[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 91 (Thursday, May 9, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21238-21299]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-11485]




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Part III





Department of Justice





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Office of Justice Programs



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Program Plans for Fiscal Year 1996; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 91 / Thursday, May 9, 1996 / 
Notices  

[[Page 21238]]



DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Office of Justice Programs
[OJP NO. 1079]
ZRIN 1121-ZA33


Program Plans for Fiscal Year 1996

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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Preface: OJP Bureaus' Fiscal Year 1996 Program Plans

    The Fiscal Year 1996 Program Plans for the United States Department 
of Justice, Office of Justice Programs (OJP) Bureaus--the National 
Institute of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Juvenile 
Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and Office for Victims of Crime--
represent a continuation of our concerted effort to work in partnership 
with law enforcement and criminal justice agencies across the nation to 
break the cycle of drugs and violence and eliminate the consequences of 
crime. This represents, as well, the second year that OJP will have 
published all its discretionary Program Plans together in the Federal 
Register.
    Because of scarce resources at every level of government today, the 
OJP Program Plans emphasize increasing the collaboration across 
Federal, State, and local agencies; leveraging resources with other 
Federal agencies, foundations, and the private sector; identifying 
specific needs, priorities, and gaps in the system; and implementing 
innovative strategies that demonstrate concrete results while at the 
same time being cost-effective. Because many of today's crime problems 
require solutions that extend beyond traditional criminal justice 
boundaries, new systemwide responses are encouraged and comprehensive 
community efforts are highlighted.
    This is particularly important in strengthening our response to 
escalating youth violence--especially gang activity--and juvenile 
victimization. Building on the development of the OJJDP Comprehensive 
Strategy for Serious, Violent, and Chronic Juvenile Offenders and the 
National Juvenile Justice Action Plan released by the Attorney General 
this Spring, the FY 1996 plan supports a balanced approach to 
aggressively addressing juvenile delinquency and violence through 
graduated sanctions, improving the juvenile justice system's ability to 
respond, and preventing the onset of delinquency. Initiatives to 
address violent, serious, and chronic juvenile offenders are 
highlighted. Major new program areas focus on the development of one-
stop, community-based intake, assessment, referral, and program service 
centers; supporting the linkages between community and law enforcement 
responses to youth gun violence and gang activity; and improving the 
dependency and criminal court systems and the community's response to 
child abuse and neglect--factors studies show perpetuate violence in 
future generations.
    The OJP Program Plans also support community-based initiatives that 
recognize the lead role that communities must play in violence 
prevention and the strong coordinated, multidisciplinary approach 
required to combat crime in our neighborhoods. For example, using a 
planning grant approach which emphasizes the importance of first 
developing community mobilization strategies in key segments of the 
criminal justice system, BJA's Comprehensive Communities Program--which 
is being continued in FY 1996--encourages a jurisdiction-wide approach 
that includes community policing, the establishment of drug courts, 
expedited prosecution and diversion, gang prevention and intervention, 
dispute and conflict resolution, and alternatives to incarceration.
    Building on the achievements of past efforts and guided by 
extensive input from its constituent groups, the OVC programming looks 
to communities to establish integrated, inclusive environments where 
comprehensive services are provided for crime victims in a single 
location. The plan offers communities the information, training, tools, 
and technical assistance needed to create supportive, multidisciplinary 
facilities especially designed for victims.
    Underlying all the Program Plans is the importance of understanding 
``what works'' and ``best practices'' so that jurisdictions can learn 
from one another and not have to constantly ``reinvent the wheel.'' In 
this regard, the NIJ plan continues its long-range emphasis on 
developing knowledge and Federal leadership that will assist 
jurisdictions in advancing six important goals: reduce violent crime, 
reduce drug- and alcohol-related crime, reduce the consequences of 
crime, improve crime prevention, improve law enforcement and justice 
systems, and develop new technologies.
    One opportunity we have to work together to make our communities 
safer is through the training and technical assistance available from 
OJP. As we endeavor to determine ``what works''--through research, 
evaluation, and demonstration grants--communities are encouraged to 
request technical assistance and training to replicate successful 
demonstration programs and implement ``best practices.''
    We will be issuing separate solicitations for Crime Act programs in 
the areas of Violence Against Women, Drug Courts, Corrections 
Facilities Construction, Residential Substance Abuse, and the National 
Criminal History Improvement Program. For information about these 
programs--as well as about the application process for the programs 
described here--you can call the DOJ Response Center at 1-800-421-6770.
    I hope that the OJP Program Plans that follow are responsive to the 
most significant needs in the criminal justice field; they represent 
our best thinking on how the Federal government can make a solid 
contribution to the problems of crime and violence facing this country.
Laurie Robinson,
Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice Programs.

Bureau of Justice Assistance

FY 1996 Discretionary Grant Program Plan

    Dear Colleague:
    I am pleased to present the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) 
Discretionary Program Plan for Fiscal Year (FY) 1996. Through the 
Byrne Discretionary Grant Program, BJA provides leadership for the 
prevention and control of crime and violence and for 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 States and local agencies.
    Our mission is to provide leadership and assistance in support 
of local criminal justice strategies to achieve strong neighborhoods 
and safe communities. Accordingly, this year we will intensify our 
focus on the tasks of helping to make communities safe, building 
strong crime-resistant neighborhoods, increasing citizen involvement 
in their communities, and improving the effectiveness of the 
criminal justice system. We are guided in the achievement of our 
mission by a very specific set of programmatic goals. BJA's 
programmatic goals are:
     To promote effective innovative crime control and 
prevention strategies.
     To demonstrate and promote replication of effective 
crime control programs that

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support public-private partnerships, planning, and criminal justice 
system improvement.
     To leverage and efficiently administer available 
resources.
     To provide a dynamic work environment that fosters and 
encourages excellence, innovation, and responsiveness.
    The resultant FY 1996 BJA Discretionary Grant Program Plan 
addresses many of the most pressing challenges facing the Nation's 
criminal justice system. For example, the Program Plan addresses the 
issue of youth violence through programs that support drug 
education, prevention, and treatment; build skills in conflict 
resolution; intervene to reduce criminal use of guns and gang 
involvement; and provide alternative correctional sanctions for 
first-time nonviolent offenders. Additionally, the unique needs of 
the elderly are recognized through programs that promote safety and 
independence for the elderly, enhance resource availability through 
productive public and private partnerships, and provide protection 
against health care fraud.
    Byrne discretionary grant awards support demonstration projects, 
national-scope programs, training and technical assistance, and 
other innovative programs that fill the gaps in the criminal justice 
system to make it stronger and more comprehensive. Towards this end, 
substantial BJA discretionary funds will be used to continue 
strengthening community-based initiatives, such as the Comprehensive 
Communities Program and, within Native American communities, the 
Tribal Strategies Against Violence Program. Similarly, the BJA 
Comprehensive Homicide Initiative emphasizes the importance of 
multiagency coordination--at all levels of government--in addressing 
prevention, intervention, enforcement, and prosecution.
    In summary, the BJA FY 1996 Discretionary Program Plan will 
target funds, training, and technical assistance in support of 
effective and innovative programs that show the greatest potential 
for addressing the Nation's criminal justice challenges. I welcome 
your comments and your partnership.
Nancy E. Gist,
Director, Bureau of Justice Assistance.

Introduction

    The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) of the U.S. Department of 
Justice supports States and local communities in addressing problems of 
crime and violence. During Fiscal Year (FY) 1996, BJA is placing 
emphasis on implementing comprehensive approaches to crime, 
neighborhood-based programs with active citizen involvement, violence 
prevention and control initiatives, and programs that not only improve 
the functioning of the criminal justice system, but also focus on 
enhancing the system's ability to remove serious and violent offenders 
from our communities.
    This FY 1996 Discretionary Grant Program Plan provides summaries of 
these programs, which are funded under the Edward Byrne Memorial State 
and Local Law Enforcement Assistance (Byrne) Discretionary Grant 
Program. In addition, it describes planned activities for the Regional 
Information Sharing Systems Program and the National White-Collar Crime 
Center, which also are administered by BJA, and joint efforts with 
other Federal agencies.

Program Goals

    The FY 1996 Discretionary Grant Program Plan addresses BJA's two 
goals in assisting State and local units of government: (1) Reduce and 
prevent crime and violence; and (2) Improve the functioning of the 
criminal justice system. To facilitate achievement of these goals, 
enhanced coordination and cooperation of Federal, State, and local 
efforts will be emphasized. Objectives for each of the goals are 
outlined below, followed by BJA's programmatic priorities and framework 
and program summaries that describe how the goals will be achieved.

Goal 1--Reduce and Prevent Crime and Violence

    Objectives:
     Encourage the development and implementation of 
comprehensive strategies to reduce and prevent crime and violence.
     Encourage the active participation of community 
organizations and citizens in efforts to prevent crime, drug use, and 
violence.
     Provide national-scope training and technical assistance 
in support of efforts to prevent crime, drug use, and violence.
     Provide young people with legitimate opportunities and 
activities that 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.

Goal 2--Improve the Functioning of the Criminal Justice System

    Objectives:
     Enhance the capacity of law enforcement agencies to reduce 
crime--especially drug trafficking, drug 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 (INS), to 
apprehend and deport criminal aliens.
     Evaluate the effectiveness of funded programs, disseminate 
program results, and enhance the ability of criminal justice agencies 
to use new information technologies.

How Program Priorities Are Established

    Priorities for the FY 1996 Discretionary Grant Program reflect a 
balance of congressional mandates, Administration priorities, and needs 
expressed by State and local criminal justice practitioners. The two 
overarching goals listed above are derived directly from the 
authorizing legislation for the Byrne Discretionary Grant Program. 
Priorities for a number of specific programs to address those goals are 
mandated by Congress through the earmarking of the Byrne Discretionary 
Grant Program appropriation.
    During the recent Byrne Program planning process, BJA solicited 
input on priorities from national organizations representing State and 
local governments, criminal justice agencies, and community groups. 
Input was also requested from the State agencies that administer the 
Byrne Formula Grant Program. This year, BJA has instituted a continuing 
practice of convening a number of focused program-planning workshops, 
or focus groups. These focus groups, structured around a specific 
criminal justice issue, are comprised of interdisciplinary policymakers 
and practitioners from all levels of government. They serve as a forum 
to discuss needs, identify emerging issues, and propose innovative 
programmatic solutions.

Types of Programs To Be Funded

    BJA is authorized by Congress to award grants to public and private 
agencies and organizations for national-scope, demonstration, training, 
and technical assistance programs in support of States and local 
jurisdictions. National-scope programs provide a service or product of 
benefit throughout the country or across multiple States, or address 
issues of national concern. Demonstration programs develop, test, 
evaluate, and document new programs and practices. Training for State 
and local criminal justice practitioners and other professionals 
provides state-of-the-art information on effective programs and 
practices. Technical assistance is provided to sites participating in 
demonstration programs or, depending on available resources, is 
provided to help an individual

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jurisdiction implement a program or practice or address a specific 
issue.

How Discretionary Grants Will Be Made

    This year, the majority of the discretionary grant funding is being 
awarded on a noncompetitive basis. The following factors limit the 
number of competitive programs:
    Congressional Earmarks--Each year Congress directs BJA to award a 
portion of the appropriated Byrne Program funds to specified programs 
and/or organizations. In FY 1996, the Conference Report of the 
Appropriations Committee directed the funding for $45.6 million of the 
$60 million likely to be appropriated for general discretionary 
programs, such as the Weed and Seed Program, the National Citizens' 
Crime Prevention Campaign, the Drug Abuse Resistance Education 
(D.A.R.E.) Program, and the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Area Drug 
Enforcement Task Force.
    Continuation and Implementation Grants--Many of BJA's programs 
require several years of implementation to accomplish their goals. 
Demonstration sites, which are generally identified through a 
competitive selection process, may require 2 to 3 years of funding to 
fully develop, implement, and evaluate a program. In addition, BJA has 
funded several initial planning efforts, with implementation funding 
provided in subsequent years.
    Limited Competition--When specific program criteria or objectives 
are applicable only to a narrowly defined group of potential 
applicants, a limited competition may be held. Program criteria and 
objectives typically are defined by specific jurisdictional demographic 
variables or by a specific crime problem.
    Sole Source Selection--In some cases, only one organization or 
agency has the capability, expertise, or constituents to adequately 
administer a program that BJA deems essential to implement. For 
example, an association representing a constituency that BJA wants to 
reach through technical assistance or training also may be the best 
organization to implement that program. In other cases, BJA may make an 
award on a noncompetitive basis to an agency that has developed an 
innovative program and has the expertise to implement it.

Framework for Programming

Guiding Principles

    Three principles underpin the design of BJA's FY 1996 Discretionary 
Grant Program Plan--comprehensiveness, addressing unmet needs, and 
leveraging resources. These principles are embodied in each of the four 
programmatic themes, and reflect our intent to make the most effective 
and efficient use of limited Federal criminal justice program 
resources.
Comprehensiveness
    Crime prevention and control initiatives are most effective when 
they relate directly to a comprehensive strategy. Such a strategy 
provides the context or anchor for addressing locally determined 
priorities; describes in detail how programs implemented by government 
agencies, other service providers, and residents mutually support one 
another in focusing on these priorities; and serves as the means for 
developing future partnerships among a wide variety of public and 
private resources. For these reasons, we have looked at ways of 
developing and, in some cases, reconfiguring programs to ensure that 
they are comprehensive in nature and promote partnerships that support 
local strategic planning and implementation.
    Explicit in any successful State or local crime prevention and 
control strategy is the engagement of the ultimate beneficiaries--the 
community residents. Therefore, community-based strategies, and 
resulting initiatives, must focus on neighborhood problems by involving 
community leaders and residents in the planning and delivery of 
services. Among the programs we are supporting, the Comprehensive 
Communities Program, the National Citizens' Crime Prevention Campaign, 
and the Tribal Strategies Against Violence Program all support 
partnerships with Federal, State, and local governments, private 
organizations, and foundations that develop and achieve solutions 
addressing a multitude of problems concerning crime and quality of 
life.
    Some comprehensive program approaches are problem specific. For 
example, the Comprehensive Gang Initiative demonstrates a model 
approach to gang issues that carefully balances consideration of 
prevention, intervention, and suppression strategies. The model is 
designed to bring together cooperative and coordinated efforts by the 
police, other criminal justice agencies, human services providers, 
community agencies, and residents.
    Other programs, such as the Community-Based Prosecution Initiative, 
are not problem specific, but bring together the community, the 
prosecutor's office, and the local courts in problem solving, speedier 
access to justice, and facilitation of offender reintegration back into 
neighborhoods.
Addressing Unmet Needs
    In carrying out its mission, BJA recognizes that the dollars 
available for Byrne Program discretionary funding represent a very 
small fraction of the overall resources available for criminal justice 
programming (less than one percent). To ensure that taxpayers receive 
the greatest return possible on the investment of these limited funds, 
we have focused on programs that complement previous or ongoing 
efforts, and we have made every attempt to avoid duplicating the 
efforts of other Federal agencies.
    BJA provides balance in its approach, and emphasizes the 
involvement of key stakeholders in the development of new initiatives. 
In FY 1996, an important priority will be to address unmet needs by 
demonstrating or supporting programs designed to correct current 
deficiencies in the delivery of criminal justice services--deficiencies 
that threaten to compromise the effectiveness of the criminal justice 
system. Examples of these initiatives include:
    The Community Prosecution and Community Probation Program, which 
will explore a range of innovations to improve access to criminal 
justice services at the community level.
    The Training in Anti-Drug Activities and Cultural Differences 
Involving Illegal Aliens Initiative and the Criminal Alien 
Identification and Intervention Program, which provide training and 
technical support to State and local criminal justice agencies dealing 
with issues of criminal and illegal aliens.
    The Comprehensive Homicide Initiative, which focuses on a holistic 
approach to homicide that integrates prevention, intervention, and 
enforcement measures through public agencies, private organizations, 
and the community.
    The DNA Resource Unit, which will provide technical assistance to 
prosecutors in the understanding and use of DNA typing technology in 
the prosecution of cases.
    The Assessment and Enhancement of Indigent Defense Initiative, 
which will explore methods for improving the overall effectiveness of 
the adjudication process.
    The Correctional Options Program, which has provided a broad range 
of programming for provision of treatment services and alternatives to 
incarceration for nonviolent offenders. BJA's emphasis in FY 1996 will 
be to support a national dissemination and technical assistance 
initiative that will inform key decisionmakers at the State and local 
levels of the lessons that BJA

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has learned about the planning, development, implementation, and 
evaluation of successful Correctional Options projects.
Leveraging Resources
    BJA has a responsibility to ensure that programs are cost 
effective; that, where appropriate, costs are shared among entities 
receiving benefits from BJA-supported programs; and that there is a 
strong likelihood effective programs will be maintained beyond the 
point where Federal funds are no longer provided. Thus, BJA strongly 
encourages prospective applicants to consider all potential resources 
when developing program proposals and applying for Byrne Program grant 
funds.
    Although Discretionary Grant Program funds may be used to pay up to 
100 percent of total project costs under an initial grant award, BJA 
has instituted a policy of giving favorable consideration to proposals 
in which an applicant agency or jurisdiction has also committed its own 
resources in furtherance of program objectives. The applicant's 
resources could consist of funding derived from local appropriations or 
from other sources, public or private. Contributed resources may also 
be ``in kind,'' including dedicated personnel, facilities, supplies, or 
equipment. Volunteer efforts are also taken into consideration.
    Successful leveraging of resources is illustrated in the following 
two examples. In BJA's Organized Crime Narcotics task force program, 
the participating agencies support all regular personnel costs and most 
infrastructure costs, and Byrne Discretionary Grant funds support 
limited overtime costs, investigative support costs, and some 
confidential expenditures. Alternatively, BJA has provided a grant to 
the Foundation for Advancements in Science and Education (FASE) to 
produce a film addressing the issue of date and spousal violence. BJA 
agreed to provide funding support on the condition that FASE match the 
grant amount with funds from other sources. Faced with this challenge, 
FASE was able to more than match the grant with funds from public and 
private sources.
    To further facilitate a strong partnership with its grantees, and 
to increase the number of new initiatives, BJA has instituted a policy 
of providing a declining share of total costs for many projects where 
continuation funding is considered. In addition to making BJA funding 
resources more widely available for additional program opportunities, 
this policy requires a demonstration of commitment from applicants, 
enhancing the likelihood of program institutionalization. Thus, in FY 
1996 and beyond, second-year awards will be made for a maximum of 75 
percent of total project costs, and third-year awards will be made for 
up to 50 percent of total project costs.

Programmatic Themes

    Program themes frame our guiding principles and provide the 
operational context through which BJA implements its national-scope, 
demonstration, training, and technical assistance programs. The themes 
result from priorities articulated by the Attorney General; our program 
experiences and lessons learned from demonstration and evaluation of 
crime prevention and control efforts; and the information provided by 
States in their Byrne Formula Grant Program strategies.

Public--Private Partnerships in Support of Local Strategies

    Developing and sustaining partnerships is essential, especially 
when addressing crime issues through comprehensive strategies. 
Competing demands on resources, development of new skills and 
approaches to problem solving, emergence of private foundations 
focusing on public safety issues, and the direct participation of the 
community itself are influencing the way in which government operates.
    Partnerships among public agencies and between those agencies and 
private organizations are becoming a vital theme in delivering 
comprehensive services that address the quality of life in our 
communities. Effective partnerships begin with all participants engaged 
in strategy development, and carry through to the end goal of service 
delivery and evaluation.
    BJA continues to stress the importance of public-private 
partnerships at the Federal, State, and local levels in its program 
development efforts. State and local officials are encouraged to 
collaborate to ensure that local, comprehensive crime prevention and 
control strategies are integrated into State planning efforts. This 
relationship helps to ensure that Byrne Formula Grant funds, other 
Federal resources, and State-appropriated monies are channeled in a 
coordinated manner in support of local comprehensive initiatives. 
Evidence of these partnerships, through memoranda of understanding, 
commitment of resources, and shared responsibility for developing and 
implementing strategies to make our communities safe, will be a 
determining factor in BJA's commitment of resources.
    Many of the programs to be implemented in FY 1996 will build upon 
partnerships developed in previous years. As some of these efforts 
reach the final stages of demonstration, and as Federal financial 
support is phased out, the strength of local partnership arrangements 
will be even more critical to ensure institutionalization. For example, 
BJA soon will be completing the Children-At-Risk Program, which is 
supported by BJA and a national public-private partnership consisting 
of the Center for Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) and six private 
foundations that focus on youth intervention. This effort, equally 
supported by the U.S. Department of Justice and the private sector, 
reflects the commitment of over $7.5 million since FY 1992.
    Other programs, such as the Comprehensive Communities Program (CCP) 
and Pulling America's Communities Together (PACT) have experienced 
enormous success in building partnerships. In Denver, the Alliance for 
the Prevention of Violence, a collaborative of charitable organizations 
that serves Colorado, has integrated the PACT/CCP effort into its 
philanthropic considerations. The East Bay Corridor CCP initiative, a 
program that unites 18 cities in two counties in anticrime initiatives, 
joins the public agencies from those jurisdictions with the East Bay 
Community Foundation, a local funding collaborative, to focus on youth 
crime in the Corridor.

Enhancement of Public Confidence in the Criminal Justice System

    In recent years there has been a perception of growing erosion of 
public confidence in the criminal justice system and the services it 
provides. Many factors have contributed to this concern--including 
public outrage resulting from isolated criminal incidents, such as 
crimes that have been committed by ex-offenders on parole; use of 
excessive force by law enforcement; urban disorders; and an emphasis in 
newspaper and television news reports on sensationalizing incidents of 
violent crime.
    BJA supports programs that promote balance and fairness in law 
enforcement and the criminal justice system. By supporting programs 
that feature community participation as a cornerstone, BJA seeks to 
educate and actively engage citizens, thereby improving public 
confidence in the criminal justice system.
    Through its law enforcement programs, BJA provides a solid 
foundation for enabling jurisdictions to ensure public safety and 
further

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promote public confidence. Such programs expand coordination with 
antiviolence task forces, provide assistance to State and local 
criminal justice agencies, and support communities in the control and 
prevention of street crime.
    A National Sentencing Symposium will be co-sponsored by BJA, the 
National Institute of Justice (NIJ), and the State Justice Institute 
(SJI). This collaborative initiative will address the public's lack of 
confidence in the system, examine the strengths and shortcomings of 
current sentencing policies and address the importance of 
accountability and the need to alleviate sentencing disparities.
    Through the Community Prosecution Program, BJA will demonstrate 
community engagement with prosecutors' offices and the local courts in 
problem solving, providing speedier access to justice, and facilitating 
the reintegration of offenders back into neighborhoods. This program 
will promote a positive image of the criminal justice system, allay 
public fear, and improve neighborhood and community involvement with 
criminal justice professionals.
    Alternatives to incarceration for non-violent offenders is another 
important programmatic area. Often, nonviolent offenders who could be 
punished more effectively through a less expensive alternative are 
sentenced to incarceration. A recent analysis of the annual needs 
assessments that are conducted through the Byrne Formula Grant Program 
indicated that the two areas of greatest need at the State and local 
levels are alternatives to incarceration and offender treatment 
services.
    In FY 1996, BJA will support a national dissemination and technical 
assistance initiative to inform key decisionmakers at the State and 
local levels about the lessons learned in the planning, development, 
implementation, and evaluation of successful, cost-effective, 
Correctional Options projects for nonviolent offenders. These programs 
maintain public safety and, at the same time, hold offenders 
accountable.

Criminal Justice System Response to Violence--Particularly Youth 
Violence

    Although 1994 Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) data show that violent 
crime dropped 4 percent and property crime dropped 3 percent, citizens 
across the country believe otherwise. Whereas violent crime rates for 
older adults have remained steady or declined, the public believes that 
violence is on the increase. This belief is reflected in the 1993 U.S. 
Department of Justice (DOJ) National Crime Victimization Survey, which 
marked a significant increase of 25 percent in the violent 
victimizations of black males aged 12 to 24. The Bureau of Justice 
Statistics (BJS) reported in its Selected Findings: Violent Crime that 
young people aged 16 to 24 consistently have the highest violent crime 
rates. When gang affiliation is considered, these youth-based crime 
statistics increase at crisis proportions.
    Other national-scope surveys indicate the following:
     Elected officials in almost 400 cities believe that youth 
crime and violence has escalated.
     Throughout the year, 4 million women are physically abused 
by their husbands or boyfriends.
     The annual number of child abuse cases is growing.
     Drug use, especially marijuana, is on the increase among 
students.
     A child dies from gunfire every 98 minutes.
    To deter this violence, BJA is working with representatives of 
Federal, State, tribal, and local governments and community leaders to 
enhance their current criminal justice planning processes to better 
implement comprehensive, systemwide strategic interventions at the 
neighborhood level. When properly applied, this holistic approach, 
which is supported with FY 1996 crime prevention funding, is cost 
effective, provides focus for the delivery of services (e.g., law 
enforcement, social, and education services), involves citizens as 
partners, and assists youth in making responsible decisions to develop 
healthier and safer lifestyles.

Evaluation and Assessment Efforts

    Critical to gauging the success of the investment of taxpayer 
dollars is the support of evaluation efforts that measure what works 
and what doesn't work in crime control and prevention and in criminal 
justice system improvement. This information can be disseminated to the 
State and local levels, where decisions about replication of program 
successes are made.
    Because we believe that it also is critical to reinforce with the 
States the role that evaluation must play in any grant program, and to 
help States build the capacity to measure the impact of programs that 
they fund, we are continuing our State and local capacity-building 
initiative with the assistance of NIJ. If the States are to serve as 
laboratories for evaluation and assessment, they must institutionalize 
performance measurement, monitoring, and reporting mechanisms. BJA's 
evaluation capacity-building initiative supports these efforts.
    In partnership with NIJ, we are designing a challenge program 
whereby States will be invited to partner with a local research/
evaluation institution such as a university, select a promising program 
for rigorous evaluation that otherwise might not be evaluated, and 
propose a research design.
    The principles and programmatic themes are cross-cutting, and 
together form the framework for the BJA program. This framework has 
evolved from our programmatic experience and will help chart our 
direction for future programming efforts. While the individual program 
summaries are presented by ``discipline,'' each program also represents 
one or more principle and theme.

Program Summaries

Comprehensive Programs

Comprehensive Communities Program
Grantee: 16 sites nationwide

    The Comprehensive Communities Program (CCP) is demonstrating an 
innovative, comprehensive, and integrated multiagency approach to 
comprehensive violent crime control and community mobilization in 16 
jurisdictions across the country.
    There is perhaps no more urgent domestic problem facing our country 
than violence. The only way to make progress against this epidemic is 
to marshal the coordinated efforts of communities; the private sector; 
and Federal, State, and local governments. CCP seeks to catalyze the 
development of such partnerships.
    Two key principles underlie this initiative. First, communities 
must play the lead role in fostering violence prevention partnerships. 
Second, State and local jurisdictions must establish strong coordinated 
and multidisciplinary approaches. Under the Comprehensive Communities 
Program, communities faced with high rates of drug abuse and violent 
crime develop a comprehensive strategy for crime and drug control that 
requires police and other city agencies to work in partnership with the 
community to address crime- and violence-related problems and the 
environment that fosters them.
    CCP goals are:
     To suppress violence and restore the sense of community 
wellness necessary to effectively recapture the security of our 
neighborhoods.
     To focus on community problems and concerns by initiating 
comprehensive planning and improved

[[Page 21243]]

intergovernmental and community relationships.
    CCP objectives are:
     To develop a comprehensive, multiagency strategy within 
each community to identify the causes and origins of violence and to 
control and prevent violent crime and drug-related crime.
     To include in each strategy a jurisdictionwide commitment 
to community policing and other efforts that encourage citizens to take 
an active role in problem solving.
     To coordinate existing Federal, State, local, and private 
agency resources and concentrate these resources to maximize their 
impact on reducing violent crime and drug-related crime in the program 
communities.
    The Comprehensive Communities Program has been administered in two 
phases. During Phase I, between April and September 1994, planning 
grants enabled the 16 jurisdictions to develop their crime control and 
community mobilization strategies. Phase II, from October 1, 1994, to 
September 30, 1996, provided initial funds to the 16 jurisdictions to 
begin implementing these strategies. The strategies require criminal 
justice agencies, other governmental organizations, and the private 
sector to work in partnership with the community. Each strategy 
includes a jurisdictionwide commitment to community policing, 
coordination among public and private agencies (e.g., social services 
and public health agencies), and efforts that encourage citizens to 
take an active role in problem solving. In addition to the community 
policing and community mobilization components, most of the strategies 
include application of drug courts, expedited prosecution and 
diversion, gang prevention and intervention, dispute and conflict 
resolution, and alternatives to incarceration.
    Each of the sites is encouraged to coordinate with and complement 
other comprehensive Federal, State, and local efforts. For example, the 
CCP strategies for Atlanta, Denver, Omaha, and Washington, D.C., are 
tailored specifically to support the Pulling America's Communities 
Together (PACT) Initiative in those jurisdictions. Also, many of the 
sites are participating in the Empowerment Zone/Enterprise Community 
Initiative; the CCP strategy can represent a viable crime-control 
component for that initiative. In addition, several of the sites have 
included in their local strategies enhancements to or expansion of Weed 
and Seed efforts in selected target neighborhoods.
    Due to the broad nature of CCP and the decision to draw from 
multiple and independent initiatives, technical assistance and training 
in support of CCP is being provided through several sources, as 
follows:
    Criminal Justice Associates (CJA) coordinates overall technical 
assistance and training delivery under the program and prepares program 
documents (i.e., the implementation manual, fact sheets, and program 
status reports). At the project level, CJA focuses on site needs 
relating to project management and alternatives to incarceration.
    The National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) provides program-level 
assistance in preparing documents (i.e., coordination in developing the 
implementation manual and distributing newsletters). NCPC focuses on 
site needs relating to community mobilization and engagement, dispute 
and conflict resolution, and resource development.
    The Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) focuses on comprehensive 
gang initiatives in 11 of the 16 CCP sites.
    The American Prosecutors Research Institute (APRI) focuses on site 
needs as they relate to community prosecution and prosecution and 
diversion.
    In FY 1996, funds will be made available to a number of the 
demonstration sites to continue operations into FY 1997. Technical 
assistance will be provided through existing and continuation grants 
among the cadre of current providers.

