are contained in the FY 1995
Competitive Discretionary Program Announcements and Application Kit.
Please call the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse, toll-free, 24 hours a
day, (800) 638-8736 to obtain a copy.
Applications are invited from eligible public and private agencies,
organizations, institutions, individuals, or combinations thereof.
Eligibility differs from program to program. Please consult the FY 1995
Competitive Discretionary Program Announcements and Application Kit for
individual competitive program announcements and specific eligibility
requirements. Where eligible for an assistance award, private for
profit organizations must agree to waive any profit or fee. Joint
applications by two or more eligible applicants are welcome, as long as
one organization is designated as the primary applicant and the
other(s) as co-applicant(s). Applicants must demonstrate that they have
experience in the design and implementation of the type of program or
program activity for which they are an applicant.
Strengthening of the Juvenile Justice System
All parts of the juvenile justice system are straining under the
burden of increasing numbers of juvenile offenders. In 1992, the
juvenile arrest rate was the highest in 20 years. Between 1982 and
1992, juvenile courts saw a 26% increase in the number of delinquency
cases. In 1990, a congressionally mandated study identified several
areas in which problems in secure juvenile facilities are substantial
and widespread, most notably living space (crowding), health care,
security, and control of suicidal behavior. OJJDP is continuing to fund
[[Page 21868]] several programs that aggressively address these issues.
The limited resources of the juvenile justice system must continue
to target the most difficult and intractable problems of juvenile
crime. Strengthening the system requires support of all parts of the
justice system, including law enforcement, prosecutors and the courts,
as well as detention and corrections, including alternative residential
placements and aftercare. A sound policy includes the assessment of
each offender's needs and risks to the community, and concentrates the
more formal, expensive, and restrictive options of the juvenile justice
system in two areas:
Youth behavior that is most serious and least amenable to
preventive measures and community responses.
Problems of youth and their families that exceed community
resources and require more stringent legal resolution. This approach
should promote accountability on the part of individual juvenile
offenders to their victims.
Public Safety and Law Enforcement
The epidemic of youth violence is striking fear in communities
across the Nation. While violent crime statistics are generally down,
violent criminal activity is increasing among the young. Juvenile
arrests for violent crime increased 57% between 1983 and 1992. The
nearly 54,200 juvenile weapons arrests in 1992 accounted for nearly 1
of 4 weapons arrests. Violent youth gangs, often associated with large
urban areas, are emerging in smaller cities.
While ultimately the reduction in youth violence depends on
overcoming or changing those societal factors that propel troubled
youth toward violent behavior, immediate public safety issues require
the justice system to incapacitate the small number of serious, violent
and chronic offenders responsible for the majority of juvenile
violence. However, a sound policy for combating juvenile crime must not
indiscriminately treat children as small versions of adults. Law
enforcement training on how to deal with juvenile offenders and victims
and how to address the problems of youth gangs and the increasing use
of guns by juveniles is an integral part of a comprehensive response to
the escalating violence.
Delinquency Prevention and Intervention
By the year 2005, the total population of youths from 15 to 19
years old will grow by an estimated 23 percent. Research has shown that
the peak age of arrest for serious violent crime is 18 years. It has
also shown that we must focus on addressing the root causes of
delinquency as well as the symptoms. OJJDP programs encourage a risk-
focused approach based on public health and social development models.
Communities cannot afford to place responsibility for juvenile
crime entirely on the juvenile justice system. We must maximize the use
of a community's less formal, less expensive, and less alienating
responses to youthful misbehavior, while at the same time maintaining
the safety of the public. The science of prevention has taught us that
a sound policy for juvenile delinquency prevention must strengthen the
most powerful contributing factor to good behavior: A productive place
for young people in a law-abiding society. This type of preventive
measure can operate on a large scale, providing gains in youth
development while reducing juvenile delinquency.
Missing, Exploited and Abused Children
The Missing Children's Assistance Act of 1984 (42 U.S.C. 5771-5780,
Title IV of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of
1974, as amended) established OJJDP as the lead federal agency in
matters pertaining to missing and exploited children. The fiscal year
1995 Competitive Discretionary Grant Programs for Title IV Missing and
Exploited Children's Program and Application Kit Notice was published
in the Federal Register on January 5, 1995.
Fiscal Year 1995 Programs
Brief summaries of each of OJJDP's new and continuation programs
for fiscal year 1995 are provided below. The programs are organized
according to the four areas that constitute the major elements of
OJJDP's comprehensive approach to preventing juvenile justice and
improving public safety.
A number of programs have been identified for funding by Congress
with regard to the grantee(s), the amount of funds, or both. Such
programs are indicated by an asterisk (*). The 1995 Appropriations Act
Conference Report for the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State,
the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Programs identified 13 programs for
OJJDP to examine and fund if warranted. Three of the programs are
included in this Plan for continuation funding. Nine of the remaining
ten have been reviewed and will receive consideration for funding in
fiscal year 1995 at the levels indicated in the Final Plan.
OJJDP's new overarching demonstration program, SafeFutures:
Partnerships to Reduce Youth Violence and Delinquency Program, is
presented first since it addresses the major elements that must be
present in an effective strategy to prevent and control delinquency and
provide the juvenile justice system with the program resources needed
to do its job effectively. This new program focuses on a variety of
services and funding resources. Other overarching programs are then
presented, followed by programs that seek to strengthen juvenile
justice, enhance public safety and law enforcement, prevent
delinquency, and address the problem of missing, exploited and abused
children.
Fiscal Year 1995 Program Listing
Overarching Programs
New Programs
SafeFutures: Partnerships to Reduce Youth Violence and Delinquency--
$7,200,000
Information and Statistics Projects--525,000
OJJDP Management Evaluation Contract--360,000
Technical Assistance For State Legislatures--262,500
Contra Costa County, California: Continuum of Care Program*--247,000
Evaluation of SafeFutures: Partnerships to Reduce Youth Violence and
Delinquency Program--150,000
Overarching Programs
Continuation Programs
Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse--$1,031,167
Coalition for Juvenile Justice*--700,000
OJJDP Technical Assistance Support Contract: Juvenile Justice Resource
Center--650,000
National Juvenile Court Data Archive*--611,000
Juvenile Justice Statistics and Systems Development--550,000
Insular Area Support*--511,000
Development of OJJDP's Comprehensive Strategy for Serious, Violent, and
Chronic Juvenile Offenders--500,058
Research Program on Juveniles Taken Into Custody-NCCD--450,000
Children in Custody-Census--450,000
Contract for the Evaluation of OJJDP Programs--290,000
Pulling America's Communities Together (PACT) Program Development--
261,000
Juveniles Taken Into Custody (JTIC): Interagency Agreement--200,000
Juvenile Justice Data Resources--25,000 [[Page 21869]]
Strengthening Juvenile Justice
New Programs
Mental Health in the Juvenile Justice System--$750,000
Bethesda Day Treatment Center--320,000
Interventions to Reduce Disproportionate Minority Confinement in Secure
Detention and Correctional Facilities (The Deborah M. Wysinger Memorial
Program)--300,000
The Juvenile Justice Prosecution Center--300,000
Technical Assistance to Juvenile Corrections and Detention (The James
E. Gould Memorial Program)--200,000
Strengthening Juvenile Justice
Continuation Programs
Serious, Violent, and Chronic Juvenile Offender Treatment Program--
$1,500,000
Juvenile Court Training*--1,074,000
Intensive Community-Based Aftercare Demonstration and Technical
Assistance Program--620,000
Native American Alternative Community-Based Program--600,000
Training for Juvenile Corrections and Detention Staff--500,000
Technical Assistance to the Juvenile Courts*--389,943
Due Process Advocacy Program Development--250,000
Improvement in Correctional Education for Juvenile Offenders--250,000
Robeson County, North Carolina*--202,645
P.A.C.E., Center for Girls, Inc.*--150,000
Juvenile Restitution: Balanced Approach--100,000
Evaluation of Intensive Community-Based Aftercare Demonstration and
Technical Assistance Program--80,000
Douglas County, Nebraska*--67,055
Professional Development for Youth Workers--50,000
Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania*--50,000
Public Safety and Law Enforcement
New Programs
Gangs and Delinquency Research--$500,000
Field-Initiated Gang Research Program--300,000
Juvenile Transfers to Criminal Court Studies--275,000
Innovative Firearms Program--250,000
Gangs, Groups, Individuals, and Violence Intervention--250,000
Youth Handgun Study/Model Juvenile Handgun Legislation--202,838
Public Safety and Law Enforcement
Continuation Programs
Law Enforcement Training and Technical Assistance Program--$1,504,924
Comprehensive Communities Program--Comprehensive Gang Initiative--
799,345
Targeted Outreach with a Gang Prevention and Intervention Component
(Boys and Girls Clubs)--600,000
Comprehensive Gang Initiative--600,000
Violence Studies*--500,000
Violence Study--Causes and Correlates--300,000
Child Centered Community-Oriented Policing--300,000
National School Safety Center--250,000
Enhancing Enforcement Strategies for Juvenile Impaired Driving Due to
Alcohol and Other Drug Use--150,000
Training in Cultural Differences for Law Enforcement/Juvenile Justice
Officials--100,000
Delinquency Prevention
New Programs
Community-Based Gang Intervention--$2,000,000
Family Strengthening and Support--Including Non-English Speaking--
1,000,000
Comprehensive Community-Based Services for At-Risk Girls and
Adjudicated Juvenile Female Offenders--600,000
Innovative Approaches in Law-Related Education*--600,000
Training in Risk-Focused Prevention Strategies--500,000
Pathways to Success--450,000
Truancy--400,000
North Omaha B.E.A.R.S. (Building Esteem and Responsibility
Systematically) Program*--300,000
Training and Technical Assistance for Family-Strengthening Services--
250,000
Youth-Centered Conflict Resolution--200,000
ASAP: Athlete Student Achievement Pact*--150,000
Project Mister/Project Sister*--146,500
Facing History and Ourselves*--100,000
La Nueva Vida*--64,000
Henry Ford Health System*--58,000
Anti-Crime Youth Council*--50,000
Delinquency Prevention
Continuation Programs
Law-Related Education (LRE)*--$2,800,000
Teens, Crime, and Community: Teens in Action in the 90s*--1,000,000
Satellite Prep School Program and Early Elementary School for
Privatized Public Housing--720,000
Children at Risk--350,000
Nonviolent Dispute Resolution--300,000
The Congress of National Black Churches: National Anti-Drug Abuse
Program--250,000
``Just Say No'' International*--250,000
Jackie Robinson Center (JRC)*--250,000
Cities in Schools--Federal Interagency Partnership--200,000
Hate Crimes--200,000
Community Anti-Drug Abuse Technical Assistance Voucher Project--200,000
Race Against Drugs--150,000
Missing, Exploited and Abused Children
New Programs
Lowcountry Children's Center, Inc.*--$250,000
KidsPeace*--140,000
Multipurpose Educational Curriculum for Young Victims--75,000
Missing, Exploited and Abused Children
Continuation Programs
Parents Anonymous, Inc.*--$250,000
Permanent Families for Abused and Neglected Children*--225,000
Children as Witnesses to Community Violence--170,658
Overarching Programs
New Programs
SafeFutures: Partnerships to Reduce Youth Violence and Delinquency--
$7,200,000
Background
The SafeFutures: Partnerships to Reduce Youth Violence and
Delinquency Program rests on two important premises: The first is that
public safety can be improved by providing prevention, intervention and
treatment services to all at-risk youth. These three elements
constitute a continuum of care that should be directed at youth
throughout their development. The second premise is that the strategy
for implementing this continuum of care lies with a comprehensive,
customer-focused approach in which there is broad collaboration between
all service agencies, all levels of government, and the public and
private sectors. Availability of services, community responsiveness,
and partnerships leading to increased public safety constitute the
heart of the SafeFutures Program.
Many communities throughout the country have been engaged in reform
efforts to develop a comprehensive, community-based service delivery
[[Page 21870]] system for disadvantaged children. OJJDP's Comprehensive
Strategy for Serious, Violent and Chronic Juvenile Offenders presents a
similar approach. Under this strategy, a broad-based community planning
board systematically assesses the risk factors present in the
environment that are best known to foster delinquent behavior in
children. The community then develops a strategy to address identified
risk factors for delinquency and increase protective factors that
promote healthy and productive behavior. In addition, the board
develops a full range of graduated sanctions, beginning with immediate
interventions, that are designed to hold juvenile delinquents
accountable to the victim and the community, ensure community security
and provide a continuum of services that responds appropriately to the
needs of each juvenile offender.
SafeFutures builds on and expands the model presented in the
Comprehensive Strategy. Five sites will be selected: Three urban, one
rural, and one Native American site. Each must have completed risk
assessments and developed a comprehensive delinquency prevention,
intervention and treatment plan prior to application to the SafeFutures
program. At least one of the sites will be an Empowerment Zone or
Enterprise community. Each must have established a multi-disciplinary
community team to oversee implementation efforts. Finally, each site
must have forged partnerships between government, local businesses and
civic organizations, and leveraged resources from a variety of sources.
The Native American site must have a Tribal Court.
SafeFutures is geared toward communities who have made significant
progress in reforming their systems and implementing a strategy to
reduce youth violence and juvenile delinquency. It will provide them
with additional resources to expand existing efforts and fill in the
gaps in service each has identified.
Program Goals
Specifically, SafeFutures will assist communities to:
1. Control and prevent juvenile violence and delinquency by--
a. Reducing risk factors and increasing protective factors
b. Developing a full range of graduated sanctions, beginning with
intermediate interventions that are designed to hold delinquents
accountable to the victim and ensure community safety
c. Providing a continuum of services for all youth, with appropriate
treatment for juvenile offenders
2. Develop a more efficient and effective service delivery system
for at-risk youth and their families, capable of meeting their needs at
any point of entry into the system.
3. Build the capacity to institutionalize and sustain coordinated
efforts through streamlining the service delivery system, and
expanding, and diversifying its sources of funding.
4. Determine what outcomes have been achieved and whether a
comprehensive strategy involving a concentration of effort and
resources is successful at preventing and controlling juvenile
delinquency.
Many communities have begun this process on their own, while others
throughout the country have received support for these planning and
implementation activities through OJJDP's Title V Prevention Program
and programs designed to intervene with delinquent juveniles. Failure
to previously participate under Title V, however, does not preclude
selection as a SafeFutures applicant as long as the requirements
described in the next section are met.
OJJDP will provide each site with up to $1.44 million the first
year, with subsequent funding anticipated for four additional years.
This amount includes not only OJJDP program dollars, but other federal
sources of support which OJJDP has leveraged. In addition, OJJDP will
offer all sites a comprehensive technical assistance package.
Grant Programs
Units of general local government or combinations thereof are
eligible to apply. Successful applicants must demonstrate the capacity
to establish and sustain a continuum of care for the jurisdiction's at-
risk and delinquent youth and their families. If the size or makeup of
the applicant's local unit(s) does not make jurisdictional-wide
services practical or desirable, the applicant may request resources
for an identified local area(s) or neighborhood.
The applicant must provide evidence of the following:
The presence of risk factors for delinquency in the target
area such as high rates of crime, poverty, teenage pregnancy, child
abuse and neglect, dysfunctional or single parent families, school
drop-outs, unemployment or other risk factors the community identifies;
An established planning board in existence, with balanced
representation of public and private agencies, community organizations
and residents, including youth representation;
Completion of a needs and resources assessment;
A comprehensive delinquency prevention, intervention, and
graduated sanction plan for their jurisdiction;
Federal, State, local and private partnerships, and a
commitment to leverage additional resources and coordinate the
necessary systemic changes to both the juvenile justice and social
services system of care.
In addition to providing overall administrative support for the
coordination and implementation activities, SafeFutures provides
specific support for ten program components. The applicant's proposal
must demonstrate how each of the components described below will be
implemented, its relationship to others within the continuum of care,
and its impact upon at-risk youth and their families. Applicants that
can demonstrate that they have adequately addressed, with their own
resources, specific program components funded with Part C monies, will
have the flexibility to use those designated funds (with the exception
of the Day Treatment component) for alternative delinquency prevention
activities. Each of the components is grouped below according to major
OJJDP goals. Each is described in greater detail under these same goal
areas in the Fiscal Year 1995 Program Plan.
Strengthening the Juvenile Justice System and Law Enforcement
Serious,Violent, and Chronic Juvenile Offender
Accountability and Treatment Programs (Part C--$500,000).
Comprehensive Community-Based Services for At-Risk Girls
and Adjudicated Female Juvenile Offenders (Part C--$600,000).
Day Treatment Services (Part C--$150,000).
Intensive Community-Based Aftercare Program (Part C--
Technical Assistance).
Community-Based Gang Intervention (Part D--$2,000,000).
Mental Health Services for At-Risk and Adjudicated Youth,
including treatment services for juvenile sex offenders and victims of
sexual abuse (Part C--$750,000).
Providing Opportunities and Role Models for High-Risk Youth
Youth Skills/Pathways to Success (Part C--$200,000).
Mentoring (Part G--$1,000,000). [[Page 21871]]
Breaking the Cycle of Violence Through Prevention
Family Strengthening, including services for non-English
speaking families (Part C--$1,000,000).
Delinquency Prevention Program (Title V--$1,000,000).
Sites funded under this initiative will be eligible for program
implementation, training, and technical assistance directly from OJJDP
grantees and contractors. In addition, sites will receive training and
technical assistance from:
Boys and Girls Clubs of America, to develop or enhance a Boys and
Girls Club in the target area;
National Association of Service and Conservation Corps, to develop
or enhance a Juvenile Youth Corps Program; and the
Home Builders Institute, to develop an apprenticeship program for
high-risk youth in sites which have a local association of home
builders.
In addition, the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS),
Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Education (DOE), and Labor (DOL),
AmeriCorps, and the National Endowment for the Arts have agreed to
participate in the SafeFutures Program by making available resources,
technical assistance, and linkages to existing grant programs. OJJDP is
also seeking other public and private partnerships to support substance
abuse prevention, jobs skills development, individual youth assessment
and evaluation activities by the SafeFutures sites.
Evaluation
Sites will be expected to demonstrate a strong capacity for data
collection and analysis in order to support a requisite and stringent
evaluation component addressing both process and outcome measures.
Partnerships with academic institutions to enhance evaluation efforts
are also encouraged.
Collaboration
Applicants are expected to demonstrate how they have linked their
activities with other Federal, State, and local programs; national and
community foundations; and private sector programs. Federal programs
include: HUD's Empowerment Zones/Enterprise Communities and Hope Six;
HHS's Family Preservation and Support Services; DOE's Safe and Drug
Free Schools; DOL's Youth Fair Chance; and the Department of Justice's
(DOJ) Operation Weed and Seed, PACT, Community Oriented Policing
Services, Boot Camps, Drug Courts, Comprehensive Communities programs;
and the U.S. Attorneys' anti-violence strategies.
Application Process
OJJDP will utilize a two stage process to select grantees. All
applicants will first submit concept papers. Jurisdictions will be
required to document existing legislation, executive orders, memoranda
of understanding, and other formal commitments of bona fide
partnerships. Preference will given to jurisdictions that demonstrate
linkages with other Federal, State and local programs as well as the
ability to secure additional financial and programmatic resources.
Those best demonstrating an ability to qualify for funding will then be
invited to submit full applications.
Prospective applicants should obtain a copy of OJJDP's
Comprehensive Strategy for Serious, Violent, and Chronic Juvenile
Offenders and the forthcoming Implementation Guide for the
Comprehensive Strategy. The Guide identifies promising programs,
suggests effective community assessment tools and in general offers
guidance to communities implementing a continuum of care model. Copies
of the Guide will be available from OJJDP in May 1995.
OJJDP plans to conduct several workshops to answer questions about
SafeFutures requirements prior to the concept paper submission date. To
obtain more information regarding these workshops, please contact the
Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse.
Information and Statistics Projects--$525,000
OJJDP recently conducted an independent review of its Information
and Statistics Program to help the Office develop a 5-year plan for
information and data collection. As a result of this review, $525,000
will be allocated to the following new projects: National Juvenile
Statistics Analysis Center; National Indicators of Risk and Protective
Factors; Juveniles in the Criminal Justice System; National Program
Directory; and Integrated Juvenile Justice, Mental Health, and Child
Welfare Data Collection.
National Juvenile Statistics Analysis Center--($200,000)
OJJDP is considering the establishment of a center devoted to
collecting and analyzing statistics generated by OJJDP programs, State
agencies, academic research, and other Federal agencies and programs.
This National Juvenile Statistics Analysis Center would focus on two
principal activities: (1) Retrieving Federal, State and local research
and data, and (2) providing quick analyses to inform Federal, State,
and local policy and program decisions. The impetus for the Center
comes from the recognition that many States are collecting data and
performing statistical analyses of their delinquency and juvenile
justice systems and that other jurisdictions can benefit greatly from
access to this information. The Center would function as a collection
point for this research. With an increased national emphasis on
juvenile justice issues, there is more need for specific and quick
analyses of particular issues. The Center would provide such analyses
on a wide range of subjects.
Other statistical activities identified as important include:
Analyzing demographic, delinquency, and violence trends,
including surveys of delinquency and related youth problems, Uniform
Crime Report data, and victimization surveys.
Analyzing violent behavior trends and patterns,
particularly assaults and robberies, to increase our understanding of
these phenomena.
Maintaining national data sets on juvenile justice system
handling of juveniles. State studies of disproportionate minority
confinement and gender bias being conducted pursuant to the JJDP Act
would be of particular interest.
Retrieving statewide data sets for analysis and
cultivating State resources for information and statistics.
Maintaining data sets produced under major studies of
delinquency and related juvenile problems.
Distributing the results of statistical analyses conducted
by others at the State and local level.
Once OJJDP determines the specific nature of this project, a subsequent
announcement will be made.
National Indicators of Delinquency, Risk and Protective Factors--
($225,000)
Widespread adoption of the public health model has stimulated
interest in viewing juvenile delinquency and other problem behaviors in
terms of risk and protective factors. At the same time, interest in
developing social indicators of delinquency has grown. Because of these
two developments, the collection and analysis of national indicators of
risk and protective factors will be explored. State and community level
baselines would enable measurement of the impact of delinquency
prevention programs on risk and protective factors. A national
baseline, with annual comparisons, would permit forecasts of changes in
delinquency and youth violence levels and trends.
[[Page 21872]]
Several projects have laid the foundation for national and state-
by-state baselines: Kids Count, the National Youth Survey, OJJDP's
Causes and Correlates Research Program, the Six State Communities that
Care Pilot Program, and InfoNation. The key issue concerns the
feasibility of nationwide establishment, at the State level, of
reporting requirements necessary to generate comparable data.
OJJDP will explore the feasibility of establishing comparable
measurements of risk and protective factors, and prevalence measures
for delinquency and other problem behaviors, at the individual,
community, State, and national levels. This effort will involve a wide
range of expertise, including researchers, practitioners, and
policymakers. OJJDP will examine the most direct and efficient manner
of gathering these indicators. In particular, OJJDP will explore
cooperation with other Federal agencies. Once the nature of this
project has been finalized, OJJDP will make a subsequent announcement.
Juveniles in the Criminal Justice System
Policymakers and legislators seeking data on how juveniles get to
criminal court and on rates of conviction and sentencing, treatment,
and conditions of confinement have found that existing information is
often inadequate to help them make decisions about legislation, policy,
and program development.
OJJDP, in cooperation with the National Institute of Justice (NIJ)
and the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), seeks to identify and fill
these data gaps by working collaboratively with interested State and
local officials. Through OJJDP's Juvenile Justice Statistics and
Systems Development Program, a series of meetings will be convened
involving prosecutors, judges, corrections officials, State Statistical
Analysis Centers, researchers, and staff from OJJDP, NIJ, and BJS. The
purpose of the meetings will be to plan multi-jurisdictional studies of
the transfer process and its outcomes. The project also will identify
information needs to recommend for inclusion in the BJS National Survey
of State Prosecutors.
A number of multi-agency planning teams will be invited to assist
in the collaborative design of the studies by identifying core data
elements and definitions for cross-jurisdictional collection and
analysis. The design process will be informed by a literature review
and the identification of existing studies and data sets for secondary
analysis to fill immediate gaps. A detailed review of the Government
Accounting Office's pending waiver study will inform the project as to
the feasibility of certain options. No funds will be awarded in fiscal
year 1995.
National Program Directory--$100,000
To further develop OJJDP's statistical capability, OJJDP will
create a National Program Directory. This directory will contain the
names and addresses of specific juvenile justice programs along with
important identifying information and will include prosecutors,
juvenile probation departments, juvenile court judges, mental health
agencies, youth welfare agencies, and other executive branch juvenile
justice agencies. OJJDP will use the directory as a sampling frame for
future surveys.
An important feature of this project is a series of Quick Response
Surveys (QRS). Each QRS addresses a specific problem and is directed to
a specific group of respondents. The goal of each QRS will be to
provide vital information quickly on emerging problems and issues. QRS'
will be made possible through Census Bureau development of program and
facility directories on juvenile courts, detention centers, and long-
term State confinement facilities. These surveys will address such
issues as: characteristics of assaultive behaviors, juveniles in police
lock-ups, juvenile sex offenders, family issues, and overcrowding.
The initial phase of this project will focus on developing a
directory structure, collecting core information, and developing a QRS
strategy. These funds will be transferred to the Census Bureau through
an interagency agreement.
Integrated Juvenile Justice, Mental Health and Child Welfare Data
Collection
Recent research has documented the co-occurrence of delinquency,
mental health problems, drug and alcohol abuse, and child abuse and
neglect. However, linkage of client data from the juvenile justice
system with data from the mental health and child welfare systems is
not possible with current data collection mechanisms. Information is
needed on how the child welfare and mental health systems function as
diversion programs and as providers of alternative incarceration for
problem youth not served by the juvenile justice system. Ways of
linking these data collection systems would be explored in order to:
(1) Understand the interrelationships of the three systems, (2) develop
models that coordinate the actions of the three systems, and (3)
integrate them into a continuum of care.
OJJDP will support a planning effort to map out steps toward
integrated juvenile justice, mental health, and child welfare data
collection. OJJDP will carry this work out in collaboration with other
Federal agencies that have an interest in the objectives of this
program, including the National Institute of Mental Health; the Center
for Mental Health Services; the National Institute on Drug Abuse; the
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse; the Administration on Children,
Youth and Families; and the Social Security Administration. This
project will also involve practitioners and researchers from the mental
health, juvenile justice, and child welfare fields. OJJDP's Statistics
and Systems Development Program will provide staff support for this
planning activity, including conducting a literature review,
identifying useful data sets for secondary analysis, and convening
planning meetings. The results will include recommendations for future
implementation steps.
OJJDP's current Statistics and System Development Program grantee,
the National Center for Juvenile Justice, will conduct this program
activity. No funds will be awarded in fiscal year 1995.
OJJDP Management Evaluation Contract--$360,000
The purpose of this contract is to provide OJJDP with an expert
resource capable of performing independent, management-oriented
evaluations of selected OJJDP programs. Evaluations will determine the
effectiveness and efficiency of either individual projects or groups of
projects.
Evaluations could include demonstrations, tests, training, and
technical assistance programs. Evaluations will be requested through
work orders issued by OJJDP and carried out in accordance with work
plans prepared by the contractor and approved by OJJDP. Each evaluation
will be defined by OJJDP and costs, method, and timetable determined
through negotiation between OJJDP and the contractor. The contract will
be funded through a competitive award in fiscal year 1995.
Technical Assistance for State Legislatures--$262,500
State legislatures are being pressed to respond to public fear of
juvenile crime, and a loss of confidence in the capability of the
juvenile justice system to respond effectively. For the most part,
State legislatures have had insufficient information to properly
address juvenile justice issues. Consequently, OJJDP will award a grant
to the National Conference of State Legislatures to identify, analyze,
and disseminate information to help State legislatures
[[Page 21873]] make more informed decisions about legislation affecting
the juvenile justice system. A complementary task will involve
supporting increased communication between State legislators and State
and local leaders who influence decisionmaking regarding juvenile
justice issues. A $262,500 grant will be awarded to the NCSL in fiscal
year 1995. No additional applications will be solicited in fiscal year
1995.
Contra Costa County, California: Continuum of Care Program*--$247,000
The purpose of this program is to develop and implement a model
continuum of care program for youth in the Juvenile Justice System. The
model proposes three specific components: (1) Development of risk and
needs assessment instruments that reflect law enforcement and juvenile
justice consensus; (2) establishment of linkages and coordination among
several major planning efforts; and (3) the implementation and
coordination of existing programs.
Grant funds will be used to fund several positions charged with
building the continuum of care infrastructure, improving coordination,
and managing the implementation. This grant will also contribute
funding to an Employment Aftercare Program for youth returning to the
community from secure institutional confinement and will provide
technical support for a community education effort, designed to build
public awareness and involvement in the reform of the juvenile justice
system and the provision of services.