Crime Prevention

National Citizens' Crime Prevention Campaign
Grantee: National Crime Prevention Council; Washington, DC

    The National Citizens' Crime Prevention Campaign focuses on helping 
individuals, community and civic organizations, and Federal, State, and 
local government agencies build better, safer, and more caring 
communities. FY 1996 activities will enable the Campaign to continue 
its work on crime and violence prevention and drug demand reduction. 
Work elements will address the production and dissemination of air and 
print ads using McGruff the Crime Dog and nephew Scruff public service 
announcements (in English and Spanish) that target both youth and their 
caretakers; the development and reproduction of an array of crime and 
drug abuse prevention support materials; and the provision of national, 
State, and local technical assistance and training workshops in topical 
areas ranging from planning and managing crime prevention to 
comprehensive planning development.
Boys & Girls Clubs of America
Grantee: Boys & Girls Clubs of America; Atlanta, GA

    BJA will continue to provide Federal resources to the Boys & Girls 
Clubs of America for the establishment and enhancement of Boys & Girls 
Clubs in public housing and other community settings where there is a 
concentration of poverty, crime, and violence. FY 1996 activities will 
emphasize the partnering of BJA and Boys & Girls Clubs of America staff 
to identify local recipient sites in up to 30 communities across the 
country; the continued support of jurisdictions participating in the 
BJA-sponsored Comprehensive Communities Program; the incorporation of 
conflict resolution, mentoring, and parental outreach and training into 
the local programming of clubs receiving Federal enhancement awards; 
and the establishment of a national Native American advisory board that 
will meet regularly to assess and provide program recommendations for 
clubs established on Indian reservations.
Drug Abuse Resistance Education
Grantee: D.A.R.E. America; Inglewood, CA

    In FY 1996, BJA will continue its work with D.A.R.E. America to 
support the provision of Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) 
technical assistance and training to local and State law enforcement 
officers and the accreditation of State D.A.R.E. Training Centers. 
These initiatives will be accomplished through provision of resources 
for the five D.A.R.E. Regional Training Centers (RTCs) administered by 
the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the City of Los Angeles Police 
Department, the Illinois State Police, the North Carolina Bureau of 
Investigation, and the Virginia State Police. Specifically, D.A.R.E. 
America and the RTCs will provide D.A.R.E. Officer Training for new 
D.A.R.E. officers; D.A.R.E. In-service Training for experienced 
D.A.R.E. officers; Mentor Officer Training; D.A.R.E. Parent Program 
Training for instructors who use the D.A.R.E. curriculum to work with 
and train parents; D.A.R.E. junior and senior high school student 
training; program development; assessments of State D.A.R.E. Training 
Centers; accreditation of law enforcement agencies as D.A.R.E. Training 
Centers; and technical assistance for local agencies replicating the 
D.A.R.E. Program.

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National Night Out
Grantee: National Association of Town Watch; Wynnewood, PA

    This year-long program involves the continuing participation of 
more than 28 million people, including law enforcement personnel; 
individuals from other units of government, business, education, and 
community organizations; citizens; and youth in over 8,800 communities 
in all 50 States, U.S. territories, and U.S. military bases around the 
world. Administered by the National Association of Town Watch, Inc. 
(NATW), FY 1996 support will enable NATW to continue providing 
information, educational materials, and technical assistance for the 
development of cost-effective police--community partnership efforts 
that work toward reducing crime, violence, and substance abuse at the 
national, State, local, and neighborhood levels.
Tribal Strategies Against Violence Program
Grantees: Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes; Poplar, MT and Rosebud Sioux 
Tribe; Rosebud, SD

    Tribal Strategies Against Violence is a Federal--tribal partnership 
initiative designed to empower Native American communities through the 
development and implementation of reservationwide strategies to reduce 
crime, violence, and drug abuse. Primary program focus is on the 
formation of a centralized planning team comprised of service 
providers, whose goal it is to develop short-term and long-term 
strategies that encompass community policing and prosecution, domestic 
abuse, juvenile delinquency, and prevention education. FY 1996 program 
activities will extend the program beyond the initial project sites on 
the Fort Peck, Montana, and Rosebud, South Dakota, Reservations. BJA, 
through a limited competitive process, will work with the Office of 
Justice Programs (OJP) American Indian and Alaskan Native Desk and the 
Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), U.S. Department of Interior, to 
identify up to four regional sites across the country. Reservations 
selected for program participation will be representative of the 
Northwest, South-Southwest, Midwest-Great Lakes, and East regions.

Law Enforcement

Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Area Drug Enforcement Task Force
Grantee: Arlington County Police Department; Arlington, VA

    The Washington, D.C., 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.
Gang Organized Crime Narcotics Violence Enforcement Program
Grantees: Bernalillo County Prosecutor's Office; Bernalillo County, NM 
and Multnomah County Prosecutor's Office; Multnomah County, OR

    This program will continue 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 
funded to continue gathering intelligence and to develop investigative 
and prosecutorial strategies designed to weaken the structure and 
activities of violent gangs.
Prison Gang Intelligence Program
Grantee: Midstates Organized Crime Information Center; Springfield, MO

    The Prison Gang Intelligence Program will be continued in FY 1996 
to implement a nationwide capability of collecting, analyzing, and 
sharing information on prison gangs, gang members, and prison gang 
activities. The program also will provide liaison and coordination 
activities to corrections agencies and law enforcement agencies in data 
collection and dissemination efforts.
    The purpose of the Prison Gang Intelligence Program is to provide 
for the establishment of a system to gather, store, and disseminate 
intelligence information on prison gang members and prison gang 
activities on a nationwide basis. This system will provide valuable 
support and assistance in the investigation and prosecution of gang-
related criminal activity. It will create a central repository of 
prison gang information, formalize data collection methods, and 
standardize gang validation criteria. It will create a mechanism 
whereby State and local corrections and law enforcement agencies can 
share information and be provided analytical products that document 
prison gang developments and trends. A prison gang technical assistance 
capability will also be established.
    The program goal is to facilitate, through BJA's Regional 
Information Sharing System (RISS) projects, the collection, exchange, 
and analysis of information related to prison gangs, gang members, and 
prison gang activities; and to provide liaison and training activities 
to law enforcement, prosecution, and corrections agencies nationwide.
Center for Task Force Training
Grantee: Institute for Intergovernmental Research; Tallahassee, FL

    The Center for Task Force Training project will continue to help 
State and local agencies address criminal justice management issues and 
to provide dedicated training and technical assistance in support of 
the two Gang Organized Crime Narcotics Violence Enforcement Program 
sites, State and locally funded multiagency task forces, and other task 
forces supported by Byrne Formula Grant Program funds. The project will 
be expanded in FY 1996 to include a specialized training program that 
addresses multiagency antiterrorism preparedness. The Domestic 
Terrorism Training Program, which currently is under development with 
the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), will develop, test, and 
evaluate the law enforcement antiterrorism training curriculum; 
identify and document the technical assistance needs of law enforcement 
agencies in the area of antiterrorism planning and prevention, and plan 
the methods of delivery; and focus on the multiagency/
multijurisdictional aspects of the law enforcement response to acts of 
domestic terrorism.
Firearms Trafficking Program
Grantee: Multiple sites nationwide

    The Firearms Trafficking Program will continue to help State and 
local governments reduce incidents of violence by reducing the 
availability of and illegal trafficking in firearms. This program 
contains several component programs that BJA has found to be effective 
or promising:
    The Firearms Licensee Compliance Program. This component enhances 
the ability of State and 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. This component 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 Federal and/or State firearms 
laws.
    The Innovative Firearms Program. This component assists State and 
local

[[Page 21245]]

jurisdictions in developing and implementing innovative or enhanced 
projects designed to control illicit firearms trafficking.
Technical Assistance and Training to Rural Areas
Grantee: Rural Justice Center, University of Arkansas; Little Rock, AR

    In FY 1996, BJA will continue to provide technical assistance and 
training to rural areas through the Rural Justice Center of the 
Criminal Justice Institute of the University of Arkansas, Little Rock. 
This program assists rural areas in the development of approaches and 
strategies that address the 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.
Training in Anti-Drug Activities and Cultural Differences Involving 
Illegal Aliens
Grantee: International Association of Chiefs of Police; Alexandria, VA

    This program will be continued. Through a collaborative effort 
between the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and 
the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), the project will 
continue to present to local law enforcement officers a series of 
training seminars that will enable them to more effectively investigate 
crimes involving illegal aliens.
Criminal Alien Identification and Intervention Program
Grantees: Institute for Intergovernmental Research; Tallahassee, FL and 
National Criminal Justice Association; Washington, DC

    In FY 1996, BJA will continue to fund technical assistance and 
support services to five demonstration sites funded in prior years. The 
Criminal Alien Identification and Intervention Program is designed to 
enable the earliest possible identification, through the Immigration 
and Naturalization Service (INS) Law Enforcement Support Center (LESC), 
of aliens arrested for felony offenses. Five States that have 
documented the largest alien populations in their correctional systems 
are continuing demonstration efforts in FY 1996 with projects funded in 
prior years.
    The Criminal Alien Identification and Intervention Program also is 
designed to encourage States to modify statutes and policies and 
implement innovative techniques that intervene in the criminal justice 
process to expeditiously and fairly adjudicate illegal aliens arrested 
or convicted of felonies; and facilitate appropriate detainment and 
deportation of these aliens.
    Supporting the demonstration sites and the program are two 
technical assistance efforts. The Institute for Intergovernmental 
Research provides onsite assistance to the States in preparing 
operational assessments, identifying promising approaches, and 
facilitating the testing of LESC. The National Criminal Justice 
Association (NCJA) provides research and technical assistance for the 
States, for enhancement of statutes and policies within the States.
    In FY 1994 and FY 1995, participating States implemented Phases I 
through III of the program by establishing statewide criminal alien 
working groups represented by key State and local officials; conducting 
an intensive assessment of the current processes by which the State 
identifies and handles illegal aliens entering the criminal justice 
system; and documenting promising approaches to enhance the 
identification and intervention of these illegal aliens. Work will 
continue in the demonstration States, using prior year grant awards to 
implement and demonstrate promising approaches.
Comprehensive Homicide Initiative
Grantee: City of Richmond; Richmond, VA and City of Richmond; Richmond, 
CA

    The Comprehensive Homicide Initiative is designed to effectively 
combat homicide and increase homicide clearance rates through the 
development and demonstration of a multifaceted approach that can be 
fully documented and ultimately replicated in other jurisdictions. This 
initiative addresses the underlying causes of homicide, including gang 
violence, domestic violence, violence associated with drug activity, 
and gun availability.
    The goals of the program are to reduce homicide rates and improve 
homicide clearance rates, including ``cold case'' homicides; develop 
innovative strategies and processes that have a high probability for 
improving the prevention, intervention, enforcement, and prosecution of 
homicide cases that are replicable in other jurisdictions; and document 
local efforts to enhance replicability of successful components of the 
program to other jurisdictions.
    The Cities of Richmond, Virginia, and Richmond, California, each 
have received funding to implement the recommendations of the 
International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Murder Summit 
Report. These cities were selected due to their high or increasing 
homicide rates, geographical diversity, and participation in other 
comprehensive criminal justice initiatives that will provide a good 
base from which to move forward.
    This comprehensive program requires coordination at the Federal, 
State, and local levels. Each city's plan must demonstrate coordination 
and cooperation among public agencies; private organizations; and 
municipal, county, State, and Federal agencies. The plan must 
demonstrate that this initiative will be integrated with other U.S. 
Department of Justice (DOJ)-funded programs in the local jurisdiction, 
such as the Comprehensive Communities Program; Weed and Seed; the 
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Safe Streets Program; and 
programs funded by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, 
the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Office of Juvenile Justice 
and Delinquency Prevention. In addition, the program must involve 
coordination with the relevant U.S. Attorney's Office. Coordination 
with Housing and Urban Development and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco 
and Firearms should also be included if relevant to the jurisdiction's 
program efforts. BJA has been working with each of the jurisdictions 
since November 1995. In each city, BJA held an onsite meeting that 
served as an initial opportunity to convene the representatives of the 
State and local agencies and representatives from Federal agencies with 
ongoing programs.
Clandestine Laboratory Strategy Training Program
Grantee: Circle Solutions, Inc.; Vienna, VA

    In FY 1996, BJA will continue support to the Clandestine Laboratory 
Strategy Training Program. The program is based on the collective 
experiences and best practices of the BJA Model Clandestine Laboratory 
Enforcement Program demonstration sites and the BJA/Drug Enforcement 
Administration (DEA) Clandestine Laboratory Clean-Up Program. The 
program represents a significant investment and effort on the part of 
BJA to develop an effective method for combating clandestine drug 
laboratories in the United States. The training delivery system and 
followup technical support activities provided will ensure that the 
training reaches the audience for which it is intended in an efficient 
and cost effective manner.
    The Clandestine Laboratory Strategy Training Program assists State 
and local policymakers and practitioners responsible for law 
enforcement resource allocation decisions in

[[Page 21246]]

developing policies, procedures, and programs related to the hazardous 
chemical problems associated with clandestine laboratories. The program 
provides a foundation from which a comprehensive, multiagency response 
can be developed at the State and regional levels. Beginning in FY 
1994, Circle Solutions, Inc., building upon a successful developmental 
and piloting effort, implemented a program to provide training and 
followup technical assistance to State and local criminal justice 
agencies and other public safety agencies nationwide.
Assistance to Local Law Enforcement Agencies Significantly Impacted by 
the 1996 Olympic Games
Grantee: Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, Office of the 
Governor; Atlanta, GA

    The purpose of this program is to assist local jurisdictions 
significantly impacted by the public safety demands of the 1996 Olympic 
Games in Georgia. The program was funded to satisfy a congressional 
earmark. Current projections indicate that involved local jurisdictions 
may incur in excess of 400,000 hours of unfunded overtime costs as a 
result of the public safety requirements for Olympic venues throughout 
the metropolitan Atlanta area and in sites outside Atlanta. This grant 
will help defray the costs of approximately 155,000 hours of 
anticipated overtime requirements of involved jurisdictions.
Regional Information Sharing System
Grantee: 6 sites nationwide

    The Regional Information Sharing System (RISS) Program supports 
Federal, State, and local law enforcement efforts to combat criminal 
activity that extends across jurisdictional boundaries. Six regional 
RISS projects provide a broad range of intelligence exchange and 
related investigative support services to member criminal investigative 
agencies nationwide. The projects focus primarily on narcotics 
trafficking, violent crime, criminal gang activity, and organized 
crime.
    In FY 1996, the RISS Program will complete electronic connectivity 
among all projects, as well as other systems, to better facilitate the 
collection, dissemination and analysis of criminal intelligence. Also 
in FY 1996, the RISS projects will work with the National Major Gang 
Task Force to encourage the sharing and dissemination of gang 
intelligence information between the law enforcement and corrections 
communities.
National White-Collar Crime Center
Grantee: West Virginia Office of the State Auditor; Charleston, WV

    The National White-Collar Crime Center provides a national support 
system for the prevention, investigation, and prosecution of 
multijurisdictional economic crimes. These white-collar crimes include 
investment fraud, telemarketing fraud, boiler room operations, 
securities fraud, commodities fraud, and advanced-fee loan schemes. The 
Center's mission includes providing investigative support services to 
assist in the fight against economic crime, operating a national 
training and research institute focusing on economic crime issues, and 
developing the Center as a national resource in combating economic 
crime.

Adjudication

National Symposium on Sentencing
    A national symposium on sentencing to be presented by BJA, the 
State Justice Institute, and the National Institute of Justice, will 
enable judges, legislators, prosecutors, defense counsel, corrections 
officials, police, and community representatives to discuss and share 
experiences and perspectives on current sentencing policy.
Trial Court Performance Standards and Measurement System: Coordination 
Efforts
Grantee: National Center for State Courts; Williamsburg, VA

    After 8 years of development and testing, the Trial Court 
Performance Standards and Measurement System (TCPSM) has been completed 
and is in the process of being adopted by numerous jurisdictions. For 
example, the Judicial Council of California has adopted TCPSM as part 
of a new Standard of Judicial Administration. One of the most 
significant events in judicial administration in the last 10 years, 
TCPSM comprises a set of 22 standards and 68 individual measures for 
assessing trial court performance. States urgently need technical 
assistance to enable them to implement the system. The National Center 
for State Courts will provide that assistance to State and local 
courts. BJA also will be working with State agencies to explore the 
possibility of using block grants to assist State trial courts in fully 
reviewing, adapting where appropriate, and implementing TCPSM 
throughout the State.
Community Prosecution and Community Probation
Grantee: American Prosecutors Research Institute; Alexandria, VA

    The Community Prosecution and Community Probation program consists 
of the following four components:
Technical Assistance and Training
    In FY 1993 and FY 1994, the American Prosecutors Research Institute 
(APRI) convened two focus groups of experienced prosecutors who defined 
community prosecution and identified its key components. This 
information provided BJA and APRI with the framework to provide both 
intensive and general technical assistance and to produce several 
publications on the subject. In FY 1994 and FY 1995, APRI conducted two 
extremely well-received technical assistance conferences attended by 
over 75 prosecutors' offices.
    In FY 1996, APRI will continue its technical assistance by matching 
prosecutors with community prosecution expertise with jurisdictions now 
planning or implementing community prosecution strategies. To further 
inform prosecutors on issues involving the planning, implementation, 
and operation of a community prosecution program, APRI will convene a 
series of regional planning workshops, an invitational symposium, and a 
national conference. In addition, APRI will provide intensive technical 
assistance and conduct studies of three demonstration sites, at least 
one of which will implement a community prosecution program in a 
jurisdiction where a community policing program already exists. APRI 
will compare, contrast, and analyze each demonstration site and 
disseminate a report on the results. APRI will assist in the National 
Institute of Justice (NIJ) evaluation of BJA's Community Prosecution 
demonstration projects.
Demonstration Projects
    BJA will provide limited funds to up to three prosecutors' offices 
to implement the current strategies discussed in the APRI Community 
Prosecution Implementation Manual and supporting documents. These 
offices will be invited by BJA to submit an application for funding. 
Preference will be given to offices capable of committing an equal 
amount of resources to the project.
Community Probation
    A significant segment of the Community Prosecution and Community 
Probation Program will be devoted to community probation. BJA will 
choose up to three demonstration sites where APRI, or a consultant 
working with APRI, will develop model community probation programs. 
These models will build upon recent BJA

[[Page 21247]]

accomplishments in its Community Policing and Community-Focused Courts 
programs and involve partnerships with the police, the judiciary, 
probation officials, public defenders, and the community. Preference 
will be given to applicants who commit local resources to the project.
Community-Focused Courts
    The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) in Williamsburg, 
Virginia, will provide technical assistance to courts interested in 
implementing recommendations from both the community-focused court's 
agenda currently under development by NCSC and a consortium of court 
and community organizations. This followup program will explore 
innovative technologies, such as the Internet and videoconferencing, in 
offering assistance; and it will provide onsite assistance as needed. 
NCSC will develop an evaluation instrument for use by local 
universities to evaluate the efforts of the community courts. The 
program will complement ongoing BJA efforts in the community 
prosecution area and support existing local and State partnership 
programs.
Models of Court-Based Services to Children and Their Families
Grantee: National Center for State Courts; Williamsburg, VA

    As an outcome to the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) task force on 
Childhood Victimization, BJA and the National Center for State Courts 
(NCSC) will expand their current program ``Models of Court-Based 
Services to Children and Their Families.'' Funded by BJA and the Office 
of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the program's purposes 
are to identify, document, evaluate, and further develop effective 
court-based service delivery to children and their families. The major 
goal is to improve collaboration among State trial, juvenile, and 
family courts and public health, mental health, and social services. 
NCSC will study and help two to three additional sites in the 
identification and coordination of cases involving child abuse and 
neglect and domestic violence. As part of the new effort, NCSC is 
looking at current sites supported by private funding organizations 
(i.e., the Kellogg Foundation, the Casey Foundation, and the Edna 
McConnell Clark Foundation) to determine if the projects can be 
augmented with a stronger court focus.
Assessment and Enhancement of Indigent Defense Services
Grantee: National Legal Aid and Defender Association; Washington, DC

    In FY 1994, BJA awarded the National Legal Aid and Defender 
Association a grant to reestablish a national scope program to improve 
the defense component of the criminal justice system by providing State 
and local organizations that represent indigent defenders with quality 
training and technical assistance services.
    This program expands on training events to enhance the quality of 
indigent defense providers' representation of drug and violent crime 
defendants both to obtain the best results for their clients and to 
reduce recidivism. This program will also support the expansion of the 
National Clearinghouse for Defense Services. The Clearinghouse is 
designed to respond to inquiries from defenders, State officials, the 
judiciary, and the general public about the delivery of defense 
services and substantive criminal defense issues. The Clearinghouse 
compiles, assesses, and disseminates information on proven programs and 
on trends and innovative strategies employed by indigent defense 
services throughout the country. A Clearinghouse Directory will be 
available that includes a listing of the files maintained and a summary 
of the services available through the Clearinghouse.
    Statewide training programs that focus on defense issues, the 
development and use of diversion programs, and sentencing alternatives 
to incarceration will be expanded. In addition to covering traditional 
legal defense of a drug case, a training manual presents a distinctive 
approach to the defense of drug cases by integrating and emphasizing 
concrete strategies for treatment, intervention, and prevention; the 
manual will integrate guidelines for effective representation. This 
program will document the training practices used in drug and violent 
crime cases.
Prosecutor's Pre-Charging Diversion Program
Grantee: Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, Sixth Judicial District 
Pulaski County; Little Rock, AK

    This program expands a citywide pilot project designed to reduce 
the recidivism rate for youthful offenders. An alternative to formal 
adjudication in juvenile court, this program serves as an opportunity 
for youthful offenders to receive constructive restitution and interact 
with community members. Youth violence is addressed through an 
interagency partnership that suspends traditional barriers in the 
community and creates a less threatening environment. By offering 
programs, opportunities, and services to at-risk youth, this now 
countywide strategy will document how neighborhood organizations and 
community groups are working to halt the rising rate of juvenile crime.
Health Care Fraud Investigation and Prosecution Training and Technical 
Assistance
Grantee: National Association of Attorneys General; Washington, DC

    The continuation of this project will enable the National 
Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) to continue providing national 
scope training and technical assistance services to State attorneys 
general and to other State and local agencies involved in detecting, 
investigating, and prosecuting intrastate health care fraud. NAAG will 
work with the three BJA-funded demonstration sites to develop prototype 
strategies for State attorneys general conducting health care fraud 
prosecutions--including health care consumer fraud, Medicaid fraud, and 
fraud against traditional insurance companies and health maintenance 
organizations (HMO's).
    NAAG will continue working closely with State attorneys general and 
district attorneys to provide cost-effective training programs for 
prosecutors and investigators and to develop innovative prosecution 
strategies. Special emphasis will be given to assisting the 
demonstration site units in the Maryland, Minnesota, and Wisconsin 
Attorneys' General offices. In conjunction with an advisory group 
comprised of Federal, State, and local prosecutors, the project will 
identify demonstrably successful initiatives, and disseminate this 
information via a bimonthly newsletter. The project also will develop 
and publish a health care fraud practice manual for State prosecutors 
and develop a clearinghouse of materials relating to the prevention, 
detection, and prosecution of health care fraud.
DNA Legal Assistance Unit
Grantee: American Prosecutors Research Institute; Alexandria, VA

    Beginning in FY 1995 with substantial support from BJA, the 
American Prosecutors Research Institute (APRI) DNA Legal Assistance 
Unit has been providing direct support to America's prosecutors in the 
understanding and use of DNA typing technology to

[[Page 21248]]

investigate and prosecute serious cases such as capital murder, 
homicide, sexual assault, and child abuse. APRI has accomplished this 
task by providing technical assistance, publications, and training. 
Technical assistance activities include formulation of a comprehensive 
guide for direct and cross examination in DNA cases; development of a 
curriculum for training DNA analysts and examiners on the proper 
presentation of DNA evidence, emphasizing testimony and etiquette; and 
publication on a semiannual basis of The Silent Witness, a newsletter 
that bridges the gap between prosecutors and DNA laboratories. 
Technical assistance activities will be provided on a limited basis and 
will include responding to telephone requests, providing general and 
specific case information packets, and updating the Unit's extensive 
files of legal and scientific information.
Adjudication Focus Group
    In March 1996, BJA conducted an adjudication focus group whose 
primary purpose was to identify and deliberate issues and problems 
within the adjudicative process of State and local criminal justice 
systems. This focus group did generate and discuss innovative programs 
and new approaches related to improving the adjudicative process. 
Criminal justice researchers and writers, Byrne Formula Grant Program 
State administrators, representatives from State and local prosecutor 
and public defender offices, justices and judges, parole and probation 
officers, and the funding community all contributed to increasing the 
quality and quantity of future BJA adjudication training, technical 
assistance, and demonstration programs.
    Later this year, BJA expects to issue one or more Requests for 
Proposal soliciting proposals from State and local adjudication 
components and/or private nonprofit organizations to implement one or 
more program ideas promulgated by this focus group.

Corrections

Correctional Options--National Dissemination
    The 1990 Amendments to the Crime Control Act provided BJA with the 
statutory authority to establish a comprehensive assistance program to 
develop ``correctional options'' at the State and local levels. In 
exercising this authority, BJA awards demonstration grants, provides 
technical assistance, and evaluates the results of intervention 
projects for youthful offenders likely to become career criminals.
    BJA's correctional options projects assist offenders in pursuing a 
lawful and productive transition to the community following release by 
providing security, discipline, and comprehensive services, including 
diagnosis, counseling, substance abuse treatment, education, job 
training, and placement assistance while under correctional 
supervision; and linkage to similar services in the community. These 
projects also provide work opportunities to promote the development of 
industrial and service skills.
    The expected results of the correctional options projects include 
reduced criminal recidivism of offenders who receive alternative 
punishments and, in the longer term, reduced costs in correctional 
services and facilities.
    For the purposes of this program, the term ``correctional options'' 
includes community-based incarceration, weekend incarceration, 
correctional boot camps, transitional programs, aftercare services, day 
reporting, structured fines, electronic monitoring, intensive 
probation, and other innovative sanctions designed to have maximum 
impact on offenders capable of being managed in an environment other 
than a traditional correctional facility.
    During a 4-year period, from FY 1992 through FY 1995, BJA awarded 
more than $40 million in Correctional Options Discretionary Program 
grants to public agencies and private nonprofit organizations. These 
grants were awarded to support the planning, development, 
implementation, and evaluation of demonstration projects to test a 
broad range of alternatives to traditional modes of incarceration. All 
BJA correctional options demonstration projects have four basic goals: 
reduced incarceration costs, relief of prison and jail crowding, 
reduced recidivism rates for youthful offenders, and advancement in 
correctional practices.
    BJA has worked closely with State and local criminal justice 
professionals in project planning, design, and operation; coordination 
of technical assistance and evaluation services; monitoring of 
operations and outcomes; and facilitation of project refinement and 
improvements. A critical factor in measuring the outcomes of these 
projects has been the degree to which demonstration sites have been 
successful in selecting offenders who would have been incarcerated had 
the correctional options projects not existed.
    Preliminary findings from the evaluation of these projects indicate 
that offenders admitted to these programs pose considerable challenges 
to treatment efforts because of their young age, lack of education, 
poor job skills, low rates of employment, lack of social stability, 
history of drug abuse, and extensive record of prior arrests and 
convictions.
    However, these projects are successful in delivering badly needed 
services to a high-risk offender population, offering far more services 
and supervision than normally are provided for similarly situated 
offenders who are in prison or who are assigned to probation or parole.
    States like Florida, Maryland, New Hampshire, and Vermont have 
succeeded in reaching their goal of cost effectiveness by targeting 
offenders who otherwise would have spent a considerable amount of time 
in custody.
Model Correctional Options Projects
    The following projects have been selected as BJA correctional 
options models and will serve as resource sites for a National 
Correctional Options Dissemination, Training, and Technical Assistance 
Program:

Washington State Reintegration of Youthful Offenders
Maricopa County (AZ) Youthful Offenders Project
Bradenton (FL) Correctional Treatment Facility Drug Punishment Program
Maryland Community Supervision and Transitional Services
New Hampshire Intensive Correctional Services
Vermont Restorative Justice Services
Connecticut Female Addictive Services--Fresh Start
California Youth Authority Project LEAD
Riverside County (CA) Twin Pines Academy
Focus Group: Linking Byrne Formula and Discretionary Grant Programs
    A recent analysis of the annual needs assessments conducted through 
the Byrne Formula Grant Program indicated that the two areas of 
greatest need at the State and local levels are alternatives to 
incarceration and offender treatment services.
    In December 1995, BJA convened a focus group meeting with 
representatives from a number of successful State and local 
correctional options projects and from the State Administrative Agency 
for the Byrne Formula Grant Program in these same jurisdictions. The 
purpose was to obtain ideas and insights regarding the development of a 
Correctional Options Dissemination Program for the FY 1996 Byrne 
Discretionary Program Plan; as well as potential funding through the 
Byrne Formula Grant Program and other

[[Page 21249]]

public and private funding sources to support State and local 
correctional options.
    The FY 1996 National Technical Assistance and Dissemination 
Initiative for Correctional Options will build on the input from the 
planning meeting and will encourage States to support new correctional 
options projects with Byrne formula grants and to use these Byrne 
formula funds to leverage additional funding sources.

FY 1996 Awards

Technical Assistance, Dissemination, and Training To Promote 
Correctional Options
Grantee: Criminal Justice Associates; Philadelphia, PA

    This continuation of the current award will support the technical 
assistance needs of the ongoing correctional options projects: the 9 
demonstration projects that were awarded on September 30, 1995; the 10 
projects that BJA considers models; and the FY 1994 awards to 
Wilmington, Delaware, and Washington, D.C.
    The continuation award will also support a national dissemination 
and technical assistance initiative that builds upon the lessons 
learned through the BJA Correctional Options Program regarding project 
planning, development, implementation, and evaluation. The initiative 
will support efforts to use Byrne Formula Grant Program funds and other 
public and private funding sources to support the implementation of 
Correctional Options projects at the State and local levels. The 
grantee will work closely with the program evaluator and will assist in 
the dissemination of information to key decisionmakers who can 
influence the development and funding of correctional options at the 
State and local levels. The award also will support the involvement of 
a consortium of service providers.
Impact Evaluation of 10 Demonstration Sites
Grantee: The National Council on Crime and Delinquency; Washington, DC

    This is a 15-month continuation award focusing on outcome measures 
and publications regarding the cost effectiveness of selected 
correctional options projects, as compared with traditional 
incarceration. The evaluation will be interactive with both the 
demonstration sites and the technical assistance providers, it will 
include feasibility assessment activities to determine the evaluability 
of project design and, as appropriate, technical advice on project 
adjustments to improve operations and outcomes.
    In addition to the dissemination of correctional options, BJA will 
continue to expand its support for programs that demonstrate productive 
work and employment preparedness services for prison and jail inmates, 
offenders participating in community-based correctional options 
programs, and ex-offenders.
Prison Industry Enhancement Technical Assistance
Grantee: Correctional Industries Association; Philadelphia, PA

    This continuation award will enable BJA to maintain the current 
level of effort regarding Prison Industry Enhancement (PIE) technical 
assistance, training, and annual program audits. In addition, the award 
will support the development of revised PIE regulations and guidelines, 
extension of single PIE certification authority to encompass all State 
prisons and local jails, two annual meetings, and the development of 
marketing plans to promote expansion in the number of active PIE 
projects.
Jail Work and Industries
Grantee: Community Resource Services; Gaithersburg, MD

    This continuation award will enable BJA to continue providing 
technical assistance and program planning support to reduce inmate 
idleness through the development of productive work opportunities in 
local jails, including Prison Industry Enhancement (PIE)-certified 
private sector employment.
Project Return
Grantee: Tulane University; New Orleans, LA

    With strong support from the New Orleans Business Council, Project 
Return provides employment readiness training and support services to 
ex-offenders. Drug and alcohol counseling, remedial education, life 
skills training, vocational training, job placement services, and 
family counseling are provided to 200 participants per year.
Opportunity To Succeed Program: Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse
Grantee: Columbia University; New York, NY

    The Opportunity to Succeed (OPTS) program provides intensive 
services for addicted ex-offenders who received drug treatment while 
incarcerated and are returning on probation or parole to their 
communities in Kansas City, St. Louis, Tampa, Oakland, and New York 
City. The program goal is to sustain treatment gains and achieve a 
positive reintegration into the community by providing substance abuse 
treatment, case management, employment, and training, housing, family 
intervention, health services, and mental health services. Services are 
structured, coordinated, and monitored by case managers working for 
community based organizations.

Evaluation, Systems Improvement, and Information Dissemination

The Denial of Federal Benefits Program
Contractor: Network Systems Integration; Washington, DC

    The Denial of Federal Benefits Program was established to implement 
Section 5301 of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 (Subpart G of Public 
Law 100-690). This law offers an option to judges in both Federal and 
State courts to deny Federal benefits to persons convicted of 
trafficking in or possession of drugs. It also provides for the 
mandatory denial of Federal benefits to individuals with three or more 
convictions for trafficking offenses. In February 1993, additional 
duties were assigned to the Denial of Federal Benefits Program in 
connection with the implementation of the National Defense 
Authorization Act of 1993. This law provides for a point of contact--
i.e., a clearinghouse--from which defense contractors may learn whether 
an individual has been disqualified from defense contract participation 
as a result of a procurement fraud conviction.
    The goals of the program are to provide a sentencing option for 
Federal and State judges to deny a Federal benefit to a drug offender, 
a mechanism to report such a denial of Federal benefits, and a method 
to inform Federal agencies of individuals sentenced to a denial of 
Federal benefits. The program objectives are to enhance the use of 
denial of Federal benefits as a sanction in sentencing offenders 
convicted of a drug offense and to enhance BJA's capabilities to more 
accurately and efficiently collect offender data and improve processing 
of this data from Federal and State sources.
    The Denial of Federal Benefits Program's current operations include 
an information dissemination component, a systems management component, 
and a program management and coordination component.
Testing of Nebraska's Victim Services Needs Assessment Instrument
Grantee: Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice; 
Lincoln, NE


[[Page 21250]]


    The purpose of the Victim Services Needs Assessment instrument is 
to assist the Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal 
Justice in assessing whether crime victim assistance funds are being 
utilized in the best way possible to address the needs of crime 
victims. The goals in testing the instrument are to assess the 
effectiveness and efficiency of existing services and to identify and 
formally document services not currently available but needed by 
victims of crime in Nebraska.
    The instrument consists of three sections. Section 1, the Nebraska 
Victimization Survey, is a statewide victimization instrument designed 
to determine geographical service gaps and awareness of crime victim 
services and evaluate attitudes toward crime and the criminal justice 
system. The second section, the Inventory of Victim Assistance Programs 
In Nebraska, is completed by victim assistance agencies and identifies 
how the agency is funded, who represents its client base, what services 
are provided, and what services are needed. Section 3, the Victim 
Assistance Client Survey, is given to the crime victim and identifies 
the types of services provided by the agency; the level of satisfaction 
with services provided; the types of services the victim felt were 
needed but were not provided; and if the victims used other agencies 
for services.
    The instrument is service specific; it is designated to be used by 
States and local agencies. Once the instrument is tested and finalized, 
it will be made available to other States for their use. The Office of 
Victims of Crime will oversee instrument refinement.
An Initiative To Develop Model Internet Applications for State and 
Local Criminal Justice Agencies
Grantee: Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority; Chicago, IL

    This initiative is being developed by the Illinois Criminal Justice 
Information Authority (ICJIA) and the University of Illinois at 
Chicago. The purpose is to develop model Internet applications that 
will allow State and local criminal justice agency users to access 
information about programs and resources that are available to combat 
crime and violence. The goals of the initiative are to develop model 
Internet applications in the State and local criminal justice community 
for the electronic sharing and publishing of criminal justice data and 
information.
    The initiative involves information technology, data and 
statistics, program development, and research and evaluation. ICJIA 
enlisted BJA, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), and the Bureau 
of Justice Statistics (BJS) to review and collaborate on the proposal 
and determine its utility to State and local criminal justice agencies. 
To ensure that the ICJIA's work is responsive to the needs of State and 
local agencies across the country, SEARCH Group, Inc., the National 
Criminal Justice Association, Justice Research Statistics Association, 
BJA, NIJ, and BJS all will consult on this initiative.
U.S. Department of Justice Response Center and BJA Clearinghouse
Contractor: Aspen Systems, Inc.

    The BJA Clearinghouse continues to serve as an information and 
dissemination source for the criminal justice field. BJA also supports 
the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Response Center, which provides 
timely and accurate information on DOJ initiatives.
Report Publication and Dissemination
    This initiative enables BJA to produce and disseminate information 
to the criminal justice field about state-of-the-art programs and 
activities, and to improve the criminal justice system through 
development of publications and other media materials.
State and Local Training and Technical Assistance Program
Contractor: Community Research Associates; Nashville, TN

    The purpose of the BJA State and Local Training and Technical 
Assistance Program is to provide training and technical assistance to 
States, units of local government, and recognized Native American 
Indian Tribes in the development and implementation of comprehensive 
systemwide strategies for preventing and combating drug-related and 
violent crime, and in the improvement of the function of State and 
local criminal justice systems. Although developed primarily to support 
BJA's Formula Grant Program, training and technical assistance can also 
be extended to BJA discretionary grantees and, in certain instances, to 
other facets of the U.S. Department of Justice (e.g., in response to 
requests from U.S. Attorneys).

Evaluation Program

    The goal of BJA's Evaluation component is to identify criminal 
justice programs of proven effectiveness and to disseminate information 
about these programs, so that other jurisdictions throughout the 
country can replicate them. Results of BJA program evaluations guide 
the formulation of policy and programs within Federal, State, and local 
criminal justice agencies. BJA coordinates the development of 
evaluation guidelines with the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). In 
addition, NIJ conducts comprehensive evaluations of selected programs 
receiving discretionary and formula grant funds from BJA.
    Each applicant for State Byrne Formula Grant Program funds is 
required to include in its project plan an evaluation component that 
meets the BJA/NIJ evaluation guidelines. Each State is required to 
provide BJA with an annual report that includes a summary of its grant 
activities and an assessment of the impact of these programs on the 
needs identified in its statewide drug and violent crime control 
strategy. Applicants for Byrne Discretionary Grant Program funding are 
required to include an evaluation component in their applications and 
agree to conduct required evaluations according to procedures and terms 
established by BJA.
SEARCH National Training and Technical Assistance Program
Grantee: SEARCH Group, Inc. (National Consortium for Justice 
Information and Statistics); Sacramento, CA

    The SEARCH National Training and Technical Assistance Program, 
created in 1986, offers assistance to criminal justice agencies across 
the country in the development, improvement, acquisition, and/or 
integration of their computer systems (e.g., records and case 
management, computer-aided dispatch, and criminal history records 
systems). SEARCH provides onsite, no-cost training and technical 
assistance to justice agencies. It also offers services at the National 
Criminal Justice Computer Laboratory and Training Center located in 
Sacramento, California.
Public Safety Support Services: National Training and Technical 
Assistance for Law Enforcement Line of Duty Deaths
Grantee: Concerns of Police Survivors, Inc.; Camdenton, MO

    The Public Safety Officers' Benefits Act (42 U.S.C. 3796 et seq.) 
authorizes the Director of BJA to support national programs that assist 
families of public safety officers killed in the line of duty. Since 
1984, Concerns of Police Survivors, Inc. (COPS) has implemented 
programs to provide psychological support and practical guidance to law 
enforcement agencies and families that have lost an officer in the line 
of duty.
    BJA has identified the need to: update research on law enforcement 
agencies' readiness to handle line-of-duty deaths; provide training and 
technical

[[Page 21251]]

assistance to better prepare law enforcement agencies to intervene 
effectively with families and coworkers of officers killed in the line 
of duty; and increase dissemination of information about the services 
and benefits available to the families of fallen officers and about the 
resources available to assist agencies.
    BJA will survey law enforcement agencies regarding their written 
policies and procedures on responding to line-of-duty deaths. In 
addition, input and reaction will be sought from surviving family 
members concerning the treatment accorded them by the deceased family 
member's agency. The survey will provide some measure of the impact BJA 
and other organizations have had over the past 11 years in improving 
agency response to line-of-duty deaths.

National Institute of Justice Research Plan 1995-1996

    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. For general NIJ 
information, contact Carrie Smith, at (202) 616-3233.
    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.
    To inquire about NIJ receipt of applications, contact Louise 
Loften, at (202) 307-2965.
    For document publication information, contact Mary Graham, at (202) 
514-6207. 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].
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
Carrie Smith
Office of Research and Evaluation
Sally T. Hillsman, Director
Louise Lofton
Evelyn Washington
Criminal Behavior
Edwin W. Zedlewski, Acting Director
Bernie Auchter
Laurie Bright
Thomas Feucht
Helen Girma
Voncile Gowdy
Ginger Kyle
Pamela Lattimore
Jordan Leiter
Angela Moore
Jack Riley
James Trudeau
Crime Control and Prevention
Winnie Reed, Acting Director
Julianna Banks
Stephanie Bourque
Steven Edwards
Stephen Holmes
Eric Jefferis
Robert Kaminski
Robert Langworthy
Nancy Lavigne
Richard Lewis
Phyllis McDonald
Lois Mock
Rosemary Murphy
Jeffrey Ross
Richard Titus
Office of Science and Technology
David G. Boyd, Director
Raymond L. Downs
Kevin Jackson
Richard M. Rau
Robert Tolle
Office of Communication and Research Utilization
Virginia Baldau, Acting Director
Tamara Ross
Reference and Dissemination Division
John Schwarz, Director
Mary Graham
Eugene Hebert
G. Martin Lively
Daniel Tompkins
Research Applications and Training Division
John Spevacek, Acting Director
Cheryl Crawford
Marilyn Moses
Carolyn Peake
Samuel McQuade
John Thomas

Table of Contents

From the Director
Contacts
National Institute of Justice Staff
Introduction
Goal I: Reduce Violent Crime
Goal II: Reduce Drug- and Alcohol-Related Crime
Goal III: Reduce the Consequences of Crime
Goal IV: Improve the Effectiveness of Crime Prevention Programs
Goal V: Improve Law Enforcement and the Criminal Justice System
Goal VI: Develop New Technology for Law Enforcement and the Criminal 
Justice System
Administrative Guidelines
Application Information
Recommendations to Grant Writers
NIJ Policy Regarding Unsolicited Proposals
Requirements for Award Recipients
Application Forms

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.

[[Page 21252]]

    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.
    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 individuals--such as the 
Data Resources Program, various Fellowship programs, the NIJ Internship 
Program--are 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
The 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

[[Page 21253]]

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.''

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 older--the 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 percent--more 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 crimes--enhancements 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 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.
    Family Violence. Improving the criminal justice (police, 
prosecution, courts) response to family violence. Interdisciplinary 
research on the origins of spouse assault. Child homicide and fatality 
review teams. Links between partner abuse and child abuse. Evaluation 
of innovative programs and practices for responding to elder abuse. 
Effectiveness of stalking legislation. In addition to family violence 
research, NIJ also will issue a special solicitation in 1996 requesting 
evaluations and research of selected topics covered under the Violence 
Against Women Act.

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

[[Page 21254]]

projects that will improve the criminal justice knowledge base about 
crimes and criminal behavior involving the use of drugs and alcohol. 
Through this solicitation 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 treatment--through 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 anti-drug 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 have traced the trends in drug use among persons arrested for a 
wide range of offenses. In 1995, NIJ began soliciting proposals that 
capitalized and expanded 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.
    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

[[Page 21255]]

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 
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

[[Page 21256]]

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 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

[[Page 21257]]

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 in 1996.
    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 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 accepting applications for policing research during 
the June and December, 1996 review cycles. The Institute expects to 
issue a special policing solicitation in FY 1996. Law enforcement 
research and evaluation proposals received for the June review will 
be considered together with proposals submitted to the special 
policing solicitation.

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

    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,

[[Page 21258]]

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.
    Jordan Leiter, (202) 616-9487, for prosecution and adjudication.
    Voncile Gowdy, (202) 307-2951, for corrections and sanctions.
    Jack Riley, (202) 616-9030, 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 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 and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC) (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 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 has also established 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 (DARPA) 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/

[[Page 21259]]

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

    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, Ph.D., (202) 307-0648, for the Forensic Sciences 
Program and the Drug Testing Program.
Raymond L. Downs, Ph.D., (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.
Dave Fields, Ph.D., (703) 696-2330, 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 and Corrections 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 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 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,

[[Page 21260]]

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, 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

[[Page 21261]]

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 12-point font 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. 
Applicants are cautioned that obvious attempts to stretch 
interpretations of these limits will disqualify proposals from review.
    17. What is the page order? The following order is mandatory. 
Omission can result in rejection of the application:
    1. SF 424.
    2. Budget narrative.
    3. Assurances and Certifications, etc.
    4. Negotiated rate agreement.
    5. 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.
    6. Abstract.
    7. Table of Contents.
    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 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

[[Page 21262]]

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.

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

[[Page 21263]]

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 United States Code 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), Part 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 46.101 to determine their 
individual project requirements.

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

Comprehensive Program Plan for Fiscal Year 1996 OJJDP Program 
Objectives

    The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) 
seeks to focus its assistance on the development and implementation of 
programs with the greatest potential for reducing juvenile delinquency 
and improving the juvenile justice system by establishing partnerships 
with State, Native American, Native Alaskan, and local governments and 
public and private organizations. To that end, OJJDP has set three 
goals that constitute the major elements of a sound policy for juvenile 
justice and delinquency prevention:
     To promote delinquency prevention and early intervention 
efforts that reduce the flow of juvenile offenders into the juvenile 
justice system, the numbers of serious and violent offenders, and the 
development of chronic delinquent careers.
     To improve the juvenile justice system and the response of 
the system to juvenile delinquents, status offenders, and dependent, 
neglected, and abused children.
     To preserve the public safety in a manner that serves the 
appropriate development and best use of secure detention and 
corrections options, while at the same time fostering the use of 
community-based programs for juvenile offenders.
    Underlying each of the three goals is the overarching premise that 
achievement of these goals is vital to protecting the long-term safety 
of the public from increased juvenile delinquency and violence. In 
pursuing these goals, we divide our programs into the key categories 
you will find in the program plan: public safety and law enforcement; 
strengthening the juvenile justice system; delinquency prevention and 
intervention; and child abuse, neglect, and dependency proceedings. The 
following discussion, however, addresses the broader goals of OJJDP.

Delinquency Prevention and Early Intervention

    A primary goal of OJJDP is to identify and promote programs that 
prevent or reduce the occurrence of juvenile offenses, both criminal 
and non-criminal, and to intervene immediately and effectively when 
delinquent or status offense conduct first occurs. A sound policy for 
juvenile delinquency prevention seeks to strengthen the most powerful 
contributing factor to socially acceptable behavior--a productive place 
for young people in a law-abiding society.
    Delinquency prevention programs can operate on a broad scale, 
providing for positive youth development, or can target juveniles 
identified as being at high risk for delinquency, with programs 
designed to reduce future juvenile offending. OJJDP prevention programs 
take a risk-focused delinquency prevention approach based on public 
health and social development models.
    Early interventions are designed to provide services to juveniles 
whose non-criminal misbehavior indicates that they are on a delinquent 
pathway, or for first time non-violent delinquent offenders or non-
serious repeat offenders who do not respond to initial system 
intervention. These interventions are generally non-punitive but serve 
to hold a juvenile accountable while providing services tailored to the 
individual needs of the juvenile and the juvenile's family. They are 
designed to both deter future misconduct and ameliorate risk or enhance 
protective factors.

Improvement of the Juvenile Justice System

    A second goal of OJJDP is to promote improvements in the juvenile 
justice system and facilitate the most effective allocation of system 
resources. This goal is necessary for holding juveniles who commit 
crimes accountable for their conduct, particularly serious and violent 
offenders who sometimes slip through the cracks of the system or are 
inappropriately diverted. This includes assisting law enforcement 
officers in their efforts to prevent and control delinquency and the 
victimization of children through community policing programs and 
coordination and collaboration with other system components and with 
child caring systems. It involves helping juvenile and family courts, 
and the prosecutors and public defenders who practice in those courts, 
to provide a system of justice that maintains due process protections. 
It requires trying innovative programs and carefully evaluating those 
programs to determine what works and what does not work. It includes a 
commitment to involving crime victims in the juvenile justice system 
and ensuring that their rights are considered.
    In this regard, OJJDP will continue to work closely with the Office 
for Victims of Crime to further cooperative programming, including the 
provision of services to juveniles who are crime victims or when the 
provision of victims services improves the operation of the juvenile 
justice system. Improving the juvenile justice system also calls for 
building an appropriate juvenile detention and corrections capacity and 
for intensified efforts to use juvenile detention and correctional 
facilities when necessary and under conditions that maximize public 
safety, while providing effective rehabilitation

[[Page 21264]]

services. It requires encouraging states to carefully consider the use 
of expanded transfer authority that sends the most serious, violent, 
and intractable juvenile offenders to the criminal justice system, 
while preserving individualized justice. It necessitates conducting 
research and gathering statistical information in order to understand 
how the juvenile justice system works in serving children and families. 
And finally, the system can only be improved if information and 
knowledge is communicated, understood, and applied for the purpose of 
juvenile justice system improvement.

Corrections, Detention and Community-Based Alternatives

    A third OJJDP goal is to maintain the public safety through a 
balanced use of secure detention and corrections, and community-based 
alternatives. This involves identifying and promoting effective 
community-based programs and services for juveniles who have formal 
contact with the juvenile justice system, and emphasizing options that 
maintain the safety of the public, are appropriately restrictive, and 
promote and preserve positive ties with the child's family, school, and 
community. Communities cannot afford to place responsibility for 
juvenile delinquency entirely on publicly operated juvenile justice 
system programs. A sound policy for combating juvenile delinquency and 
reducing the threat of youth violence makes maximum use of a full range 
of public and private programs and services, most of which operate in 
the juvenile's home community, including those provided by the health 
and mental health, child welfare, social service, and educational 
systems.
    Coordination of the development of community-based programs and 
services with the development and use of a secure detention and 
correctional system capability for those juveniles who require a secure 
option is cost effective, will protect the public, reduce facility 
crowding, and result in better services for both institutionalized 
juveniles and those who can be served while remaining in their 
community environment.

Summary of Public Comments on the Proposed Comprehensive Plan for 
Fiscal Year 1996

    OJJDP published its Proposed Comprehensive Plan for Fiscal Year 
(FY) 1996 in the Federal Register (Vol. 61, No. 34) on February 20, 
1996, for a 45-day public comment period. OJJDP received 46 letters 
commenting on the proposed plan. All comments have been considered in 
the development of the Final Comprehensive Plan for FY 1996.
    The majority of the letters provided positive comments about the 
overall plan and its programs. The following is a summary of the 
substantive comments received and OJJDP's responses to the comments. 
Unless otherwise indicated, each comment was made by a single 
respondent.
    Comment: Seven respondents expressed strong support for the overall 
plan. One writer asserted that data projections for juvenile crime for 
the next 15 years make a compelling case for full funding of all OJJDP 
programs. Another commended OJJDP for the broad-based and forward-
thinking programming in the plan. A third comment indicated that the 
proposed programs will strengthen law enforcement prevention efforts 
and have an impact on juvenile crime. One respondent highly endorsed 
the existing OJJDP program and the proposed plan but also recommended 
that funds be earmarked for imaginative, innovative, and creative 
programs with imagineering concepts to maximize program benefits. One 
comment described the plan as a comprehensive, balanced approach to 
juvenile delinquency and delinquency prevention. Another supported 
OJJDP's purpose to provide a comprehensive, coordinated approach to 
prevent and control juvenile crime and improve the juvenile justice 
system. The final comment called OJJDP's priorities essential for 
addressing the increasing complexity of issues facing the juvenile 
justice system.
    Response: OJJDP appreciates the support expressed by these and 
other respondents.
    Comment: Five letters contained criticism of the overall plan. 
Three of these cited the lack of specific funding information as a 
major flaw. One of those letters also noted that the majority of 
funding is already committed, mostly to long-time recipients, and that 
the plan contains a large number of social service programs with no 
proven effectiveness in reducing or preventing delinquency. This writer 
recommended eliminating or reducing 10 programs and suggested that 
OJJDP reissue the plan to solicit a program to develop a comprehensive 
drug prevention curriculum for students. Another respondent also 
expressed concern about the large number of initiatives and activities 
with predetermined recipients. Citing the JJDP Act competition 
requirement (Section 262(d)(1)(B)), the writer asked about criteria for 
waiving the competitive process. One respondent found that the plan was 
not sufficiently comprehensive and called for programs to teach correct 
principles and moral responsibility, particularly in the family unit 
and in the schools.
    Response: Proposed funding levels were not included in the plan due 
to the uncertainty of FY 1996 appropriations. The proposed plan was 
premised on FY 1996 funding being at or near FY 1995 levels. 
Continuation commitments, coupled with a variety of proven or ongoing 
projects, many of which are technical assistance and training 
initiatives that have a national impact and level funding, preclude 
wholesale funding of new programs in FY 1996. All new programs will be 
competitively funded with no waivers of the competition requirement 
contemplated.
    Comment: One comment on the discretionary grant continuation policy 
suggested that OJJDP should emphasize funding innovative programs along 
with the continuation of programs. The writer noted that each year it 
appears that limited funds are available for new programs.
    Response: The plan includes several new and innovative programs 
coupled with a focus on program evaluation. Innovative research and 
evaluation programs will be eligible to compete under an expanded 
field-initiated research program in FY 1996.
    Comment: A Native American respondent stated that the plan should 
specifically name Indian Nations as partners.
    Response: The cited language in the plan is amended to read: 
``establishing partnerships with State, Native American, Native 
Alaskan, and local governments and public and private organizations.''
    Comment: OJJDP received three comments on the goals listed in the 
plan. One respondent suggested that the first goal could be 
strengthened by calling specifically for better character development 
in the home and in schools. The writer stated that the second goal does 
not convey the idea that the primary effort should be character 
corrections, in the corrections system, to shrink the number of 
offenders. The second respondent expressed support for the three goals 
and described how the Judicial Branch of the Navajo Nation is working 
toward those same goals, with early intervention being of particular 
importance. The third letter expressed support for the goals and 
indicated that their achievement is vital to public safety.
    Response: Both prevention and treatment programs seek to improve 
character and instill positive values in