Evaluation of SafeFutures: Partnerships to Reduce Youth Violence and
Delinquency--$150,000
OJJDP will fund five communities (three urban, one rural, and one
Native American) under the SafeFutures: Partnerships to Reduce Youth
Violence and Delinquency. SafeFutures will provide a range of
coordinated services to meet the needs of at-risk youth and families
and juveniles in the juvenile justice system. This Program will also
serve to strengthen the juvenile justice system and develop the ongoing
sustainability of service collaboration within the jurisdiction.
The evaluation of each of the five sites will be supported by this
Program and will consist of both process and impact components. The
process evaluation, to begin during the first year, will include an
examination of planning procedures and the extent to which the sites'
implementation is consistent with the principles of a continuum of
care/graduated sanctions model. The evaluation process will identify
the key factors responsible for successful implementation. It will also
be important for the evaluation to identify substantial obstacles to
successful implementation of the SafeFutures continuum model.
The selected evaluator will be responsible for developing a cross-
site monograph that discusses Program implementation for use by other
communities that want to develop and implement a community strategy to
address serious, violent, and chronic delinquency.
The evaluator will develop a research design for the impact
evaluation within the first year. Data collection for the impact
evaluation would begin during the second year of the evaluation and
will address the effects of the community's SafeFutures Program on the
clients served. Furthermore, it will address the efficacy of the
structure and operation of the SafeFutures model.
OJJDP will award a single cooperative agreement for up to $150,000
for first-year funding of this multiyear evaluation program.
Significant funding for the evaluation is anticipated in the second and
subsequent years of this evaluation.
OVERARCHING PROGRAMS
Continuation Programs
Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse--$1,031,167
As part of the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS),
the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse provides support to OJJDP in: (1)
Collecting, synthesizing, and disseminating information to the public
on all aspects of juvenile delinquency; (2) developing publications;
and (3) preparing specialized responses to information requests from
the public. The Clearinghouse maintains a toll-free number for
information requests. It also reviews reports, data, and standards
relating to the juvenile justice system in the United States and
develops specialized resource products for the juvenile justice
community.
The Clearinghouse serves as a center for acquiring and
disseminating information on juvenile delinquency, including State and
local juvenile delinquency prevention and treatment programs and plans;
availability of resources; training and educational programs;
statistics; and other pertinent data and information. It also serves as
an information bank for the collection and synthesis of data and
knowledge obtained from research and evaluation conducted by public and
private agencies, institutions, or individuals concerning all aspects
of juvenile delinquency.
Recognizing the critical need to inform juvenile justice
practitioners and other policymakers on promising program approaches,
the Clearinghouse continually develops and recommends new strategies to
communicate the research findings and program activities of OJJDP and
the field to the practitioner community.
The entire NCJRS, of which the OJJDP-funded Juvenile Justice
Clearinghouse is a part, is administered by the National Institute of
Justice under a competitively awarded contract.
Coalition for Juvenile Justice--$700,000
The Coalition for Juvenile Justice supports and facilitates the
purposes and functions of each State's Juvenile Justice State Advisory
Group (SAG). The Coalition, acting as a Federal advisory committee,
reviews Federal policies and practices regarding juvenile justice and
delinquency prevention, prepares and submits an annual report and
recommendations to the President and Congress, and provides advice to
the OJJDP Administrator. The coalition is also authorized to develop an
information center for the SAGs and to conduct an annual conference to
provide training for SAG members. The program will be implemented by
the current grantee, the Coalition for Juvenile Justice. No additional
applications will be solicited in fiscal year 1995.
OJJDP Technical Assistance Support Contract: Juvenile Justice Resource
Center--$650,000
This contract provides technical assistance and support to OJJDP,
its grantees, and the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention in the areas of program development, evaluation,
training, and research. Support of this program will be supplemented in
fiscal year 1995.
National Juvenile Court Data Archive*--$611,000
The National Juvenile Court Data Archive collects, processes,
analyzes, and disseminates automated data and published reports from
the Nation's juvenile courts. The Archive's reports examine referrals,
offenses, intake, and dispositions in addition to specialized topics
such as minorities in juvenile courts and specific offense categories.
The Archive also provides assistance to jurisdictions in analyzing
their juvenile court data. In fiscal year 1995, the Archive will
enhance the collection, reporting, and analysis of more detailed data
on detention, dispositions, risk [[Page 21874]] factors, and treatment
data using offender-based data sets from a sample of juvenile courts.
The program will be implemented by the current grantee, the
National Center for Juvenile Justice. No additional applications will
be solicited in fiscal year 1995.
Juvenile Justice Statistics and Systems Development--$550,000
The purpose of the Juvenile Justice Statistics and Systems
Development (SSD) Program is to improve Federal, State, and local
juvenile justice statistics on juveniles as victims and offenders. The
SSD Program helps OJJDP to formulate a comprehensive program for the
collection, analysis and dissemination of national statistics on
juveniles as victims and offenders, and to document the juvenile
justice system's response. A major product to be completed will be a
national report on juvenile offending and victimization. Work on this
product will consist mainly of report production followup, including
the completion of a detailed technical appendix and preparation of
additional products for dissemination. The SSD program will focus on
the following areas in fiscal year 1995: (1) Juveniles in the criminal
justice system; (2) development and testing of a training curriculum
for improving information systems; (3) integration of juvenile justice,
mental health, and child welfare data collection; and (4) improving
information on juvenile detention.
The program will be implemented by the current grantee, the
National Center for Juvenile Justice. No additional applications will
be solicited in fiscal year 1995.
Insular Area Support*--$511,000
The purpose of this program is to provide supplemental financial
support to the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Trust
Territory of the Pacific Islands (Palau), and the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands. Funds are available to address the special
needs and problems of juvenile delinquency in these insular areas, as
specified by section 261(e) of the JJDP Act, 42 U.S.C. 5665(e).
Development of OJJDP's Comprehensive Strategy for Serious, Violent, and
Chronic Juvenile Offenders--$500,058
The National Council on Crime and Delinquency (NCCD), in
collaboration with Developmental Research and Programs, Inc. (DRP), has
completed Phase I of a collaborative effort to support development and
implementation of OJJDP's Comprehensive Strategy for Serious, Violent,
and Chronic Juvenile Offenders. This effort involved assessing existing
and previously researched programs in order to identify effective and
promising programs which can be used in implementing the Comprehensive
Strategy. A series of reports, which will be combined into a Guide to
the Comprehensive Strategy, has been completed on early intervention
for ages 0 to 6, prevention from childhood to adolescence, graduated
sanctions, risk and needs assessments, and an operations manual. Phase
II, to be carried out in fiscal year 1995, will include: (1) convening
a national forum on youth violence; (2) information dissemination; (3)
program development and implementation activities; (4) providing
information to national, State and local organizations; (5) providing
training and technical assistance to Title V Prevention, Serious,
Violent, and Chronic Juvenile Offender Treatment and SafeFutures sites;
and (6) conducting a series of regional training sessions for
representative groups of key leaders. The national forum and regional
training sessions will contribute to implementation of the National
Juvenile Justice Action Plan being formulated by the Coordinating
Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
The program will be implemented by NCCD ($274,627) and DRP
($225,431) under cooperative agreements. No additional applications
will be solicited in fiscal year 1995.
Research Program on Juveniles Taken Into CustodyNCCD--$450,000
The Research Program on Juveniles Taken Into Custody was designed
in response to a statutory requirement to produce a detailed annual
summary of juvenile custody data. During the next 24-month period, the
National Council on Crime and Delinquency (NCCD) will continue to
implement and refine the State Juvenile Correctional System Reporting
Program. It is anticipated that individual-level data for 1993 will be
representative of more than 75 percent of the at-risk juvenile
population. In addition, NCCD will prepare two additional reports for
OJJDP. These reports will provide a detailed summary and analysis of
the most recent data regarding: (1) The number and characteristics of
juveniles taken into custody; (2) the rate at which juveniles are taken
into custody; and (3) the trends demonstrated by the data.
The 1994 data collection will expand coverage by collecting data
from several small, nonautomated State systems. In order to better
understand the data collected under the State Juvenile Corrections
System Reporting Program, NCCD will conduct a State Juvenile
Corrections Organizational Survey to identify critical dimensions of
corrections administration that may explain variation in results. NCCD,
in cooperation with the National Center for Juvenile Justice, will
assess the proportion of all court commitments that are covered by the
State Juvenile Corrections Reporting Program as compared with direct
commitments by local authorities. NCCD will also conduct a pilot data
collection and research effort on a small sample of detention centers
to generate data and information on juveniles in detention.
This program will be implemented by the current grantee, NCCD. No
additional applications will be solicited in fiscal year 1995.
Children in Custody--Census $450,000
Under this ongoing collaborative program between OJJDP and the U.S.
Bureau of the Census, OJJDP proposes to transfer funds to the Census
Bureau to conduct the 1995 biennial census of public and private
juvenile detention, correctional, and shelter facilities. The census
describes juvenile custody facilities in terms of their resident
population, programs, and physical characteristics. It provides
information on trends in the use of juvenile custody facilities for
delinquent juveniles and status offenders. The Census Bureau's Center
for Survey Methods Research will also continue to develop and test a
roster-based data collection system designed to significantly improve
information on juveniles in custody. The Bureau's Governments Division
will create a new directory of facilities.
The program will be implemented under an interagency agreement with
the U.S. Bureau of the Census. No additional applications will be
solicited in fiscal year 1995.
Contract for the Evaluation of OJJDP Programs--$290,000
This contract will be extended and supplemented in the amount of
$290,000 to complete evaluation reports on OJJDP's Boot Camp Pilot
Program, to continue the evaluation of the Disproportionate Minority
Confinement and Title V Prevention Program evaluations, and to provide
other evaluation services required by OJJDP prior to the award of a new
competitive contract.
The contract supplement will be awarded to Caliber Associates. A
new competitive contract will be solicited in fiscal year 1995.
[[Page 21875]]
Pulling America's Communities Together (PACT) Program Development--
$261,000
Project PACT is an initiative through which Federal agencies work
with State and local agencies and communities to develop a strategic
plan to help reduce crime and violence by building healthier
communities. The role of the Federal government in Project PACT is to
support the community's identification of needs, formulation of a
coordinated community response, and development of resources to
implement a community action plan. OJJDP will continue to provide PACT
cities with technical assistance and information on programs and
services that offer the best hope for success in the development of
antiviolence strategies for juvenile offenders and victims.
The National Council on Crime and Delinquency (NCCD) has provided
the Project PACT jurisdictions of Metro Atlanta, Metro Denver,
Nebraska, and Washington, D.C., with technical assistance for the past
year. NCCD will continue to provide such assistance through fiscal year
1995 by responding to requests for assistance in implementing juvenile
justice reform through OJJDP's Comprehensive Strategy for Serious,
Violent, and Chronic Juvenile Offenders.
This program will be implemented by NCCD. No additional
applications would be solicited in fiscal year 1995.
Juveniles Taken Into Custody (JTIC): Interagency Agreement--$200,000
The U.S. Bureau of the Census is working with OJJDP and the
National Council on Crime and Delinquency to develop a comprehensive
national statistical reporting system that is responsive to the
information requirements of the JJDP Act, the needs of the juvenile
justice field for data on juvenile custody populations, and the needs
of State legislatures and juvenile justice professionals for data to
assist in making informed planning and policymaking decisions.
The Census Bureau acts as the data collection agent for the JTIC
program under an interagency agreement. No additional applications will
be solicited in fiscal year 1995.
Juvenile Justice Data Resources--$25,000
This program enhances the availability of juvenile justice data
sets for secondary analysis. The project takes data files from OJJDP
research and statistical programs and prepares them for use by other
researchers. Data files made available during fiscal year 1994 include
the 1993 Children in Custody Census, Juveniles Taken Into Custody, and
the Causes and Correlates Research Program.
This program will be implemented under an interagency agreement
with the University of Michigan. No additional applications will be
solicited in fiscal year 1995.
Strengthening Juvenile Justice
New Programs
Mental Health in the Juvenile Justice System--$750,000
This program addresses the mental health and juvenile justice
systems' lack of coordinated and adequate mental health treatment for
at-risk and delinquent youth. The program will target juveniles with
mental health problems and impairments (including learning
disabilities), those who are at risk of becoming status or delinquent
offenders, status offenders, and delinquents with undiagnosed or
untreated mental health problems, including offenders in secure and
non-secure residential care.
Fiscal year 1995 funds will provide up to $150,000 to each of the
five jurisdictions participating in the SafeFutures Program. Their
planning process would be expected to provide comprehensive,
coordinated, and collaborative approaches among juvenile justice, youth
service, and mental health agencies to improve mental health services
for juveniles in these five communities. A particular focus of the
fiscal year 1995 funding will be to target victims of child abuse and
juvenile sex offenders.
Bethesda Day Treatment Center--$320,000
Pennsylvania's Bethesda Day Treatment Center is a private nonprofit
agency established to provide intensive day treatment and a variety of
other services that promote the social adjustment of juvenile offenders
in the community.
For four years, OJJDP has provided funds to the Center to develop
and document intensive, outpatient, community-based treatment and care
centers for juveniles at risk of delinquency and those who have been
referred to court and are in the preadjudication or postadjudication
stages of the juvenile justice system. Center services were initially
designed to help youth in rural areas or small towns who committed
offenses related to family supervision and control. More recently, the
program has demonstrated its effectiveness in larger cities, including
Kalamazoo, Michigan and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with juveniles who
commit serious delinquent acts.
Bethesda Day Treatment Center's services include intensive
supervision, counseling, and coordination of a range of services
necessary to develop skills that enable youth to function appropriately
in the community. Services are client, group, and family focused.
Client-focused services include intake, casework, service and treatment
planning, individual counseling, intensive supervision, and study
skills. Group-focused services include group counseling; life and jobs
skill training, cultural enrichment, and physical education. Family-
focused activities include family counseling, home visits, parent
counseling, and family intervention services.
Day treatment services cost about 50 percent less than secure
placement, pose a minimal risk to community safety, and can be
implemented quickly. With management systems and funding in place, it
takes only 6 to 9 months from startup to full implementation of a
program.
The Bethesda Day Treatment Center will offer to replicate the day
treatment model in the five SafeFutures sites. Successful applicants
will be eligible to submit applications to the Bethesda Day Treatment
Center for up to $30,000, with a $30,000 local contribution, in
training and technical assistance services. Other local jurisdictions
will also be eligible to receive services from the grantee under the
same terms. Interested jurisdictions should contact the Bethesda Day
Treatment Center at (717) 568-1131. No additional applications will be
solicited in fiscal year 1995.
Interventions to Reduce Disproportionate Minority Confinement in Secure
Detention and Correctional Facilities (The Deborah Wysinger Memorial
Program)--$300,000
National data and studies have demonstrated that minority juveniles
are over-represented in secure facilities across the country. In
response to this problem, OJJDP issued regulations in 1989 requiring
States participating in the Formula Grants Program to gather and assess
data to determine the existence of disproportionate minority
confinement and, if it existed, to design strategies to address the
problem. To date, 47 States have completed the required data analyses,
with all but five determining that minority juveniles are
overrepresented in secure facilities. Analysis of the data indicates
that in a majority of States minority juveniles are disproportionately
represented at [[Page 21876]] several points of decision-making in the
juvenile justice system.
This competitive Special Emphasis program will provide funds to
States, local units of government, and nonprofit organizations to
demonstrate effective interventions designed to eliminate the
disproportionate confinement of minority juveniles in secure detention
or correctional facilities, adult jails and lockups, and other secure
institutional facilities. Activities appropriate for funding under this
initiative include such programs as:
Training and education programs for law enforcement and
juvenile justice practitioners.
Diversion programs for minority youths who come in contact
with the juvenile justice system.
Prevention programs in communities with high numbers of
minority residents.
Programs to increase the capacity of community-based
organizations to provide alternatives to detention and incarceration
for minority youths.
Aftercare programs designed to assist minority youths
returning to their communities from secure institutions.
Grants will be available in amounts ranging from $50,000 to
$100,000 for the implementation and evaluation of interventions
designed to reduce disproportionate minority confinement. In addition
to the general selection criteria applied to all OJJDP competitive
applications, OJJDP will consider the relationship of the application
to the State's development of multiple strategies to address the
State's problem based on minority overrepresentation indices as
identified in the Phase I data collection analysis. Three to six
competitive applications will be funded in fiscal year 1995 at $50,000
to $100,000 each.
The Juvenile Justice Prosecution Center--$300,000
For several years, OJJDP has supported prosecutor training
activities through the National District Attorneys' Association (NDAA).
This project will establish a Juvenile Justice Prosecution Center to
provide prosecutor training and implement workshops on juvenile justice
related executive policy, leadership, and management for chief
prosecutors and juvenile unit chiefs, and provide background
information to prosecutors on juvenile justice issues and programs.
The project will be implemented by the American Prosecutors
Research Institute (APRI), based on planning and input by prosecutors
familiar with juvenile justice needs. APRI is the research and
technical assistance affiliate of NDAA. The project will utilize a
working group of chief prosecutors and juvenile unit chiefs to support
the project's staff in providing training, technical assistance, and
juvenile justice related research and program information to
practitioners nationwide. The expectation is that within the next three
years a self-supporting Juvenile Justice Prosecution Center will be
established through links with State prosecutor training programs.
The award for the Juvenile Justice Prosecution Center will be made
to APRI. No additional applicants will be considered in fiscal year
1995.
Technical Assistance to Juvenile Corrections and Detention (The James
E. Gould Memorial Program)--$200,000
The purpose of this program is to continue OJJDP's capability to
provide technical assistance for juvenile corrections and detention. A
major responsibility of the grantee will be to plan and convene the
annual Juvenile Corrections and Detention Forum. The forum provides an
opportunity for 100 juvenile corrections and detention leaders to meet
and discuss issues, problems, and solutions to corrections and
detention problems. A second objective is to provide workshops and
training conferences on current and emerging national issues in the
field of juvenile corrections and detention. The grantee will provide
limited technical assistance through document dissemination. OJJDP will
award a competitive grant to an organization experienced in this area
of expertise to provide these services.
Strengthening Juvenile Justice
Continuation Programs
Serious, Violent, and Chronic Juvenile Offender Treatment Program--
$1,500,000
In fiscal year 1993, under a competitive announcement, OJJDP
awarded funds to enable two jurisdictions (Allegheny County,
Pennsylvania and Washington, DC) to develop a plan for systematic
graduated sanctions for juvenile offenders. The plan combines
accountability and sanctions with increasingly intensive community-
based intervention, treatment, and rehabilitation services as the
seriousness of a juvenile's offenses increases or a particular offense
warrants. The plan's basic elements are to: (1) Assess the existing
continuum of secure and nonsecure intervention, treatment, and
rehabilitation services in each jurisdiction; (2) define the juvenile
offender population; (3) develop and implement a program strategy; (4)
develop and implement an evaluation; (5) integrate private nonprofit,
community-based organizations into juvenile offender services; (6)
incorporate an aftercare program as a formal component of all
residential placements; (7) develop a resource plan to enlist the
financial and technical support of other Federal, State, and local
agencies, private foundations, or other funding sources; and (8)
develop a victim assistance component using local organizations.
In fiscal year 1994, these jurisdictions each qualified for
$500,000 implementation grants. Two additional jurisdictions are being
selected for combined planning and implementation awards of $500,000
each under a fiscal year 1994 competitive program.
In fiscal year 1995, each of the original jurisdictions will
receive continuation awards of $500,000 for second year implementation.
Also in fiscal year 1995, up to $100,000 will be available to each of
the five SafeFutures sites to refine and implement action plans for
graduated sanctions systems in the target areas. The Bureau of Justice
Assistance will transfer $1,500,000 to OJJDP to implement this program
in fiscal year 1995. No additional applications will be solicited in
fiscal year 1995.
Juvenile Court Training*--$1,074,000
The primary purpose of this project is to continue and refine the
training and technical assistance program offered by the National
Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. The training objectives
are to supplement law school curricula and provide judges with current
information on developments in juvenile and family case law and
available options for sentencing and treatment. Emphasis will also be
placed on drug testing, gangs and violence, and intermediate sanctions.
The project will provide both basic training to new juvenile and family
court judges and specialized training to experienced judges.
The program will be implemented by the current grantee, The
National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. No additional
applications will be solicited in fiscal year 1995.
Intensive Community-Based Aftercare Demonstration and Technical
Assistance Program--$620,000
This initiative is designed to support implementation, delivery of
training and technical assistance, and evaluation for a statewide
intensive community-based aftercare model in four states competitively
selected to participate in this demonstration program. [[Page 21877]]
In fiscal year 1994, the Johns Hopkins University was awarded funds
to test its intensive community-based aftercare model in four
demonstration sites in Denver, Colorado; Clark County (Las Vegas),
Nevada; Camden and Newark, New Jersey; and Richmond, Virginia. Each of
the four sites will receive up to $100,000 to support program
implementation in fiscal year 1995. An independent evaluation
contractor is providing an initial evaluation design and documenting
the implementation process under a separate grant.
The Johns Hopkins University will receive a supplemental award of
$220,000 to provide training and technical assistance to the four
selected sites and to OJJDP's Youth Environmental Service Program, Boot
Camp Pilot Program, and SafeFutures Program sites. This is the second
budget period of a three-year project. BJA will contribute $500,000 to
the support of this program in fiscal year 1995.
Native American Alternative Community-Based Program--$600,000
This program is designed as a collaborative effort between OJJDP
and other public and private organizations concerned about juvenile
delinquency among Native Americans. Its purpose is to develop
community-based alternative programs for Native American youth who are
adjudicated delinquent and to develop a re-entry program for Native
American delinquents returning from institutional placements. A
multicomponent design has been developed in the four project sites.
Fiscal year 1995 funding will support continued implementation of these
projects. Training and technical assistance will also be provided to
integrate the critical elements of OJJDP's intensive supervision and
community-based aftercare programs with cultural elements traditionally
used by Native Americans to control and rehabilitate offending youths.
The Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, the Navajo Nation, the Gila
River Indian Community, and the Pueblo of Jemez are the project sites
initially funded in fiscal year 1992. The National Indian Justice
Center provides the sites with training and technical assistance. No
additional applications will be solicited in fiscal year 1995.
Training for Juvenile Corrections and Detention Staff--$500,000
OJJDP will continue the development and implementation of a
comprehensive training program for juvenile corrections and detention
management staff through its interagency agreement with the National
Institute of Corrections (NIC). The program is designed to offer a core
curriculum for juvenile corrections and detention administrators and
mid-level management personnel in such areas as leadership development,
management, training of trainers, legal issues, cultural diversity, the
role of the victim in juvenile corrections, gang activity, juvenile
programming for specialized needs of offenders, and overcrowding. The
training is conducted at the NIC Academy and regionally. This program
is a continuation activity, implemented in fiscal year 1995 under an
interagency agreement with NIC. No additional applications will be
solicited in fiscal year 1995.
Technical Assistance to the Juvenile Courts*--$389,943
The National Center for Juvenile Justice (NCJJ), the research
division of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges,
provides four types of technical assistance under this grant: (1)
Information resources; (2) onsite consultation; (3) off-site
consultation; and (4) a cross-site consultation. Emphasis will be
placed on intermediate sanctions for handling juveniles involved in
drug-related offenses and gang activities and other emerging issues
confronting the juvenile court.
The current grantee, the National Center for Juvenile Justice, will
implement the program. No additional applications will be solicited in
fiscal year 1995.
Due Process Advocacy Program Development--$250,000
In fiscal year 1993, OJJDP funded the American Bar Association
(ABA), in partnership with the Juvenile Law Center (JLC) of
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the Youth Law Center (YLC) of San
Francisco, California to develop due process advocacy program
strategies. The goals of the program are: (1) To increase juvenile
offenders' access to legal services; (2) to improve the quality of
preadjudication, adjudication, and dispositional advocacy for juvenile
offenders; and (3) to ensure due process to all juveniles in the
juvenile justice system. The strategies will be made available to State
and local bar associations and other relevant organizations so that
they can develop approaches to increase the availability and quality of
counsel for juveniles. The ABA, JLC, and YLC have completed an
assessment of the current state of the art with regard to legal
services, training, and education. In fiscal year 1995, they will
develop strategies to improve access, availability, and the quality of
counsel and provide a comprehensive report on these issues. During this
second funding cycle, training materials will be developed and tested
in selected sites. Training materials will be adjusted based on
experience in the test sites and a dissemination strategy developed.
The ABA will establish mechanisms for networking with legal service
providers such as public defender offices and children's law centers.
Fiscal year 1995 funding will support the second six months of the
second year budget for this 3-year effort. No new applications will be
solicited in fiscal year 1995.
Improvement in Correctional Education for Juvenile Offenders--$250,000
The purpose of this program is to assist juvenile corrections
administrators in planning and implementing improved educational
services for detained and incarcerated juvenile offenders.
In fiscal year 1992, the National Office for Social Responsibility
(NOSR) was awarded a three-year cooperative agreement to conduct a
comprehensive assessment of the literature and to produce a report
documenting state of the art practices in educational reform. The
results of this effort were utilized to develop a training and
technical assistance program to improve educational services for
incarcerated juveniles.
In fiscal year 1995, NOSR will be awarded up to $250,000 to provide
training and technical assistance to three sites to be competitively
selected. No additional applications would be solicited for this
training and technical assistance program during fiscal year 1995.
Robeson County, North Carolina*--$202,645
This grant to the State of North Carolina will continue
implementing a pilot program for African-American males, ages 12 to 15,
who, in lieu of confinement, will be supervised in the community and
assigned to a weekend academy where they will receive intensive
services including counseling, tutoring, conflict resolution, and job
training. In the first year, 100 juveniles were expected to be served.
Second-year funds will be used to continue and expand the program.
P.A.C.E. Center for Girls, Inc.*--$150,000
The P.A.C.E. Center for Girls, Inc., headquartered in Orlando,
Florida, will expand its program to several new sites and provide
technical assistance to jurisdictions that wish to adopt the P.A.C.E.
program model. P.A.C.E. [[Page 21878]] provides juvenile court judges
with an alternative program for at-risk teenage girls arrested for
status and minor delinquent offenses. Fiscal year 1995 funds will
support the second year of implementation.
Juvenile Restitution: Balanced Approach--$100,000
OJJDP will continue to support the juvenile restitution training
and technical assistance program in fiscal year 1995. The project
design is based on practitioner recommendations for current needs in
the field. OJJDP initiated a survey on how best to integrate and
institutionalize restitution as a key component of juvenile justice
dispositions. In addition to the survey, a working group was convened
to help map out the course of OJJDP's support for optimum development
of the components of restitution. These components include community
service, victim reparation, victim-offender mediation, offender
employment and supervision, employment development, and potential
program elements designed to establish restitution as an important
alternative in improving the juvenile justice system. This project is
guided by the need to provide a balance of community protection and
offender competency development and accountability in the provision of
community-based sanctions.
The Division of Applied Research of Florida Atlantic University was
competitively selected in fiscal year 1992 to implement this project.
The grant will be extended into fiscal year 1995 to enable the grantee
to provide technical assistance and support to States and localities
seeking to implement the balanced approach. No additional applications
will be solicited in fiscal year 1995.
Evaluation of Intensive Community-Based Aftercare Demonstration and
Technical Assistance Program--$80,000
This supplement will allow the evaluation grantee, the National
Council on Crime and Delinquency (NCCD), to provide additional
assistance in data collection in fiscal year 1995 to the four States
implementing the Intensive Community-Based Aftercare Demonstration and
Technical Assistance Program.
The initial stage of this evaluation will assess the process used
by the four demonstration states to implement an intensive community-
based aftercare program, evaluate technical assistance provided to
these States, and develop a preliminary impact evaluation research
design. This supplemental award will provide for the initiation of data
collection efforts as soon as the research design for the impact
evaluation is completed.
This program will be implemented by NCDD. No additional
applications will be solicited in fiscal year 1995.
Douglas County, Nebraska*--$67,055
This grant for a youth pre-trial diversion program in Douglas
County, Nebraska was initially funded in fiscal year 1994 for a two-
year project period. Fiscal year 1995 funding will support second-year
implementation.
Professional Development for Youth Workers--$50,000
The primary purpose of this program is to promote professional
development of youth service and juvenile justice system providers
through formal training. The program will include an inventory of
existing training programs and their effectiveness, a needs assessment
training survey, development of curricula for several program settings,
design of a dissemination strategy, and an implementation plan for the
third year of a three-year program.
Initially funded in fiscal year 1992, the Academy for Educational
Development, Inc., located in Washington, D.C., will continue the
project for six months to train trainers in the new curricula. No
additional applications will be solicited in fiscal year 1995.
Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania*--$50,000
With fiscal year 1994 funds, the District Attorney's Office in
Lackawanna County created a Comprehensive Juvenile Crime Unit to
investigate, prosecute, and prevent juvenile crime and to coordinate
with other county agencies that are helping youth avoid delinquent
behavior and become productive citizens. The primary activity will be
to establish a Juvenile Justice Task Force to work with the Juvenile
Probation Office to assess the needs and services of Lackawanna County.
The Task Force will also review the last five years of the Juvenile
Probation Office files to determine demographics, numbers of juvenile
crimes committed, recidivism, and school district disciplinary and
rehabilitation programs. Fiscal year 1995 funds will complete
implementation of this program.