[[Page 21265]]

juveniles. OJJDP has long supported family strengthening programs, many 
of which feature character development objectives.
    Comment: Six respondents commented on the field-initiated research 
program. All were generally supportive, and five made substantive 
comments. One suggested specific topics: measuring effectiveness of 
intervention with young prostitutes; drug treatment approaches, 
educational/literacy project effectiveness; and what works with the 
multiproblem young criminal. One respondent, noting the call for 
improving data collaboration efforts, suggested that a portion of the 
research be applied to projects that would seek to standardize court 
reports, thus increasing the juvenile justice system's ability to 
access and share appropriate information with child protective services 
and mental health agencies. Another writer who supported the research 
initiative expressed interest in two priority research topics: (1) 
youth gangs in residential facilities and (2) mental health issues, 
with emphasis on eliminating posttraumatic stress disorder in youthful 
offenders and breaking the cycle of violence. One respondent was 
pleased with the program but expressed concern that the priority areas 
did not specifically include adolescent sexual offenders. A Native 
American respondent pointed out several research needs in the Native 
American community, including technical assistance and program support 
to acquire a workable data base, share information, and analyze that 
information for policy development and planning. This respondent 
suggested that OJJDP should directly fund or devote staff or contract 
expertise to relevant studies and should encourage its staff and 
consultants to network with Indian Nation programs to undertake the 
studies that policy development requires.
    Response: While the plan suggests priority research topics, OJJDP 
will take into careful consideration each of the topics suggested by 
these respondents. The adolescent sex offender is a topic of particular 
interest to OJJDP. Several OJJDP studies related to the juvenile sexual 
offender are nearing completion, and it is anticipated that study 
findings will suggest future research directions. While Native American 
research needs have not been specifically mentioned, OJJDP welcomes 
applications from the Native American community that identify these 
needs and propose studies that will meet them. OJJDP is also working 
closely with the Native American desk within the Office of Justice 
Programs to obtain feedback on its Native American programs, including 
the new 1996 Native American training and technical assistance program.
    Comment: In a comment related to the national juvenile court data 
archives, a respondent suggested that funds be set aside for States to 
develop statewide juvenile information systems and to explore issues 
such as minority overrepresentation, use of legal counsel, and gender 
implications.
    Response: OJJDP obtains invaluable information from State 
information systems. Such systems are used to analyze both juvenile 
court and juvenile corrections activity. The Office understands that 
the development and maintenance of such systems are expensive and time 
consuming. Many States do not have the resources available to fully 
implement information systems that can contribute to a national 
information system. In the past, the Office has supported the 
development and improvement of State systems through programs such as 
the National Juvenile Court Data Archive and the Juveniles Taken Into 
Custody program. Each includes a technical assistance component that 
aids States in determining appropriate information systems and 
information collection methods.
    The Office recognizes the need for further development of State 
information systems. Areas other than corrections and courts also 
require attention. OJJDP will examine more carefully the role of the 
Office through the development of a long-term information systems 
development plan. This plan will examine national information needs and 
make specific recommendations for meeting these needs. As part of this 
plan, OJJDP will examine what assistance can be provided to the States 
as they develop and refine their information systems and how these 
systems can also help to meet overarching national information needs.
    Comment: One respondent objected to funding the National Conference 
of State Legislatures, suggesting that OJJDP promote State Agencies as 
the appropriate entities to provide technical assistance to State 
legislatures.
    Response: In funding the National Conference of State Legislatures 
(NCSL) in FY 1995, OJJDP concluded that the organization was uniquely 
qualified to provide pertinent and timely information to State 
legislators and their staff. NCSL looks to traditional Federal, State, 
and local juvenile justice agencies for information, packaging the data 
to meet the specific needs of State lawmakers. In addition, as a 
membership organization, NCSL has a number of information tools, such 
as professional publications and conferences, designed to reach State 
legislators.
    Comment: One comment addressed telecommunications assistance, 
noting the very positive response in the writer's State to OJJDP's 
teleconference series. The respondent made two suggestions: (1) Provide 
special allocations to States to facilitate downlinking of 
teleconferences and (2) focus more on the use of new technology such as 
the interactive video disc (IVD).
    Response: OJJDP appreciates hearing of the value of its satellite 
teleconference series. In the coming year, OJJDP and its 
telecommunications grantee, Eastern Kentucky University (EKU), will 
explore the use of other technologies, including IVD, for information 
dissemination and training purposes. To date, OJJDP has not been 
apprised of problems viewers may have had in affording or accessing 
downlink sites. In fact, EKU has acted as coordinator to help 
interested individuals and organizations locate sites in the community 
and to join groups of persons living in their same geographical area to 
sponsor and attend teleconferences.
    Comment: A respondent called for more emphasis on private sector 
involvement and media support in the area of public safety and law 
enforcement.
    Response: Combating Violence and Delinquency: The National Juvenile 
Justice Action Plan, recently released by the Coordinating Council on 
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, has as one of its eight 
primary objectives to reduce youth violence: ``Implement an aggressive 
public outreach campaign on effective strategies to combat youth 
violence.'' The Coordinating Council is chaired by the Attorney 
General, co-chaired by the Administrator of OJJDP, and includes nine 
Federal agency and nine practitioner members. The Council developed the 
Action Plan as a rallying point to mobilize individuals and 
organizations across the country toward eight objectives that, 
together, provide a comprehensive--tough but smart--response to the 
crisis of youth violence and victimization. The role of the private 
sector and the media in implementing the Action Plan will be critical 
in its success.
    Comment: OJJDP received four comments strongly supporting the Kids 
and Guns initiative. One recommended that OJJDP should clarify the 
proposed plan to allow State agencies to apply if they can demonstrate 
that the proposed

[[Page 21266]]

program would be community-based. One respondent urged substantial 
funding for competitive, comprehensive, communitywide demonstration 
projects that focus on the reduction and prevention of gun violence. 
Another comment praised the support for linkages between community and 
law enforcement responses to youth gun violence. A fourth respondent 
suggested that gun violence prevention programs must take into account 
public safety and perception and cause students to take responsibility 
for their actions and the actions of their peers while at the same time 
working with the community to ensure the healthy development of each 
child. The writer also stressed that youth gun violence reduction 
programs must be tailored to the needs of each community.
    Response: The final Kids and Guns initiative program description 
incorporates each of these comments. The solicitation will allow State 
agencies to apply if they can demonstrate strong existing linkages to a 
community-based organization and if the proposed programs will be 
community-based.
    Comment: Two respondents urged that recipients of OJJDP funds 
should be required to have ``zero tolerance'' for street gangs, 
charging that present policies appear to facilitate or foster the gang 
problem in some cases where funding has put active gang members on the 
Federal payroll.
    Response: OJJDP's policy supports the elimination of crime and 
violence by criminal street gangs and would, therefore, not provide 
funding to any recipient that does not attempt to intervene with such 
gangs and their activities in such a way as to achieve this policy 
objective. OJJDP believes that the elimination of crime and violence 
can best be achieved through the mobilization of communities to prevent 
the formation of gangs and through collaboration between all elements 
of the system to eliminate gang crime and violence through intervention 
and suppression. OJJDP's program model does not legitimize criminal 
street gang membership or condone gang membership by youth.
    Comment: OJJDP received four letters in support of community 
assessment centers. One respondent praised the centers as a valuable 
tool to service the front end of the juvenile justice system and raised 
four specific issues for consideration in competitive solicitations: 
replication (funding for new assessment centers), expansion (funding 
for existing centers to expand into areas not presently covered), 
technical assistance for communities that want to develop a community 
assessment center, and research/evaluation (funding for a research 
effort to study the effectiveness of assessment centers and answer 
policy questions raised in OJJDP's concept paper on assessment 
centers). Another writer called the development of one-stop, community-
based intake, assessment, and case referral centers a step in the right 
direction. A third respondent described a proposed center that would 
eventually result in the creation of alternatives to detention and 
enhanced ability to put together a graduated sanctions approach. The 
fourth respondent called community assessment centers an additional 
option for the juvenile court system in sentencing adolescents and 
stated that the centers could provide short-term diagnostic residential 
placement and allow school systems to avoid the expense of long-term 
out-of-district placement.
    Response: OJJDP agrees that community assessment centers are a 
promising approach to improving the multisystem responses to all types 
of youth at risk and delinquent youth. Community assessment centers can 
help communities in providing better assessments of a child's needs, 
designing a potentially more effective treatment plan, and creating a 
centralized location for information related to the child and the 
intended intervention, fostering a more effective and efficient case 
management service system.
    As indicated in the proposed plan, an initial fact-finding phase is 
currently underway, including assessment center site visits in order to 
identify variations in the assessment center approach and to better 
understand the needs of the juvenile justice system in this area. 
Although a specific determination with regard to the elements of a 
program model has not yet been made, OJJDP plans to issue an assessment 
center solicitation within a short period of time. It is too early to 
say whether postadjudication diagnostic placements or school 
alternatives to out-of-district placements would be viable elements of 
an assessment center model.
    Comment: Two writers commented in the area of training and 
technical assistance programs. One respondent suggested that OJJDP 
include funds and technical assistance to nontechnical staff who 
support very difficult youth and families and that these funds be 
available directly to grantees through the grant application process so 
they may seek help from within their local communities. Another writer 
referred to a growing need for training in cultural differences for law 
enforcement and juvenile justice practitioners.
    Response: OJJDP agrees that training and technical assistance 
provided from a national level cannot fully meet the full spectrum of 
local needs. Funds are also provided to support training and technical 
assistance through the Formula Grants Program administered by States. 
Comprehensive State plans are required to support the development of an 
adequate research, training, and evaluation capacity. Further, 2 
percent of Part B funds are set aside for technical assistance, most of 
which is delivered at the local level.
    OJJDP agrees that there are training needs in cultural diversity. 
The Office has supported the development and nationwide implementation 
of a training of trainers curriculum in this area.
    Comment: OJJDP received 10 comments concerning gender-specific 
programming for female juvenile offenders. Nine comments supported 
second-year funding for a Cook County, Illinois, program for female 
juvenile offenders. The 10th respondent requested information about 
possible funding for a program to promote self-esteem and offer 
alternatives to gangs to teenage girls in lower income areas.
    Response: OJJDP provided a grant in FY 1995 to the Cook County 
Temporary Juvenile Detention Center for a 1-year developmental project 
under a competitive grant program. There was no commitment for 
subsequent year funding. OJJDP has also funded the PACE Center for 
Girls, which operates in seven sites throughout the State of Florida. 
PACE offers a continuum of services that are specially designed to meet 
the needs of at-risk teenage girls. In addition, OJJDP has targeted 
significant resources over the next 5 years to programs for at-risk 
girls and female juvenile offenders through funding of six sites under 
the SafeFutures Program.
    There is no program funded to specifically promote self-esteem in 
girls from lower income areas. As noted above, OJJDP is funding the 
PACE Center for girls, which provides teenage girls, including those 
from lower income areas with both academic education courses and self-
esteem programs.
    In FY 1996, OJJDP will competitively fund a training and technical 
assistance program to help communities provide improved gender-specific 
services for at-risk and delinquent girls. OJJDP believes that this 
approach will take the lessons learned from prior funding and existing 
research and produce a national impact

[[Page 21267]]

that continuation funding of a single project could not achieve.
    Comment: OJJDP received four comments on the proposed Native 
American technical assistance program. One writer recommended that 
OJJDP focus the expertise requirements of the solicitation on Indian 
juvenile justice and make the selection process for the technical 
assistance provider competitive. Another respondent stated that OJJDP 
should fund National Indian Justice Center training programs, pointing 
out that Indian students need tuition, travel, and lodging funds for 
these programs. The third respondent identified the need for trained 
workers for family building and for reestablishment of youth groups. 
The fourth writer expressed interest in technical assistance to 
replicate successful efforts by Native American tribes.
    Response: OJJDP's solicitation for a technical assistance provider 
for Native American programs is focused on juvenile justice system 
theory, practice, and law in the context of Native American culture, 
traditions, and tribal law. The Native American technical assistance 
program will be awarded through a competitive selection process. OJJDP 
is aware of the work of the National Indian Justice Center, the 
technical assistance provider for OJJDP's Native American Community-
Based Alternatives Program. OJJDP encourages the National Indian 
Justice Center and other Native American service providers to apply for 
funding under the Native American technical assistance program. The 
solicitation to be issued by OJJDP for the technical assistance 
provider for the Native American community will include the transfer of 
knowledge and technologies that have proven successful in Native 
American communities.
    Comment: One commenter expressed the hope that the James E. Gould 
Memorial Program was not a duplication of the American Correctional 
Association's Accreditation of Correctional Officers, Caseworkers and 
Detention Staff Program.
    Response: The James E. Gould Memorial Program is a competitive 
assistance award to provide technical assistance to juvenile 
correctional and detention facilities. Under the grant, the American 
Correctional Association (ACA) provides technical assistance and 
training on myriad issues for juvenile correctional and detention 
facilities. The accreditation program of the ACA is an entirely 
different, independent effort that is not funded by OJJDP.
    Comment: One respondent questioned whether a greater emphasis on 
transfer of juveniles to criminal court represents an improvement to 
the juvenile justice system, suggesting that transfer deemphasizes the 
juvenile justice system and amounts to an abandonment of individualized 
justice. The writer indicated that rates of serious and violent 
juvenile crime have increased with the greater use of transfers in some 
areas. OJJDP was urged to place more emphasis on innovative approaches 
to serious and violent juvenile offenders, such as the New Mexico plan, 
the blended jurisdiction approach of Minnesota, and the serious 
juvenile offender statute as developed and implemented in Virginia.
    Response: OJJDP is committed to both protecting the public and 
separating certain serious, violent, and chronic juvenile offenders 
from those juveniles who can benefit from treatment and rehabilitation 
resources and programs that are available in the juvenile justice 
system. Transfer to the criminal court of those targeted juvenile 
offenders who have demonstrated through their behavior that they do not 
belong in the juvenile justice system (nature of offense or 
nonamenability to juvenile justice treatment) enables the juvenile 
justice system to focus its efforts and resources on the much larger 
group of high-risk juveniles, first-time less serious and violent or 
repeat offenders who can benefit from a wide range of effective 
intervention strategies. The Coordinating Council's National Juvenile 
Justice Action Plan supports individualized case reviews and proposes a 
two-tier system of extended jurisdiction in the juvenile court for 
serious, violent, and chronic juvenile offenders and consideration of 
innovative blended sentencing options for juvenile offenders under 
criminal court jurisdiction. This system would permit the transfer of 
some juvenile offenders, taking into account age, presenting offense, 
and offense history, and allow greater prosecutorial discretion for the 
older, more serious, and violent juvenile offender.
    Comment: One writer stated that training for juvenile court judges 
under the current plan is commendable and needed but recommended that 
training focus more on the core requirements of the JJDP Act and issues 
surrounding State compliance.
    Response: The judicial training program funded by OJJDP to the 
National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) has 
addressed, to a major degree in past years, the core requirements of 
the Act and other related topics in comprehensive curriculums for 
juvenile and family court judges, probation officers, and others 
working in juvenile courtservices. However, OJJDP will consult with the 
NCJFCJ to determine whether the issues surrounding State compliance 
need to be reassessed in an upcoming training needs assessment.
    Comment: A respondent suggested modified language to describe the 
Juvenile Justice Prosecution Unit.
    Response: OJJDP accepts the recommended changes but notes that they 
do not materially revise the original project description.
    Comment: Two respondents supported funding for the Sauk Centre 
Correctional Facility.
    Response: OJJDP appreciates the letters of support for the Sauk 
Centre Correctional Facility in Minnesota. In 1994, the Centre was 
selected as one of three sites in the Nation to participate in the 
OJJDP-sponsored Correctional Education program. The Centre has 
participated in OJJDP-sponsored training and technical assistance and 
has developed plans for making education and learning a major component 
of its treatment program. The entire staff at the facility will be 
trained to use interactive teaching methods to work with the youth.
    Comment: One respondent strongly suggested that OJJDP add a 
component that would research and recommend solutions to the nationwide 
critical shortage of secure juvenile housing space.
    Response: OJJDP conducts the biennial Census of Public and Private 
Juvenile Detention, Correctional, and Shelter Facilities. This census 
collects information on the capacity of each facility, the number of 
juveniles housed there, and the security level of the facility. The 
information permits analysis of population levels compared to capacity. 
By computing population-to-capacity ratios, the Office can provide a 
greater understanding of crowding in all types of juvenile facilities. 
OJJDP is examining its data collection and reporting with regard to 
juvenile custody. As part of these developments, OJJDP will consider 
various measures of crowding. In the context of OJJDP's overall 
statistics development, the Office will also examine how best to 
disseminate information and research on capacity issues for both secure 
and nonsecure facilities. Issues around solutions to the problem of 
crowding will be considered in these activities.
    Comment: One respondent asked that OJJDP include comprehensive day 
programs for adolescents and young adults with the dual classification 
of developmental disability and sexual offender/reactor. The writer 
pointed out that a structured day program can be an

[[Page 21268]]

extremely cost-effective alternative to residential treatment with 
outcomes of reintegration into the community, as opposed to isolation 
from the community.
    Response: OJJDP agrees with the commentator about the importance of 
day programs. OJJDP is supporting replication of the Bethesda Day 
Treatment program in 10 sites in FY 1996, including the six SafeFutures 
sites. Bethesda Day is an intensive program that involves an 
alternative school and afterschool programs for high-risk and 
delinquent youth. A careful assessment process and a comprehensive case 
management system, in addition to extensive family involvement, make 
this a very successful model program. OJJDP will explore with Bethesda 
Day Treatment the application of the model to the dual-classification 
juvenile. In addition, each SafeFutures site has mental health service 
funds that can be used for this purpose.
    Comment: Two respondents indicated a need to address the impact of 
mandatory provisions related to juvenile incarceration, such as 
limitations on holding time and the prohibition against juvenile and 
adult facilities being run by one person. One of the comments indicated 
that the mandatory provisions related to time, staff, and facility site 
and sound are sometimes unrealistic.
    Response: The core requirements of OJJDP's Part B Formula Grants 
Program are under continuing review and evaluation to determine their 
efficacy and impact. OJJDP will continue to work with State and local 
governments to insure that these requirements work to protect juvenile 
offenders while continuing to provide law enforcement and human service 
agencies with sufficient flexibility.
    Comment: One comment expressed interest in funding assistance for 
two alternative programs: Teen Court and House Arrest.
    Response: OJJDP recognizes that teen court programs serve multiple 
purposes in helping to address problem behavior when youth are charged 
with alcohol use and other misdemeanor offenses. Teen courts are seen 
as an effective intervention in many jurisdictions where enforcement of 
such offenses is considered difficult or a low priority. Teen courts 
are included in OJJDP's Guide for Implementing the Comprehensive 
Strategy for Serious, Violent, and Chronic Juvenile Offenders as a 
graduated sanction for jurisdictions to use in helping to send the 
message to youth that the community does not condone law-breaking 
behaviors. OJJDP views the teen court program as an excellent vehicle 
to help youth realize that they are accountable for their actions; to 
educate them on the impact of their actions, either positive or 
negative, on others in the community; and to offer a hands-on juvenile 
justice system experience for both the youthful offender and youth who 
volunteer for the program. To provide assistance to jurisdictions 
interested in establishing or enhancing a teen court program as an 
alternative response to juvenile crime, OJJDP has collaborated with the 
Department of Transportation on the soon-to-be-released publication 
entitled Peer Justice and Youth Empowerment: An Implementation Guide 
for Teen Court Programs.
    OJJDP is committed to enhancing services for those juveniles who 
can benefit from treatment and rehabilitation in the juvenile justice 
system as well as protecting the public. One of the most recent and 
popular innovations has been the use of electronic monitoring, which 
provides an effective tool for the supervision of selected pre- and 
postadjudicated offender populations who remain in the community. OJJDP 
currently has an initiative to develop a set of guidelines and research 
protocols to assist juvenile justice program administrators and 
policymakers in the self-evaluation of their electronic monitoring 
programs.
    Comment: OJJDP received four comments that supported the importance 
of delinquency prevention and early intervention, one writer calling it 
the most cost-effective means of dealing with future delinquency. One 
of the respondents also suggested that early intervention efforts might 
be strengthened by calling specifically for better character 
development in the home and in the schools. Another writer indicated 
that it is essential for OJJDP to maintain a holistic approach and 
continue to emphasize healthy youth development through prevention and 
remediation. The fourth comment expressed approval of the recognition 
of prosecutors as an integral part of prevention programming.
    Response: OJJDP agrees with the suggestion that delinquency 
prevention and early intervention are critical components of a 
continuum-of-care system. Delinquency prevention and early intervention 
are key components of OJJDP's Comprehensive Strategy for Serious, 
Violent, and Chronic Juvenile Offenders. The Comprehensive Strategy 
supports a holistic approach, emphasizing healthy youth development. 
One of the major themes of the Strategy is to ameliorate the impact of 
risk factors that interfere with healthy youth development. This year 
OJJDP released a report, Delinquency Prevention Works, which explains 
the importance of delinquency prevention and includes information about 
successful delinquency prevention models. The OJJDP-funded Program of 
Research on the Causes and Correlates of Delinquency is documenting 
that research-based, risk-focused prevention is the most cost-effective 
method for dealing with juvenile delinquency. Three of OJJDP's new 
initiatives support the principles of delinquency prevention: the 
development of Assessment Centers and the Child Abuse and Neglect and 
the Field-Initiated Research Programs.
    The evaluation of the SafeFutures Program should provide important 
information on the value of comprehensive delinquency prevention and 
early intervention programming. OJJDP is working with a variety of 
agencies in the area of delinquency prevention, including the Center 
for Mental Health Services, the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, 
and the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, all part of the U.S. 
Department of Health and Human Services. OJJDP is also working with the 
health, child welfare, and education systems through several 
interagency workgroups and jointly funded programs.
    OJJDP considers prosecutors to be an integral component of 
prevention and early intervention strategies and will continue working 
with prosecutors through the National District Attorneys Association.
    Comment: In the area of training in risk-focused prevention 
strategies, one respondent suggested that consideration be given to 
matching future funds with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban 
Development State Block Grants in Economic Development Initiatives, 
Enterprise Zones, Neighborhood Development, and Community Adjustment 
Planning.
    Response: OJJDP and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban 
Development (HUD) are strengthening linkages between their respective 
programs in regard to risk-focused prevention strategies. Through an 
interagency agreement, HUD is working as a partner with OJJDP to 
provide training and technical assistance in public housing sites under 
OJJDP's SafeFutures Program. Both HUD and OJJDP, as well as Education, 
Labor, Treasury, and other divisions and bureaus within the Department 
of Justice, are members of the Youth Gang Consortium. Initiated in 
December 1995, the Consortium is facilitating coordination of gang 
program development, information exchange,

[[Page 21269]]

and service delivery nationwide. OJJDP is currently working directly 
with Empowerment Zones, Enterprise Communities, and Enhanced Enterprise 
Communities (EZ/EC/EEC's) under several major initiatives. Four of the 
six SafeFutures sites are located in EC/EEC's and are receiving hands-
on technical assistance and training in risk-focused prevention. 
Seventeen EZ/EC/EEC's are receiving training in implementing a 
comprehensive youth-focused community policing strategy in their 
communities under a joint program with the Office of Community Oriented 
Policing and Community Relations Service. Other EZ/EC/EEC initiatives 
will come online in FY 1996, including Youth Out of the Education 
Mainstream, a joint program of the Departments of Justice and 
Education.
    Comment: Two respondents expressed concern that the proposed plan 
did not include mental health needs of youth in the juvenile justice 
system and asked that some discretionary funds be set aside for mental 
health programs. One of the writers stressed that all components of the 
juvenile justice system must work together and also work with the 
private sector, teaching hospitals, and family members to minimize 
further mental health problems for at-risk youth and at the same time 
protect the public.
    Response: OJJDP has provided leadership in addressing mental health 
issues in the juvenile justice system. In 1995, OJJDP supported a 
mental health conference, ``Caring for Every Youth's Mental Health: An 
Issue Inseparable From Youth Crime,'' and jointly sponsored the ``Early 
Intervention Childhood System of Care Conference'' in Atlanta, Georgia. 
With the Department of Education, OJJDP also cosponsored a 1996 
conference, ``Making Collaboration Work for Children, School, Families, 
and Community,'' which included a range of mental health issues.
    The State Challenge Grant Program includes a provision for the 
support of mental health programs. To date, 13 States have selected 
this area as one of their challenge activities. In addition, OJJDP is 
working with the Center for Mental Health Services to determine 
innovative ways in which to collaborate in the development and 
implementation of mental health programs for juveniles in the juvenile 
justice system.
    Finally, mental health is a key component of OJJDP's SafeFutures 
Program. The six sites have each been allocated $150,000 per year to 
address the mental health needs of juveniles in the juvenile justice 
system, with a focus on services for juveniles with learning 
disabilities, mental disorders, and juvenile sex offenses.
    Comment: One respondent stressed that substance abuse is a critical 
issue with almost all juvenile offenders.
    Response: OJJDP concurs with this observation. In FY 1996, OJJDP 
will continue four major drug- and alcohol-related programs, will work 
with the American Probation and Parole Association, and will 
collaborate with the Office of National Drug Control Policy in 
expanding related programs in FY 1997.
    Comment: Two writers commented on OJJDP's training and technical 
assistance for family strengthening services. One urged that available 
funds for new programs be allocated to prevention and to strengthening 
families. Another respondent faulted the proposed plan for not 
addressing the need to teach moral responsibility in the family unit.
    Response: The Office acknowledges the value of prevention and the 
importance of the family's role in delinquency prevention. The training 
and technical assistance program endeavors to strengthen families by 
assisting communities to enhance the range of available family support 
services and programs. OJJDP believes that each community knows best 
the types of services that need to be made available to its families. 
Consequently, this program seeks to increase the capacity of 
communities to identify and implement programs that meet the diverse 
needs of its families.
    Comment: Addressing the proposed program to establish a community-
based approach to combating child victimization, one writer commended 
OJJDP for targeting child victims as a priority area and for providing 
assistance to create a better system to protect children and support 
professionals who work with these families. The letter also contained 
three suggestions. First, spread the net as wide as possible, instead 
of narrowly restricting what type of entities may apply. Second, 
provide a ``big tent,'' by not overly restricting what other 
initiatives must be in place unless directly related and necessary for 
a child welfare reform effort. Third, do not require match to be in 
dollars, but instead accept in-kind match.
    Response: The three points the author raises are valid suggestions 
that the Office will take into consideration in developing the 
competitive solicitation for this program.
    Comment: Three respondents praised OJJDP's emphasis on 
collaboration. Two of these comments also raised specific issues. One 
pointed out areas where enhanced collaboration would be beneficial: 
adoption opportunities, maternal and child health programs (including 
teen pregnancy prevention), family preservation, runaway/homeless 
youth, information management, data collection, and evaluation. The 
other respondent noted that, although collaboration was identified as 
an important part of the plan, no reference was made to the parties 
that are minimally expected to be involved in collaborative efforts.
    Response: The introduction to the program plan, and many of the 
program descriptions in the plan, refer to OJJDP's Comprehensive 
Strategy for Serious, Violent, and Chronic Juvenile Offenders and the 
Guide for Implementing the Comprehensive Strategy for Serious, Violent, 
and Chronic Juvenile Offenders. These documents provide a context for 
OJJDP's plan, including Title V prevention grants and other programs 
outside the scope of the plan. The Guide provides communities with a 
framework for preventing delinquency, intervening in early delinquent 
behavior, and responding to serious, violent, and chronic offending. A 
key aspect of this framework and the Title V training includes a step-
by step process for convening key leaders in a community to be a part 
of a collaborative process. Although adoption, runaway/homeless 
services, information managers, data collectors, and evaluators are not 
explicitly stated as required participants in such a collaborative 
process, there is no reason why they would not be included. In various 
programs, OJJDP provides specific guidance as to the type of groups 
that should be involved in the program. However, in view of varied 
local needs, priorities, resources, and existing planning and service 
delivery systems, OJJDP does not see a need to go beyond providing 
general guidance on the range of participants.

Introduction to Fiscal Year 1996 Program Plan

    Intolerably high rates of juvenile violence and delinquency, 
victimization, school drop out, teen pregnancy, illegal drug use, and 
child abuse and neglect are plaguing our country. In jurisdictions 
across the Nation, over-burdened juvenile justice and dependency court 
systems are being held accountable for redressing the results of 
unstable families lacking parenting skills, communities with inadequate 
health and mental health support networks, fragmented social service 
delivery systems, a shortage of constructive activities for young 
people, and easy access to guns and drugs. They lack the resources 
necessary to respond

[[Page 21270]]

to serious, violent, and chronic delinquency, to hold juveniles 
accountable, and to turn back the tide of increasing violent 
delinquency by providing early intervention services for at-risk 
juveniles and their families.
    The OJJDP fiscal year 1996 Comprehensive Plan seeks to support 
programming that is built on sound research and strengthens 
collaborations needed to empower the juvenile justice and dependency 
court systems to work effectively with communities in preventing and 
controlling delinquency and reducing juvenile victimization.
    In 1993, OJJDP published a Comprehensive Strategy for Serious, 
Violent, and Chronic Juvenile Offenders (Comprehensive Strategy). 
Designed to provide a response to the social crisis we are facing, the 
Comprehensive Strategy utilizes statistics, research, and program 
evaluations as the basis for a set of sound principles for establishing 
a continuum of care for our children. The Comprehensive Strategy 
emphasizes the importance of local planning teams assessing the factors 
which put youth at risk for delinquency, determining available 
resources, and putting in place prevention programs that either reduce 
those risk factors or provide protective factors that buffer juveniles 
from the impact of risk factors. The Comprehensive Strategy also 
stresses the importance of early intervention for juveniles whose 
behavior puts them on one or more pathways to delinquency and of having 
a system of graduated sanctions that can ensure immediate and 
appropriate accountability and treatment for juvenile offenders.
    During FY 1995 OJJDP published a Guide for Implementing the 
Comprehensive Strategy for Serious, Violent, and Chronic Juvenile 
Offenders (Guide). The Guide provides information on the process of 
identifying risk and protective factors in the community and offers 
detailed information about programs known to prevent delinquency or 
reduce recidivism. By providing a foundation and framework for each 
community's individualized strategy, the Guide can serve as a powerful 
tool for States, cities, counties, and neighborhoods that are 
mobilizing to address the problem of juvenile violence and delinquency.
    The Comprehensive Strategy also served as the foundation for the 
development of the National Juvenile Justice Action Plan (Action Plan), 
recently published by the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and 
Delinquency Prevention in March. The Action Plan provides an additional 
resource to communities that seek to balance vigorous enforcement of 
the law and prevention services in order to reduce juvenile delinquency 
and violence. The Action Plan prioritizes Federal activities and 
resources under eight critical objectives, each of which needs to be 
addressed in order to effectively combat delinquency and violence. The 
Action Plan describes grants, training, technical assistance, 
information dissemination, and research and evaluation activities that 
will assist jurisdictions to: (1) strengthen their juvenile justice 
systems; (2) prosecute certain serious, violent and chronic juvenile 
offenders in the criminal justice system; (3) target youth gun, gang, 
and drug violence through comprehensive policing and prevention 
techniques; (4) create positive opportunities for youth; (5) break the 
cycle of violence by addressing child victimization, abuse, and 
neglect; (6) mobilize communities into effective partnerships for 
change; (7) conduct research and evaluate programs; and (8) develop a 
public education campaign in order to both get the message out about 
successes in addressing juvenile delinquency and violence and rebuild 
confidence in every community's ability to impact this serious problem. 
These are the activities that the research, as well as numerous expert 
commissions on at-risk children, youth, families, and communities, 
indicates are necessary to make a lasting difference. It is these 
activities, coupled with the Comprehensive Strategy implementation, 
that form the basis of OJJDP's 1996 Program Plan.
    The Program Plan supports a balanced approach to aggressively 
addressing juvenile delinquency and violence through graduated 
sanctions, improving the juvenile justice system's ability to respond, 
and preventing the onset of delinquency. It takes into account the 
short term need to ensure public safety and the long term imperative of 
supporting children's development into healthy, productive citizens 
through a range of prevention, early intervention, and graduated 
sanctions programs.
    Three major new program areas were identified through a process of 
engaging OJJDP staff, other Federal agencies, and juvenile justice 
practitioners in an examination of existing programs, research 
findings, and the needs of the field. They are: (1) Developing one-
stop, community-based intake, assessment, and case referral centers and 
programs for juveniles who may require services or juvenile justice 
system interventions; (2) supporting the linkage between community and 
law enforcement responses to youth gun violence; and (3) improving the 
dependency and criminal court system's and the community's response to 
child abuse and neglect. In addition, a range of research and 
evaluation projects that will expand our knowledge about juvenile 
offenders, the effectiveness of prevention, intervention, and treatment 
programs, and the operation of the juvenile justice system have been 
identified for FY 1996 funding.
    Enhanced program support in the area of disproportionate minority 
confinement, gender-specific services, and technical assistance to 
Native American Tribes, would also be provided. Combined with OJJDP 
programs being continued in FY 1996, these new demonstration and 
support programs form a continuum of programming that supports the 
objectives of the Action Plan and mirrors the foundation and framework 
of the Comprehensive Strategy.
    These continuation activities and programs and the new FY 1996 
programs are at the heart of OJJDP's categorical funding efforts. For 
example, while focusing on the development of assessment centers as a 
new area of programming, OJJDP will continue to offer training seminars 
in the Comprehensive Strategy and look to the SafeFutures program to 
implement the Comprehensive Strategy model under existing grants and 
contracts. Combined, these activities provide a holistic approach to 
prevention and early intervention programs while enhancing the juvenile 
justice system's capacity to provide immediate and appropriate 
accountability and treatment for juvenile offenders.
    OJJDP's Part D Gang Program will continue to support a range of 
comprehensive prevention, intervention, and suppression activities at 
the local level, evaluate those activities, and inform communities 
about the nature and extent of gang activities and effective and 
innovative programs through OJJDP's National Youth Gang Center. 
Similarly, the demonstration program focusing on juvenile gun violence 
will complement existing law enforcement and prosecutorial training 
programs by supporting grassroots community organization's efforts to 
address juvenile access to, carriage, and use of guns. This programming 
will build upon OJJDP's youth-focused community policing, mentoring, 
and conflict resolution initiatives, as well as programming in the area 
of drug abuse prevention, such as funding to the Congress of National 
Black Churches and the National Center for Neighborhood Enterprise for 
local church and neighborhood-based drug abuse prevention programs.

[[Page 21271]]

    In support of the need to break the cycle of violence, OJJDP's new 
demonstration program to improve linkages between the dependency and 
criminal court systems, child welfare and social service providers, and 
family strengthening programs will complement ongoing support of Court 
Appointed Special Advocates, Child Advocacy Centers, and prosecutor and 
judicial training in the dependency field, funded under the Victims of 
Child Abuse Act of 1990, as amended.
    The Plan's research and evaluation programming will support many of 
the above activities by filling in critical gaps in our knowledge about 
the level and seriousness of juvenile crime and victimization, its 
causes and correlates, and effective programs in preventing delinquency 
and violence. At the same time, OJJDP's research efforts will also be 
geared toward efforts that monitor and evaluate the ways juveniles are 
treated by the juvenile and criminal justice systems and any trends in 
this response, particularly as they relate to juvenile violence and its 
impact.
    OJJDP is also utilizing its national perspective to disseminate 
information to those at the grassroots level--practitioners, policy 
makers, community leaders, and service providers who are directly 
responsible for planning and implementing policies and programs that 
impact on juvenile crime and violence.
    OJJDP will continue to fund longitudinal research on the causes and 
correlates of delinquency, the findings of which are shared regularly 
with the field through OJJDP publications, utilize state-of-the-art 
technology to develop and disseminate an interactive CD-ROM on programs 
that work to prevent delinquency and reduce recidivism, air national 
satellite teleconferences on key topics of relevance to practitioners, 
and publish new reports and documents on timely topics such as school-
based conflict resolution, curfews, the Federal Educational Records 
Privacy Act, confidentiality of juvenile court records, innovative 
sentencing options, and strategies to reduce youth gun violence.
    The various contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, and 
interagency fund transfers described in the Program Plan form a 
continuum of activity designed to address the crisis of youth violence 
and delinquency in our Nation. In isolation, this programming can do 
little. However, the emphasis of OJJDP's programming is on 
collaboration. It is through collaboration that Federal, State, and 
local agencies; Native American Tribes; national organizations; private 
philanthropies; the corporate and business sector; health; mental 
health and social service agencies; schools; youth; families; and 
clergy can come together to form partnerships and leverage additional 
resources, identify needs and priorities, and implement innovative 
strategies. Together, we can make a difference.

Fiscal Year 1996 Programs

    The following are brief summaries of each of the new and 
continuation programs for FY 1996. As indicated above, the program 
categories are public safety and law enforcement; strengthening the 
juvenile justice system; delinquency prevention and intervention; and 
child abuse, neglect, and dependency courts. However, because many 
programs have significant elements of more than one of these program 
categories, or generally support all of OJJDP's programs, they are 
listed in an initial program category called ``Overarching Programs''. 
The specific program priorities within each category are subject to 
change with regard to their priority status, sites for implementation, 
and other descriptive data and information based on the review and 
comment process, grantee performance, application quality, fund 
availability, and other factors.
    A number of programs contained in this document 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 1996 Appropriations Act Conference Report for the Departments 
of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies 
Programs identified six programs for OJJDP to examine and fund if 
warranted. One of these programs is included in the Plan for 
continuation funding. The remaining five will receive careful 
consideration for funding in FY 1996.

Fiscal Year 1996 Program Listing

Overarching

Program of Research on the Causes and Correlates of Delinquency
Field-Initiated Research
Evaluation of SafeFutures
OJJDP Management Evaluation Contract
Juvenile Justice Statistics and Systems Development
Research Program on Juveniles Taken into Custody--NCCD
Juveniles Taken into Custody--Interagency Agreement
Children in Custody--Census
Juvenile Justice Data Resources
National Juvenile Court Data Archive*
National Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Training and 
Technical Assistance Center
Technical Assistance for State Legislatures
OJJDP Technical Assistance Support Contract--JJRC
Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse
Telecommunications Assistance
Coalition for Juvenile Justice
Insular Area Support*

Public Safety and Law Enforcement

Kids and Guns: Reducing Youth Gun Violence
Comprehensive Community-Wide Approach to Gang Prevention, Intervention, 
and Suppression Program
Targeted Outreach with a Gang Prevention and Intervention Component 
(Boys and Girls Clubs)
National Youth Gang Center
Child-Centered Community-Oriented Policing
Law Enforcement Training and Technical Assistance Program
Violence Studies*
Hate Crimes

Strengthening the Juvenile Justice System

Development of OJJDP's Comprehensive Strategy for Serious, Violent, and 
Chronic Juvenile Offenders
Serious, Violent, and Chronic Juvenile Offender Treatment Program
Community Assessment Centers
Juvenile Restitution: A Balanced Approach
Training and Technical Assistance Program to Promote Gender-Specific 
Programming for Female Juvenile Offenders
Technical Assistance to Native American Programs
National Indicators of Juvenile Violence and Delinquent Behavior and 
Related Risk Factors
Evaluation of the Comprehensive Community-Wide Approach to Gang 
Prevention, Intervention, and Suppression
Evaluation of Intensive Community-Based Aftercare Demonstration and 
Technical Assistance Program
Juvenile Mentoring Program (JUMP) Evaluation
Juvenile Transfers to Criminal Court Studies
Technical Assistance to Juvenile Courts*
Juvenile Court Judges Training*
The Juvenile Justice Prosecution Unit
Due Process Advocacy Program Development
Intensive Community-Based Aftercare Demonstration and Technical 
Assistance Program
Training and Technical Assistance for National Innovations to Reduce 
Disproportionate Minority

[[Page 21272]]

Confinement (The Deborah Wysinger Memorial Program)
Juvenile Probation Survey Research
Improvements in Correctional Education for Juvenile Offenders
Performance-Based Standards for Juvenile Detention and Corrections 
Facilities
Technical Assistance to Juvenile Corrections and Detention (The James 
E. Gould Memorial Program)
Training for Juvenile Corrections and Detention Staff
Training for Line Staff in Juvenile Detention and Corrections
Training and Technical Support for State and Local Jurisdictional Teams 
to Focus on Juvenile Corrections and Detention Overcrowding
National Program Directory

Delinquency Prevention and Intervention

Training In Risk-Focused Prevention Strategies
Youth-Centered Conflict Resolution
Pathways to Success
Teens, Crime, and the Community: Teens in Action in the 90s*
Law-Related Education
Cities in Schools--Federal Interagency Partnership
Race Against Drugs
The Congress of National Black Churches: National Anti-Drug Abuse/
Violence Campaign (NADVC)
Community Anti-Drug Abuse Technical Assistance Voucher Project
Training and Technical Assistance for Family Strengthening Services
Henry Ford Health System*
Jackie Robinson Center*

Child Abuse and Neglect and Dependency Courts

A Community-Based Approach to Combating Child Victimization
Permanent Families for Abused and Neglected Children*
Parents Anonymous, Inc.*
Lowcountry Children's Center, Inc.*

Overarching

Program of Research on the Causes and Correlates of Delinquency
    Three projects sites comprise the Program of Research on the Causes 
and Correlates of Delinquency: The University of Colorado at Boulder, 
the University of Pittsburgh, and the State University of New York at 
Albany. The main purpose of FY 1996 funding will be to support 
additional data analyses in support of OJJDP program development. 
Results from this program have been used extensively in the development 
of OJJDP's Comprehensive Strategy for Serious, Violent, and Chronic 
Juvenile Offenders and other program initiatives.
    OJJDP began funding this program in 1986 and has invested 
approximately $10 million to date. The program has addressed many 
issues of juvenile violence and delinquency. These include developing 
and testing causal models for chronic violent offending and examining 
interrelationships among gang involvement, drug selling, and gun 
ownership/use. To date, the Program has produced a massive amount of 
information on the causes and correlates of delinquent behavior.
    Although there is great commonality across the projects, each has 
unique design features. Additionally, each project has disseminated the 
results of its research through a variety of publications, reports, and 
presentations.
    With FY 1996 funding, each site of the Causes and Correlates 
Program will be provided additional funds to further analyze the 
longitudinal data. New publications, including two joint publications, 
will be developed in FY 1996 and both the role of mental health in 
delinquency and pathways to delinquency will be the subject of further 
analyses.
    This program will be implemented by the current grantees, Institute 
of Behavioral Science, University of Colorado at Boulder; Western 
Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh; and 
Hindelang Criminal Justice Research Center, State University of New 
York at Albany. No additional applications will be solicited in FY 
1996.
Field-Initiated Research
    Through the FY 1996 Field-Initiated Research program, OJJDP will 
solicit innovative programs that address critical research and 
evaluation needs of the juvenile justice field. Priority research 
topics include: youth gangs in residential facilities; mental health 
issues; waiver and transfer to the juvenile justice system; reporting 
of child victimization; improving data collaboration efforts between 
juvenile justice, child welfare, child protective services, and mental 
health; institutional crowding; and topics related to OJJDP's 
Comprehensive Strategy for Serious, Violent, and Chronic Juvenile 
Offenders. In addition to research topics, this program will also 
entertain proposals from State and local agencies wishing to conduct 
evaluations of programs initiated with OJJDP Formula, Title V, and 
discretionary funds that appear to be having significant impact and 
offer a possibility for national replication.
    OJJDP will issue a competitive solicitation for this initiative in 
FY 1996.
Evaluation of SafeFutures
    With FY 1995 funds, OJJDP funded six communities under the 
SafeFutures: Partnerships to Reduce Youth Violence and Delinquency 
Program. The program sites are: Contra Costa County, California; Fort 
Belknap Indian Community, Montana; Boston, Massachusetts; St. Louis, 
Missouri; Seattle, Washington; and Imperial County, California. The 
SafeFutures Program provides support for a comprehensive prevention, 
intervention, and treatment program to meet the needs of at-risk 
juveniles and their families.
    Approximately $8 million will be made available for annual awards 
over a 5-year project period to support the efforts of these 
jurisdictions to enhance existing partnerships, integrate juvenile 
justice and social services, and provide a continuum of care that is 
designed to reduce the number of serious, violent, and chronic juvenile 
offenders.
    The Urban Institute received a competitive 3-year Phase I 
cooperative agreement award with FY 1995 funds to provide a national 
evaluation of the SafeFutures program. The evaluation will consist of 
both process and impact components for each funded site. The evaluation 
process includes an examination of planning procedures and the extent 
to which each site's implementation plan is consistent with the 
principles of a continuum of care/graduated sanctions model. The 
evaluation will identify the obstacles and key factors contributing to 
the successful implementation of the SafeFutures continuum of care 
model. The evaluator is responsible for developing a cross-site 
monograph documenting the process of program implementation for use by 
other communities that want to develop and implement a comprehensive 
community-based strategy to address serious, violent, and chronic 
delinquency.
    A FY 1996 supplemental award will be made to the current grantee, 
the Urban Institute, to complete first year funding. No additional 
applications will be solicited in FY 1996.
OJJDP Management Evaluation Contract
    The purpose of this contract, competitively awarded in FY 1995 to 
Caliber Associates, is to provide to OJJDP an expert resource capable 
of performing independent, management-oriented evaluations of selected 
OJJDP programs. These evaluations are designed to determine the 
effectiveness and efficiency of either individual projects or groups of 
projects. The

[[Page 21273]]

contractor also assists OJJDP in determining how to make the best use 
of limited evaluation resources and how best to design and implement 
evaluations. Work plans that have been requested or will be requested 
from the contractor in FY 1996 include: continuing the evaluation of 
three OJJDP-funded bootcamps; continuing to support the evaluation of 
Title V delinquency prevention programs at the local level; preparation 
of OJJDP's Title V Program report to Congress; providing assistance to 
OJJDP program development working groups; assisting OJJDP in the 
creation of an ``evaluation partnership for juvenile justice'' designed 
to improve the number and quality of evaluations conducted by Formula 
Grants Program grantees, other Federal agencies, private foundations 
that fund evaluations, and State and local governments; and conducting 
other short- or long-term evaluations as required. The contract will be 
performed by the current contractor, Caliber Associates. No additional 
applications will be solicited in FY 1996.
Juvenile Justice Statistics and Systems Development
    The Juvenile Justice Statistics and Systems Development (SSD) 
Program was competitively awarded to the National Center for Juvenile 
Justice (NCJJ) in FY 1990 to improve national, State, and local 
statistics on juveniles as victims and offenders. The project has 
focused on three major functions: (1) Assessment of how current 
information needs are being met with existing data collection efforts 
and recommending options for improving national level statistics; (2) 
analyzing data and disseminating information gathered from existing 
Federal statistical series and national studies. Based on this work, 
OJJDP released the first ``Juvenile Offenders and Victims: A National 
Report'' in September 1995; and (3) provision of training and technical 
assistance for local agencies in developing or enhancing management 
information systems. A training curriculum, ``Improving Information for 
Rational Decision making in Juvenile Justice,'' was drafted for pilot 
testing.
    In this final phase of the SSD project, NCJJ will complete a long-
term plan for improving national statistics on juveniles as victims and 
offenders, including constructing core data elements for a national 
reporting program for juveniles waived or transferred to criminal 
court, an implementation plan for integrating data collection on 
juveniles by juvenile justice, mental health, and child welfare 
agencies, and a report on standardized measures and instruments for 
self-reported delinquency surveys. The project will also make 
recommendations to fill information gaps in the areas of juvenile 
probation, juvenile court and law enforcement responses to juvenile 
delinquency, violent delinquency, and child abuse and neglect. In 
addition, the SSD Project will provide an update of Juvenile Offenders 
and Victims: A National Report, and work with the Office of Justice 
Programs, Crime Statistics Working Group and other Federal interagency 
working groups on statistics. The project will be implemented by the 
current grantee, NCJJ. No additional applications will be solicited in 
FY 1996.
Research Program on Juveniles Taken Into Custody--NCCD
    The Research Program on Juveniles Taken into Custody was designed 
and implemented in FY 1989 in response to a growing need for 
comprehensive juvenile custody data. The project now has the 
participation of all State juvenile corrections agencies. Each year the 
project produces a report on juveniles taken into custody. In FY 1996, 
the National Council on Crime and Delinquency (NCCD) will continue to 
refine the State Juvenile Correctional System Reporting Program. It is 
anticipated that individual-level data for 1996 will be representative 
of more than 85 percent of the at-risk juvenile population. In 
addition, NCCD will prepare reports, including the annual Juveniles 
Taken Into Custody report, providing 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.
    This program will be implemented by the current grantee, NCCD. No 
additional applications will be solicited in FY 1996.
Juveniles Taken Into Custody (JTIC)--Interagency Agreement
    OJJDP will continue its program to improve the collection of 
juvenile custody data through an interagency agreement with the Bureau 
of the Census. This agreement provides for the collection and 
processing of individual-level data on juveniles under State 
correctional custody. The Census Bureau and OJJDP have developed close 
working relationships with State juvenile corrections agencies. Through 
these relationships, OJJDP has developed a program to collect data on 
each juvenile in State custody and the Census Bureau has developed an 
understanding of the State data that allows for ``translation'' of 
State information to a national format. Each year since 1990, the 
Census Bureau has collected this information and processed it for 
analysis by the National Council on Crime and Delinquency (NCCD).
    The resulting analyses are published in OJJDP's annual Juveniles 
Taken Into Custody report, which is disseminated to practitioners and 
planners, and are used to meet statutory information requirements in 
OJJDP's Annual Report to the President and Congress.
    The program will be implemented in FY 1996 by the Bureau of the 
Census under an interagency agreement.
Children in Custody--Census
    Under this ongoing collaborative program between OJJDP and the U.S. 
Bureau of the Census, OJJDP will transfer funds to the Census Bureau to 
complete 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 also provides data on trends 
in the use of juvenile custody facilities for delinquent juveniles and 
status offenders. These data are analyzed and included in OJJDP's 
annual Juveniles Taken Into Custody report and other statistical 
reports.
    The Census Bureau's Center for Survey Methods Research will also 
continue to develop and test a roster-based data collection system 
designed to enhance information collected on juveniles in custody 
beginning with the 1997 biennial census. Finally, the Bureau's 
Governments Division will continue its efforts to develop a complete 
directory of juvenile justice facilities and programs. This directory 
will serve as the frame for conducting the 1997 census and other future 
surveys. It will contain basic information on each facility that is 
necessary for creating representative samples. It will also contain 
basic administrative information to be used in conducting the census.
    The program will be implemented by the U.S. Bureau of the Census 
under an existing interagency agreement.
Juvenile Justice Data Resources
    OJJDP has entered into an agreement with the Inter-University 
Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) at the University 
of Michigan to make OJJDP data sets routinely available to researchers. 
Under this agreement, ICPSR assures the technical integrity

[[Page 21274]]

and develops a universal format for the data. The codebooks, along with 
the data, provide clear guidance for additional analyses. Once 
prepared, ICPSR provides access to these data sets to member 
institutions and the public. Among the data sets previously processed 
and available through ICPSR are the Children in Custody Census (1971-
1991); the Conditions of Confinement Study; and the National Incidence 
Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway Children 
(NISMART).
    This program will be implemented under an interagency agreement 
with ICPSR. No additional applications will be solicited in FY 1996.
National Juvenile Court Data Archive*
    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 providing 
specialized topics such as minorities in juvenile courts and 
information on specific offense categories. The Archive also provides 
assistance to jurisdictions in analyzing their juvenile court data. In 
1995, this project produced a bulletin, Offenders in Juvenile Court 
1992, and a report, Juvenile Court Statistics 1992, along with a number 
of OJJDP Fact Sheets and special analyses.
    In FY 1996, the Archive will enhance the collection, reporting, and 
analysis of more detailed data on detention, dispositions, risk 
factors, and treatment data using offender-based data sets from a 
sample of juvenile courts.
    The project will be implemented by the current grantee, the 
National Center for Juvenile Justice. No additional applications will 
be solicited in FY 1996.
National Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Training and 
Technical Assistance Center
    The National Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Training 
and Technical Assistance Center (NTTAC) was competitively funded in FY 
1995 for a 3-year project period to develop a national training and 
technical assistance clearinghouse, inventory juvenile justice 
training/technical assistance resources, and establish a data base with 
respect to these resources.
    In FY 1995, work involved organization and staffing of the Center, 
providing an orientation for OJJDP training and technical assistance 
providers regarding their role in the Center's activities, and initial 
data base development.
    In FY 1996, NTTAC will conduct needs assessments, support training/
technical assistance program development, promote collaboration between 
OJJDP training/technical assistance providers, develop training/
technical assistance materials, and promote evaluation of OJJDP-
supported training and technical assistance. In addition, NTTAC will 
prepare program materials and implement specialized training, including 
training-of-trainers programs, and develop standards and procedures for 
academic/professional accreditation/certification of OJJDP training and 
trainers. NTTAC provides a single, central source for information 
pertaining to the availability of OJJDP supported training/technical 
assistance programs and will publish and maintain an up-to-date catalog 
of such programs.
    This project will be implemented by the current grantee, Community 
Research Associates. No additional applications will be solicited in FY 
1996.
Technical Assistance for State Legislatures
    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. In FY 1995, OJJDP awarded a two-year 
grant to the National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL) to provide 
relevant, timely information on comprehensive approaches in juvenile 
justice that are geared to the legislative environment. In FY 1995, 
NCSL convened a Leadership Forum with invited legislators; convened 
several focus groups; and established an information clearinghouse 
function. In FY 1996, OJJDP will award second-year funding to the NCSL 
to further identify, analyze, and disseminate information to help State 
legislatures 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 decision making regarding juvenile 
justice issues. NCSL will provide technical assistance to four States, 
will continue outreach activities, and maintain its clearinghouse 
function.
    The project will be implemented by the current grantee, NCSL. No 
additional applications will be solicited in FY 1996.
OJJDP Technical Assistance Support Contract: Juvenile Justice Resource 
Center
    This 3-year contract, competitively awarded in FY 1994, 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. 
This program support contract will be supplemented in FY 1996. The 
contract will be implemented by the current contractor, Aspen Systems 
Corporation. No additional applications will be solicited in FY 1996.
Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse
    A component of the National Criminal Justice Reference Service 
(NCJRS), the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse (JJC) is OJJDP's central 
source for the collection, synthesis, and dissemination of information 
on all aspects of juvenile justice, including research and evaluation 
findings: State and local juvenile delinquency prevention and treatment 
programs and plans; availability of resources; training and educational 
programs; and statistics. JJC serves the entire juvenile justice 
community, including researchers, law enforcement officials, judges, 
prosecutors, probation and corrections staff, youth-service personnel, 
legislators, the media, and the public.
    Among its many support services, JJC offers toll-free telephone 
access to information: prepares specialized responses to information 
requests; produces, warehouses, and distributes OJJDP publications; 
exhibits at national conferences; maintains a comprehensive juvenile 
justice library and database; and administers several electronic 
information resources. Recognizing the critical need to inform juvenile 
justice practitioners and policy makers on promising program 
approaches, JJC continually develops and recommends new products and 
strategies to communicate more effectively the research findings and 
program activities of OJJDP and the field. The entire NCJRS, of which 
the OJJDP-funded JJC is a part, is administered by the National 
Institute of Justice under a competitively awarded contract. The 
project will be implemented by the current grantee, Aspen Systems 
Corporation. No additional applications will be solicited in FY 1996.
Telecommunications Assistance
    Developments in information technology and distance training can 
expand and enhance OJJDP's capacity to disseminate information and 
provide

[[Page 21275]]

training and technical assistance. These technologies have the 
following advantages when used properly: increased access to 
information and training for persons in the juvenile justice system; 
reduced travel costs to conferences; and reduced time attending 
meetings requiring one or more nights away from one's home or office. 
Additionally, the successful use of ``live'' satellite teleconferences 
by OJJDP during the past year has generated an enthusiastic response 
from the field.
    During the past twelve months the grantee has produced four live 
satellite teleconferences on the following topics: Community 
Collaboration for Delinquency Prevention; Model Juvenile Correctional 
Programs for Serious, Violent, Chronic Offenders; Youth Focused 
Community Policing; and Juvenile Boot Camps.
    OJJDP will continue the competitive cooperative agreement award to 
Eastern Kentucky University in 1994 to provide program support and 
technical assistance for a variety of information technologies, 
including audio-graphics, satellite teleconferences, and fiber optics. 
The grantee will also continue to provide limited technical assistance 
to other grantees interested in using this technology and explore 
linkages with key constituent groups to advance mutual goals and 
objectives. This project will be implemented by the current grantee, 
Eastern Kentucky University. No additional applications will be 
solicited in FY 1996.
Coalition for Juvenile Justice
    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 statutorily authorized, duly 
chartered Federal advisory committee, reviews Federal policies and 
practices regarding juvenile justice and delinquency prevention, and 
prepares and submits an annual report and recommendations to the 
President, Congress, and the Administrator of OJJDP. The Coalition also 
serves as an information center for the SAGs and conducts 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 FY 1996.
Insular Area Support*
    The purpose of this program is to provide supplemental financial 
support to the U.S. 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, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 
5665(e).