Public Safety and Law Enforcement
New Programs
Gangs and Delinquency Research--$500,000
In fiscal year 1994, OJJDP channeled its gang-related activities
into the Comprehensive Gang Program, made possible by an increased Part
D appropriation. The National Gang Assessment and Resource Center,
funded under the fiscal year 1994 Program Plan, will provide a national
baseline study of the presence and characteristics of violent gangs.
This year, OJJDP proposes to supplement this baseline study with two
studies designed to develop detailed information on various aspects of
gangs in gang-plagued cities identified in the baseline studies. The
main purpose of these supplemental studies is to examine gang behavior
as a subset of overall delinquency. This program will fund the addition
of gang studies to ongoing studies of juvenile delinquency, including
serious, violent, and chronic delinquency. Specific issues to be
examined include assessing the relationship of gang participation to
other forms of delinquency and violence associated with gang membership
and determining the proportion of violent youth crime accounted for by
youth gangs. Proposals are encouraged that incorporate gang studies
into ongoing studies of large samples of juveniles.
OJJDP will provide up to four assistance awards in amounts ranging
from $100,000 to $150,000 each under this program.
Field-Initiated Gang Research Program--$300,000
OJJDP's Field-Initiated Research Program offers support for
research ideas generated in the field rather than by OJJDP. Fiscal year
1995 Field-Initiated Research Program funding will be directed to the
support of research on gangs, reflecting the growth in violence among
youth gangs. Priority research topics include evaluation of prevention
and intervention approaches aimed at diverting at-risk youth from
becoming gang members, factors related to joining and leaving gangs,
ethnographic studies on the dynamics of gang creation or joining, or
other topics identified by applicants.
OJJDP will provide up to three assistance awards ranging from
$75,000 to $125,000 each under this program.
Juvenile Transfers to Criminal Court Studies--$275,000
States are increasingly enacting new legislation mandating transfer
of [[Page 21879]] juveniles to criminal courts. This trend includes the
development of innovative procedures such as blending traditional
features of juvenile and criminal justice procedures and sanctions and
statutes that categorize juvenile offenders into different classes
according to the seriousness of the offense, designating juvenile or
criminal court for each class. Research in this area has been limited.
Few studies have evaluated juvenile and criminal court handling of
serious or violent juvenile offenders.
OJJDP proposes to support two studies in fiscal year 1995. The
first will compare juvenile and criminal court handling of juveniles.
This comparison would be made between a State(s) that allows for
judicial waiver of serious or violent juvenile offenders and a State(s)
that mandates criminal court handling for specified categories of
offenders. The second study will evaluate an innovative system of
blending criminal and juvenile justice systems to handle serious or
violent juvenile offenders.
Funding for the initial phase of each of these studies will be
competitively awarded and will be up to $150,000 each for up to two
grant awards.
Innovative Firearms Program--$250,000
The purpose of the Innovative Firearms Program is to assist State
and local jurisdictions to develop and implement new or enhanced
projects to prevent the possession and use of firearms by juveniles and
control illicit firearm trafficking. Law enforcement, prosecutorial
agencies, schools, community groups, and juvenile justice system
representatives may participate in the program. The grantee(s), in
cooperation with the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), OJJDP, and the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, will also work with U.S.
Attorneys to develop and implement State and local projects related to
the new Youth Handgun Safety Act that prohibits the possession of a
handgun or ammunition by, or the private transfer of a handgun or
ammunition to, a juvenile. BJA and OJJDP will also work with local
jurisdictions to develop a program to reduce firearms crimes by
juvenile gangs through improved enforcement of firearms laws and other
laws and regulations, such as tax and business laws, that are used to
control firearm sales. OJJDP and BJA will jointly fund this program at
$500,000. BJA will administer the program.
Gangs, Groups, Individuals, and Violence Intervention--$250,000
Little is known about the interrelationships among gang
participation, group delinquency, and individual violence. The dynamics
of a juvenile's movement in and out of these relationships is not well
understood. How these patterns of delinquency contribute to the careers
of serious and violent offenders is also unknown. Nor do we have a
clear understanding of the prevention and intervention program
implications of these patterns of delinquency.
This project will involve a systematic review, assessment, and
synthesis of existing research results on gangs, other types of group
involvement, and individual serious and violent delinquency to
determine the implications for prevention and juvenile/criminal justice
system interventions. The framework to be used in conducting this
review of existing knowledge is a criminal career model, including
onset, acceleration, maintenance, and desistance elements.
Implications for OJJDP's Comprehensive Strategy for Serious,
Violent, and Chronic Juvenile Offenders project will be drawn.
Recommendations will be made for prevention programs and interventions
in the juvenile and criminal justice systems that take into account
meta-analyses of prevention and intervention programs. One cooperative
agreement will be competitively awarded to implement this project in
fiscal year 1995.
The results of this program will be of interest to other OJP
agencies addressing serious, violent and chronic offender careers. The
results also will be shared with OJP agencies through the Gangs Working
Group and with other Federal agencies through the National Gang
Consortium.
Youth Handgun Study/Model Juvenile Handgun Legislation--$202,838
Reducing and preventing gun violence is a primary concern of
Federal, State, and local governments. This violence affects youth not
only as perpetrators but also as victims and witnesses. There is a need
to know about the various State laws concerning youth and handguns.
This project will collect, analyze, and compare selected provisions of
State firearms codes, particularly as they pertain to juveniles. The
purpose is to develop a body of information about key provisions of
State firearms codes. The results of this study will assist in
formulating laws, policies, and programs to reduce firearms-related
violence.
The product to be developed is a guide to selected State firearm
provisions. This study, and the development of a model juvenile handgun
law, are mandated by the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act
of 1994. In order to immediately begin collecting study data to assist
in developing the model law, a total of $75,290 was transferred to the
Bureau of Justice Assistance for a joint award to the National Criminal
Justice Association for the purpose of collecting, examining, and
analyzing existing and proposed State firearms codes. The Crime Act
requires the Attorney General, through the Administrator and the
National Institute for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, to
develop a Constitutional and enforceable model juvenile handgun law.
This model law will guide the States in their development of laws
concerning juvenile handgun possession. The model law will be stated in
a format designed to enable States to determine which provisions are
best suited to their individual needs. This effort is being assisted by
the National Criminal Justice Association under a grant in the amount
of $127,548. No additional applications will be solicited in fiscal
year 1995.
Public Safety and Law Enforcement
Continuation Programs
Law Enforcement Training and Technical Assistance Program--
Sec. 1,504,924
This continuation award will supplement the contract between OJJDP
and Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton, Wisconsin. Fiscal year
1995 funds will be used to conduct a nationwide training and technical
assistance program designed to improve law enforcement's capability to
respond to serious juvenile crime, to contribute to delinquency
prevention, and to address issues of missing and exploited children and
child abuse and neglect. Technical assistance under this contract is
provided in response to a wide variety of requests from Federal, State,
local, and county agencies with responsibility for the prevention and
control of juvenile delinquency and juvenile victimization. The
contract supports continuation of the Police Operations Leading to
Improved Children and Youth Services (POLICY) series of training
programs and other law enforcement training programs offered by OJJDP.
No additional applications will be solicited in fiscal year 1995.
Comprehensive Communities ProgramComprehensive Gang Initiative--
$799,345
Under the Comprehensive Communities Program, the Bureau of Justice
Assistance (BJA) provides funds [[Page 21880]] to communities to
implement a Comprehensive Gang Initiative. Funding for fiscal year 1995
would be a joint BJA and OJJDP effort, with OJJDP transferring $799,345
to BJA to support continued implementation of the Comprehensive Gang
Initiative. The program includes a training curriculum and the
provision of technical assistance to model demonstration sites by the
Police Executive Research Forum (PERF). Four competitively selected
demonstration sites were funded during fiscal year 1993 with technical
assistance provided by PERF. Four additional sites will be funded in
fiscal year 1995 through a competitive process. Applications will be
solicited by BJA.
Targeted Outreach With a Gang Prevention and Intervention Component
(Boys and Girls Clubs)--$600,000
This program is designed to enable local Boys and Girls Clubs to
prevent youth from entering gangs and to intervene with gang members in
the early stages of gang involvement to divert them from gang
activities and into more constructive programs. The National Office of
Boys and Girls Clubs will provide training and technical assistance to
existing Gang Prevention and Intervention sites and expand the gang
prevention and intervention program to other Boys and Girls Clubs,
including those in the SafeFutures sites. The program will be
implemented by the current grantee, the Boys and Girls Clubs of
America. No additional applications will be solicited in fiscal year
1995.
Comprehensive Gang Initiative--$600,000
Under the Comprehensive Gang Initiative, BJA has developed a model
comprehensive approach to gang issues that carefully balances
prevention, intervention, and suppression approaches. The model
incorporates strategies that bring together cooperative and coordinated
efforts of the police, other criminal justice agencies, human services
providers, and community programs. Funds in the amount of $600,000 will
be transferred to the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). In fiscal
year 1995, BJA will provide continuation funding for the four currently
funded project sites.
Violence Studies*--$500,000
The 1992 Amendments to the JJDP Act required OJJDP to conduct
studies on violence. Sites were selected and grants awarded in
Columbia, South Carolina; Los Angeles, California; Milwaukee,
Wisconsin; and Washington, DC. Building on the results of OJJDP's
Program of Research on Causes and Correlates, these studies address the
incidence of violence committed by or against juveniles in urban and
rural areas of the United States. In fiscal year 1993, OJJDP initiated
these studies by supporting a planning phase and providing funding to
each of four programs with fiscal year 1994 funds. Awards will be
required to continue studies in two of the four designated sites in
fiscal year 1995. No additional applications would be solicited in
fiscal year 1995.
Violence Study--Causes and Correlates--$300,000
OJJDP proposes to support additional analyses of data collected
under its Program of Research on the Causes and Correlates of
Delinquency, conducted at the State University of New York at Albany,
the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Colorado. Because
of the richness and scope of the data base, many issues have yet to be
addressed. The main purpose of additional analyses to be conducted
under this program is to inform the further development of OJJDP's
Comprehensive Strategy for Serious, Violent, and Chronic Juvenile
Offenders. In addition to conducting analyses specifically related to
the Comprehensive Strategy, the grantees will produce an updated
summary of their research results.
This program will be implemented by the grantees noted above. No
additional applications will be solicited in fiscal year 1995.
Child Centered Community-Oriented Policing--$300,000
In fiscal year 1993, OJJDP provided support to the New Haven,
Connecticut, Police Department and the Yale University Child
Development Center to document a child-centered community-oriented
policing model, which is being implemented in New Haven. The basic
elements of the model are a 10-week training course in child
development for all new police officers, and child development
fellowships for all community-based district commanders who direct
neighborhood police teams. The fellowships provide 4 to 6 hours of
training each week over a 3-month period at the Child Study Center. The
program also includes: (1) 24-hour consultation from a clinical
professional and a police supervisor to patrol officers who assist
children in violent situations; (2) weekly case conferences with police
officers, educators, and child study center staff; and (3) open police
stations, located in neighborhoods and accessible to residents for
police and related services, community liaison, and neighborhood foot
patrols.
In fiscal year 1994, Community Policing funds transferred from the
Bureau of Justice Assistance supported a technical assistance and
training grant to allow the Yale/New Haven project to serve as a host
site for jurisdictions interested in replicating the essential elements
of the model. In fiscal year 1995, OJJDP funds will support the
continuation of this project in two to four replication sites. No
additional applications will be solicited in fiscal year 1995.
National School Safety Center--$250,000
The purposes of this collaborative program between OJJDP and the
Department of Education are: (1) To provide training and technical
assistance regarding school safety for elementary and secondary schools
and, (2) to identify methods for diminishing crime, violence, and
illegal drug use in schools and on campuses, with special emphasis on
gang-related crime. The National School Safety Center maintains a
library and clearinghouse with specialized information, does research
on school safety issues, and develops publications and training
programs. The program focuses on preventing drug abuse and violence in
schools and providing State personnel trained in school safety to give
technical assistance to localities.
The Department of Education contributed $1 million to the program
in fiscal year 1994. The program will be implemented by the current
grantee, the National School Safety Center at Pepperdine University. No
additional applications will be solicited in fiscal year 1995.
Enhancing Enforcement Strategies for Juvenile Impaired Driving Due to
Alcohol and Other Drug Use--$150,000
Through a $75,000 interagency agreement with the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration of the Department of Transportation,
OJJDP ($75,000) is supporting an initiative on Enhancing Enforcement
Strategies for Juvenile Impaired Driving Due to Alcohol and Other Drug
Use. The goals of this program are: (1) To increase the use of the
arrest sanction among law enforcement agencies in cases where juvenile
drivers are impaired by alcohol and other drugs, by developing and
testing a model comprehensive program in selected demonstration sites
and by disseminating training and technical assistance materials for
police, [[Page 21881]] prosecutors, judges, and probation officers on
effective procedures and law enforcement strategies, and (2) to
increase community reliance on a unified systemwide response to
juvenile impaired driving by involving the criminal justice system and
other elements of the community in encouraging enforcement efforts that
use the arrest sanction.
This three-phase program is entering its third and final phase. To
date, the grantee, the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), has
developed a draft comprehensive Juvenile Driving Under the Influence
Enforcement Working Model, training curricula, and technical assistance
materials. Five sites have been selected and are testing the model and
receiving training and technical assistance from PERF. The
demonstration sites are Albany County, New York; Astoria, Oregon;
Hampton, Virginia; Phoenix, Arizona; and Tulsa, Oklahoma.
In the third phase of the program, the observations and lessons
learned from the demonstration sites will be categorized, analyzed,
consolidated, and organized into a replicable model. The model will be
presented to law enforcement and other interested public and private
organizations through a variety of ``how-to'' materials. Program work
products will be developed as a series of discrete, stand-alone
publications to be published and distributed with the notation that the
materials, like the various model components, must be coordinated in
order to produce the desired result--a cooperating local criminal
justice system that supports its police in the use of the arrest
sanction as a principle deterrent to juvenile impaired driving. No
additional applications will be solicited in fiscal year 1995.
Training in Cultural Differences for Law Enforcement/Juvenile Justice
Officials--$100,000
Under a previous OJJDP award, The American Correctional Association
(ACA), in collaboration with the Police Executive Research Forum
(PERF), developed and tested a 2\1/2\ day cultural diversity training
curriculum that is applicable to all juvenile justice system
components. The curriculum has been presented by ACA and PERF trainers,
and has been well received by training attendees, particularly juvenile
justice/law enforcement trainers. In addition, the ACA has received
numerous requests from juvenile justice agencies to provide the
training to their personnel.
In recognition of the need for and benefits of cultural diversity
training, OJJDP will continue support for the above project in fiscal
year 1995. The purpose of the additional funding is to enable the
grantee to implement additional State and regional training-of-trainers
programs across the country in response to requests from the field.
The competitively awarded grant to the ACA for this project will be
supplemented in fiscal year 1995 in the amount of $100,000.
Delinquency Prevention
New Programs
Community-Based Gang Intervention--$2,000,000
This program is designed to help communities build coalitions to
reduce gangs and violence in public housing developments in partnership
with public and federally subsidized housing residents. Fiscal year
1995 funding will establish the program in public and federally
subsidized housing developments in the five SafeFutures sites. Under
this program, community-based groups that can demonstrate a successful
record of providing services to public housing youth and residents will
be eligible to receive funds for a community coalition to address the
needs of youth at risk for gang involvement. Program components will
include: (1) Prevention and intervention activities directed at
elementary school through high school gang violence; and (2) on-site
technical assistance to community-based groups, including members of
the local public housing resident association, and residents who are
parents of youth to be served.
Each grantee must conduct a community assessment of current
conditions and programs directed at youth and at preventing violence
that uses a planning committee composed of residents and
representatives from those sectors of the community which the residents
believe can help reduce youth violence. Based on this assessment, the
committee will develop and initiate its local program. Under an
interagency agreement between OJJDP and the Department of Housing and
Urban Development, $250,000 will be provided for the technical
assistance and training component of this program.
Family Strengthening and SupportIncluding Non-English Speaking--
$1,000,000
Strengthening and supporting families, including non-English
speaking families, is a priority area in the JJDP Act and a key
component of the comprehensive approach to delinquency prevention and
control envisioned in OJJDP's Comprehensive Strategy to Address
Serious, Violent, and Chronic Delinquency and the proposed SafeFutures:
Partnerships to Reduce Youth Violence and Delinquency. OJJDP will
provide funding to each of the five communities selected to implement a
SafeFutures Program. Funds will be used to initiate or expand family-
strengthening intervention and treatment programs, including programs
for English and non-English-speaking families, that involve juveniles
who are parents and are in the juvenile justice system, and that enlist
schools and other local entities in family programming.
A major family-strengthening research project funded by OJJDP was
recently completed. The grantees, the University of Utah and the
Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, produced a user's guide,
Strengthening America's Families: Promising Parenting and Family
Strategies for Delinquency Prevention, and an executive summary that
reviews both the current impact of family characteristics on risk for
delinquency and the most promising family change interventions. Given
the multiple variations of intervention strategies, the project
recommends the organization of family-strengthening programs and
services according to the family's level of functioning and the child's
age. A representative group of 25 particularly promising programs were
identified.
Under this program area, OJJDP will support implementation of new
or expanded family-strengthening efforts designed to improve parental
functioning as part of an overall plan to prevent delinquency or
intervene with juveniles and their families who are in the juvenile
justice system. Communities that compete and are selected as
SafeFutures sites will be eligible to receive funding under this
program. Family Strengthening and Support Program funds will be
available to the five selected SafeFutures communities at $200,000 per
site.
Comprehensive Community-Based Services for At-Risk Girls and
Adjudicated Juvenile Female Offenders--$600,000
This program will focus on providing comprehensive, gender-specific
prevention, intervention, treatment, and alternative services that
include an intensive aftercare component for juvenile female offenders
and girls who are at high-risk of entering the juvenile justice system.
The program will be part of the SafeFutures program. Applicants must
assess existing community services for at-risk and adjudicated female
juvenile offenders and document [[Page 21882]] the need for a new or
improved comprehensive prevention, intervention, treatment, or
alternative service project in their target area. An aftercare
component will be required to assist juvenile female offenders who are
returning to the community from an out-of-home placement.
While intervention services should be provided in the least
restrictive environment, the increase in arrests of female juvenile
offenders indicates that community-based intervention is not always
possible. In order to offer needed prevention and intervention services
to as many juveniles as possible, this program will focus on girls in
nonresidential and nonsecure residential programs such as day treatment
and group homes. One hundred and twenty thousand dollars will be
available to each of the five SafeFutures grantees to coordinate
community service providers, assess existing services, identify local
resources to supplement funded services, and provide training for
project staff.
Innovative Approaches in Law-Related Education*--$600,000
The purpose of this competitive program is to support and advance
the practices of law-related education (LRE) for the prevention of
delinquency within and outside the classroom. Funds will be available
for assistance awards to support up to six projects, at up to $150,000
each, that promote innovative methods, techniques, approaches, or
delivery related to LRE. The promising approaches or ideas submitted
will be judged on their applicability to delinquency prevention, on
whether the proposed approach differs from previously funded efforts of
OJJDP, and on the extent to which they provide an innovative approach
consistent with accepted LRE program principles.
Training in Risk-Focused Prevention Strategies--$500,000
OJJDP will provide additional training in fiscal year 1995 for
communities interested in developing a risk-focused delinquency
prevention strategy. This training is designed to support OJJDP's Title
V Delinquency Prevention Program and similar federally funded programs
by providing the knowledge and skills necessary for local, State, and
private agency officials and citizens to identify and address risk
factors that are known to lead to violent and delinquent behavior in
children and youth. In fiscal year 1994, this training was offered in
all 50 States and the District of Columbia, and to State and local
officials engaged in planning associated with Department of Health and
Human Services prevention programs.
OJJDP will award a contract to provide the training, including the
following: (1) Orientation training on risk and resiliency-focused
prevention theories and strategies for State, local and private
community leaders; (2) identifying, assessing, and addressing risk
factors; (3) training for trainers in selected States to provide
statewide capacity to train communities on risk-focused prevention; and
(4) development of training curricula, materials, and media to increase
the capacity of States and localities to conduct risk-focused
prevention training. This training will be provided through a
competitive contract award.
Pathways to Success--$450,000
This project will support a collaborative effort among OJJDP, the
Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), and the National Endowment for the
Arts (NEA). The project will promote vocational skills, entrepreneurial
initiatives, recreation, and arts education for after-school, weekend
hours, and summer that make a variety of opportunities available to at-
risk youth outside the regular school curriculum. Hours considered to
be outside the regular school curriculum include after-school, weekend
hours, and summer; however, the project would not need to, but may,
cover the full year.
This program will be jointly funded by OJJDP ($200,000), BJA
($200,000), and NEA ($50,000). Through a competitive concept paper and
application process, it will fund five sites, at up to $50,000 each,
for the first year of a two-year project period. Prospective applicants
will be asked to submit a pre-application concept paper. Based on
OJJDP's review of these papers, those best demonstrating an ability to
qualify for funding will be invited to submit full applications.
Applicants interested in applying for this program must demonstrate
that collaboration has taken place with existing education, business,
arts, and community groups, and youth-serving agencies in the
development of its program including, where appropriate, collaboration
with existing after-school, weekend, and summer youth programs. The
applicant should develop and submit written documentation of existing
and proposed collaboration as part of the application process, such as
memoranda of understanding, legislation, executive orders, and/or other
formal commitments of bona fide partnership (e.g., collapsed funding
streams, wrap-around services, multi-service centers, and procedures
for service coordination). Prospective applicants must serve at-risk
youth who are 6 to 18 years of age, but a project would not need to
cover the full age range.
Truancy--$400,000
The Truancy Project will be part of a joint effort with the Bureau
of Justice Assistance and the under the Youth Out of the Education
Mainstream Initiative (Initiative). The Initiative will address the
needs of truants, dropouts, children who are afraid to go to school,
children who have been suspended or expelled, and children in the
juvenile justice system who need to maintain or enhance their
educational status and be reintegrated into the school system upon
their release from residential placement. The Initiative proposes a
series of activities that includes regional hearings, training and
technical assistance, and related support services for communities that
wish to comprehensively address the needs of these youth. The training
and technical assistance services will help jurisdictions direct their
efforts at model prevention and intervention programs that address the
needs of the students through a wide range of collaborative services.
These models will make collaborative multi-disciplinary services
available to students from agencies within the school, law enforcement,
social services, and community organizations. These services would
include student and parent attendance policy review, attendance review
boards, parental notification of absences, individual education
programs for students with special needs, mental health counseling,
drug and alcohol abuse treatment, career and vocational courses,
tutorial assistance, in-school suspension, parenting training, law
enforcement partnerships, and transitional programs assisting students
reentering the mainstream school.
The National School Safety Center (NSSC) will work with
jurisdictions to develop and implement model programs to address the
problems of youth out of the education mainstream. Those jurisdictions
that have current programs working with these students, but would like
to expand and improve support services to better address the needs of
these youth, may also request training and technical assistance
services through NSSC. Funds for implementing the truancy component of
the Initiative will be awarded to the NSSC as a supplement to its
current grant. The Office of Juvenile Justice and
[[Page 21883]] Delinquency Prevention and the Bureau of Justice
Assistance are each contributing $200,000 to this effort. No additional
applications will be solicited in fiscal year 1995.
North Omaha B.E.A.R.S. (Building Esteem and Responsibility
Systematically) Program*--$300,000
The North Omaha B.E.A.R.S. Program will enhance and expand its
delinquency prevention program over a three-year period. This program
focuses on at-risk youth ages 7-14 from the city of Omaha, Nebraska,
using athletic participation as a means of providing tutoring, social
enhancement and other services to Omaha youth. Funds will be used to
enhance the linkages between the B.E.A.R.S. Program and the community.
These funds will also be utilized to expand the number of at-risk
juveniles and juveniles in the juvenile justice system being served by
this program.
Training and Technical Assistance for Family-Strengthening Services--
$250,000
Prevention, early intervention, and effective crisis intervention
are critical elements in a community's family support system. In many
communities, support services are geared toward intervention following
a traumatic event, or toward the point when a child comes into contact
with the justice system as a result of repeated behavioral problems.
Over the years, OJJDP's program support and technical assistance has
focused primarily on youth in the juvenile justice system. Technical
assistance and training have not generally been available to community
organizations and agencies focused upon family-oriented prevention
services or early intervention initiatives. Currently, training is
being provided to communities interested in implementing risk focused
prevention. Following this training, communities will be better able to
apply for and use Title V funds to support prevention programs.
Title V funds, along with funds available through the State
Challenge Activities Grant Program, provide resources through State
agency recipients of formula grant funds for jurisdictions and
communities wanting to strengthen family support services, develop
services where gaps exist, or augment and retool existing services to
respond to new populations. In fiscal year 1995, OJJDP will support a
program to provide technical assistance and training to public and
private nonprofit agencies and organizations interested in structuring
or enhancing family strengthening program models in communities where
such services are designed as part of community-wide efforts to prevent
delinquency and reduce violence. Such assistance will be offered for a
selected number of family support models that have been demonstrated to
be effective in diverse communities. OJJDP will award a competitive
grant to an organization experienced in this area of expertise to
provide these services.
Youth-Centered Conflict Resolution--$200,000
Violence in and around school campuses, conflict among students
within schools, and conflicts between schools related to intramural
activities have become increasingly problematic for school
administrators, teachers, parents, and community leaders. While experts
may debate the merits and impact of the varied contributing factors,
most would agree that public school curricula, for the most part, do
not provide for the systematic development of problem- and conflict-
resolving skills. Inclusion of problem-solving skills in school
curricula and community activities can be expected to provide a
continuum in problem-solving skills and approaches that will enhance
school discipline and lead to improved functioning in a democratic
society.
OJJDP will award a grant to a qualified organization to develop, in
concert with other established organizations currently providing
conflict resolution services, a national strategy for broad-based
education, training, and utilization of conflict resolution skills. In
support of this task, the grantee would conduct four regional technical
assistance workshops on the use of the joint publication being
developed by the Departments of Justice and Education, Conflict
Resolution Programs in Schools: A Guide to Program Selection and
Implementation. This guide will be available late summer 1995. A
complementary task may include the compilation of a compendium of model
programs for this publication.
ASAP: Athlete Student Achievement Pact*--$150,000
The Sports Museum of New England will refine and continue
developing the Athlete Student Achievement Pact (ASAP) mentoring
program. ASAP focuses on at-risk school aged youth demonstrating poor
academic achievement or participation. Through a signed agreement
between a mentor and the student, tutoring is provided to assist these
youth in their academic progress, and by acting as role models, to help
students understand how to become successful in society. This program
also utilizes high profile sports figures as role models for these
youth. The overall purpose of this program is to reduce gang
involvement, drug use, delinquency and drop-out rates within the target
population.
Project Mister/Project Sister*--$146,500
This school-based delinquency prevention program will provide at-
risk youth in three alternative high schools in Seattle and Tacoma,
Washington with expanded counseling and case management services, pre-
employment training, job search and placement, and parenting education.
Many youth in these schools are teen parents and gang members. Most
have been out of school at least once. Funds will support a full time
case manager and job developer, and part-time parenting lab
instructors. The goals of the program are to reduce the dropout rate,
provide employment opportunities within two weeks of school completion,
and prevent teen pregnancy.
Facing History and Ourselves*--$100,000
Facing History and Ourselves (FHO) is a national program aimed at
promoting citizenship through increased awareness of racism and
examples of positive actions for participating in democracy. This
awareness-training is conducted through in-depth examination of the
Holocaust as a historical case study in which youth study the roles and
actions of various persons such as bystanders, victims, rescuers, and
resisters. FHO, headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, serves
approximately 600,000 youth beginning in the eighth grade in 39 states.
This grant will enable FHO to expand to reach more approximately 40,000
more youth through 350 newly trained teachers.
La Nueva Vida*--$64,000
La Nueva Vida is a residential treatment program that has recently
expanded to create a school-based prevention program. It has been
active in four schools where special classes on prevention-related
subjects are presented twice a week. With the funds provided through
this grant, La Nueva Vida proposes to establish a youth leadership
development program in the public housing areas of Santa Fe, New
Mexico. Youth aged 16 to 21 will receive leadership training and
supervision as they engage in cross-age teaching and mentoring type
relationships with younger children in the public housing areas in
Santa Fe. [[Page 21884]]
Henry Ford Health System*--$58,000
The Henry Ford Health System (HFHS) will implement a two-year
Program called Reducing Youth Violence through School-Based initiatives
in the Northern High School area of Detroit. The Program will develop
and test a health care based violence prevention program through
school-based health centers being established by HFHS at seven
elementary schools, two middle schools, and the high school in this
area. Participants will include teachers, family members, community
programs and agencies, as well as student and health center staff. The
initial program activities will involve an assessment of the problem in
these school areas, and a coordinated planning process. The Program
will then test approaches to violence prevention, evaluate the effort,
and if it is successful, seek implementation funding from State, local
and private funding sources.