Public Safety and Law Enforcement

Kids and Guns: Reducing Youth Gun Violence
    This project is intended to enhance the effectiveness of 
comprehensive youth gun violence reduction efforts by supporting 
innovative local community-generated strategies. Under a competitive 
announcement, OJJDP will fund community-based organizations, local 
units of government, and State agencies if they can demonstrate that 
the program will be community-based, to strengthen their linkages to 
broader youth gun violence reduction efforts.
    Applicants will be encouraged to: be creative in designing 
initiatives for the prevention, intervention, and reduction of youth 
gun violence in targeted neighborhoods; coordinate their efforts with 
other community-based law enforcement initiatives, youth-serving 
organizations, crime victim organizations, and the juvenile justice 
system; and collaborate with these agencies to evaluate program 
effectiveness. Applicants will also be required to show that their 
proposed initiative reflects current youth gun violence research and a 
local assessment of youth access to guns, why young people carry guns, 
and why they use them.
    OJJDP will support an independent evaluation of this project that 
focuses on collecting and analyzing data on the program implementation 
process. The evaluator will design an impact evaluation in 
collaboration with OJJDP and an approved advisory board.
    The Reducing Youth Gun Violence project will be competitively 
funded in up to three sites with a 2-year project period. The 
evaluation will be competitively funded under a cooperative agreement 
to a single grantee for a 3-year project period.
Comprehensive Community-Wide Approach to Gang Prevention, Intervention, 
and Suppression Program
    This program supports the implementation of a comprehensive gang 
program model in five jurisdictions. The program was competitively 
awarded with FY 1994 funds under a 3-year project period. The 
demonstration sites implementing the model, developed with OJJDP 
funding support by the University of Chicago, are: Mesa, Arizona; 
Tucson, Arizona; Riverside, California; Bloomington, Illinois; and San 
Antonio, Texas. Implementation of the comprehensive gang program model 
requires the mobilization of the community to address gang-related 
violence by making available social interventions, providing social/
academic/vocational and other types of opportunities, supporting gang 
suppression through law enforcement, prosecution and other community 
control mechanisms, and supporting organizational change and 
development in community agencies to more effectively address gang 
violence prone youth.
    During the past year, the demonstration sites began an ongoing 
problem assessment process to identify the full nature and extent of 
the gang problem in the community and its potential causes. The 
assessment process will also help communities to understand what may 
cause gang violence in their community and to identify benchmarks by 
which program success may be measured. The demonstration sites also 
participated in training and technical assistance activities, including 
two cluster conferences sponsored by OJJDP. In addition, the 
demonstration sites began strategy implementation and service provision 
and made progress in community mobilization, either through existing 
planning structures or by creating new structures.
    In FY 1996, demonstration sites will receive second year funding to 
continue implementation of the model program and build upon the 
sustained mobilization, planning and assessment processes. 
Additionally, the demonstration sites will continue to target youth 
prone to gang violence through continuing implementation of the program 
model and work with the independent evaluator of this demonstration 
program. No additional applications will be solicited in FY 1996.
Targeted Outreach With a Gang Prevention and Intervention Component 
(Boys and Girls Clubs)
    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 into more constructive programs. In FY 1996, Boys and Girls 
Clubs of America would provide training and technical assistance to 
existing gang prevention and intervention sites and expand the gang 
prevention and intervention program to 30 additional Boys and Girls

[[Page 21276]]

Clubs, including those in SafeFutures sites. This program will be 
implemented by the current grantee, the Boys and Girls Clubs of 
America. No additional applications will be solicited in FY 1996.
National Youth Gang Center
    The proliferation of gang problems ranging from large inner cities 
to smaller cities, suburbs, and even rural areas over the past two 
decades led to the development by OJJDP of a comprehensive, coordinated 
response to America's gang problem. This response involves five program 
components, one of which is the implementation and operation of the 
National Youth Gang Center (NYGC). The NYGC was competitively funded 
with FY 1994 funds for a three-year project period. The purpose of the 
NYGC is to expand and maintain the body of critical knowledge about 
youth gangs and effective responses to them. NYGC assists State and 
local jurisdictions in the collection, analysis, and exchange of 
information on gang-related demographics, legislation, research, and 
promising program strategies. The Center also coordinates activities of 
the OJJDP Gang Consortium--a group of Federal agencies, gang program 
representatives, and service providers. Other major tasks include 
statistical data collection and analysis on gangs, analysis of gang 
legislation, gang literature review, identification of promising gang 
program strategies, and gang consortium coordination activities.
    Fiscal Year 1996 funds will support second year funding of the NYGC 
cooperative agreement to the current grantee, the Institute for 
Intergovernmental Research. No additional applications will be 
solicited in FY 1996.
Child Centered Community-Oriented Policing
    In FY 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 being 
implemented in New Haven, Connecticut. 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 Yale's Child Study Center. The program also includes: (1) a 
24-hour consultation from a clinical professional and a police 
supervisor to patrol officers who assist children who have been exposed 
to violence; (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 FY 1994, BJA community policing funds helped support the first 
year of a 3-year training and technical assistance grant to replicate 
the program nationwide. These funds supported the development of 
criteria for a request for proposals, protocols for consultation, 
train-the-trainer sessions for New Haven police and clinical faculty, 
and the development of a multi-model strategy for data collection and 
program evaluation. Fiscal Year 1995 OJJDP funds supported continuation 
of the project's expansion in up to four replication sites.
    Fiscal year 1996 funds will support the implementation of the five-
phase replication protocol in the four selected sites, replication site 
data collection and analysis activities, and development of a detailed 
casebook about the model and program.
    This project will be implemented by the current grantee, the Yale 
University School of Medicine. No additional applications will be 
solicited in FY 1996.
Law Enforcement Training and Technical Assistance Program
    This continuation award will supplement the 3-year law enforcement 
and technical assistance support contract, competitively awarded in FY 
1994 to Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton, Wisconsin. Fiscal 
year 1996 funds will be used to continue to provide services under the 
nationwide training and technical assistance program designed to 
improve law enforcement's capability to respond to juvenile 
delinquency, 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, county, and local 
agencies with responsibility for the prevention and control of juvenile 
delinquency and juvenile victimization. The contract supports 
continuation of the Gang, Gun, and Drug Policy Training Program, the 
Police Operations Leading to Improved Children and Youth Services 
series of training programs, a Native American Law Enforcement Training 
Program, and a variety of other law enforcement training programs 
offered by OJJDP.
    This contract will be implemented by the current contractor, Fox 
Valley Technical College. No additional applications will be solicited 
for award of FY 1996 funds.
Violence Studies*
    The 1992 Amendments to the JJDP Act required OJJDP to fund two-year 
studies on violence in three urban and one rural jurisdiction. Building 
on the results of OJJDP's Program of Research on the Causes and 
Correlates of Delinquency, these studies were to examine the incidence 
of violence committed by or against juveniles in urban and rural areas 
of the United States. In FY 1994, OJJDP initiated this program by 
supporting studies of homicides by and of youth in Milwaukee, Wisconsin 
and a cross-site study in rural areas in South Carolina, Georgia, and 
Florida. The grantees are the University of Wisconsin and the 
University of South Carolina. In FY 1995, OJJDP provided funding for 
the second year of these studies and initiated two new violence studies 
in Los Angeles, California, and Washington, D.C. The grantees are the 
University of Southern California and the Institute for Law and 
Justice.
    These four studies will provide valuable information regarding 
community violence patterns, with a particular focus on homicide and 
firearm use involving juveniles. They will also improve the juvenile 
justice system by identifying strategic law enforcement responses to 
juvenile violence and by identifying diversion, prevention, and control 
programs that ameliorate juvenile violence.
    During FY 1996, the University of Wisconsin and the University of 
South Carolina will analyze their data and issue their findings with 
prior year funds. The University of Southern California will receive FY 
1996 funds to identify violence prevention programs and conduct a 
household survey and interview adolescents and their care givers in Los 
Angeles County. The Institute for Law and Justice will receive FY 1996 
funds to collect and analyze aggregate data from various juvenile 
justice providers and from a series of interviews with agency staff 
serving adjudicated juveniles. This will be followed by analysis and 
the preparation of a comprehensive report.
    The program will be continued by the current project grantees. No 
additional applications will be solicited in FY 1996.
Hate Crimes
    In FY 1993, OJJDP competitively awarded a grant to Education

[[Page 21277]]

Development Center, Inc. (EDC), to assess existing curriculum materials 
and develop a multi-purpose curriculum for use in educational and 
institutional settings. In FYs 1994 and 1995, EDC developed a multi-
purpose curriculum for hate crime prevention in school and other 
classroom settings and the curriculum was pilot tested in the eighth 
grade of the Collins Middle School in Salem, Massachusetts. Information 
received in the pilot test was evaluated and the curriculum redesigned. 
EDC then tested the curriculum in additional sites in New York and 
Florida to ensure that it was geographically and demographically 
representative. In consultation with the Office for Victims of Crime, 
EDC also developed a dissemination strategy for the curriculum and 
other products, including a judge's guide on sanctions for juveniles 
who commit hate crimes.
    In FY 1996, EDC will identify school districts and juvenile justice 
agencies across the country who are interested in receiving training in 
the curriculum. EDC will also provide training to education and 
juvenile justice personnel in order to foster adoption of the 
curriculum. The project will be implemented by the current grantee, 
EDC. No additional applications will be solicited in FY 1996.

Strengthening the Juvenile Justice System

Development of OJJDP's Comprehensive Strategy for Serious, Violent, and 
Chronic Juvenile Offenders
    The National Council on Crime and Delinquency, in collaboration 
with Developmental Research and Programs, Inc., has completed Phase I 
and II of a collaborative effort to support development and 
implementation of OJJDP's Comprehensive Strategy for Serious, Violent, 
and Chronic Juvenile Offenders. Phase I involved assessing existing and 
previously researched programs in order to identify effective and 
promising programs that can be used in implementing the Comprehensive 
Strategy. In Phase II, a series of reports were combined into a Guide 
for Implementing the Comprehensive Strategy for Serious, Violent, and 
Chronic Juvenile Offenders. Phase II also included convening of a 
forum, ``Guaranteeing Safe Passage: A National Forum on Youth 
Violence,'' and holding two regional training seminars for key leaders 
on implementing the Comprehensive Strategy.
    In FY 1996, Phase III of the project will be funded to provide: 
targeted dissemination of the Comprehensive Strategy at national 
conferences; intensive training for selected States to implement the 
Comprehensive Strategy in up to six local jurisdictions; individualized 
technical assistance for the five Serious, Violent, and Chronic 
Juvenile Offender Program sites and the six SafeFutures sites; 
technical assistance to a limited number of individual jurisdictions 
interested in implementing the Comprehensive Strategy; and continued 
development of Comprehensive Strategy implementation materials.
    The program will be implemented by the current grantees, the 
National Council on Crime and Delinquency and Developmental Research 
and Programs, Inc., under third-year funding of this 3-year program. No 
additional applications will be solicited in FY 1996.
Serious, Violent, and Chronic Juvenile Offender Treatment Program
    The Serious, Violent, and Chronic Juvenile Offender Treatment 
Program is designed to assist local jurisdictions in the development 
and implementation of a comprehensive strategy for the intervention, 
treatment, and rehabilitation of juvenile offenders. The program is an 
extension of an initial effort, funded by OJJDP in 1993, entitled 
``Accountability-Based Community Intervention (ABC) Program.'' Under 
the ABC initiative, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. were 
competitively funded to plan and implement a comprehensive graduated 
sanctions strategy.
    In FY 1994, under a competitive announcement, OJJDP awarded funds 
under the Serious, Violent, and Chronic Offender Treatment Program to 
three additional jurisdictions (Boston, Massachusetts; Richmond, 
Virginia; and Jefferson Parish, Louisiana) to develop and implement a 
graduated sanctions plan. The plan's basic elements include: (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 the provision of 
offender services; (6) incorporate an aftercare program as an integral 
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 FY 1995, the ABC Program jurisdictions completed program funding 
and in FY 1996, each of the three FY 1994 grantees will receive awards 
to continue implementation activities. No additional applications will 
be solicited in FY 1996.
Community Assessment Centers
    In FY 1996, OJJDP will identify jurisdictions that have developed 
assessment programs for juveniles and established linkages to 
integrated service delivery systems through the use of assessment 
centers. The concept of community assessment centers, reflecting the 
use of community input in a center's development and operations, offers 
many advantages, including comprehensive needs assessments of at-risk, 
dependent, or delinquent youth; improved access to integrated services; 
the promotion of alternatives to incarceration; and an enhanced ability 
to monitor racial and gender disparities in juvenile justice processing 
through automated information systems. OJJDP will examine current 
efforts across the Nation in order to identify replicable components or 
models that meet, or could be adapted to meet, the following goals:
     Ensuring positive outcomes for youth through the provision 
of comprehensive, community-based assessments that result in the 
development of an integrated treatment plan while avoiding unnecessary 
detention.
     Promoting and increasing the use of alternatives to 
detention and a system of graduated sanctions for delinquent offenders.
     Providing for more accurate and timely monitoring of the 
processing of at-risk, dependent, or delinquent juveniles to ensure 
fair and equitable treatment and outcomes in all phases of the juvenile 
justice system.
     Enhancing access to data or records across disciplines and 
integrating assessment, case management, and community-based services 
through the use of automated information systems, consistent with the 
principles of confidentiality.
    If it is determined through this initial survey that a replicable 
model exists or can be developed, OJJDP will issue a competitive 
solicitation, late in FY 1996, for the replication or development of 
the model, including an evaluation component.
Juvenile Restitution: A Balanced Approach
    OJJDP will continue support of the juvenile restitution training 
and technical assistance program in FY

[[Page 21278]]

1996. The project design is based on practitioner recommendations 
regarding program needs and on how best to integrate and 
institutionalize restitution and community service as key components of 
juvenile justice dispositions. In 1992, a working group was convened to 
help map out a plan for optimum development of the components of 
restitution programs. Plan components include community service, victim 
reparation, victim-offender mediation, offender employment and 
supervision, employment development, and other program elements 
designed to establish restitution as an important element to improving 
the juvenile justice system. This project is guided by balanced and 
restorative justice principles, which include the need to provide a 
balance of community protection, offender competency development, and 
accountability in programs for sanctioning and controlling juvenile 
offenders.
    In FY 1995, the project assisted three local jurisdictions to 
implement the ``balanced approach,'' participated in presenting 
regional ``round tables'' for States interested in adopting the 
balanced and restorative justice model, and provided ad hoc technical 
assistance. In FY 1996 the project will continue this work and also 
develop guideline materials on the balanced and restorative justice 
program.
    This project will be implemented by the current grantee, Florida 
Atlantic University. No additional applications will be solicited in FY 
1996.
Training and Technical Assistance Program to Promote Gender-Specific 
Programming for Female Juvenile Offenders
    The 1992 Amendments to the JJDP Act, Public Law 102-586, 106 Stat. 
4982, addressed for the first time the issue of gender specific 
services. The Amendments required States participating in OJJDP's State 
Formula Grants Program to conduct an analysis of gender-specific 
services for the prevention and treatment of juvenile delinquency, 
including the types of services available, the need for such services, 
and a plan for providing needed gender-specific services for the 
prevention and treatment of juvenile delinquency.
    In FY 1995, the OJJDP Gender Specific Services Program effort 
focused on providing training and technical assistance directly to 
States and on providing and promoting the establishment of State level 
gender-specific programs. Training and technical assistance have been 
provided to a broad spectrum of policymakers and service providers 
regarding services for juvenile female offenders.
    In addition, OJJDP, in conjunction with the American Correctional 
Association (ACA), sponsored a National Juvenile Female Offender 
Conference. The purpose of the Conference was to provide juvenile 
corrections agency staff with an increased awareness of the unique 
problems and rehabilitative needs of female offenders and improve 
skills in working effectively with these offenders. Innovative juvenile 
female corrections programs were presented, including new approaches 
and strategies for operating facility-based programs for female 
offenders.
    OJJDP also awarded discretionary grants to implement programs for 
female juvenile offenders and at-risk girls. Under the competitive 
Program to Promote Alternative Programs for Juvenile Female Offenders, 
OJJDP funded programs in Washington, D.C. and Chicago, Illinois. In 
addition, OJJDP has funded expansion of the Practical and Cultural 
Education Center for Girls, Inc. (P.A.C.E.) Program in Miami, Florida. 
Also, in order to provide the field with information regarding existent 
projects and current research, OJJDP funded Girls, Incorporated to 
conduct a national gender-specific services forum, which will be held 
during FY 1996. Finally, OJJDP's six SafeFutures Program sites will 
implement components designed to establish services for at-risk and 
delinquent girls.
    In FY 1996, OJJDP will award a competitive grant to support a 
training and technical assistance program designed to build upon the 
work of these multiple efforts. It will transfer lessons learned, 
stimulate formulation of State and local policies based upon research 
findings and statistical trend data, and assist community-based youth 
serving agencies and juvenile detention and correctional programs to 
initiate, refine, and expand gender-specific programming that utilizes 
the strengths and capabilities unique to females.
    In FY 1996, one two-year project period award will be made based 
upon a competitive solicitation.
Technical Assistance to Native American Programs
    Native American programs for juveniles are facing increasing 
pressures because of the increasing numbers of youth who are involved 
in drug abuse, gang activity, and delinquency. Many reservations are 
experiencing the problems that plague communities nationwide: gang 
activity; violent crime; use of weapons; and increasing drug and 
alcohol abuse.
    From FYs 1992 to 1995, OJJDP funded four Native American sites to 
support the development of programs to impact these problems. These 
sites are Gila River, Pueblo Jemez, the Navajo Nation, and the Red Lake 
Band of Chippewas. Each of these sites has been implementing programs 
specifically designed to meet the needs of the tribe. In Gila River an 
alternative school has been developed and implemented. The Navajo 
Nation has expanded the Peace Maker program to accommodate additional 
delinquent offenders and this approach has been adapted to the Red Lake 
and Pueblo Jemez communities. Additional programming, such as job 
skills development, has also been developed in some of the sites to 
meet the needs of their youth.
    Although these programs have been successful, there is a need at 
these sites to expand programming options such as gang prevention and 
intervention programs. Other Native American Tribes have similar 
problems and needs, as do programs for Native Americans in many major 
metropolitan areas.
    OJJDP will fund a national technical assistance program to support 
the development of additional programming for the four sites that OJJDP 
currently funds and to extend programming support to Tribes and urban 
tribal programs across the country. OJJDP will fund a technical 
assistance provider to provide direct technical assistance and to 
coordinate the delivery of technical assistance by other experts. This 
will be a three-year technical assistance program.
National Indicators of Juvenile Violent and Delinquent Behavior and 
Related Risk Factors
    The difficulty of using juvenile arrests as a reliable measure of 
the level and nature of juvenile crime is well known. While juvenile 
arrest statistics have been useful as a barometer of juvenile 
involvement in crime, there are many critical dimensions in measuring 
this phenomenon that cannot be captured by any method other than direct 
measures of self-reported delinquency. The Department of Labor's Bureau 
of Labor Statistics is launching a 12,000-subject survey of 1217-year-
old juveniles that provides an opportunity to supplement the data 
collection by asking relevant questions about delinquency, guns, and 
violence. This longitudinal survey also provides an unprecedented 
opportunity to determine the generalizability of the findings from 
OJJDP's Program of Research on the Causes and Correlates of Delinquency 
across a broad range of

[[Page 21279]]

juvenile populations. A transfer of funds will be made to the 
Department of Labor.
Evaluation of the Comprehensive Community-Wide Approach to Gang 
Prevention, Intervention and Suppression Program
    The University of Chicago, School of Social Services 
Administration, received a competitive cooperative agreement award in 
FY 1994. This four-year project period award supports an evaluation of 
OJJDP's Comprehensive Community-Wide Approach to Gang Prevention, 
Intervention, and Suppression Program. The evaluation will assist the 
five program sites in establishing realistic and measurable objectives, 
to document program implementation, and to measure the impact of a 
variety of gang program strategies. It will also provide interim 
feedback to the program implementors. The five sites are Bloomington, 
Illinois; Mesa, Arizona; Tucson, Arizona; Riverside, California; and 
San Antonio, Texas.
    In FY 1996, the grantee will: design and implement organizational 
surveys and youth interviews; develop and implement program tracking 
and worker questionnaires and interviews; gather and track aggregate 
level offense/offender client data from police, prosecutor, probation, 
school, and social service program sources; develop and implement 
uniform individual level criminal justice data collection efforts; 
consult with local evaluators on development and implementation of 
local site parent/community resident surveys; and coordinate ongoing 
efforts with local researchers conducting special surveys of gang youth 
in the program.
    This project will be continued by the current grantee, the 
University of Chicago, School of Social Services Administration. No 
additional applications will be solicited in FY 1996.
Evaluation of Intensive Community-Based Aftercare Demonstration and 
Technical Assistance Program
    The National Council on Crime and Delinquency (NCCD) received a 3-
year competitive FY 1994 grant to conduct a process evaluation and 
design an impact evaluation of the Intensive Community-Based Aftercare 
Demonstration and Technical Assistance Program at sites in Colorado, 
New Jersey, Nevada, and Virginia. NCCD's initial award funded the 
design and implementation of the process evaluation, the design of an 
impact evaluation, and start-up data collection. A report on the 
process evaluation will be submitted in the spring of 1996. Fiscal Year 
1996 funding will enable NCCD to begin the impact evaluation. Because 
of the excellent progress made during the first two years on the 
process evaluation, OJJDP will extend this program for three additional 
years to allow sufficient time for completion of an impact evaluation.
    The project will be implemented by the current grantee, NCCD. No 
additional applications will be solicited in FY 1996.
Juvenile Mentoring Program (JUMP) Evaluation
    The Juvenile Mentoring Program (JUMP) was funded at 41 sites by 
OJJDP in FY 1995. In compliance with Part G, Section 288H of the JJDP 
Act, all JUMP sites are participating in a national evaluation designed 
to determine the success and effectiveness of JUMP in reducing 
delinquency and gang participation, improving academic performance, and 
reducing the dropout rate. Each program participant has been provided 
with a JUMP Evaluation Workbook containing data collection instruments 
and instructions on their use. It provides for the collection of data 
on delinquency, school performance, family functioning, and project 
operations. Grantees are responsible for collecting and analyzing site 
data and preparing periodic evaluation reports for OJJDP.
    The evaluation grantee will be expected to: assist the sites in 
implementing the JUMP Evaluation Workbook; provide other evaluation 
technical assistance to the funded sites; and complete a cross-site 
evaluation of results from the 41 sites at the end of the JUMP program 
grants. A draft report to Congress will be prepared based on the cross-
site evaluation.
    One two-year cooperative agreement will be competitively awarded to 
carry out this program.
Juvenile Transfers to Criminal Court Studies
    States are increasingly enacting juvenile code revisions broadening 
judicial waiver authority, providing prosecutor direct file authority, 
and mandating transfer of older, more violent juveniles to criminal 
court. Many States are also developing innovative procedures, such as 
blending traditional features of juvenile and criminal justice 
sentencing practices, through statutes that categorize juvenile 
offenders into different classes according to the seriousness of the 
offense, designating juvenile or criminal court for each class, or 
providing judges with discretion to make these judgments at sentencing. 
Studies of the impact of criminal court prosecution of juveniles have 
yielded mixed conclusions. Solid research on the intended and 
unintended consequences of transfer of juveniles to criminal court will 
enable policy makers and legislatures to develop statutory provisions 
and policies and improve judicial and prosecutorial waiver and transfer 
decisions.
    To address this shortage of research programs, OJJDP competitively 
funded two juvenile waiver and transfer research projects in FY 1995. 
The first, awarded to the National Center for Juvenile Justice, 
compares juvenile and criminal court handling of juveniles in four 
States that authorize judicial waiver of serious and violent juvenile 
offenders and mandate criminal court handling for specified categories 
of juvenile offenders. The second study, awarded to the Florida 
Juvenile Justice Advisory Board, evaluates Florida's system of blending 
the option of criminal and juvenile justice system sentencing to handle 
serious or violent juvenile offenders. Additional funding is planned in 
FY 1996 to enable the projects to collect case specific information on 
sentence completion and recidivism data to provide a more definitive 
assessment of the impact of criminal versus juvenile justice system 
handling of serious and violent offender cases.
    The projects will be implemented by the current grantees, the 
National Center for Juvenile Justice and the Florida Juvenile Justice 
Advisory Board. No additional applications will be solicited in FY 
1996.
Technical Assistance to Juvenile Courts*
    The National Center for Juvenile Justice (NCJJ), the research 
division of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, 
provides technical assistance under this grant for juvenile court 
practitioners. The focus of the technical assistance is on court 
administration and management, program development, and special legal 
issues. During FY 1995, NCJJ responded to over 830 requests for 
technical assistance.
    In FY 1996, special emphasis will be placed on appropriate 
sanctions for handling serious, violent, and chronic juvenile offenders 
and other emerging issues confronting the juvenile court, such as the 
increased use of waivers and transfers. The program will be implemented 
by the current grantee, NCJJ. No additional applications will be 
solicited in FY 1996.