Anti-Crime Youth Council*--$50,000
The Anti-Crime Youth Council program was developed as a forum in
New Haven, Connecticut in which students could get together to discuss
crime and be empowered to develop and implement solutions. The Council
holds monthly public forums either in the evening on a weeknight or
during the school day. The youth have developed several committees,
focusing on areas such as law enforcement and community service. One
hundred and fifty students are currently involved in the Council. This
grant will facilitate the operation and expansion of the Council
program in Connecticut.
Delinquency Prevention
Continuation Programs
Law-Related Education (LRE)*--$2,800,000
The national Law-Related Education (LRE) Program, titled ``Youth
for Justice'', includes five coordinated LRE projects and programs
operating in 48 States and four non-State jurisdictions.
The Program's purpose is to provide training and technical
assistance to State and local school jurisdictions that will result in
the institutionalization of quality LRE programs for at-risk youth. The
focus of the program during fiscal year 1995 will be on linking LRE,
violence reduction and youth action. The major components of the
program are coordination and management, training and technical
assistance, preliminary assistance to future sites, public information,
program development, and assessment.
This program will be implemented by the current grantees, the
American Bar Association, the Center for Civic Education, the
Constitutional Rights Foundation, the National Institute for Citizen
Education in the Law, and the Phi Alpha Delta Legal Fraternity. No
additional applications will be solicited in fiscal year 1995.
Teens, Crime, and Community: Teens in Action in the 90s*--$1,000,000
This continuation program is conducted by the National Crime
Prevention Council (NCPC) in partnership with and the National
Institute for Citizen Education in the Law (NICEL). Teens in Action in
the 90s is a special application of the Teens, Crime, and Community
program, which operates on the premise that teens are
disproportionately victims of crimes, and they can contribute to
improving their schools and communities through a broad array of
activities.
Under the fiscal year 1995 award, NCPC and NICEL will work through
the National Teens, Crime, and Community Program Center to harness the
energies of young people toward constructive activities designed to
reduce crime and violence. The Program Center will be enlarged to serve
as a formal clearinghouse for information and materials dissemination
and to provide technical assistance and training. With fiscal year 1995
funds, NCPC and NICEL will significantly expand the number of
communities participating in this program.
This program will be implemented by the current grantee. No
additional applications will be solicited in fiscal year 1995.
Satellite Prep School Program and Early Elementary School for
Privatized Public Housing--$720,000
This is a continuation of a demonstration program under which OJJDP
supports the operation of an early elementary school program on the
premises of the Ida B. Wells Public Housing Development in Chicago,
Illinois. The program is a collaborative effort among OJJDP, the
Chicago Housing Authority, and the Westside Preparatory School and
Training Institute to establish a prep school for children in
kindergarten through 4th-grade who live in the Development.
On October 1, 1991, the Wells prep school opened with kindergarten
and 1st-grade students. In September 1993, a 2nd grade was added and in
September 1994, a 3rd grade was added. The prep school operates as an
early intervention educational model based on the Marva Collins
Westside Preparatory School educational philosophy, curriculum, and
teaching techniques. The Westside Preparatory School, a private
institution located in Chicago's inner-city Weed and Seed neighborhood,
has had dramatic success in raising the academic achievement level of
low-income minority children. Fiscal year 1995 funds will be used to
continue the operation and management of the Wells prep school and to
add a 4th grade. No additional applications will be solicited in fiscal
year 1995.
Children at Risk--$350,000
OJJDP, the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), and the Center on
Addiction and Substance Abuse of Columbia University have undertaken a
joint program to help communities rescue high-risk pre-adolescents from
the interrelated threats of crime and drugs. The program tests a
specific intervention strategy for reducing and controlling illegal
drugs and related crime in target neighborhoods and fosters healthy
development among youth from drug- and crime-ridden neighborhoods.
Multi-service, multi-disciplinary, neighborhood-based programs are
established to provide a range of opportunities and services for pre-
adolescents and their families who are at high risk of involvement in
illegal drugs and crime. Simultaneously, the criminal and juvenile
justice systems are targeting resources to reduce illegal drug use and
crime in the neighborhoods where these young people reside. OJJDP funds
are used for the delinquency prevention component of the program.
The Center has received funding from a number of foundations that
has been matched by OJJDP and BJA. Based on the proposals submitted,
six communities were selected to receive funds beginning in fiscal year
1992 to implement programs over a three-year period: Austin, Texas;
Bridgeport, Connecticut; Memphis, Tennessee; Newark, New Jersey;
Savannah, Georgia; and Seattle, Washington. Foundation and government
funding ranging from $500,000 to $1 million was allocated to each
community. The program will be implemented by the current grantee in
each of the six communities. OJJDP funds will be transferred to BJA to
implement the program. No additional applications will be solicited in
fiscal year 1995.
Nonviolent Dispute Resolution--$300,000
This program is a joint effort of OJJDP and the Bureau of Justice
Assistance (BJA) to test a variety of strategies to train teenage
students to constructively [[Page 21885]] manage anger, resolve
conflicts, learn the importance of mutual respect, and be responsible
for their actions. Organizations or agencies in jurisdictions
participating in the Comprehensive Communities Program will be selected
to implement program models. To qualify, applicants must have
demonstrated successful work in programs that include collaborative
efforts among educators, counselors, criminal justice representatives,
and parents or caretakers. Applications will be solicited and awarded
by BJA on a competitive basis under the Comprehensive Communities
Program.
The Congress of National Black Churches: National Anti-Drug Abuse
Program--$250,000
OJJDP will continue to fund The Congress of National Black
Churches' (CNBC) national public awareness and mobilization strategy to
address the problem of drug abuse and enhance drug abuse prevention
efforts in targeted communities. The goal of the CNBC's national
mobilization strategy is to summon, focus, and coordinate the
leadership of the black religious community, in cooperation with the
Department of Justice and other Federal agencies and organizations, to
mobilize groups of community residents to combat drug abuse and drug-
related crime activities among adults and juveniles. CNBC operates this
program in 31 cities.
The program will be expanded in fiscal year 1995 to address family
violence intervention issues and target up to six additional cities for
a total of 37 cities. Consideration will be given to expanding to
SafeFuture sites when selecting the six new CNBC locations. No
additional applications will be solicited in fiscal year 1995.
``Just Say No'' International*--$250,000
This two-year program is designed to assist ``Just Say No''
International to expand its Youth Power anti-drug program to public
housing projects in Oakland, California, and Baltimore, Maryland. In
fiscal year 1994, Just Say No expanded the program to Oakland,
California and, in fiscal year 1995, will expand into Baltimore,
Maryland.
Jackie Robinson Center (JRC)*--$250,000
The Jackie Robinson Center (JRC) provides a comprehensive program
of cultural education, sports, and counseling services for at-risk
youth. This is the second year of the three year program designed to
support expansion of the program to new sites in New York City.
Cities in SchoolsFederal Interagency Partnership--$200,000
This program is a continuation of a national school dropout
prevention model developed and implemented by Cities in Schools, Inc.
(CIS). CIS provides training and technical assistance to States and
local communities, enabling them to adapt and implement the CIS model.
The model brings social, employment, mental health, drug prevention,
entrepreneurship, and other resources to high-risk youth and their
families at the school level. Where CIS State organizations are
established, they will assume primary responsibility for local program
replication during the Federal interagency partnership.
This program is jointly funded by OJJDP and the Departments of the
Army, Health and Human Services, and Commerce under an OJJDP grant. The
project will be implemented by the current grantee. No additional
applications will be solicited in fiscal year 1995.
Hate Crimes--$200,000
The Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) is developing a
multipurpose curriculum for hate crime prevention in the schools and
sanctions for juveniles who commit hate crimes. This curriculum is
being pilot tested in the 8th grade of the Collins Middle School in
Salem, Massachusetts. Once the pilot is evaluated and the curriculum
redesigned, EDC will test the revised curriculum in two additional
sites to ensure that it is geographically and demographically
representative.
In consultation with the Office of Victims of Crime, EDC will
develop a dissemination strategy for the curriculum and other products,
including a judges' guide for dealing with hate crimes.
No additional applications will be solicited in fiscal year 1995.
Community Anti-Drug-Abuse Technical Assistance Voucher Project--
$200,000
In July 1991, OJJDP entered into a cooperative agreement with the
National Center for Neighborhood Enterprise (NCNE) to extend its
outreach to community-based grassroots organizations around the country
that are working effectively to solve the problems of youth drug abuse.
This project has three goals: (1) To allow various neighborhood groups
to inexpensively purchase needed services through the use of technical
assistance vouchers disbursed by NCNE; (2) to demonstrate the cost-
effective use of vouchers to help neighborhood groups secure technical
assistance for anti-drug-abuse projects to serve high-risk youth; and
(3) to extend OJJDP technical assistance to groups that are
traditionally excluded because they lack the administrative
sophistication, technical and grantsmanship skills, and resources to
participate in traditional competitive grant programs.
In order to accomplish these goals, NCNE : (1) Provides support to
community groups in developing and implementing a strategy under the
``Weed and Seed'' program; (2) functions as a clearinghouse for
information on community anti-drug- prevention initiatives; and (3)
reviews all technical assistance applications and select 15-25 eligible
community-based anti-drug programs for award of vouchers.
This continuation award is designed to provide more than $90,000 in
vouchers to 20-30 organizations and to provide clearinghouse services
to an additional 300 community groups.
Vouchers, which range in value from $1,000 to $10,000, can be used
for planning, proposal writing, program promotion, legal assistance,
financial management, and other activities. Selection of awardees and
amounts is determined by the degree to which applicants meet the
following criteria:
Not previously funded by OJJDP or NCNE.
Lack of access to traditional funding sources.
Need for technical assistance and training.
Small budget.
Comprehensiveness of youth anti-drug programs.
Clarity and feasibility of strategies presented on
application.
No additional applications will be solicited in fiscal year 1995.
Race Against Drugs--$150,000
Race Against Drugs (RAD) is a unique drug awareness, education and
prevention campaign designed to help young people understand the
dangers of drugs and live a non-impaired lifestyle. With the help and
assistance from 21 motorsports organizations, and the cooperation of
the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National Child Safety
Council, it has become a fun and exciting addition to drug abuse
prevention programs. RAD now includes national drug awareness and
prevention activities at schools, malls and motorsports events;
television public service announcements, posters, and signage on T-
shirts, hats, decals, etc.; and specialized programs like the ``Adopt-
A-School Essay and Scholarship'' and ``Winner's Circle''
[[Page 21886]] programs. Curriculum materials include the Be A Winner
Action Book for 6-8 graders, a RAD Adult Guide and a RAD Coloring Book
for K-4 graders. This program will be supplemented and expanded to
provide additional and updated curriculum materials, reach additional
program sites, and demonstrate the Winner's Circle Program in Seattle,
Washington. It will be funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
($25,000), OJJDP ($25,000), and the Center for Substance Abuse
Prevention (C-SAP) ($100,000). It will be implemented by the current
grantee, the National Child Safety Council. No additional applications
will be solicited in fiscal year 1995.
Missing, Exploited and Abused Children
New Programs
Lowcountry Children's Center, Inc.*--$250,000
The Lowcountry Children's Center, Inc., is a community-based
program that offers services to children who are victims of violence.
The Center is a nonprofit organization located in Charleston, South
Carolina. Its mission is to coordinate a full range of services for
abused and victimized children and their families. A major goal of the
program is to restore child victims and their families to a healthy
level of functioning. One Center currently provides an initial
assessment, psychological testing, and individual, group, and family
therapy. In addition, lay and expert testimony in court hearings,
investigative/law enforcement services, on-going multidisciplinary case
coordination and case tracking, professional training, and case and
program consultation services are provided by the center. OJJDP funds
will enable the Center to provide the array of services necessary to
create a model comprehensive program of intervention for these children
and their families. The Center will also focus on program evaluation
and research to determine effective interventions in particular types
of case-enabling the model created by this funding to be fully
evaluated and, if successful, replicated. No additional applications
will be solicited in fiscal year 1995.
KidsPeace*--$140,000
This program provides therapeutic foster care to children in
crisis. Eighty percent of the children who are referred to the project
are victims of child abuse. However, these children may be referred for
delinquency, substance abuse, teenage pregnancy or other problems. The
program now serves children in Pennsylvania, Georgia, New York, and
Indiana. The grant will enable the program to expand into one
additional state in fiscal year 1995.
Multipurpose Educational Curriculum for Young Victims--$75,000
Funds for this program will be transferred to the Office for
Victims of Crime. The project will develop curriculum and training
materials for use by school personnel, youth groups, and victim
services providers to teach adolescents about the impact of crime on
victims, about available victim assistance resources, and about
strategies for providing effective peer support for young victims of
crime. The program is expected to enhance victim service provider
outreach activities targeting youth at risk and promote violence
prevention.
Missing, Exploited and Abused Children
Continuation Programs
Parents Anonymous, Inc.*--$250,000
Parents Anonymous, Inc., (PA) will continue the program started in
fiscal year 1994 and expand services in communities that have existing
PA chapters to families and youth at highest risk of delinquency. The
main focus of this program is to prevent child abuse and neglect
through the creation of parent support groups.
Permanent Families for Abused and Neglected Children*--$225,000
This is a national project to prevent unnecessary foster care
placement of abused and neglected children, to reunify the families of
children in care, and to ensure permanent adoptive homes when
reunification is impossible. The purpose is to ensure that foster care
is used only as a last resort and as a temporary solution. Accordingly,
the project is designed to ensure that government's responsibility to
children in foster care is acknowledged by the appropriate disciplines.
Project activities include national training programs for judges,
social service personnel, citizen volunteers, and others under the
Reasonable Efforts Provision of 42 U.S.C. 671(a)(15), training in
selected lead States; and development of a model guide for risk
assessment. The program will be implemented by the current grantee, the
National Council of Family and Juvenile Court Judges. No additional
applications will be solicited in fiscal year 1995.
Children as Witnesses to Community Violence--$170,658
This project develops, implements, and evaluates after-school
interventions to protect elementary-school-age children in Washington,
DC from the aftereffects of exposure to violence. The intervention
program is expected to prevent or reduce the occurrence of certain
negative psychological symptoms among children exposed to community
violence. It should also help children develop coping skills that can
reduce the likelihood of their future involvement in violence. The
program is administered by Howard University and managed by the
National Institute of Justice (NIJ). OJJDP funds will be transferred to
NIJ to complete this program in fiscal year 1995.
Discussion of Comments
OJJDP published its proposed Comprehensive Plan for fiscal year
1995 in the Federal Register on December 30, 1994, 59 FR 68080, for a
45-day period of public comment. The Office received 58 letters
commenting on the proposed plan. All comments have been considered in
the development of the Final Comprehensive Plan for Fiscal Year 1994.
The majority of the letters OJJDP received provided positive
comments about the overall plan and its programs. The following is a
summary of the substantive comments and the responses by OJJDP. Unless
otherwise indicated, each comment was made by a single respondent.
Comment: A respondent noted agreement with an emphasis on
prevention and early intervention and the establishment and utilization
of a system of graduated sanctions for juvenile offenders. The
respondent further noted that this is a prudent and logical approach
that covers the entire spectrum of responses to youth involved with the
juvenile justice system and addresses community concerns about the
escalation of youth violence.
Response: OJJDP's Comprehensive Strategy for Serious, Violent, and
Chronic Juvenile Offenders incorporates the two principal components of
delinquency prevention and improving the juvenile justice system's
response to delinquent offenders through a system of graduated
sanctions and a continuum of treatment alternatives. The delivery of
services must be provided with a balance of: (1) Community protection
and public safety; (2) juvenile offender accountability; (3) competency
development; (4) individualization; and (5) representation of the
interests of the community, victim and juvenile. By
[[Page 21887]] taking these factors into account in each program
component, a new direction in the administration of juvenile treatment
services is fostered.
Comment: A respondent encouraged the ``renewed'' focus on
aftercare. In addition, the respondent suggested that special attention
be given to the coordination of mental health, medical, substance
abuse, educational, independent living, and crisis intervention
services well in advance of discharge. It was further suggested that
these services should be an automatic extension of care given while in
placement.
Response: OJJDP's Intensive Community-Based Aftercare for High Risk
Juvenile Offenders Project (IAP) incorporates this approach. The IAP
model is currently being implemented in four competitively selected
jurisdictions, following a multi-year research and development
initiative conducted by Johns Hopkins University and California State
University (Sacramento). Each Serious, Violent, and Chronic Juvenile
Offender Treatment Program site and the SafeFutures jurisdictions are
expected to incorporate aftercare services as a key component of the
graduated sanctions continuum. OJJDP will provide technical assistance
on implementing the IAP model, as necessary, in these and other
jurisdictions.
Comment: A respondent recommended the use of ``teen mentors'' or
peers as role models, presenters and speakers in programs for youth,
based on the writer's success in using such youth in delivering various
positive messages.
Response: OJJDP agrees that involving peers as role models in
delinquency prevention and intervention can be effective and that
``peer-related prevention must be an essential part of comprehensive
prevention programming.'' (Pransky, 1991) As reflected in the ``Ensure
Education'' issue area of the SafeFutures program, peer mediation is
addressed through ``encouraging the development of positive values and
teaching critical social skills, including conflict resolution and peer
mediation.''
Comment: Two respondents recommended that input on prevention and
intervention programs be sought and utilized from youth involved in the
program. It was suggested that by making these involved youth part of
the process, they will stay involved and programs will be improved.
Response: OJJDP agrees with the respondents. Research has
demonstrated that ``Young people are more likely to be active program
participants if they themselves are involved in creating and running
(the program)'' (Pransky, 1991).
Comment: A respondent recommended that OJJDP support the
development and/or acquisition of videos and provide information and
training on promising and effective programs to assist in replication.
Response: Through OJJDP's Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse (JJC), the
Office makes available a variety of program materials developed through
OJJDP funded grants and contracts. This material includes videos,
manuals, surveys, program summaries and directories of promising
programs. In addition, JJC collects and disseminates similar materials
on other programs of various types not funded by OJJDP. JJC can be
reached by calling 1-800-638-8736 or sending an Internet message to
``[email protected]''. OJJDP routinely provides training and
technical assistance on promising programs such as Law-Related
Education and the Intensive Community-Based Aftercare for Juveniles
Program.
Comment: A respondent recommended that OJJDP identify and promote
existing and new programs. It was suggested that these programs be
identified by soliciting responses from police, court, school, and
media personnel.
Response: Since 1992, OJJDP has annually awarded the Gould-Wysinger
Award to State and local programs in order to recognize exceptional
achievements in juvenile justice programming. This program is designed
to both recognize and acknowledge outstanding local programs and to
encourage replication in communities facing similar challenges. Each
year, projects are nominated by each State's Formula Grants program
agency, in consultation with the State Advisory Group. Winners of the
award are published in OJJDP's Juvenile Justice Magazine and in an
OJJDP Bulletin with a short description of each program along with a
contact name and phone number for more information on the program.
Since 1992, a total of 72 programs have received the Gould-Wysinger
Award.
It has also been recognized that identifying promising programs for
delinquent and at-risk youth in the juvenile justice system is a key
concern of juvenile justice practitioners and others. In 1992, OJJDP
awarded a grant to the National Center for Juvenile Justice to identify
programs that effectively address the needs of juvenile offenders.
During the data collection process, 3,000 juvenile court judges,
probation administrators, and line staff nominated more than 1,100
programs in 49 States. The result is What Works: Promising
Interventions in Juvenile Justice, a directory of 425 intervention
programs deemed effective by the practitioners who use them. This
directory and descriptions of those programs having received the Gould-
Wysinger Award are available from the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse by
calling 1-800-638-8736, or sending an Internet message to
[email protected]''.
Comment: A respondent recommended that ``vocational education'' be
provided to youth in various parts of the juvenile justice system,
including ``community service, probation and to suspended students in
an atmosphere conducive to youth involvement.'' It was further
recommended that a ``recreational hook'' be used to ``get kids involved
and build upon that `activity' in order to allow youth to learn
`practical trades' and skills that can later be used in industry.''
Response: OJJDP agrees in principle with the respondent and
recognizes the need for comprehensive service delivery, including
supplementing traditional academic education with vocational training.
OJJDP also intends to address a number of these issues in the
SafeFutures Program, including ensuring education, increasing the
effectiveness of juvenile justice by providing youth vocational
training and meaningful job opportunities, addressing truancy and
school dropouts through alternative education, and providing a
continuum of services to respond appropriately to the needs of each
juvenile offender.
OJJDP also agrees that ``recreation'', including cycling, baseball,
football, and basketball, can be an effective ``hook'' to get youth
involved in prevention services. However, it should be made clear that
recreation alone is not an effective intervention. Wrap-around services
that address the needs and risk factors of the youth involved are a
necessity. For example, the Boys and Girls Clubs of America have
successfully and consistently used recreation and other activities to
reach out to at-risk youth in order to make available prevention and
intervention services available once inside the clubs.
Comment: A respondent recommended that ``job training skills'' be
incorporated with the education process so as to allow youth ``to stay
involved in a program by keeping them interested.'' Students who have
been suspended should be allowed to ``prove'' themselves in a program
that offers a variety of job opportunities. An
[[Page 21888]] ``apprenticeship'' period should be created so they can
be educated in the ``field'' by subsidizing their employment and
allowing them to earn credits toward their High School Diploma. After
graduation, this job opportunity should be available on a full time
basis.
Response: OJJDP is entering into a collaborative effort with the
Bureau of Justice Assistance and the National Endowment for the Arts to
promote business vocational skills, entrepreneurship, recreation, and
arts programs for afterschool, weekend hours, and summer.
Apprenticeships and other job skills programs would be developed with
the involvement of the business sector. The Pathways to Success Program
will be implemented as part of the SafeFutures Program to provide
vocational, job, and other skills training as part of a comprehensive
service delivery system. Five additional Pathways to Success grants
will be competed and awarded independent of the SafeFutures Program.
It is also possible that various components of the SafeFutures
Program can be effectively linked with school-to-work opportunities in
the applicant's State, if available. Created through the School-to-Work
Opportunities Act, this collaborative initiative between the U.S.
Departments of Education and Labor prepares youth for first jobs in
high-skill, high-wage careers, to achieve high academic and
occupational standards, and for further postsecondary education and
training. The initiative has three core elements, including: (1)
School-based learning consisting of classroom instruction based on high
academic and occupational skill standards that integrates work-based
learning and school-based learning; (2) work-based learning which
includes work experience, structured training and mentoring at job
sites; and (3) connecting activities, which include a variety of
activities that build and maintain bridges between school and work.
Examples of connecting activities include courses that integrate
classroom and on-the-job instruction, matching students with
participating employers and training job-site members.
For more information on School-to-Work Opportunities, contact the
School-to-Work Opportunities Information Center at (202) 260-7278.
Comment: A respondent recommended that the prevention component of
the Program Plan include youth suicide and teenage grief as well as
provide a holistic approach to preventing delinquent behavior.
Response: Teenage grief and suicidal patterns are common signs of
psychological disturbances in juveniles at high risk of getting
involved in delinquent behavior or social acting out. To address
psychological needs, OJJDP is looking to mental health services to
provide evaluation (diagnosis), prevention, and treatment of mental
disorders for high-risk juveniles and juveniles in the juvenile justice
system. Under the SafeFutures program, funds will be available to
establish or enhance mental health services in the juvenile justice
system and to promote, develop, and implement mental health services
for at-risk children, including victims of child abuse.
Comment: After studying OJJDP's proposed Comprehensive Program Plan
for fiscal year 1995, one respondent commented that the Plan is still
addressing symptoms rather than the core problem of family dysfunction.
Response: OJJDP recognizes the critical importance of strong
families and their essential role in nurturing strong, healthy
children. The Office also recognizes the link between dysfunctional
families and juvenile delinquency. OJJDP has long supported family-
related studies and programs designed to strengthen families and family
strengthening remains a program priority. In 1988, OJJDP launched a
major parenting initiative entitled Effective Parenting Strategies for
Families of High-Risk Youth. An interdisciplinary team comprised of
family researchers at the University of Utah and policy scientists at
the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation conducted an
extensive literature review focused on the causes and correlates of
delinquency, and the effectiveness of prevention, intervention, and
treatment strategies for high-risk families. The results of the study
are summarized in a publication entitled Strengthening America's
Families: Promising Parenting Strategies for Delinquency Prevention,
User's Guide. The fiscal year 1995 OJJDP Comprehensive Program Plan
provides funding support for family strengthening activities that build
on the findings and recommendations of this study.
Comment: A respondent noted that various segments of OJJDP's
Proposed Comprehensive Program Plan touched on the lack of employment
skills as a major contributor to juvenile crime, but did not thoroughly
address this problem area and the need for early career and/or
employment preparation. The suggested strategy for addressing this area
is to teach employment skills and career preparation to all school
children by incorporating instruction into the curriculum of every
grade level, beginning in kindergarten.
Response: OJJDP has long recognized the importance of providing
juveniles with the skills they need to increase their employment
potential and pursue the career of their choice. For this reason, many
of the OJJDP supported programs have components that address this area.
For example, the national Cities in Schools (CIS) dropout prevention
program teaches job skills at the elementary, middle and high school
levels. CIS has also established a number of alternative schools. A key
component of their program is not only to provide young people with job
skills, but to provide them with career exploration through job
shadowing. Youth are also encouraged to pursue entrepreneurial
activities. Several other fiscal year 1995 programs have components
that address this issue. OJJDP also partners with other agencies such
as the Departments of Commerce, Health and Human Services, Education,
Labor and others and hopes to expand those partnerships in the future.
Comment: One respondent was concerned that the Family Strengthening
Program did not place greater emphasis to prevention or acknowledge a
role for community-based organizations.
Response: OJJDP remains committed to addressing the wide range of
family strengthening needs that encompass prevention, intervention and
treatment. The OJJDP publication, Strengthening America's Families:
Promising Parenting and Family Strategies for Delinquency Prevention,
User's Guide, stresses that there is no ``one-size-fits-all'' family
strategy for preventing delinquency. Several types of parenting
programs are needed. There are programs designed for parents of
infants, children and adolescents. Some programs are best suited for
well-functioning families, while others address the needs of
dysfunctional families. OJJDP also remains committed to encouraging the
involvement of community-based organizations. The Family Strengthening
Program calls for the creation or expansion of programs ``that enlist
schools and other local entities in family programming.'' ``Other local
entities'' includes community-based organizations. Many of the
representative 25 programs that the researchers identified as
particularly promising classified themselves as ``prevention'' programs
and most included relevant community- based organizations in aspects of
their program strategy. OJJDP will continue to emphasize family
strengthening through prevention, intervention and treatment utilizing
a range of available resources that are community-based.
[[Page 21889]]
Comment: One respondent felt that the Proposed Comprehensive
Program Plan outline was unclear as to which programs allow a
community-based organization to compete for funding and that many of
the eligibility requirements seem to exclude community organizations
with experience, providing only limited opportunities for these
qualified organizations to receive OJJDP funding.
Response: OJJDP recognizes the importance of community-based
organizations, particularly in the planning phase of any collaborative
project. The SafeFutures Program specifically calls for community-based
collaboratives. Community-based organizations have the experience to
operate a broad range of programs. In cases where only local units of
government are eligible for awards, community-based organizations
should pursue the option of partnering with them as a service provider
or administering agency.
Comment: A community-based organization commented that despite its
varied experiences in a number of areas, including mentoring, it would
be unable to compete for Part G Mentoring Funds, Title V Incentive
Grants, and Part E State Challenge Activities. The respondent
organization felt that these activities should require that funds go to
community-based organizations that have significant experience
providing culturally appropriate programs to at-risk ethnic minorities.
Without this requirement, a real partnership will not be achieved.
Response: For the activities mentioned above, community
organizations can still qualify for support but they must do so through
a local unit of government. For example, $1 million in fiscal year 1995
Part G Mentoring Program funding is being awarded through the
SafeFutures program. Mentoring is a logical component of a continuum of
care for youth-at-risk. Under Part G and the SafeFutures Program,
mentoring programs are required to be conducted either by LEA's (local
education agencies) or by non-profit private organizations (including
community-based organizations) or public agencies in partnership with
LEA's.
Comment: One respondent questioned whether the Native American
Alternative Community-Based Program will receive additional funding in
fiscal year 1995.
Response: Continuation funding of $600,000 will be available for
this program in fiscal year 1995.
Comment: One respondent commented that the description of the
Juvenile Justice Prosecutor Training Project is vague and that training
should include cultural awareness and how poverty-related and
misunderstood cultural behaviors affect decisions.
Response: The Juvenile Justice Prosecution Training Center will
support prosecutor training in areas of need identified by a working
group of chief prosecutors. OJJDP expects that cultural differences and
poverty-related problems among juvenile offenders will be covered in
the training. In addition, OJJDP continues to support training in
cultural differences for juvenile justice officials under a grant to
the American Correctional Association for the Training in Cultural
Differences for Law Enforcement/Juvenile Justice Officials Program.
Comment: A respondent noted that the description of Interventions
to Reduce Disproportionate Minority Confinement in Secure Detention and
Correctional Facilities Program indicates that the application process
is open to new applicants. However, the program is listed under
Continuation Programs. It is unclear if additional organizations can
apply.
Response: This project was inadvertently listed under the
Continuation Programs section. New applicants will be eligible to apply
for OJJDP funding in fiscal year 1995.
Comment: A respondent noted that the Nonviolent Dispute Resolution
Program is listed under Continuation Programs, indicating that only
prior recipients can apply. The description, however, seems to
contradict this by indicating a competitive application process.
Response: This is a competitive program being administered by the
Bureau of Justice Assistance for cities which have been selected to
receive funds under the Comprehensive Communities Program. OJJDP is
contributing funds to the program.
Comment: One State official commented that OJJDP should notify the
State Formula Grants Program Agency when a project is selected for
funding within a given State.
Response: OJJDP agrees that in the interest of comprehensive
planning and interagency coordination, cognizant State agencies should
be notified when OJJDP awards funds directly to projects operating with
the State. A formal notification process will be initiated to provide
information on all discretionary grant awards to State agencies.
Comment: One respondent proposed that OJJDP adopt a policy to
provide periodic updates to State agencies on projects selected for
funding under the SafeFutures Program.
Response: The SafeFutures Program is based on a continuum of care
model that calls for maximum coordination and cooperations among
agencies serving juveniles. OJJDP encourages States having SafeFutures
sites to include SafeFutures in the comprehensive planning undertaken
for the Formula Grants Program and make maximum use of Formula Grant,
Title V, and Challenge Grant funds to enhance juvenile justice and
delinquency prevention activities in SafeFutures sites. While the level
of State agency participation expected in SafeFutures should obviate
the need for ``periodic updates'' by OJJDP, funded sites will be
required to provide the cognizant State agency with a copy of their
quarterly progress report.
Comment: A national organization expressed concern about the level
of support in the fiscal year 1995 Program Plan for programs to address
disproportionate minority confinement.
Response: OJJDP is strongly committed to supporting State efforts
to address the disproportionate confinement (DMC) of minority juveniles
in secure custody in States where such condition exists. The Office has
supported demonstration efforts under the Special Emphasis
discretionary grant program, as well as research, program evaluation,
and training and technical assistance in this area. Many States are
allocating significant amounts of their Formula Grants Program funds to
address section 223(a)(23) of the JJDP Act.
OJJDP is working with the Coalition for Juvenile Justice's
Committee on Ethnic and Cultural Diversity to find other ways to
improve our DMC programming. OJJDP looks forward to cooperative efforts
with the Coalition and others committed to improving juvenile justice
by addressing the DMC issue.
Comment: One respondent suggested that OJJDP add language to the
section which describes organizations with whom OJJDP would coordinate
the SafeFutures Program to include Youth Corps that are certified by
the National Association of Service and Conservation Corps and provide
participants with a six to twelve month, full-time, crew- based, highly
structured, and adult supervised work and learning experience, and that
promote the development of citizenship, life and employment skills.
Response: OJJDP concurs with the importance of coordinating the
SafeFutures program with Youth Corps programs that have a component
serving a juvenile population. The Office has incorporated appropriate
language into [[Page 21890]] the fiscal year 1995 Final Comprehensive
Program Plan.
Comment: A number of respondents representing juvenile justice
agencies across the country wrote in support of continued and/or
increased funding for the Balanced and Restorative Justice Project
(BARJ), a key component of OJJDP's Juvenile Restitution Program. They
noted that the BARJ Project has advanced the implementation of the
``Balanced Approach'' and the use of restitution and community service
in a number of juvenile justice systems and that additional
jurisdictions are interested in implementing this major shift in system
philosophy and practice through BARJ Project training and technical
assistance.
Response: The BARJ Project will receive continuation funding of
$100,000 in fiscal year 1995 and a similar amount is anticipated as a
supplement from fiscal year 1996 funds. This will give the Project a
twelve-month budget of $200,000 to complete its activities under this
multi-year funded Program. State and local jurisdictions interested in
adopting the balanced and restorative justice approach should also
request technical assistance through OJJDP's technical assistance
support contract under the Formula Grants program or seek local support
for implementation funding.
Comment: A respondent recommended giving youth access to their
police chief and officers through programs funded under the Final
Comprehensive Program Plan.
Response: In fiscal year 1993, OJJDP provided support to the New
Haven, Connecticut Police Department and the Yale University Child
Development Center to document a child-centered community-oriented
policing model. This is a continuation program of OJJDP and the Bureau
of Justice Assistance and will serve as a model for other sites to
replicate.
Comment: A respondent stated that OJJDP has omitted a key group of
professionals who have been trained in diversion and have demonstrated
success in working to divert juveniles from the juvenile justice
system, recommending that OJJDP include parks and recreation
professionals in the SafeFutures Program.
Response: OJJDP agrees that those within the ``justice system''
cannot make a difference alone. This is a key premise of the
SafeFutures Program. OJJDP encourages local jurisdictions to develop a
continuum of care that includes professionals representing all aspects
of youth development, especially those who are in a position to promote
positive youth development. OJJDP agrees with the National Parks and
Recreation Association that the perception of public recreation should
move beyond ``fun and games'' to the status of an essential service
(National Parks and Recreation Association, 1994). OJJDP will work with
the Association and other parks and recreation organizations during
fiscal year 1995 to highlight the many outstanding delinquency
prevention and intervention programs that are being implemented by
local parks and recreation departments across the country and to
further the evaluation of these programs.
Due to the fact that OJJDP is not requiring the involvement of
specific types of professionals, it is ultimately up to the
jurisdictions chosen to implement the SafeFutures program to identify
key resources to support a continuum of care. It is expected that parks
and recreation professionals will be an integral part of this group.
One possibility for parks and recreation professionals is involvement
in the development and implementation of the ``Pathways to Success''
program within the SafeFutures program. This program emphasizes, in
part, recreational alternatives during after-school and weekend hours.
Comment: One respondent felt that the budget for Training for
Family-Strengthening Services ($250,000) should be increased to support
trained individuals who provide technical assistance for family
strengthening.
Response: One million dollars in Family Strengthening and Support
funds will be available to the five SafeFutures program sites. These
funds can be used for both training/technical assistance and direct
service programs in the five sites. An additional $250,000 will be
available for training/technical assistance in other communities
interested in improving their Family Strengthening Service programs.
Further support can be drawn from other OJJDP training/technical
assistance projects, including the newly established National Juvenile
Justice and Delinquency Prevention Training and Technical Assistance
Center.
Comment: One respondent questioned why virtually all funds for law-
related education were being awarded on a non-competitive basis to the
Law-Related Education National Training and Dissemination Program, with
only $200,000 in competitive funding being made available for
``Innovative Approaches in Law-Related Education,'' thereby limiting
opportunities for other organizations to seek funding for new law-
related education programs.
Response: Eighty percent of the funds set aside for Law-Related
Education are earmarked for the Law-Related Education National Training
and Dissemination Program (Youth for Justice). OJJDP proposed to set
aside $500,000 of the remaining $700,000 for a competitively awarded
impact evaluation. However, because Department of Education funds were
not available for a joint evaluation project, $600,000 of the $700,000
is being made available to support the ``Innovative Approaches in Law-
Related Education'' program. One hundred thousand dollars will be
awarded to fund the Facing History and Ourselves Program.
Shay Bilchik,
Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
National Institute of Justice--Research Plan 1995-1996
For general information regarding NIJ's 1995-96 Research Plan,
please contact Edwin Zedlewski, at (202) 307-2953, or Winifred Reed, at
(202) 307-2952. For other general NIJ information, contact Carrie
Smith, at (202) 616-3233. For document publication information, contact
Mary Graham, at (202) 514-6207.
For information about the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement
Act of 1994 (Crime Law), contact the Department of Justice Response
Center, at (202) 307-1743 or (800) 421-6770.
For substantive questions regarding specific Goals, please contact
the appropriate Program Manager. Names and telephone numbers of all
Program Managers are listed at the end of each Goal. To inquire about
NIJ receipt of applications, contact Louise Loften, at (202) 307-2965.
For general information about NIJ programs and funding
opportunities, and application procedures; for requests for reprints,
literature, final reports, funded grants on related topics, etc.; for
names of researchers or practitioners working on related topics,
contact the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS), at
(800) 851-3420.
The NIJ 1995-96 Research Plan is also available electronically via
the National Criminal Justice Reference Service Bulletin Board System.
You can access the Bulletin Board through the Internet (telnet to
ncjrsbbs.aspensys.com or gopher to ncjrs.aspensys.com 71) or through a
modem (set at 9600 baud and 8-N-1; dial 301-738-8895). The NIJ Research
Plan is listed under the ``National Institute of Justice Information''
menu.
For Internet access information, e-mail [email protected].
[[Page 21891]]
National Institute of Justice Staff
Jeremy Travis, Director
Office of the Director
Margaret Battle
Chriss Wetherington
Christy Visher
Planning and Management Division
Carol Petrie, Director
Sheila Parker-Darby
Denise Gadson
Phyllis Poole
Carrie Smith
Office of Research and Evaluation
Sally T. Hillsman, Director
Louise Lofton
Evelyn Washington
Criminal Behavior
Thomas Feucht
James Trudeau
Crime Control
Lois Mock
Rosemary Murphy
Richard Titus
Winnie Reed
Criminal Justice
Bernard Auchter
Laurie Bright
Voncile Gowdy
Pamela Lattimore
Edwin Zedlewski
Office of Science and Technology
David Boyd, Director
Audrey Blankenship
Raymond Downs
Kevin Jackson
Richard Rau
Robert Tolle
Office of Communication and Research Utilization
Paul Cascarano, Director
Tamara Ross
Reference and Dissemination Division
Paul Estaver, Director
Mary Graham
Eugene Hebert
G. Martin Lively
Daniel Tompkins
Research Applications and Training Division
Virginia Baldau, Director
Cheryl Crawford
Marilyn Moses
Carolyn Peake
Samuel McQuade
John Spevacek
John Thomas
Introduction
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is the research and
development agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. Created in 1968
by Congress pursuant to the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act,
the Institute is authorized to:
Sponsor research and development to improve and strengthen the Nation's
system of justice with a balanced program of basic and applied
research.
Evaluate the effectiveness of criminal justice and law enforcement
programs and identify those that merit application elsewhere.
Support technological advances applicable to criminal justice.
Test and demonstrate new and improved approaches to strengthen the
justice system.
Disseminate information from research, development, demonstrations, and
evaluations.
This Plan signals the new administrative direction that NIJ will
follow to achieve its research and evaluation goals. Conceptually, the
Plan is the basis of NIJ's pyramid of research. It will be supplemented
over the coming months by a series of solicitations on topics that
speak to current or persistent policy concerns that warrant research
investments. By their nature, those solicitations will represent a
somewhat more focused part of this pyramid. Intramural studies are at
the apex of the research pyramid. Questions with strong policy
orientation or immediate concern may best be addressed by NIJ staff who
can interact directly with the policymakers asking the questions.
Readers of prior NIJ Plans will find that this Plan has been
substantially shortened. Much of the traditional background text has
been discarded; suggested research topics have been reduced from
paragraphs to phrases. This change in style, however, implies no change
in the kinds of research being sought. NIJ believes that this
abbreviated format is more consistent with the spirit and intent of the
Plan as a vehicle to encourage the field to submit original ideas on a
wide range of research issues.
Focused solicitations will appear intermittently over the next
year. These will address more specific topics for which special funding
is available. Certain activities funded under the Violent Crime Control
and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (Crime Law) will be focal points--
specifically, community policing, violence against women, boot camps,
and drug courts--as will evaluations of selected Bureau of Justice
Assistance programs. NIJ will also initiate solicitations in
collaborative arrangements with other Federal agencies, as well as for
topics that NIJ believes merit special attention for the development of
knowledge. These solicitations will be announced through the Federal
Register and other NIJ communications channels including the Internet
(the Department of Justice and NCJRS Online) and special mailings.
Interested applicants should telephone the National Criminal Justice
Reference Service (NCJRS) at 800-851-3420 or e-mail
[email protected] for pending releases and dates of
announcement.
Partnerships are another new priority for the Institute. NIJ
believes that many of today's crime problems require solutions that
extend beyond criminal justice boundaries. The Institute has been
active in discussions with other Federal agencies and private
foundations and has established a variety of collaborative
relationships. Some of these will manifest themselves in the form of
special solicitations on specific topics or programs. Others will
simply encourage collaborative or interdisciplinary research and offer
the prospect of joint funding. Still others will result in the
development of shared research agendas. NIJ encourages researchers from
all disciplines to explore the opportunities for collaborative efforts
presented in this Plan and subsequent announcements, and to propose
arrangements that they are able to construct beyond those mentioned.
NIJ particularly encourages coordination of research applications with
submissions in other OJP agency Plans.
An organizational change has also occurred. The factors that
distinguish ``research'' from ``evaluation'' are subtle and secondary
to the substance of the issues. Therefore, the Institute has merged
these functions into a single Office of Research and Evaluation that
will review submissions for both areas. The Plan invites proposals for
a range of funding amounts. It includes a category of small grants
(less than $50,000) across all goals and subjects. Readers should
consult the administrative sections of the Research Plan for additional
information on the differences in application requirements.
Six Strategic Long-Range Goals
In FY 1993, the Institute set forth six long-range goals as the
focus of NIJ research, evaluation, and development in the coming years.
The creation of this long-range agenda was well received; a large
number of research and evaluation proposals were submitted, providing
an interdisciplinary framework for 1994. [[Page 21892]]
In this 1995-96 Research Plan, the Institute specifies the
research, evaluation, and technology projects that NIJ anticipates
supporting under each goal. The numeric order of the goals does not
indicate levels of priority for the Institute.
Many of the special grant programs for individualssuch as the Data
Resources Program, various Fellowship programs, the NIJ Internship
Programare now described in a separate publication, which will be
announced in the Federal Register.
NIJ solicits research and evaluations to develop knowledge that
will further these long-range goals:
I. Reduce violent crime.
II. Reduce drug- and alcohol-related crime.
III. Reduce the consequences of crime.
IV. Improve the effectiveness of crime prevention programs.
V. Improve law enforcement and the criminal justice system.
VI. Develop new technology for law enforcement and the criminal
justice system.
Studies that involve the use of randomized experimental designs are
encouraged, as are multiple strategies for data collection, and well-
controlled, quasi-experimental designs and equivalent comparison group
designs. Qualitative studies, including ethnographic data collection,
are also encouraged.
Research Collaborations
NIJ encourages joint research and evaluation projects with other
Federal agencies and private foundations interested in crime and
criminal justice issues. Applicants may wish to consider whether their
proposed project might lend itself to joint funding with another agency
or foundation. Applicants interested in exploring possible partnerships
should contact the potential partner agency directly, or the relevant
NIJ program manager, to discuss specific topics for possible
collaborative projects. NIJ has entered into memorandums of agreement
or is in other ways collaborating with the Departments of Defense,
Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban
Development, and Treasury. Agencies and foundations that have indicated
a desire to collaborate with NIJ on projects of mutual interest, or are
currently involved in joint research efforts with NIJ, include:
Agencies
Advanced Research Projects Agency (DOD)
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms
Bureau of Justice Assistance
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Center for Mental Health Services
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment
Corrections Program Office (OJP)
Drug Courts Program Office (OJP)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
National Institute of Mental Health
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
National Institute of Corrections
National Institute on Drug Abuse
National Science Foundation
Office of Community-Oriented Policing Services (DOJ)
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Office of Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (HUD)
Office of National Drug Control Policy
Office for Victims of Crime
State Justice Institute
Violence Against Women Program Office (OJP)
Foundations
The Annie E. Casey Foundation
The Carnegie Corporation of New York
The Ford Foundation
The Daniel and Florence Guggenheim Foundation
The J.C. Kellogg Foundation
John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
The Pew Charitable Trusts
The Prudential Foundation
The Ronald McDonald Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation
The Institute cannot guarantee that joint funding for research and
evaluation projects will be forthcoming from these sources. Applicants
should consider whether their proposals are in accord with the goals of
these agencies and private foundations.
Specific information about applying for Institute grants is
contained in the section ``Administrative Guidelines'' See p. 23 of
this Plan.
Goal I: Reduce Violent Crime
Purpose
The purpose of this solicitation is to encourage research and
evaluation projects spanning six broad areas: family violence, violence
against women, homicide, firearms and violence, gangs, and juvenile
violence. Through this solicitation the National Institute of Justice
(NIJ) expects to support research that will improve the criminal
justice knowledge base on crimes and criminal behavior that
increasingly concern the public.
Background
Violent crime is a leading concern among the American public today.
According to the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), in 1992
there were 6.6 million violent victimizations in the United States--
including 141,000 rapes, 1.2 million robberies, and 5.3 million
assaults. The violent crime rate is steadily increasing, especially
among juveniles, and in 1992 was the highest ever recorded for blacks;
homicide is now the leading cause of death for young black males.
Handguns are a major factor in the increasing violence, especially
in the commission of homicide. Of the 23,760 murders reported to the
FBI in 1992, handguns were used in 55 percent. One of the most critical
issues in any consideration of ways to reduce violence and its
consequences is the role firearms play in contributing to violent
crime, serious injury, and death. The NCVS estimates the rate of
nonfatal handgun victimizations in 1992 at 4.5 crimes per 1,000 persons
aged 12 or olderthe highest such figure on record. Findings from an
NIJ and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
study of incarcerated juveniles and inner-city high school students
showed that 83 percent of inmates and 22 percent of students had
possessed guns, with 55 percent and 12 percent respectively having
carried guns all or most of the time. Between 1988 and 1992, arrests of
juveniles for violent crimes increased by 47 percentmore than double
the increase for persons 18 years of age or older. Over the same
period, juvenile arrests for homicide increased by 51 percent and
statistics on weapons law violations indicate that juvenile use of guns
has increased dramatically.
Spousal abuse commonly comes to mind when violence against women is
discussed, but violence against women is much broader. According to the
NCVS, more than 2.5 million women experience violence each year; nearly
two in three female victims of violence were related to or knew their
attacker; about a third were injured as a result of the crime; nearly
half the victims of rape believed the offender to have been under the
influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the attack. The issue has
emerged as a topic of national interest and led to the inclusion of the
Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in the 1994 Crime Law.
The Crime Law contains many other provisions directed toward the
prevention, control, and reduction of violent crimesenhancements for
law enforcement, correctional facilities, and drug treatment options;
restrictions on firearms; provisions to deal with juvenile crime and
gangs; and increases in the programs and research about
[[Page 21893]] family violence as well as violence against women.
Through this general solicitation NIJ encourages studies that will
address these areas of broad general concern and that examine the
specific priorities identified in the 1994 Crime Law, particularly with
regard to violence among juveniles and the illegal possession and use
of firearms. The Institute is especially interested in filling critical
gaps in current knowledge and identifying and evaluating existing
programs of crime prevention and control.
Research Areas of Interest
Listed below are examples of research areas that could advance
criminal justice knowledge and practice under Goal I of the NIJ
Research Plan. Individuals are encouraged to suggest their own topics
of interest. Research is encouraged in, but not limited to, the
following areas:
Studies of Offenders and Offenses. Criminal careers of offenders
who engage in violent crime, including risk and protective factors, and
initiation, frequency, and termination patterns. Studies of specific
offenses and offenders, including robbery, sexual assault, child sexual
assault, stalking, and homicide. Offender perceptions of criminal
justice response to violent offenders. Juvenile violence, including
escalation patterns, racial conflicts, and influence of peers and
gangs. Family violence involving intimate partners, spouses, children,
and elders.
Violent Situations. Role of gangs and group offending in criminal
violence. Studies of patterns in violent events, including triggering
events, situational elements, and predisposing influences. Protective
factors in neighborhoods and communities at high risk of violence.
Violence in specific situations and locations including schools,
families, recreational settings, and the workplace.
Firearms Violence. Adult and juvenile patterns of gun availability,
sources of guns, and use in violent crime. Role of illegal markets in
weapons on patterns of firearms violence, especially among juveniles.
Impact of firearms laws on gun crimes, substitution of other weapons,
and offense patterns. Feasibility studies of innovative firearms
regulations.
Responses to Violent Offenders. Differentiating system responses to
violence from responses to other crimes. Violence prevention.
Evaluation of innovative programs and practices. Evidentiary concerns,
including uncooperative witnesses. Management of violent offenders on
probation and parole including risk assessment, treatment programs, and
community supervision.
Violence Against Women. Note: NIJ is not receiving applications for
research on violence against women under the June and December 1995
deadlines. Instead, researchers should await the special solicitation
to be issued in 1995, as noted in the Introduction to this Plan.
Contact
Applicants are encouraged to contact NIJ Program Managers to
discuss topic viability, data availability, or proposal content before
submitting proposals. To obtain specific information on the programs
described under this goal, potential applicants may contact:
Bernard Auchter, (202) 307-0154, for family violence and violence
against women.
Lois Mock, (202) 307-0693, for firearms violence.
Winifred Reed, (202) 307-2952, for gangs.
James Trudeau, (202) 307-1355, for studies of offenders and offenses,
violent situations, and responses to violent offenders.
Goal II: Reduce Drug- and Alcohol-Related Crime
Purpose
The purpose of this solicitation is to encourage research and
evaluation projects that will improve the criminal justice knowledge
base about crimes and criminal behavior involving the use of drugs and
alcohol. Through this solicitation the National Institute of Justice
(NIJ) seeks to clarify further the relationship between substance abuse
and crime and to reduce drug- and alcohol-related crime.
Background
Substance abuse and drug-related crimes continue to affect the
lives of countless Americans residing in both urban and rural
neighborhoods across the Nation. NIJ's Drug Use Forecasting (DUF) data
show an increase in marijuana use and relatively stable but high levels
of major addictive substance use among booked arrestees in the 23 urban
areas monitored by DUF. Recent data from the Drug Abuse Warning Network
(DAWN) indicate that the use of heroin and cocaine is on the rise.
Efforts to prevent and reduce drug-related crime, and thereby improve
the quality of life in these areas, continue to occupy the criminal
justice community.
Alcohol is used by both offenders and victims in a significant
proportion of violent events, with documented connections between both
situational and chronic drinking and aggressive or violent behavior.
The National Academy of Sciences Panel on the Understanding and Control
of Violent Behavior has called for more research into the role of
alcohol in promoting violent events, particularly since little is known
about how alcohol and violence may reinforce one another or how the
alcohol-violence relationship may vary depending on type of violence.
The criminal justice system is the largest single source of
external pressure influencing abusers who otherwise would not enter
substance abuse treatment programs. Half or more of the admissions to
community-based residential and outpatient substance abuse treatment
programs are offenders on probation or parole. Criminal justice
referral to treatment relieves courts and prisons of overcrowding and
reduces the high cost of continued incarceration, while providing an
added degree of supervision beyond what probation or parole offices may
be able to afford. When successful, treatment further reduces criminal
justice costs by breaking the pattern of recidivism that brings typical
substance abusers back into the criminal justice system again and
again.
Research on criminal justice-involved populations suggests that
substance abuse treatment can be effective in reducing substance abuse
and criminal activity while the client is in treatment and for some
time thereafter. As substance abuse programs are implemented, it is
important to provide critical feedback on how they are working and for
whom they are most effective. It is also important to determine how
best to provide treatmentthrough public criminal justice agencies or
through private treatment agencies under contract.
Substance abuse prevention programs continue to proliferate in
response to public concerns. Comprehensive substance abuse programs for
youths can promote antidrug social norms and thereby reduce or prevent
the use of cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, heroin, and cocaine. NIJ
seeks to evaluate comprehensive community-based substance abuse
programs that develop partnerships among criminal justice and schools,
health centers, families, peers, and media.
NIJ's Drug Use Forecasting (DUF) program gathers offense and drug
use information from samples of adult and juvenile arrestees at 23
sites nationwide, providing access to a national sample of arrestees
within hours of arrest. Along with a brief, voluntary interview, urine
specimens are obtained to test for evidence of recent use of drugs. For
7 years, data from NIJ's DUF program [[Page 21894]] have traced the
trends in drug use among persons arrested for a wide range of offenses.
Beginning in 1995, NIJ solicits proposals that capitalize and expand
upon the research potential provided through the DUF program's
quarterly collection of interviews and urine specimens from samples of
adult and juvenile arrestees brought to jails in 23 cities nationwide.
Researchers are encouraged to develop proposals that present
innovative ways of utilizing the DUF program as a research ``platform''
for pursuing a wide range of hypotheses related to drug use and
criminal activity. For instance, in collaboration with existing DUF
sites, the basic data collection protocol could be supplemented with
additional interview assessments or bio-assays. NIJ is also interested
in proposals that examine specific research questions by applying the
DUF protocol to targeted samples of arrestees such as those in suburban
or rural jails, or those arrested for specific offenses.
Research Areas of Interest
Listed below are examples of research areas that could advance
criminal justice knowledge and practices under Goal II of the NIJ
Research Plan. Individuals are encouraged to suggest their own topics
of interest. Research is encouraged in, but not limited to, the
following areas:
Substance Abuse and Criminal Behavior. Relationships between drugs,
alcohol, and violence, including the individual and environmental
circumstances. Relationship between substance abuse and related
criminal behavior of all types, including family violence.
Understanding substance abuse careers and how they track with criminal
careers over time. Inventory of the validity, scope, and gaps in
current substance abuse data sets.
Substance Abusing Offenders and the Criminal Justice System. Impact
of pretrial services, adjudication, sentencing, and corrections
(including community corrections) programs. Effect of strategies
implemented in one segment of the system on the rest of the system.
Offender attitudes, perceptions, and experiences as they move through
particular components/programs. Effective use of a series of graduated
sanctions for noncompliance behaviors. (For research on treatment drug
courts, see page 16.)
Substance Abuse Prevention. Cost benefit analyses. Impact of
criminal justice-based strategies on later substance abuse and other
related criminal behavior. Development and identification of demand-
reduction strategies and programs for high-risk populations.
Treatment and Aftercare Evaluations. Assessment of treatment drop-
outs. Determination of the optimal mix of various treatment and after-
care components for various criminal justice populations.
Drug Use Forecasting (DUF) Research Platform Initiatives. Expansion
of adult and juvenile research protocols to address additional research
questions such as drug market analysis, drug treatment history of
arrestees, the onset of drug use among arrestees, the relationship
between drug acquisition and other criminal activities, and the role of
alcohol and drug consumption in the commission of crimes.
Drug Enforcement. Research on the effectiveness of interdiction
efforts and control strategies such as increased penalties for drug
trafficking in prisons and drug dealing in drug-free school zones.
Contact
Applicants are encouraged to contact NIJ Program Managers to
discuss topic viability, data availability, or proposal content before
submitting proposals. To obtain specific information on the programs
described under this goal, potential applicants may contact:
Laurie Bright, (202) 616-3624, for substance abuse research and
evaluations related to the criminal justice system. Thomas E. Feucht,
(202) 307-2949, for substance abuse research related to DUF research
platform initiatives. James Trudeau, (202) 307-1355, for substance
abuse research related to criminal behavior.
Goal III: Reduce The Consequences of Crime
Purpose
The purpose of this solicitation is to encourage research and
evaluation projects that explore the causes of victimizations, their
consequences in injury, fear, property damage, and other forms of cost;
and the institutional responses of criminal justice agencies to
victims. In addition to individual victims, the Institute is interested
in the ways that households, organizations, and communities become
victims, and how victimizations harm and otherwise alter daily
functioning. NIJ is also interested in how victim service institutions
can best serve victims to reduce the harm done. The goals of the
research solicited are to understand how natural circumstances can lead
to victimizations, as well as the nature and extent of harm caused by
crime, and to use these findings to reduce both victimization risk and
severity.
Background
The extent of criminal victimization within the United States is
disturbing: In 1992, approximately 1 in every 4 households was
victimized by 1 or more crimes, and 1 in 20 had at least one member age
12 or older who was the victim of a violent crime. Violent crime
victimization rates, after declining through most of the 1980's, have
again begun to increase, most notably among blacks and persons ages 12-
24.
National public opinion surveys consistently indicate that crime
has displaced other issues as the Nation's most serious concern. In a
1994 New York Times/CBS News nationwide telephone poll, 23 percent of
respondents listed crime as ``the most important problem facing this
country today,'' and 40 percent said they live within a mile of an area
where they would be afraid to walk alone at night. The harm of
victimization includes injury, dollar loss, and a pervasive sense of
insecurity that disrupts and truncates the victim's daily activities
and satisfactions. This harm also touches those close to or acquainted
with the victim.
The victim's needs are imperfectly understood by researchers and
practitioners and are inadequately responded to by available programs
of assistance. The victim's dealings with the criminal justice system
often compound the damage rather than serving to restore the victim and
create a sense of justice.
We are limited in our understanding of the antecedents and causes
of victimization. ``Routine activities'' research--that includes the
victim along with the offender, environment, and ``guardians''--has the
potential to improve the validity and effectiveness of crime prevention
programs. Such research might examine specific types of victims,
specific activity domains, or specific locations. A special emphasis
might be topics suggested by the Violence Against Women Act, which is
discussed in Goal I.