[[Page 21280]]

Juvenile Court Judges Training*
    The primary focus of this project in FY 1996 will be to continue 
and refine the training and technical assistance program offered by the 
National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. The objectives of 
the training are to supplement law school curriculums by providing 
basic training to new juvenile court judges and to and provide 
experienced judges with state-of-the-art training on developments in 
juvenile and family case law and effective dispositional options. 
Emphasis is also placed on alcohol and substance abuse, child abuse and 
neglect, gangs and violence, disproportionate incarceration of minority 
youth, and intermediate sanctions. Training is also provided to other 
court personnel, including juvenile probation officers, aftercare 
workers, and child protection and community treatment providers. In FY 
1995, over 13,000 judges and court personnel received training through 
some 80 different programs. In addition, over 800 training related 
technical assistance requests were completed.
    The project will be implemented by the current grantee, the 
National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. No additional 
applications will be solicited in FY 1996.
The Juvenile Justice Prosecution Unit
    OJJDP has historically supported prosecutor training activities 
through the National District Attorneys' Association (NDAA). To 
continue that work, OJJDP awarded a 3-year project period grant in FY 
1995 to the American Prosecutor Research Institute (APRI) which is the 
research and technical affiliate of NDAA, to establish a Juvenile 
Justice Prosecution Unit (JJPU). The JJPU implements workshops on 
juvenile justice related policy, leadership, and management for chief 
prosecutors and unit chiefs; provides background information to 
prosecutors on juvenile justice issues and programs; provides training; 
and provides technical assistance to prosecutors.
    The project is based on planning and input by prosecutors familiar 
with juvenile justice needs. The project draws on the expertise of 
working groups of elected or appointed prosecutors and juvenile unit 
chiefs to support project staff in providing technical assistance, 
juvenile justice-related research and program information to 
practitioners nationwide, and training. Start up activities focused on 
the collection of information through a questionnaire that was sent to 
every prosecutors' office regarding juvenile programs. APRI also 
sponsored a National Invitational Symposium on Juvenile Justice which 
provided a forum for prosecutors to exchange ideas, programs, issues, 
legislation, and practices in juvenile justice. APRI will conduct three 
workshops for elected and appointed prosecutors and juvenile unit 
chiefs to help improve prosecutor involvement in the prosecution and 
prevention of juvenile delinquency.
    The project will be implemented by the current grantee, APRI. No 
additional applications will be solicited in FY 1996.
Due Process Advocacy Program Development
    In FY 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 strategies to improve due process and the 
quality of legal representation. The goals of the program are to 
increase juvenile offenders' access to legal services and to improve 
the quality of preadjudication, adjudication, and dispositional 
advocacy for juvenile offenders. The strategies developed 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.
    In FYs 1994 and 1995, the ABA, JLC, and YLC conducted an assessment 
of the current state of the art with regard to legal services, 
training, and education. This survey included a review of literature, 
case law, State statutes, and a survey of public defenders, court 
appointed lawyers, law school clinical programs, and judges. A report, 
entitled ``A Call for Justice, An assessment of the Access to Counsel 
and Quality of Representation in Delinquency Proceedings'' was 
developed and published by the ABA. It has been widely distributed to 
State and local bar associations, Chairs of State Juvenile Justice 
Advisory Committees, participants in the ABA survey, the National 
Association of Child Advocates, and others.
    In FY 1996, training is scheduled to begin with the first training 
being provided to the States of Tennessee, Maryland, and Virginia. The 
structure and scope of the training will be tailored to fit the needs 
of each site. A training manual, under development, will cover training 
on key issues such as detention, transfer or waiver, and dispositions. 
It is designed to fill gaps in existing training programs. The ABA and 
its partners will also establish networks with public defenders 
offices, children's law centers, and others through the HANDSNET system 
and mailings that provide program updates.
    This program will be implemented by the current grantee, ABA. No 
additional applications will be solicited in FY 1996.
Intensive Community-Based Aftercare Demonstration and Technical 
Assistance Program
    This initiative is designed to support implementation, training and 
technical assistance, and evaluation of an intensive community-based 
aftercare model in four jurisdictions that were competitively selected 
to participate in this demonstration program. The overall goal of this 
intensive aftercare model is to identify and assist high-risk juvenile 
offenders to make a gradual transition from secure confinement back 
into the community. The Intensive Aftercare Program (IAP) model can be 
viewed as having three distinct, yet overlapping segments: (1) pre-
release and preparatory planning activities during incarceration; (2) 
structured transitioning involving the participation of institutional 
and aftercare staffs both prior to and following community reentry; and 
(3) long-term reintegrative activities to insure adequate service 
delivery and the required level of social control.
    In FY 1994, The Johns Hopkins University received a grant to test 
an intensive community-based aftercare model in four demonstration 
sites: Denver (Metro), Colorado; Clark County (Las Vegas), Nevada; 
Camden and Newark, New Jersey; and Norfolk, Virginia. Each of the four 
sites received additional funds to support program implementation in FY 
1995. The Johns Hopkins University contracts with California State 
University at Sacramento to assist in the implementation process by 
providing training and technical assistance and by making funds 
available through contracts to each of the four demonstration sites. 
Each of the sites have developed risk assessment instruments for use in 
selecting specific youth who need this type of intensive aftercare 
intervention, hired and trained staff in the intensive aftercare model, 
identified existing and needed community support (intervention) 
services, and identified data necessary for an accurate evaluation of 
the intensive community-based aftercare program. In addition, each of 
the sites has begun random assignment of clients to the program. The 
Johns Hopkins University and its sub-contractor, California State 
University at

[[Page 21281]]

Sacramento, have provided continuous training and technical assistance 
to both administrators/managers and line staff in the intensive 
community-based aftercare sites. Staff have been trained in the 
theoretical underpinnings of the IAP model as well as in the practical 
applications of the model, such as techniques for identifying juveniles 
appropriate for the program. Training and technical assistance in this 
model have also been available to other States and OJJDP grantees on a 
limited basis.
    In FY 1996, the sites will continue to implement and test the 
aftercare model. An independent evaluation contractor is performing a 
process evaluation and has designed an impact evaluation to be 
implemented under a separate grant.
    The Johns Hopkins University will provide continuing training and 
technical assistance to the four selected sites and will initiate 
aftercare technical assistance services to jurisdictions participating 
in the OJJDP/Department of the Interior Youth Environmental Services 
(YES) Program and to OJJDP's six SafeFutures Program sites. This 
funding supports the third budget period of a 3-year project period.
    This project will be implemented by the current grantee, The Johns 
Hopkins University. No additional applications will be solicited in FY 
1996.
Training and Technical Assistance for National Innovations to Reduce 
Disproportionate Minority Confinement (The Deborah Wysinger Memorial 
Program)
    National data and studies have shown that minority children are 
over represented in juvenile and criminal justice facilities across the 
country. Accordingly, Congress, in the 1988 reauthorization of the JJDP 
Act, amended the Formula Grants Program State plan requirements to 
include addressing disproportionate confinement of minority juveniles. 
This is accomplished by gathering data, analyzing it to determine the 
extent to which minority juveniles are disproportionately confined, and 
designing strategies to address this issue. A Special Emphasis 
discretionary grant program was developed to demonstrate model 
approaches to addressing disproportionate minority confinement (DMC) in 
five State pilot sites (Arizona, Florida, Iowa, North Carolina, and 
Oregon). Funds were also awarded to a national contractor to provide 
technical assistance to assist both the pilot sites and other States, 
to evaluate their efforts, and share relevant information.
    In FYs 1994 and 1995, OJJDP made additional Special Emphasis 
discretionary funds available to non-pilot States that had completed 
data gathering and assessment in order to provide initial funding for 
innovative projects designed to address DMC.
    These efforts to impact DMC have yielded an important lesson: that 
systemic, broad-based interventions are necessary to reduce DMC. OJJDP 
recognizes the need to foster the development and documentation of 
effective strategies using training, technical assistance, information 
dissemination, provision of practical and targeted resource tools, and 
public education. In order to further these strategies, OJJDP proposes 
to competitively solicit innovative proposals to implement a 3-year 
national training, technical assistance, and information dissemination 
initiative focused on the disproportionate confinement of minority 
youth. The selected grantee will: (1) review and synthesize current 
State and local practices and policies designed to reduce DMC; (2) 
develop and deliver training to juvenile justice specialists, SAG 
Chairs, and selected grantees to inform them of DMC requirements, best 
practices and issues; (3) assist key OJJDP grantees to incorporate DMC 
issues, practices and policies into their training and education 
programs (key grantees are those training and technical assistance 
providers working with police, the courts and juvenile detention staff, 
SafeFutures sites, Title V, and some State Challenge Program grant 
recipients); (4) assist the eight current DMC grantees to manage and 
institutionalize their programs; (5) support the Formula Grants Program 
technical assistance contractor and OJJDP staff in reviewing State DMC 
plans; and (6) develop and carry out a national dissemination and 
public education program on DMC and help States and localities develop 
similar local education programs.
    The selected DMC grantee will coordinate with OJJDP's National 
Training and Technical Assistance Center and other OJJDP contractors to 
identify OJJDP program areas where DMC policies and practices can be 
integrated into ongoing program activities. The DMC grantee and the 
National Training and Technical Assistance Center will also collaborate 
in the development of toolkits and resource products--screening tools, 
assessment, and training components--to be used by jurisdictions at 
each stage of their DMC data gathering, assessment and program response 
cycle. Other resource products will include educational curricula, 
technical assistance protocols for working with courts, police, intake 
services, probation and prosecutor's offices, assessment and screening 
tools, and planning and analysis tools for juvenile justice 
specialists.
    OJJDP will competitively award a single grant to implement a 3-year 
national training, technical assistance, and information dissemination 
initiative focused on the disproportionate confinement of minority 
youth.
Juvenile Probation Survey Research
    Juvenile probation is one of the most critical areas of the 
juvenile justice system. However, there is presently very little 
information available on juveniles on probation. We do not know how 
many juveniles are on probation, their demographic characteristics, 
their offenses, or the conditions of their probation, including length, 
residential confinement, electronic monitoring, restitution, etc. This 
project will conduct survey research and develop a questionnaire to 
collect this important information. As States operate their juvenile 
probation systems in very different manners, this project will also 
examine how these differences affect the information collected.
    OJJDP plans to undertake a 2-year project to complete this research 
through an interagency agreement with the Bureau of the Census.
Improvements in Correctional Education for Juvenile Offenders
    The Improvements in Correctional Education for Juvenile Offenders 
Program, a program development and demonstration initiative, was 
awarded to the National Organization for Social Responsibility (NOSR) 
in FY 1992. It is being implemented in three phases: identification, 
assessment, and testing and dissemination. The purpose of the Program 
is to assist juvenile corrections administrators in planning and 
implementing improved educational services for detained and 
incarcerated juvenile offenders.
    During the 3-year project period, the grantee implemented the first 
two phases of the program. An extensive literature search of effective 
education practices was undertaken and a report on effective practices 
in juvenile corrections education was published and a training and 
technical assistance manual were published. In addition, three State 
juvenile corrections facilities were selected as model sites for 
testing effective educational practices. The sites are: Adobe Mountain 
School, Arizona; Lookout Mountain Youth Center, Colorado; and Sauk 
Centre, Minnesota.
    In FY 1995, NOSR received funding to implement Phase III, testing 
and

[[Page 21282]]

dissemination. The three model test sites are receiving site specific 
technical assistance in the assessment of their educational programs 
and in the development and implementation of effective educational 
practices, including reintegration of appropriate juveniles back into 
the mainstream education system.
    Fiscal Year 1996 funds will be used to assist each site to enhance 
its curriculum and implementation strategy to better address the needs 
of the juveniles they serve.
    The project will be implemented by the current grantee, NOSR. No 
additional applications will be solicited in FY 1996.
Performance-Based Standards for Juvenile Detention and Correctional 
Facilities
    There is a need to increase the accountability of detention and 
correctional agencies, facilities, and staff in performing their basic 
functions. The development of performance-based standards has emerged 
as a primary strategy for improving conditions of confinement. This 
program supports the development and implementation of performance-
based standards for juvenile detention and corrections. The performance 
measures and standards being developed will address both services and 
the quality of life for confined juveniles. They will reflect the 
consensus of a broadly representative group of national organizations 
on the mission, goals, and objectives of juvenile detention and 
corrections. OJJDP plans to promote nationwide adoption and 
implementation of the measures and standards through a future training 
and technical assistance program.
    In FY 1995, OJJDP awarded a competitive 18-month cooperative 
agreement to the Council of Juvenile Corrections Administrators (CJCA) 
to develop national performance-based standards for juvenile detention 
and correctional facilities. A National Consortium of major 
professional and advocacy organizations is providing technical advice 
and support in all aspects of the development and implementation of the 
standards. The project will focus on standards in the areas of: safety; 
security; order; programming/treatment/education; health; and justice.
    During FY 1996, the working groups will complete the drafting of 
performance criteria and measures, as well as assessment tools for 
monitoring performance in all substantive areas. In addition, all 
materials will be field tested and revised as needed. A plan for 
implementation will also be submitted.
    By 1997, initial performance standards and a measurement system 
will be developed along with specific plans for an 18-month period of 
intensive demonstration and testing of the performance-based standards 
and their impact on juvenile corrections and detention programming.
    The program will be implemented by the current grantee, CJCA. No 
additional applications will be solicited in FY 1996.
Technical Assistance to Juvenile Corrections and Detention (The James 
E. Gould Memorial Program)
    The primary purpose of the Technical Assistance to Juvenile 
Corrections and Detention project is to provide specialized technical 
assistance to juvenile corrections, detention, and community 
residential service providers. The grantee, the American Correctional 
Association (ACA), also plans and convenes an annual Juvenile 
Corrections and Detention Forum. The Forum provides an opportunity for 
juvenile corrections and detention leaders to meet and discuss issues, 
problems, and solutions to emerging corrections and detention problems. 
The ACA also provides workshops and conferences on current and emerging 
national issues in the field of juvenile corrections and detention and 
offers technical assistance through document dissemination. OJJDP 
awarded a FY 1995 competitive grant to ACA to provide these services 
over a three-year project period. The project will be implemented by 
the current grantee, ACA. No additional applications will be solicited 
in FY 1996.
Training for Juvenile Corrections and Detention Staff
    In FY 1996, OJJDP will continue to support the development and 
implementation of a comprehensive training program for juvenile 
corrections and detention management staff through an 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, juvenile programming for specialized needs of offenders, 
and managing the violent or disruptive offender. The training is 
conducted at the NIC Academy and regionally. This program is a 
continuation activity, initiated in FY 1991 under an interagency 
agreement with NIC that was renewed in FY 1994. No additional 
applications will be solicited in FY 1996.
Training for Line Staff in Juvenile Detention and Corrections
    In FY 1994, the National Juvenile Detention Association (NJDA) was 
awarded a competitive three-year project period grant to establish a 
training program to meet the needs of the more than 38,000 line staff 
of juvenile detention and corrections facilities. In the first year 
under the grant, NJDA revised and updated a 40-hour Detention 
Careworker curriculum, developed a 24-hour Train-the-Trainer for the 
Detention Careworker curriculum, conducted 16 separate trainings and 
developed new lesson plans in 7 substantive areas, conducted a national 
training needs assessment for juvenile corrections careworkers, and 
provided technical assistance to 37 agencies and training to 887 line 
staff.
    In FY 1996, NJDA will continue to offer training to practitioners, 
develop new curriculums around emerging issues, and complete the 
development and testing of a 40-hour basic careworker curriculum for 
juvenile corrections line staff. Additionally, NJDA will deliver 
selected training programs for juvenile detention and corrections line 
staff on a number of topical issues.
    This project will be implemented by the current grantee, NJDA. No 
additional applications will be solicited in FY 1996.
Training and Technical Support for State and Local Jurisdictional Teams 
To Focus on Juvenile Corrections and Detention Overcrowding
    The Conditions of Confinement: Juvenile Detention and Correctional 
Facilities Research Report (1994), completed by Abt Associates under an 
OJJDP grant, identified overcrowding as the most urgent problem facing 
juvenile corrections and detention facilities. Overcrowding in juvenile 
facilities is a function of decisions and policies made at the State, 
county, and city levels. The trend in a number of jurisdictions toward 
an increased use of detention and commitment to State facilities has 
been reversed when key decision makers, such as the chief judge, chief 
of police, director of the local detention facility, head of the State 
juvenile correctional agency, and others who affect the flow of 
juveniles through the system, agree to make decisions collaboratively 
and to modify practices and policies. In some instances modification 
has occurred in response

[[Page 21283]]

to court orders. Compliance with court orders is improved with the 
support of enhanced interagency communication and planning among those 
agencies affecting the flow of juveniles through the system.
    In addressing the problems of overcrowded facilities, OJJDP 
considered the recommendations of the Conditions of Confinement study 
regarding overcrowding, the data on over representation of minority 
youth in confinement, and other information that suggests crowding in 
juvenile facilities must be reduced. Policy makers can do this by 
increasing capacity, where necessary, or by taking other steps to 
control crowding. This project, competitively awarded to the National 
Juvenile Detention Association (NJDA) in FY 1994 for a three-year 
project period, provides training and technical assistance materials 
for use by State and local jurisdictional teams. In FY 1995, the 
project collected information on strategies that are used or could be 
used to control crowding, and prepared training and technical 
assistance materials. Based on the demonstrated need for assistance and 
related criteria, NJDA will select three jurisdictions in FY 1996 for 
onsite development, implementation, and testing of crowding reduction 
procedures, and will provide regional training on these procedures to 
other jurisdictions.
    A FY 1996 continuation award will be made to the current grantee, 
the National Juvenile Detention Association. No additional applications 
will be solicited in FY 1996.
National Program Directory
    In FY 1995, OJJDP initiated the development of a National Program 
Directory, a national list of all juvenile justice offices, facilities, 
and programs in the United States, through the Bureau of the Census. 
The Census Bureau developed a directory format for juvenile detention 
and correctional facilities, which would contain the addresses and 
phone numbers of localities, names and titles of directors, and 
important classification information, classify facilities by the agency 
or firm that operates them, and list the functions of the facility. 
This structure was developed specifically to provide OJJDP with the 
ability to conduct surveys and censuses of juvenile custody facilities. 
The effort placed into developing this structure would also translate 
to other areas, such as a list of juvenile probation offices.
    Beyond developing the computer structure, this project will 
develop, in FY 1996, the actual sampling frame or address list. The 
development of complete frames for any segment of the juvenile justice 
system requires many different approaches. The Census Bureau will use 
contacts with professional organizations to compile a preliminary list 
of juvenile facilities, courts, probation offices, and programs. The 
Census Bureau will then seek contacts in each State for further 
clarification of the lists, following up until a complete list of all 
programs of interest has been compiled. This program will be funded 
through an interagency agreement with the Census Bureau. No additional 
applications will be solicited in FY 1996.

Delinquency Prevention and Intervention

Training in Risk-Focused Prevention Strategies
    OJJDP will provide additional training in FY 1996 to communities 
interested in developing a risk-focused delinquency prevention 
strategy. This training supports OJJDP's Title V Delinquency Prevention 
Incentive Grants Program, codified at 42 U.S.C. Sec. 5781-5785, by 
providing the knowledge and skills necessary for State, local, and 
private agency officials and citizens to identify and address risk 
factors that lead to violent and delinquent behavior in children. In 
FYs 1994 and 1995, this training was offered to all States, 
territories, and the District of Columbia that received discretionary 
grants from OJJDP to implement the Title V Program.
    OJJDP awarded a new contract with FY 1995 funds to perform ongoing 
tasks and provide prevention training in the following areas: (1) 
orientation on risk and resiliency-focused prevention theories and 
strategies for local community leaders; (2) the identification, 
assessment and addressing of risk factors; (3) training of trainers 
in selected States to provide a statewide capacity to train communities 
in risk-focused prevention; and (4) development of training curriculums 
and materials to increase the capacity of States and localities to 
conduct risk-focused prevention training. These services will be 
provided through second year funding of a competitive contract awarded 
to Developmental Research and Programs, Inc. No additional applications 
will be solicited in FY 1996.
Youth-Centered Conflict Resolution
    Increasing levels of juvenile violence have become a national 
concern. Violence in and around school campuses and conflict among 
juveniles both in schools and neighborhoods have become extremely 
problematic for school administrators, teachers, parents, community 
leaders, and the public. While experts may debate the merits and impact 
of the varied contributing factors, most would agree that school 
curriculums do not provide for the systematic teaching of problem- and 
conflict-resolving skills.
    To address this issue, OJJDP awarded a competitive grant in FY 1995 
to the Illinois Institute for Dispute Resolution to develop, in concert 
with other established conflict resolution organizations, a national 
strategy for broad-based education and training in the use of conflict 
resolution skills. In support of this task, the grantee is to conduct 
four regional conferences based on a joint publication being developed 
by the Departments of Justice and Education. The grantee will also 
provide technical assistance and disseminate information about conflict 
resolution programs. The project will be continued by the current 
grantee, the Illinois Institute for Dispute Resolution. No additional 
applications will be solicited in FY 1996.
Pathways to Success
    This project is a collaborative effort among OJJDP, the Bureau of 
Justice Assistance (BJA), and the National Endowment for the Arts. The 
Pathways to Success Program promotes vocational skills, entrepreneurial 
initiatives, recreation, and arts education during afterschool, 
weekend, and summer hours by making a variety of opportunities 
available to at-risk youth.
    Through a competitive process, five sites were funded in FY 1995, 
the first year of a 2-year project period. The selected programs are 
located in: Newport County, Rhode Island; New York, New York; 
Anchorage, Alaska; Washington, D.C.; and Miami, Florida.
    The SOS Playbacks: Arts-Based Delinquency Based Juvenile 
Delinquency Prevention Program, located in Newport County, Rhode 
Island, provides an afterschool arts program for students aged 13-18 
from local public housing developments. Students in the program 
participate in peer-to-peer support and education through the mediums 
of visual arts, dance, and drama.
    Project CLEAR, located in New York City, provides extended day 
programs to students in two elementary schools that have a high 
percentage of students who live in low-income areas and have limited 
English proficiency. Services include academic tutoring, arts in 
education instruction, physical recreation, and group counseling 
services. Two hundred students in

[[Page 21284]]

grades 1-6 are served annually. Saturday programs for targeted youth 
and their families and evening programs for parents are also provided.
    The Anchorage School District and the out-North Theater in 
Anchorage, Alaska have collaborated to provide afterschool and summer 
theater programs for students aged 12-14 from low income areas in 
Anchorage. Students involved in this program will produce and perform 
in plays they have written that reflect their personal life 
experiences.
    The District of Columbia Courts Elementary Baseball Program 
provides combined recreational activities, tutoring activities, one-to-
one mentoring, and parent workshops for students aged 6-10 who are 
enrolled in Garrett Elementary School in Washington, D.C. This school 
is located in one of the highest crime areas in Washington, D.C. The 
central activity of this program is interleague baseball games. Team 
participation is contingent upon student participation in tutoring and 
other activities.
    The Aspira ``Youth Sanctuary'' Program, located in Dade County, 
Florida, addresses delinquency and other behavioral problems of Latino 
youth aged 10-16 who reside in migrant camps. This program teaches art, 
including community mural projects, folklore dance incorporating Latino 
dancing, and provides recreation opportunities for targeted students 
afterschool, on weekends, and during the summer months. Parent training 
workshops and parent support are key activities in this program.
    This Program will be implemented in FY 1996 by the current project 
grantees. No additional applications will be solicited in FY 1996.
Teens, Crime, and the Community: Teens in Action in the 90s*
    This continuation program is conducted by the National Crime 
Prevention Council (NCPC) in partnership with 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 (TCC) program 
that operates on the premise that teens, who are disproportionately the 
victims of crimes, can contribute to improving their schools and 
communities through a broad array of activities.
    During FY 1995, the TCC Program expanded to more than 100 new 
sites, primarily through five regional expansion centers located in New 
England, the Mid-Atlantic States, the Mid-South, the Deep South, and 
the Pacific Northwest Coast. These TCC projects utilized Boys and Girls 
Clubs of America and their affiliates in six localities to become 
partners in TCC efforts in these cities.
    More than 4,000 teachers, social service providers, juvenile 
justice professionals, law enforcement officers, and other community 
leaders participated in intensive training to help sites implement the 
TCC curriculum in their communities. Over 1,000 individuals benefited 
from technical assistance, materials, and consultation regarding TCC in 
areas of program implementation, fund development, and networking 
opportunities.
    In FY 1996, NCPC and NICEL will implement the National Teens, 
Crime, and the Community Program in additional locations across the 
country. In addition, TCC will seek to implement projects in the six 
SafeFutures Program sites.
    This program will be implemented by the current grantee, NCPC. No 
additional applications will be solicited in FY 1996.
Law-Related Education (LRE)
    The national Law-Related Education (LRE) Program ``Youth for 
Justice'' includes five coordinated LRE projects and programs operating 
in 48 States and 4 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 juveniles. 
The focus of the program during FY 1996 will be to continue linking LRE 
to violence reduction and to involve program participants in finding 
solutions to juvenile violence. The major components of the program are 
coordination and management, training and technical assistance, 
assistance to local program sites, public information, and 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 FY 1996.
Cities in Schools' Federal Interagency Partnership
    This program is a continuation of a national school dropout 
prevention model developed and implemented by Cities in Schools, Inc. 
The Cities in Schools (CIS) Program 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 in the school setting. Where CIS State 
organizations are established, they assume primary responsibility for 
local program replication during the Federal interagency partnership.
    The Federal Interagency Partnership program is based on a program 
strategy that is designed to enhance CIS, Inc.'s capability to provide 
training and technical assistance, introduce selected initiatives to 
CIS youth at the local level, disseminate information, and network with 
Federal agencies on behalf of State and local CIS programs.
    Fiscal year 1995 accomplishments include the following: 
establishment of 15 student-run entrepreneurship programs; 
establishment of a consulting program consisting of a pool of CIS State 
and local program directors and other experts to support the expanded 
technical assistance needs of the CIS network of State and local 
programs; production and distribution of two publications, a catalogue 
of program resources, and a history of the CIS program; a three-day 
training session featuring presentations from Federal agencies on the 
financial and programmatic resources available through their 
Departments; and a catalogue of State and local programs in the areas 
of family strengthening and parent participation, working with 
adjudicated or incarcerated youth, violence prevention, prevention of 
AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases, and conflict resolution.
    The Cities in Schools Federal Interagency Partnership program is 
jointly funded by OJJDP and the Departments of Health and Human 
Services and Commerce under an OJJDP grant. The project will be 
implemented by the current grantee, Cities in Schools, Inc. No 
additional applications will be solicited in FY 1996.
Race Against Drugs
    The Race Against Drugs (RAD) Program 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 
help and assistance from 23 motor sports organizations, the cooperation 
of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement 
Administration, the U.S. Navy, and other government agencies, the 
National Child Safety Council, and a variety of corporate sponsors, RAD 
has become an exciting and innovative addition to drug abuse

[[Page 21285]]

prevention programs. RAD activities now include national drug awareness 
and prevention activities at schools, malls, and motor sport events; 
television and 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'' programs. 
Curriculum materials include the Be A Winner Action Book for 6-8th 
graders, a RAD Adult Guide, and a RAD coloring book for K-4th graders.
    In FY 1995 the program was funded to develop additional and updated 
curriculum materials, reach additional program sites, and demonstrate 
the Winner's Circle Program in Seattle, Washington. It was funded 
jointly by the Bureau of Justice Assistance and OJJDP with the Center 
for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) providing extensive printing and 
clearinghouse support.
    In FY 1996, OJJDP will continue funding to assist RAD to expand 
program operations to reach 500,000 youth at 300 RAD events annually, 
conduct 20 adopt-a-school programs in conjunction with major racing 
events, develop mobile educational exhibits and a variety of new 
educational materials, and conduct a program evaluation. OJJDP 
anticipates that the program will operate with private direct funding 
and in-kind support at the end of the project period.
    The program will be implemented by the current grantee, the 
National Child Safety Council. No additional applications will be 
solicited in FY 1996.
The Congress of National Black Churches: National Anti-Drug Abuse/
Violence Campaign (NADVC)
    OJJDP will continue to fund the Congress of National Black 
Churches' (CNBC) national public awareness and mobilization strategy to 
address the problem of juvenile drug abuse and violence in targeted 
communities. The goal of the CNBC national 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 juvenile drug abuse and drug-related violence.
    The campaign now operates in 37 city alliances, having grown from 5 
original target cities. The smallest of these alliances consists of 6 
churches and the largest has 135 churches. The NADVC program involves 
approximately 2,220 clergy and affects 1.5 million youth and the adults 
who influence their lives. NADVC also provides technical support to 
four statewide religious coalitions.
    As a result of NADVC's technical assistance and training workshops, 
project sites have been able to leverage approximately $1.5 million in 
private and government funding.
    NADVC has contributed to the planning and presentation of numerous 
technical assistance and training conferences on violence and substance 
abuse prevention and produced a National Training and Site Development 
Guide and a video to assist sites implementing the NADVC model.
    The Program will be expanded in FY 1996 to address family violence 
intervention issues and target up to 6 additional cities, for a total 
of 43 cities. Consideration will be given to SafeFutures sites when 
selecting the new sites. This program will be implemented by the 
current grantee, CNBC. No additional applications will be solicited in 
FY 1996.
Community Anti-Drug-Abuse Technical Assistance Voucher Project
    The National Center for Neighborhood Enterprise (NCNE) has extended 
its outreach to community-based grassroots organizations around the 
country that are working effectively to solve the problems of juvenile 
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 funded technical 
assistance to groups that are often excluded because they lack the 
administrative sophistication, technical and grantsmanship skills, and 
resources to participate in traditional competitive grant programs.
    The Technical Assistance Voucher Project builds upon the strengths 
and problem solving capacity existing in low-income communities 
nationwide and provides much needed technical and monetary resources to 
grassroots organizations that are operating youth anti-drug programs 
and activities for high risk youth.
    The program awards 15-25 vouchers, ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 
annually. Eligible organizations must have: proven effectiveness in 
serving a specific constituency; a small operating budget ($150,000 
maximum); 501(c)(3) tax exempt status; and a program that targets high-
risk youth and/or juvenile offenders; and leadership that is indigenous 
to the community. Vouchers can be used for planning, proposal writing, 
program promotion, legal assistance, financial management, and other 
activities. This project will be implemented by the current grantee, 
NCNE. No additional applications will be solicited in FY 1996.
Training and Technical Assistance for Family Strengthening Services
    Prevention, early intervention, and effective crisis intervention 
are critical elements in a community's family support system. In many 
communities, one or more of these elements may be missing or programs 
may not be coordinated. In addition, technical assistance and training 
have not generally been available to community organizations and 
agencies providing family strengthening services. In response, OJJDP 
awarded a three-year competitive grant in FY 1995 to the University of 
Utah's Department of Health and Education to provide training and 
technical assistance to communities interested in establishing or 
enhancing a continuum of family-strengthening efforts, including parent 
training. Grant activities include a literature review, national 
search, rating, and selection of family strengthening models, 
development and implementation of a marketing and dissemination 
strategy, and the selection of sites to receive intensive technical 
assistance. The grantee will also convene two regional conferences, 
produce user and training-of-trainers guides, and distribute videos of 
several family-strengthening workshops.
    This program will be implemented by the current grantee, the 
University of Utah's Department of Health and Education. No additional 
applications will be solicited in FY 1996.
Henry Ford Health System*
    In FY 1995, the Henry Ford Health System (HFHS) initiated a two-
year program in Detroit, Michigan called ``Reducing Youth Violence 
Through School-Based Initiatives.'' The program serves seven elementary 
schools and two middle schools that feed into a Detroit high school. 
Primary Program activities are to identify juveniles at high risk, 
assess the needs of target youth, identify resources available in the 
community to serve those needs, coordinate community resources to 
create comprehensive programs, and evaluate the efficacy of the 
program. Participants include teachers, family members, community 
programs and agencies, as well as student and health center staff. This 
project will be implemented by the current grantee,

[[Page 21286]]

HFHS. No additional applications will be solicited in FY 1996.
Jackie Robinson Center*
    This three-year project, initially funded in FY 1994, supports 
expansion of the Brooklyn USA Athletic Association, Inc.'s Jackie 
Robinson Centers for Physical Culture (JRC), which provide a 
comprehensive youth development and delinquency and crime prevention 
program. Presently, there are 18 school and 3 replication sites in 
operation serving in-school youth between the ages of 8 and 18. JRC's 
services are designed to prevent New York City youth from becoming 
involved in street gangs, violence, or drug and alcohol abuse, and to 
alert, educate, and inform youth and their parents about these issues. 
Activities conducted by JRC include development of positive peer 
groups, youth leadership, social and personal skills training, academic 
tutoring, sports, cultural activities, rap and discussion groups, 
individual counseling, parent education and involvement, community 
events, on-site crisis intervention, referral to treatment, physical/
medical examinations, social service referral, and college and job 
placement assistance. JRC has increased its recruitment and 
registration from 750 to 6,600 students. Students in each of the 18 
sites participated in a minimum of 3 special events during the year.
    In FY 1996, JRC will develop a data bank system to monitor the in-
school progress of participating students through indicators such as 
attendance, academic, and behavioral records. This project will be 
implemented by the current grantee, the Brooklyn USA Athletic 
Association, Inc. No additional applications will be solicited in FY 
1996.

Child Abuse and Neglect and Dependency Courts

A Community-Based Approach to Combating Child Victimization
    Statistics on child abuse and neglect are alarming. In 1994 alone, 
an estimated 3.1 million abused or neglected children were reported to 
public welfare agencies. More than 1 million of these cases were 
substantiated. Each year, an estimated 2,000 childrenmost under 4 
years olddie at the hands of parents or caretakers.
    Research demonstrating a link between child victimization and later 
involvement in violent delinquency suggests the efficacy of preventing 
child abuse and neglect and treating the victims of abuse as a means of 
reducing later violent and delinquent behavior.
    To break the cycle of childhood victimization and violent 
delinquency, OJJDP plans to enter into a joint solicitation with other 
bureaus of the Office of Justice Programs, in cooperation with other 
Federal agencies, to foster comprehensive, community-based, interagency 
and multi disciplinary approaches to the prevention, identification, 
intervention, and treatment of child abuse and neglect.
    It is anticipated that two to five demonstration projects will be 
competitively awarded in FY 1996 as part of a 5-year project period. 
Sites will be required to address each of the following program areas: 
(1) data collection and evaluation; (2) system reform and 
accountability; (3) training and technical support to practitioners; 
(4) provision of a continuum of services to protect children and 
support families; and (5) prevention education and public information.
    Training and technical assistance will be made available to 
selected sites in a number of areas, including system reform, 
practitioner training, victim advocacy, team-building and interagency 
collaboration, family-strengthening services assessment and 
implementation, and diversity/cultural awareness training.
    Applicants will be expected to demonstrate an ability to leverage 
other available sources of funds and document a readiness to engage in 
reform of child protection systems, progress in assessing and 
addressing child abuse and neglect, and broad community representation, 
commitment, and participation.
Permanent Families for Abused and Neglected Children*
    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 the Social Security Act, as amended, 42 
U.S.C. Sec. 671(a)(15), training in selected States, and implementation 
of a model guide for risk assessment.
    The project is implemented by the National Council of Juvenile and 
Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) . NCJFCJ provides support services to 
coordinate programs, trains judges in the Court Appointed Special 
Advocate (CASA) program, and implements the Model Court Program in 
additional jurisdictions.
    In FY 1996, a new program to divert families from the court system 
through arbitration under court supervision will be developed in three 
model courts using other funding sources. However, the program will be 
incorporated into NCJFCJ's permanency planning training.
    The Permanent Families for Abused and Neglected Children Program 
will be implemented by the current grantee, NCJFCJ. No additional 
applications will be solicited in FY 1996.
Parents Anonymous, Inc.*
    Parents Anonymous, Inc. (PA) establishes groups and adjunct 
programs that respond to the needs of families through a mutual support 
model of parents and professionals sharing their expertise and their 
belief in each individual's ability to grow and change in ways that 
create caring and safe environments for themselves and their children. 
In FY 1994, OJJDP began supporting PA's Juvenile Justice Project to 
enhance PA's mission to prevent child abuse and neglect by developing a 
new capability within the PA network to address the needs of high-risk, 
inner-city populations, with an emphasis on minority parents.
    As a result of OJJDP funding, PA has: developed 31 new groups in 11 
states; produced and disseminated the booklet, I Am A Parents Anonymous 
Parent, in Spanish; convened a National Leadership Conference in 
Washington, D.C. in February 1995 which focused on outreach, 
recruitment and services for families of color and collaboration with 
juvenile justice agencies; convened an Executive Directors' Leadership 
Conference in Claremont, California, in November 1995; conducted 
written surveys, focus groups, and intensive telephone interviews to 
gather ``best practices'' data; produced and disseminated 12,000 copies 
of an expanded Innovations PA newsletter; and produced and disseminated 
15,000 copies of The Parent Networker, a new semi-annual publication 
focused on issues of diversity.
    In FY 1996, PA will convene at least two regional trainings focused 
on working with families of color in high-risk settings, produce and 
disseminate two technical assistance bulletins, one on parent 
involvement as it relates to

[[Page 21287]]

communities and families of color, and the other on strategies for 
providing PA programs for incarcerated parents, conduct two 
teleconference trainings, provide training and technical assistance to 
implement PA services in up to six SafeFutures Program sites, expand 
the number of PA affiliates working with the Juvenile Justice Project, 
and publish and disseminate a ``PA Best Practices'' manual.
    The project will be implemented by the current grantee, PA. No 
additional applications will be solicited in FY 1996.
Lowcountry Children's Center, Inc.*
    OJJDP will continue to fund Lowcountry Children's Center, Inc. 
(LCC) of Charleston, South Carolina in its expansion and coordination 
of the services required to create a model multi disciplinary, crisis 
intervention program for child victims of sexual assault and their 
families. LCC's goals are to: (1) continue their existing multi 
disciplinary services; (2) enhance support and coordination between law 
enforcement and the Solicitor's (prosecutors) office in cases 
concerning allegations of child physical and sexual assault; (3) 
provide medical examination in a timely manner; and (4) collect and 
analyze data regarding the demographics of child victims and their 
families and the characteristics of the perpetrator, the sexual 
assault, and the community response. In 1995, as a result of this multi 
disciplinary approach, LCC has exceeded its initial projections 
regarding the number of individual children who have been assessed and 
the number of clinical treatment units provided to these children and 
their families (as of December 31, 1995). LCC provided physical 
examinations for 194 children alleged to be victims of sexual abuse in 
a child-oriented environment and in a timely manner.
    This project will be continued by the current grantee, LCC, Inc. No 
additional applications will be solicited in FY 1996.
Shay Bilchik,
Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

Office for Victims of Crime Fiscal Year 1996 Discretionary Program Plan

Victim Services 2000: A Vision for the 21st Century

Introduction

    The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) is pleased to announce its 
Discretionary Program Plan for Fiscal Year 1996 (FY96). OVC was created 
to help ensure justice and healing for our nation's crime victims. It 
carries out this broad mandate by funding crucial victim services, 
supporting training for the diverse professionals who work with crime 
victims, and developing programs 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, which is derived from the fines, penalty assessments, and 
bail forfeitures of Federal criminal offenders--not from tax dollars. 
In FY96, OVC has approximately $220 million to support critical 
services to crime victims, national-scope training and technical 
assistance, and demonstration programs. Under the Victims of Crime Act 
(VOCA), 97 percent of this money is allocated to States for the funding 
of victim assistance and compensation programs. Three percent of the 
Fund's annual collections must be spent for discretionary programs, and 
under the Children's Justice Act, $1.5 million is allocated for 
programs to improve the handling of child abuse cases in Indian 
Country.
    This year's planned scope of activities to benefit crime victims is 
OVC's most comprehensive to date and includes the office's first major 
demonstration project. Spurred on by the fast approaching millennium, 
OVC seeks to create a blueprint for communities to build integrated, 
inclusive environments where service providers work together in one 
location to care for crime victims. It plans to offer communities the 
information, training, tools, and technical assistance that they need 
to create supportive, multi-disciplinary facilities designed especially 
for victims. Appropriate to this goal, the theme of the program plan is 
``Victim Services 2000: A Vision for the 21st Century.''
    Last year, OVC launched several major programs:
     The National Crime Victims Agenda, a project to (1) serve 
as a guide for long-term action to improve victims' rights and services 
in future years, and (2) update the 1982 President's Task Force Report 
on Victims of Crime by describing the progress on victims' issues 
during the past fourteen years;
     The publication of bulletins describing promising 
practices that are currently used by diverse victim service providers, 
including law enforcement, prosecution, medical, and corrections 
personnel;
     Projects to expand the capacity of the Federal criminal 
justice system and Indian Country to respond to crime victims; and
     The National Victim Assistance Academy, which offers 
comprehensive, cutting edge training presented by leaders in the field 
to victim service providers.
    Building on the achievements of past efforts and guided by 
extensive input from its numerous constituent groups, OVC will fund the 
following major FY96 initiatives:
     The completion of the National Crime Victims Agenda 
project and the publication of a long-term action plan for supporting 
crime victims;
     Victim Services 2000, a strategy to support communities in 
implementing comprehensive, collaborative services for all crime 
victims in a victim-centered environment that integrates many of the 
promising practices identified by FY95 grantees;
     An expanded National Victim Assistance Academy, 
simultaneously conducted at three sites through an interactive video 
hook-up, which will provide intensive education and training for policy 
makers and practitioners, as well as a training of trainers seminar to 
build expertise and promote leadership in the victim services field;
     The new Training and Technical Assistance Center, which 
will funnel resources to local, State, tribal, and Federal agencies to 
strengthen their capacity to serve crime victims;
     A major effort to improve the response of communities and 
the juvenile justice system to victims of juvenile offenders and gang 
violence; and
     A comprehensive plan to expand victim-witness training in 
the Federal system, including funding of full-time trainers for U.S. 
Attorneys' Offices and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), 
demonstration projects to improve services to white-collar crime and 
bank robbery victims, and major new initiatives in Indian Country to 
improve the handling of child abuse and domestic violence cases.
    Many programs in OVC's FY96 plan grew out of dozens of meetings 
with constituent groups around the country and were developed in 
partnership with other agencies. These include other bureaus in the 
Office of Justice Programs (OJP); Department of Justice (DOJ) offices, 
including the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, the Violence Against 
Women Office, and the Office for Policy Development; as well as other 
Federal agencies. For example, the TRIAD Program, which is a 
partnership between older Americans and law enforcement personnel to 
improve services to elderly crime victims, has been supported by OVC, 
the Bureau of

[[Page 21288]]

Justice Assistance (BJA), and the Administration on Aging at the 
Department of Health and Human Services. TRIAD was developed by the 
American Association of Retired Persons, the International Association 
of Chiefs of Police, and the National Sheriffs' Association and has 
established over 260 local programs nationwide.
    Among the many other examples of collaboration is the Attorney 
General's Indian Country Justice Initiative, which funds comprehensive 
services for two Indian tribes. It is a cooperative effort between the 
Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, the Department of the 
Interior, and various DOJ components, including the Criminal Division, 
the Office of Tribal Justice, the Office of Policy Development, and 
OVC, as well as other OJP bureaus.
    In this plan, the discretionary programs are separated into five 
major categories: The Vision, Voices from the Field, Building Vital 
Capacity in Victim Services, VOCA Enhancements, and Victim Assistance 
in Indian Country.
     The first category--``The Vision''--exemplifies the 
overall theme and includes the National Crime Victims Agenda project, 
the demonstration initiative Victim Services 2000, and the National 
Victim Assistance Academy. Other programs in this section are designed 
to fill gaps in existing services and gather information on promising 
practices that have not yet been identified and examined.
     Programs included under the heading ``Voices from the 
Field'' offer resources to fund projects that are generated from the 
field and will have a national impact on improving services to crime 
victims. They may include demonstration projects, training efforts, and 
materials such as films, curricula, brochures, and interactive training 
packages.
     The third category--``Building Vital Capacity in Victim 
Services''--includes other programs designed to expand the ability of 
local, State, and Federal agencies to serve crime victims. Examples of 
these programs are the Trainers Bureau, which provides national experts 
to local communities and agencies, and the Community Crisis Response 
Program, which makes teams of trained crisis responders immediately 
available to assist communities in the wake of major violent incidents.
     Programs under ``VOCA Enhancements'' direct discretionary 
funds to improve the effectiveness of State victim compensation and 
assistance programs, which receive the vast majority of Crime Victims 
Fund monies each year. A mentoring program and training conferences are 
included.
     Finally, ``Victim Assistance in Indian Country'' (VAIC) 
encompasses a host of programs designed to meet the needs of tribal 
communities in working with crime victims and enhancing system 
capacities. One major project supports over 30 direct service programs 
on Indian reservations. Another, the Children's Justice Act 
Discretionary Grant Program for Native Americans, makes direct grants 
to tribes to improve their response to child abuse cases and supports 
the development of related training materials.
    Within each of the five categories, programs are designated as 
competitive or non-competitive. Competitive programs are those for 
which OVC is inviting proposals. Non-competitive programs include most 
of the programs directed to support enhancements of services to Federal 
crime victims, many continuations of current grants, collaborative 
efforts in which OVC will participate but not award a new grant, and 
specific programmatic activities that OVC will conduct internally.
    This plan is a summary of the projects OVC plans to support during 
the coming funding cycle. The competitive projects are open to public 
and private not-for-profit organizations. Recent legislation has 
provided OVC with the authority to fund demonstration projects, but OVC 
is not authorized to support research, evaluation, or prevention 
activities. Most competitive programs, unless clearly designated for 
local, State, or regional purposes, must be national in scope. 
Anticipated funding levels, which are listed for some programs for FY97 
and future years, are not guaranteed but are contingent upon the amount 
of funding that becomes available in those years for discretionary 
purposes.

Application Process

    A Program Announcement and Application Kit, which will be available 
beginning May 20, 1996 will serve as a request for proposals. It will 
contain detailed descriptions of competitive programs and complete 
forms and instructions for developing an application. To receive a 
Program Announcement and Application Kit, please call 202/307-5983 or 
write to: Office for Victims of Crime, 1301 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 
200, NW, Washington, D.C. 20531.
    Competitive Programs. The Program Announcement and Application Kit 
will describe for each competitive program: the purpose of the program, 
background, goal, program strategy, eligibility requirements, award 
period, award amount, and application due date. Application due dates 
will vary for different programs. A panel of experts will be 
established for most competitive program areas to review and rank the 
applications. Awards will be made to organizations and agencies 
offering the greatest potential for achieving the programs' goals on 
the basis of information provided in the applicants' proposals and 
assessments of past performance on OVC/OJP grants. Funding decisions 
will be made by the Director of OVC. All applications for competitive 
programs are due July 15, 1996 except for the Field Generated/National 
Impact Projects and the Action Partnerships with Professional 
Organizations. Applications for these two projects are due September 1, 
1996.
    Non-Competitive Programs. OVC staff will contact applicants for 
non-competitive programs to discuss application requirements and due 
dates.
    Solicitation of Concept Papers. OVC invites eligible public and 
private not-for-profit agencies to submit concept papers for potential 
funding in FY97. Agencies submitting outstanding concept papers will be 
invited to submit complete proposals for funding consideration. Concept 
papers will be accepted on two dates: October 1, 1996 and February 1, 
1997.
    We hope that the following program plan will generate creative and 
comprehensive proposals from diverse applicants and will nurture 
improved and expanded services needed to ensure justice and healing for 
all crime victims.
Aileen Adams,
Director, Office for Victims of Crime.

Summary of Competitive Projects

    To facilitate applications, competitive projects which are 
described in various places throughout the program plan are together 
below:

1. Victim Services 2000 ($200,000 in FY96 and substantial continuation 
of funding in FY97-2000)
2. Victims of Gang Violence ($125,000 in FY96 and in FY97)
3. Juvenile Court Response to Victims of Juvenile Offenders ($150,000 
in FY96 and in FY97)
4. School Demonstration Projects to Assist Victims and Witnesses 
($200,000 in FY97)
5. Sexual Victimization of Youth Symposium ($50,000 in FY96)
6. Assisting Disabled Victims of Crime Symposium ($50,000 in FY96)
7. Victim Assistance for Stalking Victims ($75,000 in FY96 and in FY97)
8. Cultural Considerations in Assisting Victims of Sexual and Physical

[[Page 21289]]

Violence ($75,000 in FY96 and in FY97)
9. Restitution: Promising Practices ($100,000 in FY96)
10. Sexual Assault Curriculum and Training Project ($100,000 in FY96 
and in FY97)
11. Field Generated National Impact Projects ($550,000 in FY96 and in 
FY97)
12. Concept Papers for FY97 ($600,000 in FY97)
13. State and Regional Conference Support Initiative ($75,000 in FY96)
14. Innovative Federal Victim and Witness Practices ($100,000 in FY96)
15. Capacity Building Technical Assistance (up to $10,000 per site in 
FY96)
16. Action Partnerships with Professional Organizations ($120,000 in 
FY97)
17. Resource Materials for Victim Organizations ($125,000 in FY96)
18. OVC ``Help'' Series ($30,000 in FY97)
19. Regional Technical Assistance Meetings for State VOCA 
Administrators ($25,000 in FY97)
20. Children's Advocacy Centers in Indian Country ($50,000 in FY96)
21. Topic-Specific Monographs ($75,000 in FY96)

I. The Vision

A. Comprehensive Initiatives

1. The National Crime Victims Agenda ($125,000)--Non-Competitive
    The National Crime Victims Agenda report will be published in 1996. 
The report will focus on promising practices in a variety of 
disciplines and crime victim categories, and will encourage reforms 
that build on the recommendations presented in the 1982 Final Report of 
the President's Task Force on Victims of Crime. A funding priority for 
OVC in 1997 is to support programs that implement key recommendations 
of the Agenda report.
2. Victim Services 2000 ($200,000 in FY96 and Substantial Continuation 
of Funding in FY97-2000)--Competitive
    Victim Services 2000 will support the development of a 
comprehensive victim service system in at least two select 
communities--one in an urban setting and the other in a rural area. The 
purpose of this initiative is to support comprehensive, collaborative 
services for all crime victims in a victim-centered environment. 
Demonstration sites will involve victim service practitioners, criminal 
justice and local emergency response personnel, support groups, medical 
and mental health providers, clergy, schools, youth, and youth workers 
as active participants in the planning and implementation of their 
programs. Sites also will be encouraged to develop linkages with the 
media, professional educators, legislators and other elected leaders, 
community leaders, the private sector, professional associations, and 
others to improve services to victims. The integration of recently 
developed technologies, special service settings, community-based 
programs, appropriate State and local laws, interagency linkages, and 
an internal assessment process will be critical to the success of these 
Victim Services 2000 laboratories, which will function as training 
sites for other communities.
    The initiative will require three phases: community planning and 
model development, component implementation, and training and 
information dissemination. During the first phase, sites will conduct a 
collaborative needs assessment and planning process, creating a model 
for a comprehensive victim service environment in their communities and 
a detailed plan for implementing the model. In subsequent years, they 
will implement the plan by enhancing existing services, filling service 
gaps, and integrating new promising programs and strategies into their 
system of services. Once the demonstration sites are fully implemented, 
they will assume two additional functions: to serve as a training 
laboratory for victim service personnel from other communities and to 
produce information useful to others wishing to replicate or adapt 
their model.
    The solicitation for the initiative will be directed toward 
communities that have already made substantial progress in developing a 
comprehensive and coordinated system of victim services. Applicants are 
expected to collaborate with other relevant public and private agencies 
that serve crime victims locally and document these relationships 
through written interagency agreements and commitments to share 
resources. First year funding will be in the amount of $100,000 for 
each site. Based upon grantee performance and availability of future 
funds, substantial funding for four subsequent years is anticipated.
3. National Victim Assistance Academy
    In 1995, OVC initiated the National Victim Assistance Academy, the 
first course of its kind to train victim practitioners and policy 
makers. The Academy offered basic and advanced interdisciplinary victim 
assistance training to students from across the country. In 1996, OVC 
will expand the effort by weaving cutting edge and tested training 
materials into a program that encourages excellence in leadership and 
in daily practice. The Academy will offer specialized training topics, 
basic and advanced instruction, and a train the trainer series to meet 
the needs of victim service providers and criminal justice personnel at 
local, tribal, State, and Federal levels. In addition, OVC will conduct 
a program assessment and then craft a plan for building a 
comprehensive, multi-faceted Academy that coordinates the best adult 
education training technologies with OVC's resources and current 
training programs.
    National Victim Assistance Academy Programs ($207,000)--Non-
Competitive. OVC will provide second year funding for a five-day 
national victim assistance seminar for 120 victim service providers 
from the Federal, State, tribal, and local levels. The seminar will 
originate from a university campus located in Washington, D.C., and the 
instruction will be simultaneously broadcast to two additional 
campuses--one located in Kansas and the other in California. Each site 
will accommodate 40 students. In addition, the seminar faculty will 
conduct a two and one half day Train the Trainers program in 
Washington, D.C. for 30 victim service professionals who may serve as 
future seminar faculty in OVC or State sponsored victim service 
provider courses.
    Train the Trainer Seminar Series ($450,000)--Non-Competitive. 
Another major component of the Academy is a train the trainer seminar 
series. Each year, several topics are identified for which there is an 
evident shortage of qualified trainers to address the needs of the 
field. For FY96, four topics have been identified to offer in this 
series: Hate/Bias Crime, Victim Assistance in Community Corrections, 
Responding to Staff Victimization in Correctional Agencies, and Death 
Notification. The Train the Trainer Seminar Series is described in 
greater detail below under ``Building Vital Capacity in Victim 
Services, Comprehensive Initiatives.''
    Victim Assistance Training Strategies ($25,000)--Non-Competitive. 
This project will assess the various strategies used by OVC to offer 
training to the field, and lay the framework for an expanded Academy 
which will include many of those strategies as Academy components. This 
project is described below under ``Building Vital Capacity in Victim 
Services, Non-Competitive Projects.''

[[Page 21290]]

4. Comprehensive Initiative To Improve Services to Victims of Gang and 
Other Juvenile Violence
    In FY96, OVC will launch a multi-faceted initiative to address the 
serious and growing problem of gang violence and its devastating impact 
on individuals and communities. The initiative includes the following 
component projects:
    Victims of Gang Violence ($125,000 in FY96 and in FY97)--
Competitive. This project will develop technical assistance materials 
to help victim service providers better serve victims of gang-related 
crime. Due to the fear of retaliation, revenge, and intimidation that 
commonly accompany gang violence, crime victims or their survivors are 
often afraid to exercise certain basic rights such as appearing in 
court, making an impact statement, pursuing restitution, or 
participating in other case events. In addition, these victims are 
often blamed for the violence or dismissed as contributing to the 
crime. This project will identify and document the successful ways 
agencies and communities are serving these victims and their families 
and describe practical applications for criminal justice and victim 
services staff. A package of technical assistance materials will be 
developed.
    Simultaneously, the grantee will work with the Office of Juvenile 
Justice and Delinquency Prevention's (OJJDP) demonstration sites, which 
are currently implementing that office's Comprehensive Community-Wide 
Approach to Gang Prevention, Intervention, and Suppression Program, and 
assist them in developing policies, procedures, and services that 
address the needs of the victims of gang violence. It is anticipated 
that this assistance process will aid the grantee in developing the 
technical assistance package and also provide ample opportunity for 
pilot-testing the materials.
    Juvenile Court Response to Victims of Juvenile
Offenders ($150,000 in FY96 and in FY97)--Competitive. In 1995, OVC 
funded three regional forums to assess the needs of victims of 
juvenile offenders and to propose action steps to address these 
needs. Although the recommendations generated by these forums are 
not yet available, information learned in the assessment phase of 
the project can serve as a starting point for focusing additional 
resources on areas of identified need. One such area is information 
and education on victim-related issues for juvenile court personnel 
and probation staff.
    The recipient of this grant will conduct a nationwide survey of 
practices and programs of juvenile courts that address the needs of 
crime victims. From information gathered by the survey and through a 
general search for additional promising practices, the grantee will 
develop a training and technical assistance package. The package should 
cover such topics as victims' legal and procedural rights, victim 
impact statements, restitution orders, and other programs and services 
that target victims of juvenile offenders for services or involve them 
in the court process. While the package will be directed primarily 
toward an audience of juvenile court personnel and probation staff, it 
also should provide useful information for victim service providers who 
work with victims of juvenile offenders. A training event will pilot-
test the materials.
    In FY97, court jurisdictions will be invited to submit applications 
to receive intensive training and technical assistance from the 
grantee. Applicants with extensive prior experience in providing 
judicial education and training are encouraged to apply for this grant.
    Symposium on Gang Violence ($25,000)--Non-Competitive. Together 
with OJJDP, OVC will co-sponsor a one-day meeting of gang violence 
victims and victim service providers in conjunction with a larger 
conference on gang violence being held in June 1996. Participants will 
explore the strategies that seem to work in their communities, the 
current connections that exist among organizations serving victims of 
gang violence, the value in bringing these groups together, and the 
role that government can play in helping to reduce gang violence. 
Funding will cover expenses for victims of gang violence and for 
service providers to attend a planning session and the gang violence 
conference.
    School Demonstration Projects to Assist Victims and Witnesses 
($200,000 In FY97)--Competitive. OVC plans to dedicate $200,000 to 
support two demonstration programs located in schools to assist pre-
teen and teenage victims and witnesses of gang violence and other 
juvenile crimes. The purpose of these projects is to establish 
comprehensive programs for these young victims which can be replicated 
in additional communities. To be eligible for the project, a school 
should have or be willing to offer the following resources: an 
acceptable course of study on victim issues, which includes material on 
the impact of crime, presented in part by victims themselves; training 
on peer support, crisis response, and mediation techniques; individual 
and group counseling services; avenues for parental involvement; 
liaison with local advocacy programs to support youth who must deal 
with the court system; and support services for victimized teachers.
    Teleconference for Teachers on Staff Victimization. In FY97, OVC 
anticipates funding a teleconference for teachers on the topic of staff 
victimization, that is, victimization in the school and elsewhere that 
occurs as a consequence of their professional role.

B. Competitive Projects

1. Issue Symposia ($100,000)
    OVC will fund two two-day symposia in the amount of $50,000 each on 
important and emerging topics in the victims field. As a substantive 
understanding of each topic is critical to the success of this program, 
it is likely that separate awards will be made to applicant 
organizations displaying the greatest depth of knowledge and experience 
in each area. The purpose of the symposia is to stimulate discussion on 
specific victim-related issues and to generate recommendations and 
action plans for addressing the issues effectively. Between 15 and 20 
experts in a given topic area will be invited to attend each event. The 
symposium facilitator will survey the field for promising and model 
practices, relevant research and/or evaluation findings, and available 
statistics, and will provide this material to participants in advance 
of the event. The agenda will include expert presentations, round-table 
discussions, and the development of an action plan for the field that 
outlines specific steps for outreach, training and technical 
assistance, and public education. Specific recommendations for 
practitioners also will be generated where appropriate. For each event, 
the facilitator will report on the group's findings, recommendations, 
and action plan. These highlights will be summarized in a short 
monograph suitable for publication as an OVC bulletin. The symposia 
topics are:
    Sexual Victimization of Youth. National-scope studies such as Rape 
in America have documented the prevalence of sexual violence in the 
lives of youth. Failure to intervene during these formative years can 
lead to long lasting mental health problems and vulnerability to 
further victimization. Nonetheless, adolescent and pre-adolescent 
victims of sexual violence remain a population underserved by victim 
assistance professionals. The symposium ``Sexual Victimization of 
Youth'' will focus on effective means of reaching and assisting young 
victims.
    Assisting Disabled Victims of Crime. Persons with physical and

[[Page 21291]]

developmental disabilities face increased vulnerability to crime 
victimization, and at the same time, remain a population acutely 
underserved by victim assistance providers. Passage of the Americans 
with Disabilities Act has heightened the visibility of the issue and 
prompted thought about how service providers can best extend the reach 
of their services to disabled victims. ``Assisting Disabled Victims of 
Crime'' will explore issues of service accessibility and 
appropriateness, as well as legal considerations arising from the law.
2. Victim Assistance for Stalking Victims ($75,000 in FY96 and in FY97)
    Although almost every State has passed anti-stalking legislation 
and developed a model code, communities are challenged with enforcing 
the new laws. This project will build upon the model anti-stalking code 
and recommendations developed by the National Criminal Justice 
Association under grants from OVC, the National Institute of Justice 
(NIJ), and BJA. The project will support a survey of promising 
practices for effectively managing stalking cases in the criminal 
justice system, with particular attention to protection and support for 
victims. The grant recipient will produce a compendium of promising 
practices in States and localities, with an in-depth focus on the case 
management systems implemented at three model sites. The grantee will 
examine strategies for coordination between victim assistance providers 
and members of the criminal justice system, including law enforcement, 
prosecutors, and judges. The grantee also will document innovative laws 
and policies, relevant and reliable case