The effects of crime reach far beyond their impact on individuals
and households, extending into businesses, public housing areas,
neighborhoods, and ultimately into entire communities. Within the
community, violent crime, gangs and the threat they pose, vandalism,
drugs, and disorder may cause businesses to close or relocate, reduce
employment and shopping opportunities, and decrease property values.
Where this grim process is not interrupted, urban neighborhoods and
communities decay, investments dwindle or disappear, and law-abiding
[[Page 21895]] residents and their organizations move out.
Crimes against business range from the armed robbery of a
neighborhood grocery to the electronic swindle of an international
corporation and include such offenses as the theft of cash or property
(by customers, employees, and suppliers), burglary, vandalism, billing
scams, embezzlement, extortion, computer hacking, hijacking of
shipments, kidnaping, arson, and theft of intellectual property. The
cost of crime to business is, of course, ultimately borne by consumers,
employees, and residents of areas that experience a decline because of
crime's effect on local business.
Through this general solicitation NIJ encourages studies that will
address these critical areas of citizen concern. The Institute is
particularly interested in research that advances our knowledge of the
extent and consequences of criminal victimization in the following
areas: Assessing the harm caused by victimization, improving the
delivery of services to victims and their treatment by the criminal
justice system, increasing our understanding of the causes and means of
prevention of victimization, improving data about the victimization of
businesses, and the effects of crime and victimization on the delivery
of services in affected areas.
Research Areas of Interest
Listed below are examples of research topics that will advance
criminal justice knowledge of the extent, causes, and consequences of
criminal victimization under Goal III of the NIJ Research Plan.
Individuals are encouraged to suggest their own topics of interest.
Research is encouraged in, but not limited to, the following areas:
Assessing Victim Needs. Diagnostic instruments for use by victim
services providers that would assist staff intake assessment of victim
harm and required services. Victim-based evaluations of services.
Program Evaluations. Evaluations of victim services programs in
such areas as restorative justice, use of computers by victim services,
incorporation of victim services in community policing, programs
tailored to victims with special needs, including child victims, and
local program compliance with victim services mandated by State
legislation.
Criminal Justice System Response to Victims. How treatment of
victims and witnesses by the criminal justice system affects the
public's willingness to cooperate with the system at all stages of its
processes.
Victimization Patterns. How routine activities, behavior,
perceptions, and knowledge interact with situational variables and
offender behavior to increase or lower the risk of victimization.
Knowledge that can contribute to reducing the level of victimization.
Impact of Crime on Business. The quality of data on the costs of
victimization of business, its customers, suppliers, and employees, and
the community. Priorities for new data collection and the utility of
the data for combating crimes against business.
Impact of Crime on Service Delivery. Effects of fear of crime and
victimization on the ability of communities, public agencies, and
nonprofit organizations to provide services and meet the needs of
residents of affected neighborhoods.
Contact
Applicants are encouraged to contact NIJ Program Managers to
discuss topic viability, data availability, or proposal content before
submitting proposals. To obtain specific information on the programs
described under this goal, potential applicants may contact Richard
Titus, at (202) 307-0695.
Goal IV: Improve the Effectiveness of Crime Prevention Programs
Purpose
The purpose of this solicitation is to encourage research and
evaluation projects that will increase the safety of individuals within
families, and in schools, businesses, workplaces, and community
environments; that will advance the knowledge of criminal justice
practitioners and help prevent crime and criminal behavior, and develop
and improve crime prevention programs. NIJ seeks research and
evaluations aimed at preventing involvement in crime, and individual,
community, and workplace efforts to improve safety and security.
Background
Crime prevention takes many forms. NIJ research in crime prevention
continues to focus on potential offenders, potential victims, and
particular locations and emphasizes both individual and community
responses to crimes that occur in various settings. There is a need to
examine how certain characteristics of neighborhoods, households,
schools, businesses, public housing developments, parks and other
public areas promote or constrain criminal activity. It is equally
important to study populations that may be especially vulnerable, or
invulnerable, to crime in those locations. It is also important to
examine crime prevention programs and strategies in the context of the
communities and jurisdictions in which they are found.
Crime prevention can and should focus on deterring potential
offenders by formulating strategies directed at high-risk groups that
are likely to become involved with the criminal justice system. NIJ
research emphasizes prevention strategies that may influence the
attitudes and behaviors of persons living in high-risk environments by
addressing their needs in a comprehensive manner and by promoting
positive and constructive forms of behavior. This approach to crime
prevention requires the coordination of mutually reinforcing efforts
that involve the family, school, and community as crime prevention
agents. Research has shown that efforts to assist youths at risk are
more likely to be effective when they start early and provide forms of
intervention based on an understanding of the developmental processes
that influence the attitudes and behavior of youths over time.
Crime prevention programs can also focus on potential victims of
crime and ways to prevent their victimization. A major issue in
prevention research is how to influence the behavior of individuals,
households, organizations, and community groups. Lessons learned in
studies of citizen patrols, changes in physical design, the
relationship between fear and physical signs of disorder, and the
redeployment of police officers, have all been incorporated in national
crime prevention campaigns and in the development of programs and
strategies designed to reduce crime victimization. Citizens and
community groups can accept and respond to the challenge of shared
responsibility for community security. Diverse crime prevention efforts
undertaken include means of preventing victimization as well as ways of
addressing the personal and social needs of victims resulting from
crime and drug abuse. In addition, citizen and community anti-crime
efforts are more likely to be effective when they are part of a
comprehensive approach to neighborhood problem solving that involves
citizens in a partnership with police and other municipal agencies.
We have learned that crime can be reduced through the proper design
and effective use of environmental crime prevention methods in
commercial sites, public and private housing, recreational areas, and
transportation systems. Research has underscored the importance of
incorporating environmental strategies as key [[Page 21896]] components
of community crime prevention programs.
One possible way to protect people from crime is to develop a more
thorough understanding of such factors about offenders as how they
select their victims and targets; their modus operandi during the
commission of an offense, including any involvement with co-offenders;
their methods of disposing of noncash proceeds from crime; their
perceptions of the opportunity structure of different locations,
environments, and situations; and their perceptions of the criminal
justice system's effectiveness in apprehending and prosecuting them.
Research Areas of Interest
Listed below are examples of research areas that could advance
crime prevention knowledge and practice under Goal IV of the NIJ
Research Plan. Individuals are encouraged to suggest their own topics
of interest. Research is encouraged in, but not limited to, the
following areas:
Crime Prevention Programs for High-Risk Youths. (In coordination
with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.)
Development of methods that foster positive and constructive forms of
behavior. Focus on resilient youth and families. Interaction between
community, family and individual factors in promoting positive
behavior.
Developing Community-Based Crime Prevention Partnerships.
Identification of factors that enhance or diminish partnerships.
Development and testing of strategies to revitalize and reclaim high-
crime areas. Ways to organize community resources in an integrated
manner. How to develop useful problem-solving strategies.
Location-Specific Crime Prevention Programs. Schools and routes to
and from school. Public housing. Commercial settings. Parks and
recreation facilities. Parking lots. Use of traffic barriers for crime
and drug prevention. Understanding the actions and responses of
potential victims and offenders in these and other settings. (See Goal
III: ``Routine Activities and Victimization'' for a description of
victim-related research using the routine activities approach). Focus
on environmental and design features. Focus on a comprehensive
approach.
Crimes and Offender Behavior. Offender daily activity patterns.
Offense selection and planning. Target and victim selection. Modus
operandi during the commission of an offense including co-offending.
Disposition of noncash proceeds from crime. Offender perception of
criminal justice system effectiveness. Disruption of stolen property
markets.
Crime By and Related to Illegal Aliens. Recruitment,
transportation, and smuggling of illegal aliens into the United States.
Provision of false documentation to illegals. Employers' role in
committing crimes related to hiring illegals and fostering crime among
illegal aliens.
Contact
Applicants are encouraged to contact NIJ Program Managers to
discuss topic viability, data availability, or proposal content before
submitting proposals. For specific information on the programs
described under this goal, potential applicants may contact:
Rosemary Murphy, (202) 307-2959, for school-based prevention
programs, crime prevention in public housing, crime prevention
partnerships and prevention for high-risk youths.
Richard Titus, (202) 307-0695 for location specific prevention
(except schools and public housing), crimes and offender behavior, and
crime by and related to illegal aliens.
Goal V: Improve Law Enforcement and the Criminal Justice System
Purpose
The purpose of this solicitation is to encourage efforts in
research and evaluation that will advance criminal justice knowledge in
the areas of policing, prosecution, defense, adjudication, and
corrections. The primary focus of research and evaluation under this
goal is improvement of the efficiency, effectiveness, and fairness of
the system. Certain types of cases, however, take priority. These
involve violent juvenile and adult offenders, drug and alcohol abusers,
and family violence offenders. Also of interest are the consequences of
decisions and practices in one part of the system on other criminal
justice agencies and on related social service agencies. Through this
solicitation, NIJ also seeks a greater understanding of the
relationship among the offender, victim, and the criminal justice
system. All issues surrounding the case are of interest, but projects
that focus on an issue from the perspective of the various
participants--prosecutor, defender, judge, legislator--are encouraged.
Background
Each part of the criminal justice system faces new challenges.
Juvenile arrests for violent crimes increased by 47 percent between
1988 and 1992; juvenile arrests for homicide increased by 51 percent
during the same period. FBI data indicate that juvenile use of guns has
risen dramatically. Prosecutors nationwide note that youthful offenders
are being brought to their offices in increasing numbers.
The Nation's prison and jail population reached 1 million in the
past year, with more than 5 million persons under some form of
correctional supervision. Data from jails and prisons show a high
incidence of substance abuse disorders among inmates. Approximately 70
percent of jail detainees have a history of substance abuse; 56 percent
were under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of arrest.
A significant proportion of inmates with drug abuse problems have a
high prevalence of other disorders. About 75 percent of inmates with
mental disorders, for example, are also substance abusers. Other
inmates abuse both drugs and alcohol. Few programs exist for such
inmates who have special needs. In most State prison systems, for
example, inmates may receive services from either mental health or
substance abuse programs but not from programs designed to treat those
with both conditions.
The 1994 crime law encourages innovations to improve criminal
justice effectiveness in many of these areas, including community
policing; prison construction and construction of alternative
facilities such as boot camps for nonviolent offenders; and drug courts
that combine court-supervised abstinence with outpatient treatment and
sanctions for those who fail to comply. NIJ expects to issue separate
solicitations for research in these areas by mid-1995.
White collar and organized crime pose a serious threat to the
stable and orderly functioning of society. These complex and
sophisticated crimes threaten our economic stability, corrupt
legitimate institutions, and undermine the public respect for
government and law.
Research is also needed on the consequences of the decisionmaking
process within the criminal justice system. Much criminal justice
research has been specific to a single criminal justice agency, such as
the decisions of police in using deadly force, charging decisions and
plea bargaining practices of prosecutors and use by judges of
intermediate sanctions. However, such studies rarely focus on the
relationship among police, defense attorneys, public prosecutors, and
judges in plea or sentence bargaining.
Moreover, much research on criminal justice evaluates effectiveness
in terms of standards internal to a particular agency rather than the
consequences [[Page 21897]] that decisions and practices in one part of
the system have for other components in the system or on system
processes. There are studies of jail and prison overcrowding and of
early release as a result of judicially mandated standards for
maintaining correctional facilities, but little is known about their
consequences for the criminal careers of offenders who have been
released early. Likewise, there is little research on the effect of
sentence length or a given type of sentence for any given offense.
Relatively little is known about how different kinds of crime are
detected and selected by social service and other agents and the
processes by which they are referred to law enforcement. NIJ seeks
research addressing these broader issues.
Research Areas of Interest
Listed below are examples of research topics that could advance
criminal justice knowledge under Goal V of the NIJ Research Plan.
Individuals are encouraged to suggest their own topics of interest.
Research is encouraged in, but not limited to, the following areas:
Law Enforcement
Note: NIJ is not receiving applications for policing research
against the June and December 1995 deadlines. Instead, researchers
should await the special solicitation to be issued in 1995, as noted
above.
Prosecution, Defense, and Adjudication
Issues at the Pretrial Stage. Effective release and detention
decisions, charging decisions, and diversion decisions. Effective
responses to witness intimidation. Impact of variations in discovery
policy.
New Approaches. Specialized courts, e.g., domestic violence,
firearms offenses. Community courts. Restorative justice. Community-
based prosecution and defense services.
Drug Courts. Note: NIJ is not receiving applications for research
on drug courts under the June and December 1995 deadlines. Instead,
researchers should await the special solicitation to be issued in 1995,
as noted above.
Juvenile Justice. (In coordination with the Office of Juvenile
Justice and Delinquency Prevention) Juvenile case processing,
emphasizing waiver to adult courts. Diversion to noncriminal justice
programs. Postarrest preconviction programs for chronic, serious
juvenile offenders.
Community and Institutional Corrections
Boot Camps. Note: NIJ is not receiving applications for research on
boot camps under the June and December 1995 deadlines. Instead,
researchers should await the special solicitation to be issued in 1995,
as noted above.
Sanctions and Punishments. Operating community-based sanctions as a
system. Prosecutors' role in intermediate sanctions. Innovative
programs in domestic violence, child abuse, firearms.
Meeting Offender Needs. Offenders with mental health and drug
addiction conditions. Creating parity in services for incarcerated
women. Coordinating transitional care and community reintegration.
Preserving Safety. Planning and managing ``super'' maximum security
prisons. Managing juvenile offenders in adult facilities. Correctional
officer health and safety risks.
Managing Change. Understanding the impacts of prison expansion.
Correctional management of changing inmate populations. Inmate and
correctional officers' safety. Managing offenders in the community.
Systemwide Issues
Consequences of Decisions on System Responses. The impact that
reforms or major resources changes in one part of the system may have
on another. Perceived fairness of the criminal justice system,
particularly in minority communities, and appropriate responses by
criminal justice professionals.
Sentencing. Costs and benefits of various State sentencing reforms.
Impact of sentencing policy changes on prosecution, defense, and the
courts, e.g.,``truth in sentencing'' and ``three strikes'' legislation,
abolition of parole, mandatory minimums, enhanced sentencing schemes
for juvenile offenders.
Illegal Aliens. U.S. policy toward arrested illegal aliens. Impact
on local criminal justice system. Links with immigration. Management of
foreign language populations in correctional settings.
White Collar and Organized Crime. For White Collar Crime, research
on the prevention and control of health care fraud, insider insurance
fraud, and environmental crime, including regulatory issues, detention,
investigation, and prosecution. For organized crime, research on the
criminal justice response to international organized crime networks and
enterprise, and organized crime corruption of legitimate industries and
markets.
Contact
Applicants are encouraged to contact NIJ program managers to
discuss topic viability, data availability, or proposal content before
submitting proposals. To obtain specific information on the programs
described under this goal, potential applicants may contact:
Lois Mock, (202) 307-0693, and Winifred Reed, (202) 307-2952, for
policing
Bernard Auchter, (202) 307-0154, for adjudication
Laurie Bright, (202) 616-3624, for prosecution and defense
Voncile Gowdy, (202) 307-2951, for corrections and sanctions
Richard Titus, (202) 307-0695, for illegal aliens and the criminal
justice system
Lois Mock, (202) 307-0693, for white collar and organized crime
Goal VI: Develop New Technology for Law Enforcement and the
Criminal Justice System
Purpose
The purpose of this solicitation is to encourage technological
development projects that will improve the operational efficiency of
the criminal justice system. Through this solicitation the National
Institute of Justice (NIJ) expects to support research that will
enhance the safety and effectiveness of law enforcement and
correctional officers and other officers of the court.
Background
Science and technology programs cut across the entire range of
criminal justice issues and goals at NIJ; programs already in progress
or in the early stages of planning and development promise to provide
significant benefits in the 21st century. The Institute's science and
technology mission is accomplished through three major program areas:
The collection and dissemination of technical information, the
development of standards and operation of an equipment testing program,
and a research and development grants program.
To strengthen the collection and dissemination of technology
information, NIJ is developing the capabilities of the National Law
Enforcement Technology Center (NLETC) (the former Technology Assessment
Program Information Center) and establishing regional law enforcement
technology centers. The purpose of these centers is to provide criminal
justice professionals with information on available technology,
guidelines and standards for these technologies, and technical
assistance in implementing them. These centers will be linked through a
Technology Information Network (TIN) to provide Federal, State and
local agencies with [[Page 21898]] objective, reliable, and timely
information on technologies and equipment, such as who are the
producers and users; where high-cost, seldom-used equipment can be
borrowed for temporary or emergency situations; what the current
equipment standards are; tests and evaluations; and what safety,
health, or procedure bulletins have been issued. The TIN will also link
the centers with the current Regional Information Sharing Service
(RISS) that will then create an overall law enforcement technology
exchange network. NIJ is also in the process of establishing an Office
of Law Enforcement Technology Commercialization (OLETC) to help bring
technology to the market place for criminal justice procurement.
One of the most significant developments of NIJ's criminal justice
technology and standards program was the development of soft body armor
for police officers and standards governing its manufacture and sale.
NIJ has also developed standards for vehicle tracking devices, security
systems for doors and windows, breath alcohol testing, autoloading
pistols, mobile antennas, and other equipment. The Institute is
currently completing the development of performance standards for two
DNA testing procedures: Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP)
and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). The standards program is funded by
NIJ through the Office of Law Enforcement Standards (OLES) at the
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
NIJ's research and development efforts have also been significant
and broad in scope in other areas. In the area of forensic science, NIJ
has supported a wide range of research on fingerprints, blood and
semen, DNA, trace evidence, bite marks, and forged or altered
documents. Further research is needed, particularly in DNA testing,
weapons identification, fingerprinting, and trace evidence. Progress is
also being made to develop alternatives to lethal force. When
confronted with the need to use force, officers are limited to the use
of firearms, batons, physical ``hands-on'' restraint, or, more
recently, chemical agents such as pepper spray. To provide
alternatives, NIJ initiated a Less-Than-Lethal technology program to
develop innovative, nonlethal measures suitable for use in situations
involving fleeing suspects, domestic disturbances, barricades, issuing
search warrants, drug raids, prison or jail disturbances, etc.
This announcement also supports research recommendations of the
Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Defense (DOD) under a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for interagency collaboration in
developing and sharing dual-use technologies for law enforcement
agencies and military operations other than war. Congress has
appropriated fiscal year 1995 funds for this program through the
Defense Authorization Bill. The day-to-day management of the program is
carried out at the DOD Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) under a
Joint Program Steering Group (JPSG) with equal numbers of program
managers from the Defense and Justice Departments.
In soliciting research and development topics, NIJ principally
focuses on technologies and studies that will support the needs of
State and local criminal justice agencies. The Institute's science and
technology research also addresses the legal and social issues related
to the employment of new technologies in order to ensure that they will
be acceptable to the agency and the community.
Research Areas of Interest
Listed below are examples of research areas under Goal VI of the
NIJ Research Plan where new or improved technologies could enhance the
efficacy of the criminal justice system and reduce the level of
injuries and death during policing and correctional operations.
Individuals are encouraged to suggest their own topics of interest.
Projects should be directed toward the production of affordable and
practical equipment or systems that will have reasonably wide
application to Federal, State, and local agencies. Research is
encouraged in, but not limited to, the following areas:
Forensic Sciences. Identification and development of evidence in
DNA/serology, finger-prints, trace evidence, pathology, entomology,
odontology, toxicology, questioned documents, and weapons
identification.
Less-Than-Lethal Technology. Reduction in the incidence of injuries
and death to officers and the public during confrontations, especially
those requiring the use of force, arrest of suspects, transport of
suspects or prisoners, pursuit of fleeing suspects on foot or in
vehicles, and control of violent individuals or crowds in the streets
or in prisons and jails. Enhancement of officer safety. Field
evaluations of new less-than-lethal technology.
Science and Technology. Virtual reality technology for officer
training; command and control operations; providing improved courtroom
security; improving the efficiency of probation and parole operations;
identifying concealed weapons; monitoring the status, health, and
location of officers or prisoners; and detecting and disabling
explosives. Technology useful in the detection and apprehension of
persons engaged in computer crime.
Drug Testing. Developing or adapting analytic techniques for
extracting drug-related material from hair and urine and other body
fluids. Comparative efficiencies and relative costs as well as the
utility of the testing techniques in various criminal justice settings.
Contact
Grant Proposals
Applicants are encouraged to contact NIJ Program Managers to
discuss topic viability, data availability, or proposal content before
submitting proposals. To obtain specific information on the programs
described under this goal, potential applicants may contact:
Richard M. Rau, (202) 307-0648, for the Forensic Sciences Program and
the Drug Testing Program
Raymond Downs, (202) 307-0646, for the Less-Than-Lethal Program and the
Science and Technology Program
Kevin Jackson, (202) 307-2956, for the Standards Development and
Testing Program and the Law Enforcement Technology Centers. DOD/DOJ
Memorandum of Understanding
Peter Nacci, (703) 351-8608, for information on the law enforcement
aspects of the DOJ/DOD MOU
John Pennella, (703) 696-2372, for information on the Military
Operations Other Than War aspects of the DOJ/DOD MOU
General Law Enforcement Technology Information
Marc Caplan, National Law Enforcement Technology Center, (800) 248-
2742, for information on specific law enforcement technologies that are
under development or in production, technologies in use by law
enforcement agencies, soft-body armor and other equipment standards,
equipment testing and results, and other such nongrant-related
questions.
Administrative Guidelines
In this section applicants will find recommendations to grant
writers, requirements for grant recipients, general application
information, and a reiteration of the 1995-1996 grant application
deadlines.
Application Information
Please see ``Requirements for Award Recipients'' below for general
application and eligibility requirements [[Page 21899]] and selection
criteria. Proposals not conforming to these application procedures will
not be considered.
Award Period. NIJ limits its grants and cooperative agreements to a
maximum period of 24 months.
Due Date. Ten (10) copies of fully executed proposals should be
sent to: (Name and Number of Specific Goal), National Institute of
Justice, 633 Indiana Avenue N.W., Washington, DC 20531.
Completed proposals must be received at the National Institute of
Justice by the close of business on June 15 and December 15, 1995, and
June 17 and December 16, 1996. Extensions of these deadlines will not
be permitted.
Contact. Applicants are encouraged to contact NIJ Program Managers
in the appropriate goal areas to discuss topic viability, data
availability, or proposal content before submitting proposals.
Recommendations to Grant Writers
Over the past 4 years, Institute staff have reviewed approximately
1,500 grant applications. On the basis of those reviews and inquiries
from applicants, the Institute offers the following recommendations to
help potential applicants present workable, understandable proposals.
Many of these recommendations were adopted from materials provided to
NIJ by the State Justice Institute, especially for applicants new to
NIJ. Others reflect standard NIJ requirements.
The author(s) of the proposal should be clearly identified.
Proposals that are incorrectly collated, incomplete, or handwritten
will be judged as submitted or, at NIJ's discretion, will be returned
without a deadline extension. No additions to the original submission
are allowed. The Institute suggests that applicants make certain that
they address the questions, issues, and requirements set forth below
when preparing an application.
1. What is the subject or problem you wish to address? Describe the
subject or problem and how it affects the criminal justice system and
the public. Discuss how your approach will improve the situation or
advance the state of the art of knowledge or state of the science and
explain why it is the most appropriate approach to take. Give
appropriate citations to the scientific literature. The source of
statistics or research findings cited to support a statement or
position should be included in a reference list.
2. What do you want to do? Explain the goal(s) of the project in
simple, straightforward terms. The goals should describe the intended
consequences or expected overall effect of the proposed project, rather
than the tasks or activities to be conducted. To the greatest extent
possible, applicants should avoid a specialized vocabulary that is not
readily understood by the general public. Technical jargon does not
enhance an application.
3. How will you do it? Describe the methodology carefully so that
what you propose to do and how you would do it is clear. All proposed
tasks should be set forth so that a reviewer can see a logical
progression of tasks and relate those tasks directly to the
accomplishment of the project's goal(s). When in doubt about whether to
provide a more detailed explanation or to assume a particular level of
knowledge or expertise on the part of the reviewers, err on the side of
caution and provide the additional information. A description of
project tasks also will help identify necessary budget items. All staff
positions and project costs should relate directly to the tasks
described. The Institute encourages applicants to attach letters of
cooperation and support from agencies that will be involved in or
directly affected by the proposed project.
4. What should you include in a grant application for a program
evaluation? An evaluation should determine whether the proposed
program, training, procedure, service, or technology accomplished the
objectives it was designed to meet. Applicants seeking support for a
proposed evaluation should describe the criteria that will be used to
evaluate the project's effectiveness and identify program elements that
will require further modification. The description in the application
should include how the evaluation will be conducted, when it will occur
during the project period, who will conduct it, and what specific
measures will be used. In most instances, the evaluation should be
conducted by persons not connected with the implementation of the
procedure, training, service, or technique, or the administration of
the project.
5. How will others learn about your findings? Include a plan to
disseminate the results of the research, evaluation, technology, or
demonstration beyond the jurisdictions and individuals directly
affected by the project. The plan should identify the specific methods
that will be used to inform the field about the project such as the
publication of journal articles or the distribution of key materials.
Expectations regarding products are discussed more fully in the
following section, ``Requirements for Award Recipients.'' A statement
that a report or research findings ``will be made available to'' the
field is not sufficient. The specific means of distribution or
dissemination as well as the types of recipients should be identified.
Reproduction and dissemination costs are allowable budget items.
Applicants must concisely describe the interim and final products and
address each product's purpose, audience, and usefulness to the field.
This discussion should identify the principal criminal justice
constituency or type of agency for which each product is intended and
describe how the constituent group or agency would be expected to use
the product or report. Successful proposals will clearly identify the
nature of the grant products that can reasonably be expected if the
project is funded. In addition, a schedule of delivery dates of all
products should be delineated.
6. What are the specific costs involved? The budget application
should be presented clearly. Major budget categories such as personnel,
benefits, travel, supplies, equipment, and indirect costs should be
identified separately. The components of ``Other'' or ``Miscellaneous''
items should be specified in the application budget narrative and
should not include set-asides for undefined contingencies.
7. How much detail should be included in the budget narrative? The
budget narrative should list all planned expenditures and detail the
salaries, materials, and cost assumptions used to estimate project
costs. The narrative and cost estimates should be presented under the
following standard budget categories: Personnel, fringe benefits,
travel, equipment, supplies, contracts, other, and indirect costs. For
multiyear projects, applicants must include the full amount of NIJ
funding for the entire life of the project. This amount should be
reflected in item 15g on Form 424 and line 6k on 424A. When
appropriate, grant applications should include justification of
consultants and a full explanation of daily rates for any consultants
proposed. To avoid common shortcomings of application budget
narratives, include the following information:
Personnel estimates that accurately provide the amount of time to
be spent by personnel involved with the project and the total
associated costs, including current salaries for the designated
personnel (e.g., Project Director, 50 percent of 1 year's annual salary
of $50,000=$25,000). If salary costs are computed using an hourly or
daily rate, the annual salary and number of hours or days in a work
year should be shown.
Estimates for supplies and expenses supported by a complete
description of the supplies to be used, nature and extent of printing
to be done, [[Page 21900]] anticipated telephone charges, and other
common expenditures, with the basis for computing the estimates
included (e.g., 100 reports x 75 pages each x $0.05/page =
$375.00). Supply and expense estimates offered simply as ``based on
experience'' are not sufficient.
8. What travel regulations apply to the budget estimates?
Transportation costs and per diem rates must comply with the policies
of the applicant organization, and a copy of the applicant's travel
policy should be submitted as an appendix to the application. If the
applicant does not have a travel policy established in writing, then
travel rates must be consistent with those established by the Federal
Government. The budget narrative should state which regulations are in
force for the project and should include the estimated fare, the number
of persons traveling, the number of trips to be taken, and the length
of stay. The estimated costs of travel, lodging, ground transportation,
and other subsistence should be listed separately. When combined, the
subtotals for these categories should equal the estimate listed on the
budget form.
9. Which forms should be used? A copy of Standard Form (SF) 424,
Application for Federal Assistance, plus instructions, appears in the
back of this book. Please follow the instructions carefully and include
all parts and pages. In addition to SF 424, recent requirements involve
certification regarding (1) lobbying; (2) debarment, suspension, and
other responsibility matters; and (3) drug-free workplace requirements.
The certification form that is attached to SF 424 should be signed by
the appropriate official and included in the grant application.
10. What technical materials are required to be included in the
application? A one-page abstract of the full proposal, highlighting the
project's purpose, methods, activities, and when known, the location(s)
of field research.
A program narrative, which is the technical portion of the
proposal. It should include a clear, concise statement of the problem,
goals, and objectives of the project and related questions to be
explored. A discussion of the relationship of the proposed work to the
existing literature is expected.
A statement of the project's anticipated contribution to criminal
justice policy and practice. It is important that applicants briefly
cite those particular issues and concerns of present-day criminal
justice policy that stimulate the proposed line of inquiry and suggest
what their own investigation would contribute to current knowledge.
A detailed statement of the proposed research or study design and
analytical methodologies. The proposed data sources, data collection
strategies, variables and issues to be examined, and procedures of
analysis to be employed should be delineated carefully and completely.
When appropriate, experimental designs are encouraged because of their
potential relevance to policymaking and the strength of the evidence
they can produce.
The organization and management plan to conduct the study. A list
of major milestones of events, activities, and products and a timetable
for completion that indicates the time commitments to individual
project tasks should be included. All grant activities, including
writing of the final report, should be completed within the duration of
the award period.
The applicant's curriculum vitae should summarize education,
research experience, and bibliographic information related to the
proposed work.
11. Use of grant funds. Grant funds may be used to purchase or
lease equipment essential to accomplishing the objectives of the
project. The budget narrative must list such equipment and explain why
the equipment is necessary. Funds may not be used for operating
programs, writing texts or handbooks, training, etc.
12. To what extent may indirect costs be included in the budget
estimates? It is the policy of the Institute that all costs should be
budgeted directly; however, if an applicant has an indirect cost rate
that has been approved by a Federal agency within the past 2 years, an
indirect cost recovery estimate may be included in the budget. A copy
of the approved rate agreement should be submitted as an appendix to
the application. If an applicant does not have an approved rate
agreement, the applicant should contact the Office of the Comptroller,
Office of Justice Programs, (202) 307-0604, to obtain information about
preparing an indirect cost rate proposal.
13. What, if any, matching funds are required? Units of State and
local governments (not including publicly supported institutions of
higher education) are encouraged to contribute a match (cash, noncash,
or both) of requested funds. Other applicants also are encouraged to
seek matching contributions from other Federal agencies or private
foundations to assist in meeting the costs of the project.
14. Should other funding sources be listed? Applicants are expected
to identify all other Federal, local, or private sources of support,
including other NIJ programs, to which this or a closely related
proposal has been or will be submitted. This information permits NIJ to
consider the joint funding potential and limits the possibility of
inadvertent duplicate funding. Applicants may submit more than one
proposal to NIJ, but the same proposal cannot be submitted in more than
one program area.
15. What are the deadlines? June 15 and December 15, 1995, and June
17 and December 16, 1996.
16. Is there a page limit? The Institute has established a limit of
30 double-spaced pages for all normal grant applications. This page
limit does not include references, budget narrative, curriculum vitae,
or necessary appendices. Applications for small grants ($1,000-$50,000)
are limited to 15 double-spaced pages. NIJ does not wish to create
elaborate regulations regarding type fonts, margins, and spacing.
Applicants are cautioned, however, that obvious attempts to stretch
interpretations of the Institute's limits have, in the past, caused
proposal reviewers to regard such efforts unfavorably.
17. What is the page order? The following order is mandatory.
Omission can result in rejection of the application:
1. SF 424.
2. Names and affiliations of all key persons from applicant and
subcontractor(s), advisors, consultants, and Advisory Board members.
Include the name of the Principal Investigator, title, organizational
affiliation (if any), department (if institution of higher education),
address, phone, and fax.
3. Abstract.
4. Table of Contents.
5. Budget narrative.
6. Assurances and Certifications, etc.
7. Negotiated rate agreement.
8. Program narrative.
9. References.
10. Resumes of key personnel.
18. What does the review process entail? After all applications for
a competition are received, NIJ will convene a series of peer review
panels of criminal justice professionals and researchers. NIJ will
assign proposals to peer panels that it deems most appropriate. Panel
members read each proposal and meet to assess the technical merits and
policy relevance of the proposed research. Panel assessments of the
proposals, together with assessments by NIJ staff, are submitted to the
Director, who has sole and final authority over approval and
[[Page 21901]] awards. The review normally takes 60 to 90 days,
depending on the number of applications received. Each applicant
receives written comments from the peer review panel concerning the
strengths and weaknesses of the proposal. These comments may include
suggestions for how a revised or subsequent application to NIJ might be
improved.
19. What are the criteria for an award? The essential question
asked of each applicant is, ``If this study were successful, how would
criminal justice policies or operations be improved?'' Four criteria
are applied in the evaluation process:
Impact of the proposed project.
Feasibility of the approach to the issue, including technical merit
and practical considerations.
Originality of the approach, including creativity of the proposal
and capability of the research staff.
Economy of the approach. Applicants bear the responsibility of
demonstrating to the panel that the proposed study addresses the
critical issues of the topic area and that the study findings could
ultimately contribute to a practical application in law enforcement or
criminal justice. Reviewers will assess applicants' awareness of
related research or studies and their ability to direct the research or
study toward answering questions of policy or improving the state of
criminal justice operations.
Technical merit is judged by the likelihood that the study design
will produce convincing findings. Reviewers take into account the logic
and timing of the research or study plan, the validity and reliability
of measures proposed, the appropriateness of statistical methods to be
used, and each applicant's awareness of factors that might dilute the
credibility of the findings. Impact is judged by the scope of the
proposed approach and by the utility of the proposed products.
Reviewers consider each applicant's understanding of the process of
innovation in the targeted criminal justice agency or setting and
knowledge of prior uses of criminal justice research by the proposed
criminal justice constituency. Appropriateness of products in terms of
proposed content and format is also considered.
Applicants' qualifications are evaluated both in terms of the depth
of experience and the relevance of that experience to the proposed
research or study. Costs are evaluated in terms of the reasonableness
of each item and the utility of the project to the Institute's program.
20. Are there any other considerations in selecting applications
for an award? Projects should have a national impact or have potential
relevance to a number of jurisdictions. Because of the broad national
mandate of the National Institute of Justice, projects that address the
unique concerns of a single jurisdiction should be fully justified.
Projects that intend to provide services in addition to performing
research are eligible for support, but only for the resources necessary
to conduct the research tasks outlined in the proposal. The applicant's
performance on previous or current NIJ grants will also be taken into
consideration in making funding decisions.
21. Who is eligible to apply? NIJ awards grants to, or enters into
cooperative agreements with, educational institutions, nonprofit
organizations, public agencies, individuals, and profitmaking
organizations that are willing to waive their fees. Where appropriate,
special eligibility criteria are indicated in the separate
solicitations.
22. Does NIJ accept resubmission of proposals? The Institute will
accept resubmission of a previously submitted proposal. The applicant
should indicate for Question 8, Form 424, that the application is a
revision. The applicant should include this information in the
abstract. Finally, the applicant should prepare a one-page response to
the earlier panel review (to follow the abstract) including (1) the
title, submission date, and NIJ-assigned application number of the
previous proposal and (2) a brief summary of responses to the review
and/or revisions to the proposal.
NIJ Policy Regarding Unsolicited Proposals
It is NIJ's policy to submit all unsolicited proposals to peer
review. NIJ's peer review process takes place in periodic cycles;
unsolicited proposals received will be included in the next available
review cycle. NIJ will offer the applicant the option of revising the
proposal in accordance with the program goals established in the Plan
or, alternatively, submitting the original proposal to the peer panel
it deems most appropriate.
Requirements for Award Recipients
Required Products
Each project is expected to generate tangible products of maximum
benefit to criminal justice professionals, researchers, and
policymakers. In particular, NIJ strongly encourages documents that
provide information of practical utility to law enforcement officials;
prosecutors; judges; corrections officers; victims services providers;
and Federal, State, county, and local elected officials. Products
should include:
A summary of approximately 2,500 words highlighting the findings of
the research and the policy issues those findings will inform. The
material should be written in a style that will be accessible to policy
officials and practitioners and suitable for possible publication as an
NIJ Research in Brief. An NIJ editorial style guide is sent to each
project director at the time of the award.
A full technical report, including a discussion of the research
question, review of the literature, description of project methodology,
detailed review of project findings, and conclusions and policy
recommendations.
Clean copies of all automated data sets developed during the
research and full documentation prepared in accordance with the
instructions in the NIJ Data Resources Manual.
Brief project summaries for NIJ use in preparing annual reports to
the President and the Congress. As appropriate, additional products
such as case studies and interim and final reports (e.g., articles,
manuals, or training materials) may be specified in the proposal or
negotiated at the time of the award.
Public Release of Automated Data Sets
NIJ is committed to ensuring the public availability of research
data and to this end established its Data Resources Program in 1984.
All NIJ award recipients who collect data are required to submit a
machine-readable copy of the data and appropriate documentation to NIJ
prior to the conclusion of the project. The data and materials are
reviewed for completeness. NIJ staff then create machine-readable data
sets, prepare users'' guides, and distribute data and documentation to
other researchers in the field. A variety of formats are acceptable;
however, the data and materials must conform with requirements detailed
in Depositing Data With the Data Resources Program of the National
Institute of Justice: A Handbook. A copy of this handbook is sent to
each project director at the time of the award. For further information
about NIJ's Data Resources Program, contact Dr. Pamela Lattimore, (202)
307-2961. [[Page 21902]]
Standards of Performance by Recipients
NIJ expects individuals and institutions receiving its support to
work diligently and professionally toward completing a high-quality
research or study product. Besides this general expectation, the
Institute imposes specific requirements to ensure that proper financial
and administrative controls are applied to the project. Financial and
general reporting requirements are detailed in Financial and
Administrative Guide for Grants, a publication of the Office of Justice
Programs. This guideline manual is sent to recipient institutions with
the award documents. Project directors and recipient financial
administrators should pay particular attention to the regulations in
this document.
Program Monitoring
Award recipients and Principal Investigators assume certain
responsibilities as part of their participation in government-sponsored
research and evaluation. NIJ's monitoring activities are intended to
help grantees meet these responsibilities. They are based on good
communication and open dialogue, with collegiality and mutual respect.
Some of the elements of this dialogue are:
Communication with NIJ in the early stages of the grant, as the
elements of the proposal's design and methodology are developed and
operationalized.
Timely communication with NIJ regarding any developments that might
affect the project's compliance with the schedules, milestones, and
products set forth in the proposal. (See statement on Timeliness,
below.)
Communication with other NIJ grantees conducting related research
projects. An annual ``cluster conference'' should be anticipated and
should be budgeted for by applicants at a cost of $1,000 for each year
of the grant.
Providing NIJ on request with brief descriptions of the project in
interim stages at such time as the Institute may need this information
to meet its reporting requirements to the Congress. NIJ will give as
much advance notification of these requests as possible, but will
expect a timely response from grantees when requests are made. NIJ is
prepared to receive such communication through electronic media.
Providing NIJ with copies of presentations made at conferences,
meetings, and elsewhere based in whole or in part on the work of the
project.
Providing NIJ with prepublication copies of articles based on the
project appearing in professional journals or the media, either during
the life of the grant or after.
Other reporting requirements (Progress Reports, Final Reports, and
other grant products) are spelled out elsewhere in this section of the
Research Plan. Financial reporting requirements will be described in
the grant award documents received by successful applicants.
Communications
NIJ Program Managers should be kept informed of research progress.
Written progress reports are required on a quarterly basis. All awards
use standard quarterly reporting periods (January 1 through March 31,
April 1 through June 30, and so forth) regardless of the project's
start date. Progress reports will inform the monitor which tasks have
been completed and whether significant delays or departures from the
original workplan are expected.
Timeliness
Grantees are expected to complete award products within the
timeframes that have been agreed upon by NIJ and the grantee. The
Institute recognizes that there are legitimate reasons for project
extensions. However, NIJ does not consider the assumption of additional
research projects that impinge upon previous time commitments as
legitimate reasons for delay. Projects with unreasonable delays can be
terminated administratively. In this situation, any funds remaining are
withdrawn. Future applications from either the project director or the
recipient institution are subject to strict scrutiny and may be denied
support based on past failure to meet minimum standards.
Publications
The Institute encourages grantees to prepare their work for NIJ
publication. In cases where grantees disseminate their findings through
a variety of media, such as professional journals, books, and
conferences, copies of such publications should be sent to the Program
Manager as they become available, even if they appear well after a
project's expiration. NIJ imposes no restriction on such publications
other than the following acknowledgment and disclaimer: This research
was supported by grant number __________ from the National Institute of
Justice. Points of view are those of the author(s) and do not
necessarily represent the position of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Data Confidentiality and Human Subjects Protection
Research that examines individual traits and experiences plays a
vital part in expanding our knowledge about criminal behavior. It is
essential, however, that researchers protect subjects from needless
risk of harm or embarrassment and proceed with their willing and
informed cooperation. NIJ requires that investigators protect
information identifiable to research participants. When information is
safeguarded, it is protected by statute from being used in legal
proceedings: ``[S]uch information and copies thereof shall be immune
from legal process, and shall not, without the consent of the person
furnishing such information, be admitted as evidence or used for any
purpose in any action, suit, or other judicial, legislative, or
administrative proceedings'' (42 U.S.C. 3789g).
Applicants should file their plans to protect sensitive information
as part of their proposal. Necessary safeguards are detailed in 28 Code
of Federal Regulations (CFR), 22. A short ``how-to'' guideline for
developing a privacy and confidentiality plan can be obtained from NIJ
program managers.
In addition, the U.S. Department of Justice has adopted Human
Subjects policies similar to those established by the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services. In general, these policies exempt most
NIJ-supported research from Institutional Review Board (IRB) review.
However, the Institute may find in certain instances that subjects or
subject matters may require IRB review. These exceptions will be
decided on an individual basis during application review. Researchers
are encouraged to review 28 CFR part 46, 46.101 to determine their
individual project requirements.
Jeremy Travis,
Director, National Institute of Justice.
Office for Victims of Crime Notice of FY 1995 Discretionary Program
Plan
This Program Announcement is outlined as follows:
I. Introduction
II. New, Competitive Programs
A. Promising Strategies and Practices to Improve Services to
Crime Victims
1. Law Enforcement Agencies
2. Evidentiary Medical Examinations
a. Nurse Examiners
b. Specialized Settings
3. Prosecutors
4. Probation and Parole Agencies
5. Corrections Agencies
6. Judiciary
7. Rural Areas
8. Professional Education
9. Technology
10. White Collar Crime Victims [[Page 21903]]
11. Healing Through Community Service
12. Guidelines for Victim/Offender Mediation and Dialogue
13. Workplace Violence
B. Training and Technical Assistance for Crime Victim
Practitioners and Allied Professionals
1. Regional Seminars for Establishing Community and
Institutional Crisis Response Teams
2. Conference Support Training Initiative
3. National Symposium on Victims of Federal Crime
4. Training of Trainers Seminars
a. Victim Services in Rural Areas
b. Responding to Staff Victimization
c. Victim Impact Classes for Offenders
5. Resources for State Compensation and Assistance
Administrators
a. National Technical Assistance Conference for State VOCA
Assistance Administrators
b. Regional Technical Assistance Meetings for State VOCA
Administrators
c. Mentor Program for VOCA Administrators
C. Information Dissemination
1. Videotapes
a. Cultural Diversity
b. Path Through the Criminal Justice System
c. Victim Issues for Parole Boards
2. Resources for National Crime Victims Rights Week, 1996
D. Native American Programs
1. Training and Technical Assistance for Victims of Federal
Crime in Indian Country Discretionary Grant Subgrantees
2. Children's Justice Act Discretionary Grant Program for Native
Americans
3. Cross-Cultural Skills Development and Training for Federal
Criminal Justice Personnel in Indian Country
4. Indian Nations Conference
III. Non-Competitive Programs
A. OVC Training and Technical Assistance Resources
1. OVC Trainers Bureau
2. Immediate Response to Emerging Problems
3. Emergency Fund for Federal Crime Victims
B. Training and Technical Assistance for Federal Law Enforcement
1. Federal Bureau of Investigation In-Service Training Support
2. Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
3. Federal Victim-Witness Training Events
4. Training-Related Travel for Federal Personnel
C. Training and Technical Assistance for Federal Victim-Witness
Coordinators and Assistant U.S. Attorneys
1. Development of a Model U.S. Attorney Victim-Witness Program
2. Dual Track Training
3. District-Specific Training
4. Huntsville Child Sexual Abuse Conference
D. Training and Technical Assistance for Victim Assistance
Providers and Allied Professionals
1. Multijurisdictional Model for Child Sexual Exploitation Cases
2. Resources for Children's Advocacy Centers
3. Violence Against Women
a. Training and Technical Assistance
b. Anti-Stalking Resource Group
4. National TRIAD Trainings
5. Training for Military Chaplains
6. Bias Crime Training for Law Enforcement and Victim Assistance
Professionals
7. Victim Assistance in Public Housing
E. Native American Programs
1. Assistance to Victims of Federal Crime in Indian Country
2. Training and Technical Assistance for Native American
Children's Justice Act Grantees
3. Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) in Indian Country
4. Children's Justice Act Discretionary Grant Program for Native
Americans
5. Travel/Training and Technical Assistance for Native Americans
6. Tribal Judges Symposium
F. Information Dissemination
1. OVC Resource Center
2. Crime Victim Compensation Videotape
3. Reproduction of Federal Victim Assistance Informational
Materials
a. Attorney General Guidelines for Victim and Witness Assistance
b. Federal Resource Book
c. Prosecution of Child Abuse
d. Victim-Witness Briefing Packages
e. ``Going to Court'' Activity Books
4. Conference and Meeting Support
G. Restorative Justice Symposium
IV. National Crime Victims Agenda: Update of the 1982 Final Report
of the President's Task Force on Victims of Crime
V. Solicitations for FY 1996
A. Victim Assistance Academy
B. Victim Assistance Training for Military Victim Assistance
Providers
C. Concept Papers for FY 1996
VI. Eligibility Requirements
VII. Application Requirements
VIII. Procedures for Selection
IX. Submission Requirements
X. Civil Rights Compliance
XI. Audit Requirements
XII. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Numbers
I. Introduction
Violent crime is a shattering experience. It can destroy a person's
sense of safety and security in the world. Of paramount importance to
victims and survivors of crime is an assurance that their government
cares about their suffering, offers support to help them heal, and
holds the criminal accountable for the harm caused.
The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) was created by the Victims of
Crime Act of 1984 (VOCA) to help ensure justice and healing for our
nation's crime victims. In carrying out this mission, OVC provides
funding for crucial victim services, supports training for the diverse
professionals who work with crime victims, and develops projects to
enhance victims' rights and services. OVC administers two formula and
many discretionary grant programs designed to benefit victims. These
programs are funded by the Crime Victims Fund (Fund), which is derived
from the fines, penalty assessments, and bail forfeitures of Federal
criminal offenders--not from tax dollars. In Fiscal Year (FY) 1995, OVC
has about $150 million to support critical services to crime victims
and national-scope training and technical assistance.
Approximately 90 percent of the money in the Fund each year is
allocated to states for funding of victim assistance and compensation
programs. These programs provide the lifeline services that help
victims to heal. Victim assistance funds support nearly 3,000 local
victim services agencies, such as family violence shelters, child
advocacy centers, and sexual assault treatment programs. Compensation
funds supplement state efforts to reimburse victims for out-of-pocket
expenses resulting from crime, including medical costs, lost wages, and
mental health counseling.
Guidelines and application information for the FY 1995 state
compensation and assistance formula grant programs were previously
issued to eligible state agencies. OVC will award $144,223,998 from the
Crime Victims Fund to support these two important formula grant
programs. In addition, $10 million was made available from the Fund
pursuant to the Children's Justice Act, with $8.5 million designated
for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and $1.5 million
designated for OVC to support local child abuse programs. The
Administrative Office of U.S. Courts received $6.2 million to improve
criminal debt collection efforts.
This program announcement describes 30 new programs that will be
bid competitively and 33 non-competitive and continuation programs.
Some of these programs include a number of separate initiatives and
conferences, such as the Children's Justice Act discretionary grant
program, which will fund five to eight new grants within that one
program.
Goals
OVC has established six goals for allocating discretionary training
and technical assistance dollars in its 1995 program plan:
To identify and promote the use of promising practices in
serving crime victims;
To provide and encourage training and technical assistance
for all service providers who interact with crime victims;
[[Page 21904]]
To develop and disseminate information to victims of crime
and the people who serve them;
To work closely with Native American communities to help
provide needed services for crime victims;
To create partnerships with other Department of Justice
entities, governmental agencies, communities, and organizations; and
To develop a national crime victims agenda that provides a
guide for long-term action and sets forth future training and technical
assistance needs.
These goals reflect the Attorney General's strong commitment to the
rights and needs of crime victims, partnerships between all levels of
government and communities, and the dissemination of effective
approaches to provide services to crime victims. They also meet OVC's
legislative mandates to provide national-scope training and technical
assistance, ensure services to victims of Federal crimes, and work with
Native American communities to respond to crime victims.
Listed below are some of OVC's proposed projects that correspond to
the goals described above:
1. To identify and promote the use of promising practices in
serving crime victims.
To accomplish this goal, OVC will fund projects to identify
innovative and promising crime victim programs in local communities
across the country. These include projects to:
Identify and disseminate information about promising
strategies and practices to improve victim services provided by diverse
criminal justice professionals, including law enforcement, prosecutors,
judges, probation and parole personnel, and corrections officials;
Identify and disseminate information about promising
approaches for providing and maintaining victim services in underserved
settings, such as in rural areas and public housing developments;
Explore avenues for applying technology to improve and
increase services for crime victims;
Assist in the development and pilot testing of a model
victim/witness program within a U.S. Attorney's Office;
Identify and develop courses and curricula on crime victim
issues for use at related undergraduate and graduate programs,
including schools of law, medicine, social work, mental health, and
criminal justice; and
Support local partnerships and multidisciplinary programs,
such as TRIAD and Children's Advocacy Centers.
Part of OVC's challenge is to identify and promote the replication
of promising programs so that victims and service providers nationwide
can benefit from these innovations.
2. To provide and encourage training and technical assistance for
service providers who interact with crime victims.
Training and technical assistance is critical to ensuring the
highest quality of service and care to crime victims by the many
different professionals who work with them. These professionals include
law enforcement, prosecutors, judges, probation and parole officers,
and corrections officials who work within state and Federal criminal
justice systems. They also include mental health professionals, doctors
and nurses, the clergy, and others who regularly interact with victims
of crime. At the Federal level alone, there are more than 70 different
law enforcement entities within the Department of Justice and other
Executive Branch agencies that are responsible for serving crime
victims in accordance with guidelines issued by the Attorney General.
OVC will continue to support two flexible training and technical
assistance resources that offer customized services to agencies at the
state and local levels:
A Trainers Bureau that pays for expert consultants to
provide training and technical assistance on issues requested by local
communities; and
The Immediate Response to Emerging Problems (IREP)
initiative that provides a crisis response team if requested by a
community to assist in dealing with a catastrophic crime, such as a
mass murder.
Examples of other types of training and technical
assistance that OVC will fund are:
National and regional training conferences for state VOCA
administrators, victim-witness coordinators, and child advocacy
workers;
Regional training seminars to assist communities and
institutions to be prepared for multiple victimizations by establishing
their own crisis response plans and teams;
Team approaches that strengthen the response of criminal
justice agencies to the many forms of violence against women and
children;
Hate and bias crimes training for law enforcement and
victim service personnel;
Training events at the Department of Treasury's Federal
Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) and the National Symposium for
Child Sexual Abuse in Huntsville, Alabama to sensitize officials to
victim/witness issues and promote ``team approaches'' in handling
cases;
The first national symposium to provide high-quality
victim assistance training for victim-witness coordinators from all
Federal law enforcement agencies;
Victim assistance programs in Native American communities,
including an Indian Nations' Conference in 1996;
Assistance to military personnel and clergy who work with
victims of crime on military installations; and
Mentoring programs to facilitate on-site training at
promising programs for state VOCA administrators and multidisciplinary
teams.
In addition, OVC will continue to monitor the development of the
Victim Assistance Academy funded last year to provide high-quality
intensive training to victim service providers across the country from
Federal, state, tribal, and local communities. OVC anticipates that the
Academy will provide a curriculum to help professionalize the field and
develop standards for victim service providers.
3. To develop and disseminate information to victims of crime and
the people who serve them.
To achieve this goal, OVC will disseminate the findings of its
projects that identify promising practices currently being used in the
field. In addition, OVC is supporting other initiatives that will
directly benefit crime victims. These include:
A videotape describing how victims can obtain compensation
to reimburse expenses related to their victimization;
A booklet, ``Healing Through Community Service,'' that
will describe case studies of victims whose contributions to the
community have helped them heal and suggest other therapeutic
strategies;
A videotape, ``Path Through the Criminal Justice System,''
that will describe what victims can expect as their case proceeds
through the system; and
Activity books designed for children who will be
testifying in Federal court to increase their understanding of the
process. These books accompany a film that was funded by OVC last year.
These products and reports describing promising practices will be
distributed through the OVC Resource Center, as well as at the many
conferences OVC sponsors and supports around the country. Numerous
products are already available through the Resource Center, which can
be reached at 1-800-627-6872. OVC will augment its funding
[[Page 21905]] commitment to the Resource Center to improve its
capacity to provide crucial information directly to the public and the
field.
Finally, OVC will contribute all findings and publications to
PAVNET, the Partnerships Against Violence Network. PAVNET is an
integrated information system that pools ideas, information, and
resources about promising programs, technical assistance, and funding
sources. As OVC and its grantees identify promising programs and
strategies in the field, information about these will be added to the
on-line search and retrieval system available through the National
Criminal Justice Reference Service and a Federal agency coalition that
includes the Departments of Justice, Agriculture, Education, Health and
Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, and Labor.
4. To work closely with Native American communities to assist in
the provision of needed services for crime victims.
OVC is committed to providing extensive, culturally appropriate
services to crime victims in Native American communities. The Native
American programs that OVC will fund this year include:
Comprehensive training and technical assistance for
Children's Justice Act grantees in Indian Country to enhance victim
service skills and facilitate a team approach in responding to child
sexual abuse cases;
Cross-cultural skills development and training for Federal
criminal justice personnel to enhance their ability to serve Native
American crime victims;
An Indian Nations' conference that will improve the skills
of diverse professionals in responding to the needs of Native American
crime victims and in addressing cases of child sexual and physical
abuse in Indian Country;
Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) programs in Indian
Country to ensure that trained advocates represent the best interests
of Native American child victims in court; and
A project to provide training for tribal judges, based
upon topics identified through a needs assessment.
5. To create partnerships with other Department of Justice (DOJ)
entities, governmental agencies, communities, and organizations.
Partnerships are a key element in this year's discretionary program
plan. OVC recognizes that no program can reach its best potential in
isolation. To that end, this program announcement itself reflects
collaborative efforts between OVC and all other offices and bureaus
within OJP; many DOJ components; and diverse Federal agencies.
Joint projects with other OJP components include:
Eleven separate projects or fund transfers jointly
sponsored by OVC and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), including
training on hate and bias crimes, victim services in public housing,
community and institutional crisis response teams, and a videotape on
cultural diversity;
Four projects or fund transfers jointly sponsored by OVC
and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP),
including training on a multi-jurisdictional model for handling child
sexual exploitation cases and seminars to train trainers in the use of
victim impact classes, including classes for juvenile offenders;
A restorative justice symposium cosponsored by OVC and the
National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to examine how restorative justice
concepts and practices can improve the treatment of victims and
increase the involvement of communities in the criminal justice
process. OVC also will work with NIJ on NIJ's victims' related research
and to include information about promising programs and strategies in
PAVNET; and
Collaborative projects between OVC and the Bureau of
Justice Statistics (BJS) to enhance the National Crime Victimization
Survey and improve OVC's efforts to collect data and assess its grant
programs.
OVC also reaches outside of OJP to work with other components of
the Department of Justice. Examples include:
Collaboration with the Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys
(EOUSA) to provide training for Federal victim-witness coordinators and
prosecutors and to create a model victim-witness program for U.S.
Attorneys' Offices nationwide;
Work with the FBI to strengthen its victim-witness
program;
Coordination of projects in Indian Country with DOJ's
Office of Tribal Services;
Collaboration with the Criminal Division's Child
Exploitation and Obscenity Section to develop policies regarding child
sexual abuse; and
Cooperation with DOJ's Financial Litigation and Debt
Collection staff to maintain the integrity of the Crime Victims Fund.
In addition, OVC works in concert with other Federal agencies to
carry out its mission. This includes:
Collaboration with the Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) to implement the Children's Justice Act (CJA) programs,
with OVC administering CJA programs to tribal organizations, and HHS
administering the program in the states;
A collaborative effort with the Administration on Aging at
HHS, BJA, the National Sheriffs' Association, the International
Association of Chiefs of Police, and older American organizations to
encourage replication of TRIAD programs, which are partnerships between
local law enforcement and senior citizen organizations;
Sponsorship with the Department of Defense of victim
assistance training for military victim service providers and military
chaplains; and
A symposium on workplace violence issues that would
include participation by a number of Federal agencies, including HHS,
the Department of Labor, and the United States Postal Service.
These examples are representative--not exhaustive--of OVC
collaboration with other agencies and organizations and its commitment
to continue developing partnerships throughout all levels of government
to improve crime victim services.
OVC is in the process of exploring new partnerships with public and
private sector organizations, including foundations. Moreover, the
program strategy and selection criteria for projects encourage
applicants to collaborate whenever possible.
6. To develop a national crime victims agenda that provides a guide
for long-term action and sets forth future training and technical
assistance needs.
In 1982, President Reagan appointed a Task Force on Victims of
Crime to study a long overlooked constituency of our criminal justice
system--crime victims. This task force examined the way crime victims
were treated by the criminal justice system and held public hearings
around the country. It found that the system was severely imbalanced,
almost entirely focusing on the criminal, while ignoring the rights and
needs of victims. In its final report, the Task Force issued a
comprehensive blueprint of 68 recommendations designed to improve the
treatment of crime victims by the criminal justice system and other
sectors of society. This document, the first Federal study of its kind,
served to spearhead a national movement to secure specific victim
rights and develop services that are responsive to victims' unique
needs. Its proposals also lead to the legislation that created OVC and
the Crime Victims Fund.
Using FY 1995 and 1996 funding, OVC will produce a document
updating [[Page 21906]] the 1982 report. This update will not only
describe the progress made in victim services during the past thirteen
years, but also will describe a plan for the future, including
promising practices, model programs and legislation, and needed
national-scope training and technical assistance programs. OVC hopes
that this new report, like the landmark 1982 publication, will become a
guide for long-term action to improve victims' rights and services into
the next century.
DATES: This Program Announcement is effective May 3, 1995. All
applications for new, competitive programs are due by 5 p.m. on July 3,
1995. All applications for FY 1996 funding are due by 5 p.m. on August
1, 1995. Postmarks are not acceptable.
Program Announcement Development
OVC solicited input from a wide variety of sources in developing
the proposals contained within this program announcement. A request for
concept papers from the field was made in OVC's FY 1994 program
announcement. OVC received 45 responses. OVC also sought input from the
field at a number of training conferences around the country, including
meetings with U.S. Attorneys and LECC/Victim-Witness Coordinators,
Native American representatives, state VOCA Compensation and Assistance
Administrators, and victim advocates at the national, state, and local
levels. The program plan reflects much of that input. Those suggestions
that fell outside of OVC's statutory authority were shared with other
DOJ components for their consideration.
Competitive and Continuation Grants
This program announcement contains new competitive, non-
competitive, and continuation grants, as well as information on
interagency agreements.
Discretionary grants for new programs are generally awarded through
a competitive process. The programs are open to a broad range of public
and private non-profit organizations. Awards will be made to
organizations and agencies that offer the greatest potential for
achieving the objectives outlined in the description of each program.
Selections primarily will be made on the basis of the information
provided in the applicants' proposals. However, the Director also may
consider any unsatisfactory past performance of applicants on OVC or
OJP grants.
To supplement and assist in the consideration and review of
applications by the program office, all competitive applications will
be rated by a peer review panel of experts in the program areas. The
panel will make recommendations for funding to the Director of OVC, who
has final funding authority. The panel will rate competing applicants
by numerical values based on the point distribution identified in the
Selection Criteria (see Section VIII for details). Letters will be sent
to all applicants notifying them of the final decision regarding their
proposal. At their request, unsuccessful applicants will be notified of
the major deficiencies identified in their application by the panel.
OVC will negotiate specific terms of the awards with the selected
applicants based upon the comments of panel members and OVC program
managers. No awards will be granted until and unless selected
applicants agree to terms specified by OVC.
For continuation programs, the awards are limited to specific
organizations/grantees who have previously received at least one year
of funding for a previous year's program solicitation. Continuation
awards will be negotiated directly with current grantees to support
further program activities or with organizations that are uniquely
qualified to address subsequent phases of previously funded projects.
II. New, Competitive Programs
All grantees that are awarded funding for new programs following
the OVC peer review and selection process are expected to work closely
with the OVC project monitor during all phases of the award period.
All written products resulting from these grants must be submitted
on computer disk, as well as in hard copy. Grantees will be expected to
submit a short monograph or summary of the project and its findings (5-
10 pages) that may be published as an OVC Bulletin.
A. Promising Strategies and Practices To Improve Services to Crime
Victims
Promising Strategies and Practices for Law Enforcement Agencies
(Cooperative Agreement)--Award Amount: $75,000
Purpose: To identify and document innovative policies, procedures,
practices, and programs used by law enforcement agencies to respond to
the needs of crime victims and to develop a plan for their
dissemination.
Background: Law enforcement officers usually are the first criminal
justice personnel to interact with crime victims. The way in which they
treat victims can have a profound impact on how well and how quickly
they recover from traumatic events.
Experienced law enforcement professionals are keenly aware of their
responsibility toward victims. As a result, many agencies at both the
federal and local level have developed a variety of innovative
approaches to assisting victims. These include: Brochures that explain
what victims can expect to happen as their case moves through the
criminal justice system; wallet-sized cards that list victims rights
and local resources; innovative ways of utilizing social service
workers and volunteers; and partnerships with others, including
community groups, to enhance victim services.
Goal: To increase and enhance services provided to crime victims by
law enforcement personnel.
Objectives:
To identify the elements of effective or promising
approaches law enforcement can use to assist victims;
To find existing policies, procedures, practices, and
programs that contain these elements;
To prepare detailed descriptions of the promising
strategies; and
To prepare a plan for disseminating this information to
law enforcement agencies.
Program Strategy: With OVC, the grantee first will identify Federal
and local law enforcement and victim assistance experts who can help
develop criteria for determining what strategies can be considered
``promising.'' The grantee then will conduct a review of programs in
the field to identify policies, procedures, practices, and programs
that meet the criteria. The review should include an examination of
tribal agency practices in Indian Country, Federal approaches, and
state and local programs.
The project staff will collect information about promising
strategies in sufficient detail to allow other agencies to replicate
them. This information will be compiled into a compendium of
``Promising Victim Assistance Strategies for Law Enforcement
Agencies.'' A shorter version of the document will be prepared for
publication as an OVC Bulletin.
The products of this project include:
Selection criteria for promising strategies;
Assessment Plan for identifying qualifying strategies;
Comprehensive descriptions of the essential elements of
each promising strategy or program;
Compendium of Promising Strategies and Practices, in
complete and shortened Bulletin format;
Final Report, including project assessment; and
A dissemination plan.
Eligibility Requirements: In addition to the requirements of
Sections VI-XI, [[Page 21907]] applicants must demonstrate knowledge of
victim assistance strategies in law enforcement, as well as victim
rights and services related to the criminal justice system.
Award Period: 12 months.
Contact: Duane Ragan, (202) 307-2021.
Promising Strategies and Practices for Evidentiary Medical
Examinations, Including the Use of Nurse Examiners and Special
Settings--Award Amount: $50,000
Purpose: To describe promising practices for utilizing victim-
oriented medical settings and nurse examiner programs to conduct
evidentiary medical examinations.
Background: In many places, victims of sexual assault and child
abuse who arrive at hospital emergency rooms often have to contend with
a lack of privacy, long waits for doctors who are busy attending to
other medical emergencies, a lack of emotional support throughout the
forensic examination process, and an impersonal, chaotic environment.
These conditions not only compound the trauma experienced by victims,
but discourage many victims from coming forward to report the crime or
to obtain necessary assistance and medical services. To address these
issues, some jurisdictions have developed sexual assault nurse examiner
programs, in which nurses who are specially trained to address the
medical and emotional needs of victims perform the examinations in a
setting especially designed for victims. The intent of these programs
is to free doctors to attend to other medical emergencies; to use
consistent forensic examination practices to ensure appropriate steps
are followed in collecting, handling, and storing evidence; and, most
importantly, to assist sexual assault victims in a compassionate and
sensitive manner. Various communities have found that examination rooms
designed for victims seem to increase their willingness to participate
in the criminal justice system. They have also found that the use of
trained nurse examiners can reduce costs, as well as enhance the
provision of services.
Goals:
To increase victim participation in the criminal justice
system by facilitating the use of nurse examiners and special settings
for expert medical examinations; and
To promote consistent and quality practices in providing
expert medical examinations for victims of sexual assault and child
sexual abuse.
Objectives:
To survey and assess promising policies, procedures, and
training materials used by sexual assault nurse examiner programs
around the country;
To give the details regarding the training provided to
nurse examiners and how to set up special medical settings for expert
medical examinations;
To issue a guidebook on the operation of sexual assault
nurse examiner programs for the field;
To identify competent, experienced sexual assault nurse
examiners for training purposes;
To assess whether nurse examiner programs are useful in
providing evidentiary medical examinations to child sexual abuse
victims; and
To provide information about the use of specialized
clinics or rooms to conduct these examinations.
Program Strategy: This solicitation invites applications for a
grantee to develop a guidebook on how to implement and operate a nurse
examiners program for victims of sexual assault and how to establish
examination rooms especially designed for victims. The grantee also
will explore whether similar programs can be established for child
sexual abuse victims. The program will be comprised of three phases:
I. Assessment: This phase entails the identification and assessment
of materials currently describing or in use by sexual assault nurse
examiner programs. As part of the assessment, the grantee will convene
an advisory board of experienced nurse examiners and administrators of
such programs, as well as representatives from law enforcement and
prosecutors' offices, for their input and for the review of collected
materials. The activities to be completed are:
Establishment of an advisory committee;
Development and submission of a plan and criteria for
surveying and assessing sexual assault nurse examiner programs, similar
programs for child sexual abuse victims, and use of medical settings
especially designed for victims;
Survey and review of literature, policies, procedures, and
practices for sexual assault nurse examiner programs and use of special
examination settings;
Identification and description of model programs
nationwide; and
Preparation of an assessment report of findings.
II. Development of Prototype: Upon completion of the first phase,
the grantee will, in collaboration with its advisory board, develop a
model program brief for implementing and operating a sexual assault
nurse examiner program and for establishing special settings for expert
medical examinations. The brief will highlight essential components of
nurse examiner programs, as well as optional or adaptable elements from
model programs around the nation. Attention will be given to issues
such as training and credentialing of nurse examiners, as well as
qualifying them to testify in court. The brief will also describe
examples of special medical settings used for expert medical
examinations of crime victims. The activities for this phase are:
Development and drafting of model program elements;
Highlighting of model programs identified by the survey;
and
Review and refinement of draft product.
III. Finalization of Products: Upon completion of the second phase,
the grantee will produce the guidebook and make it available to the
field. The activities for this phase are:
Development and draft of guidebook, consisting of the
model program brief and accompanying instruction on how to set up a
sexual assault nurse examiner program and clinic designed for victims;
Review and refinement of draft;
Development of a plan for product dissemination;
Identification in list form with supporting vitae of
training and technical assistance staff for addition to the OVC
Trainer's Bureau;
Preparation of a final report on the project; and
Preparation of an OVC Bulletin summarizing the project's
findings.
Eligibility Requirements: In addition to the requirements of
Sections VI-XI, applicants must demonstrate:
Expert knowledge of trauma related to sexual assault and
unique needs of these victims;
Expertise in conducting national-scope information
searches;
Knowledge of issues associated with the criminal justice
system's handling of crime victims and, more specifically, service
provision to sexual assault victims; and
Management and financial capability to oversee a project
of this size and scope.
Award Period: 12 months.
Contact: Melanie Smith, (202) 616-3575.
Promising Strategies and Practices for Prosecutors (Cooperative
Agreement)--Award Amount: $50,000
Purpose: To identify and document innovative policies, procedures,
[[Page 21908]] practices, and programs used by prosecutors' offices to
respond to the needs of crime victims, and to develop a plan for their
dissemination.
Background: The prosecutor is a pivotal figure in the criminal
justice system for victims. Prosecutors represent the state and manage
the case against the offender. They should inform victims of the status
of their case from the time of charging to the final disposition. They
also should inform the court about the victims' views on key decisions,
such as bail, plea bargains, and sentencing, and make every effort to
allow victims the opportunity to be heard by the court. Prosecutors
must try to protect victims from any threats, intimidation, or
harassment from offenders. In addition, prosecutors should ensure that
victims have the support and assistance they need in order to
participate fully in the criminal justice process.
Goal: To increase and enhance services provided by prosecutors to
crime victims.
Objectives:
To identify the elements of exemplary victim-related
prosecutorial practices;
To find existing practices and programs that contain these
elements;
To prepare detailed descriptions of the promising
practices; and
To prepare a plan for disseminating this information to
prosecutors' offices nationwide.
Program Strategy: This initiative will identify the most promising
victim-related prosecutorial practices and programs, describe their
essential elements, and make that information available to prosecutors'
offices. The grantee will first identify prosecution experts who can
assist in developing criteria for determining what practices can be
considered ``promising.'' Examples of promising practices might include
specialized units to handle certain types of cases, such as sexual
assault or domestic violence; vertical prosecution; and community-based
prosecutor's offices. The grantee will then conduct an overview of the
field to identify practices and programs that meet the criteria. The
review should include an examination of tribal agency practices in
Indian Country and state and local programs. Under another grant to a
U.S. Attorney's office, which is described later, promising approaches
used by Federal prosecutors are being identified and documented.
Once the promising practices and programs have been identified,
project staff will collect information in sufficient detail to allow
other agencies to replicate them. This information will be compiled
into a compendium of ``Promising Strategies and Practices for
Prosecutors.'' A shorter version of the document will be prepared for
publication as an OVC Bulletin.
The products of this project include:
Selection criteria for promising practices;
Assessment Plan for identifying promising practices;
Comprehensive descriptions of the essential elements of
each promising strategy or program;
Compendium of Promising Practices, in complete and
shortened Bulletin format;
Final Report, including project assessment; and
A dissemination plan.
Eligibility Requirements: In addition to the requirements of
Sections VI-XI, applicants must demonstrate knowledge of prosecutorial
practices, as well as victim rights and services related to the other
aspects of the criminal justice system.
Award Period: 12 months.
Contact: Susan Laurence, (202) 616-3573.
Promising Strategies and Practices for Probation and Parole Agencies
(Cooperative Agreement)--Award Amount: $75,000
Purpose: To identify and disseminate innovative policies,
procedures, and programs developed by individual probation and
supervising parole agencies to respond to the needs of crime victims,
and to encourage their replication.
Background: Historically, most involvement of crime victims in the
criminal justice process has occurred in the early phases of case
investigation and prosecution. Once an offender is convicted, many
victims have believed--and have been supported in this belief by
criminal justice personnel--that they no longer need to be involved in
the case or to expect information or services from system officials.
Yet almost five million Americans were under some form of correctional
control in 1993, with more than two-thirds of these being supervised in
the community on probation or parole.
The perceived and actual danger of an offender to his or her victim
does not necessarily end with a conviction or with the completion of a
prison term. Nor can a victim realistically feel fully protected merely
knowing that his or her offender is under community supervision.
Victims need information and services from probation and parole
personnel.
A number of individual agencies that supervise offenders in the
community have created innovative victim-related practices and
programs. Some promising practices include strategies for informing
victims of offender status changes, soliciting their input, and using
trained volunteers. Others have created enforcement courts that collect
substantial amounts of unpaid restitution for victims.
Goal: To increase and enhance services provided by probation and
parole agencies to crime victims.
Objectives:
To identify the elements of exemplary victim-related
probation and parole community supervision practices;
To find existing practices and programs that contain these
elements;
To prepare detailed descriptions of the promising
practices; and
To disseminate this information to probation and parole
agencies.
Program Strategy: This initiative will identify the most promising
victim-related community supervision practices and programs in
probation and parole, describe their essential elements, and make that
information available to probation and parole agencies. The grantee
will first identify community corrections experts who can assist in
developing criteria for determining what practices can be considered
``promising.'' The grantee then will conduct an overview of the field
to identify practices and programs that meet the criteria. The review
should include an examination of tribal agency practices in Indian
Country, Federal approaches, and state and local programs.
Once the promising practices and programs have been identified,
project staff will collect information in sufficient detail to allow
other agencies to replicate them. This information will be compiled
into a compendium of ``Promising Practices in Probation and Parole.'' A
shorter version of the document will be prepared for publication as an
OVC Bulletin.
The products of this project include:
Selection criteria for promising practices;
Assessment Plan for identifying promising practices;
Comprehensive descriptions of the essential elements of
each promising strategy or program;
Compendium of Promising Practices, in complete and
shortened Bulletin format;
Final Report, including project assessment; and
A dissemination plan.
Eligibility Requirements: In addition to the requirements of
Sections VI-XI, [[Page 21909]] applicants must demonstrate knowledge of
probation and parole practices, and victim rights and services within
the criminal justice system.
Award Period: 12 months.
Contact: Susan Laurence, (202) 616-3573.
Promising Strategies and Practices for Corrections Agencies/Training
and Technical Assistance (Cooperative Agreement)-- Award Amount:
$150,000
Purpose: To identify and disseminate innovative policies,
procedures, and programs developed by institutional corrections
agencies and paroling authorities to respond to the needs of crime
victims, to encourage their replication by prison and jail personnel
and parole board members.
Background: In 1988, the American Correctional Association's Task
Force on Crime Victims issued a set of recommendations for improving
the treatment of victims by correctional agencies. The recommendations
fall into four major areas: (1) Training on victim issues and victim
awareness for correctional staff; (2) direct services to victims; (3)
victim assistance programs for correctional staff; and (4) victim
awareness programs for offenders. Responding to the call from the
corrections profession to become more victim oriented, OVC awarded a
grant for a project entitled, ``Crime Victims and Corrections'' in
1989. The grantee surveyed the needs of the field, and developed and
pilot-tested a training curriculum with protocol and related materials
focusing on promising and innovative victim-related programs and
practices. In two subsequent phases of the project, the grantee
provided training and technical assistance to a number of
jurisdictions, working intensively in eight states, as well as with
Department of Defense (DoD) and Federal Bureau of Prisons correctional
personnel. A final phase of the project provided training solely to DoD
personnel.
During the last four years, the demand from the field for both
basic and advanced training and technical assistance on victim topics
has increased. Requests have come from institutional corrections,
paroling authorities, and more recently, jail officials. This project
will allow OVC to respond to these requests.
Goal: To improve the correctional system's response to the needs
and rights of crime victims by providing training and technical
assistance on promising victim-related practices and programs.
Objectives:
To determine the current level of victim services provided
by correctional agencies;
To identify promising practices and programs used by
correctional agencies to address victim needs;
To produce up-to-date training materials for institutional
corrections, paroling authorities, and jail personnel;
To provide training and technical assistance to selected
correctional agencies and jurisdictions;
To disseminate information about promising practices to
correctional personnel; and
To evaluate the impact of the training and technical
assistance activities on individual agencies and the field.
Program Strategy: This solicitation invites applications from
eligible organizations to refine and expand existing training curricula
and materials, to provide both intensive and short-term training and
technical assistance on promising practices to select correctional
agencies, and to extend the training to target the specific victim-
related needs of jail personnel.
The grantee will conduct the following activities:
Conduct an overview of victim-related policies and
services in jails, state institutional corrections agencies, and
paroling agencies;
Update OVC's ``Crime Victims and Corrections'' training
curriculum manual with information on newly identified promising
practices, programs, and overview results;
Adapt the training manual and materials to address
specific needs of jail personnel;
Identify qualified professionals who can provide high
quality training and technical assistance and, if necessary, conduct
train-the-trainer workshops;
Identify at least one jail jurisdiction for pilot
assessment and intensive training and technical assistance;
Identify two states for assessment and intensive training
and technical assistance;
Conduct an on-site assessment process in selected sites;
Conduct customized, intensive training conferences and
provide follow-up technical assistance; and
Evaluate the impact of the project.
Interim documents and final products include:
Overview Plan and Report;
Training Curriculum Manual, with related training
materials;
Modified Training Curriculum Manual for Jail Personnel;
Outreach Package and Selection Criteria for Intensive
Sites;
Site Assessment Reports;
Training Conference Agendas;
Training and Technical Assistance Reports;
Promising Practices Report, to be published as an OVC
Bulletin;
Final Report, including project assessment; and
A dissemination plan.
OVC intends to fund another phase of the project for a second 18
month period, based on the findings and accomplishments of this
project. During the second period, additional jail jurisdictions and
state corrections agencies would be selected for intensive training and
technical assistance, and follow-up assistance would be provided to
sites from previous years.
Eligibility Requirements: In addition to the requirements of
Sections VI-XI, applicants must demonstrate knowledge of institutional
corrections, parole, and jail policies and practices, as well as victim
rights and services related to the criminal justice system. Eligibility
for any continuation of this project is contingent upon satisfactory
work performance and product development under this phase of the grant.
Award Period: 18 months.
Contact: Susan Laurence, (202) 616-3573.
Promising Strategies and Practices for the Judiciary
Award Amount: $100,000.
Purpose: To identify and document innovative policies, procedures,
practices, and programs used by the judiciary to respond to the needs
of crime victims and to develop a plan for their dissemination.
Background: Judges play a central, vital role in the entire
criminal justice process. Their decisions, actions, and attitudes
affect the practices of all other criminal justice professionals. For
this reason, it is crucial for judges to understand the impact of crime
on victims and how the victimization experience creates special needs
for victims that can only be addressed by a balanced and fair system of
justice. Many judges are aware of the needs of the victims in the cases
they adjudicate, and they make every effort to ensure that victims are
informed, present, and heard at key decision points in the judicial
process. However, judicial training regarding victim-sensitive
policies, procedures, and practices in courtrooms is needed. This
project would identify these approaches and recommend appropriate
avenues for disseminating information about them to judges throughout
the country.
Goal: To increase judicial understanding about the unique needs of
crime victims and how those needs [[Page 21910]] can be addressed
within the court setting at the local, county, state, tribal, and
Federal levels.
Objectives:
To identify the needs of victims that can be addressed
within the court setting;
To review state and federal judicial training programs for
the information regarding victims and witnesses provided;
To share examples of existing policies, procedures, and
practices used by individual judges or court administrators to address
the needs of victims;
To identify curricula and training materials that can
communicate court-related victim needs and victim sensitive approaches
to other judicial jurisdictions; and
To develop recommendations for encouraging the adoption of
victim sensitive practices by the judiciary nationwide.
Program Strategy: This solicitation invites applications for one
grantee to conceptualize, organize, and convene a two day transfer of
knowledge symposium on promising judicial responses to crime victims.
The symposium will bring together up to 40 participants, including
judges from the local, county, state, tribal, and Federal levels, as
well as representatives from national judicial and victim service
organizations. Participation will be by invitation only, and the grant
will cover attendees' travel and per diem expenses.
The grantee will develop resource materials that will be sent to
participants prior to the symposium. The symposium agenda will include
an introductory session followed by plenary and small group sessions.
Participants will share information about promising policies,
procedures, and practices; identify effective training materials;
identify areas for further action; and, as a final group task, produce
a report of recommendations to improve the response of the judiciary to
crime victims through the dissemination of these types of information.
At the close of the event, participants will evaluate the symposium.
Major products include:
A list of attendees, for OVC review and approval;
A symposium agenda, including descriptions of
presentations;
A participant resource package;
An assessment plan; and
A symposium report containing recommendations and action
plans developed by participants.
Eligibility Requirements: In addition to the requirements of
Sections VI-XI, applicants must demonstrate an understanding of the
victimization experience, as well as an extensive knowledge of and
experience with the judicial process at its various levels.
Contact: Duane Ragan, (202) 307-2021.
Promising Strategies and Practices in Rural Areas (Cooperative
Agreement)-- Award Amount: $75,000
Purpose: To identify and document innovative policies, procedures,
practices, and programs developed by victim service providers, criminal
justice agencies, and others who serve crime victims in rural areas and
to develop a plan for their dissemination.
Background: When violent crime occurs in a rural area, its victims
and those who would help them must contend with a variety of issues and
concerns that are specifically related to the rural environment and
lifestyle. One of the first issues that must often be faced is
inaccessibility of services. The victim may live some distance away
from the nearest town, which may not have the capacity to respond
quickly to a crisis situation or have the particular type of support
services that are needed. Residents in isolated areas may not have
telephone service or access to public transportation, and neighbors may
be too far away to help.
Social attitudes in rural areas can also present obstacles for
victims. A rural victim of violent crime often finds that others
discount or deny the seriousness of the offense, or blame the victim
for the incident. Also, in small towns even the most private matters
can become public knowledge, often in a distorted version. This can
make it difficult to maintain confidentiality regarding the event and
bring further humiliation to the victim.
Goal: To increase and enhance services provided to crime victims in
rural areas.
Objectives:
To identify the elements of promising approaches to
assisting victims in rural areas;
To find existing practices and programs that contain these
elements;
To prepare detailed descriptions of the promising
practices; and
To prepare a plan for disseminating this information to
relevant agencies.
Program Strategy: This initiative will identify the most promising
victim-related practices and programs for responding to crime victims
who live in rural areas, describe their essential elements, and develop
a plan to make this information available nationwide. The grantee will
first identify victim assistance and criminal justice experts who can
assist in developing criteria for determining what practices can be
considered ``promising.'' The grantee will then conduct an overview of
the field to identify practices and programs that meet the criteria.
The review should include an examination of tribal agency practices in
Indian Country, Federal approaches, and state and local programs.
Once the promising practices and programs have been identified,
project staff will collect information in sufficient detail to allow
other agencies to replicate them. This information will be compiled
into a compendium of ``Promising Strategies and Practices for Assisting
Crime Victims in Rural Areas.'' A shorter version of the document will
be prepared for publication as an OVC Bulletin.
The products of this project include:
Selection criteria for promising practices;
Assessment Plan for identifying qualifying practices;
Comprehensive descriptions of the essential elements of
each promising strategy or program;
Compendium of Promising Practices, in complete and
shortened Bulletin format; and
Final Report, including project assessment.
Eligibility Requirements: In addition to the requirements of
Sections VI-XI, applicants must demonstrate knowledge of victim service
strategies in rural areas, as well as victim rights and services
related to the criminal justice system.
Award Period: 12 months.
Contact: Jackie McCann Cleland, (202) 616-2145.
Promising Strategies and Practices in Professional Education--Award
Amount: $100,000
Purpose: To identify and document promising and innovative courses
and professional curricula that address victim issues and to enhance
education on these issues for students at undergraduate and graduate
schools of law, medicine, nursing, divinity, criminal justice, mental
health, and social work.
Background: Many of the professionals who routinely work with crime
victims--both within and outside of the criminal justice system--do not
receive adequate training in crime and victim-related issues. For
example, attorneys often are not trained to respond sensitively and
effectively to clients who are crime victims. Similarly, physicians
frequently lack the training necessary to identify and assist patients
who exhibit symptoms related to victimization. As with law and
[[Page 21911]] medicine, many members of other professions--including
nursing, social work, criminal justice, and the clergy--do not receive
adequate training on crime victim issues.
Without an understanding of issues central to crime victimization,
many professionals will be limited in their ability to meet their
clients' needs. An assessment of the most promising existing
professional curricula may encourage the integration of materials
regarding crime victim issues into many college and university courses.
Ultimately, this instruction should lead to better treatment for the
crime victims served by these professionals.
Goals:
To foster better treatment of crime victims and survivors
by members of key professions; and
To improve the education on crime victim issues that is
provided to prospective professionals in a variety of disciplines;
Objectives:
To identify and assess existing courses and curricula on
crime victim issues at colleges and universities--at the undergraduate
and graduate level--including at schools of law, medicine, nursing,
social work, criminal justice, mental health, and divinity;
To document and describe effective professional curricula
on crime victim issues;
To develop a multidisciplinary core curriculum that can
eventually be used as the foundation for discipline-specific curricula
on crime victim issues. OVC will make available copies of curricula
developed under previous OVC grants to assist the grantee in meeting
this objective; and
To survey state laws and regulations to ascertain
licensing and credentialing requirements for the professions listed
above regarding crime victim issues.
Program Strategy: This solicitation invites applications for one
grantee to survey academic and professional training institutions for
curricula and programs that effectively address crime victim issues and
to develop a core curriculum for professions that work with crime
victims. The core curriculum and other products developed by the
grantee will be the foundation for discipline-specific curricula, to be
developed in the project's second year through competitively awarded
funding. The first year's project activities will take place in the
following three phases:
I. Assessment: The first phase of the project entails a survey,
identification, and assessment of academic curricula and best programs,
including clinical programs and multidisciplinary courses on victim
issues, currently in use by schools of law, divinity, medicine,
nursing, criminal justice, and social work. Academic and professional
associations for these professional groups shall be contacted as part
of the survey process. The activities to be completed are:
Establishment of an advisory committee with OVC review and
approval;
Development, drafting, and submission of an assessment
plan and assessment criteria;
Survey, identification, collection, and review of existing
professional curricula that address crime victim issues;
Description and detailed summary of promising curricula
and programs, including examples of multi-disciplinary programs
established at graduate schools; and
Preparation of a comprehensive assessment report of
findings.
II. Development of Prototype: Upon completion of the first phase,
the grantee will develop a multidisciplinary core curriculum that may
serve as the foundation for discipline-specific curricula developed
later. The prototype will address crime victims' mental, emotional,
physical, and spiritual needs; crime victims in the criminal justice
system; relevant legislation; and the role of victim service providers.
To assist with this process, OVC will provide a copy of the curriculum
currently under development for the Victim Assistance Academy. Elements
to be included in discipline-specific curricula should also be
enumerated and described. Activities to be completed are: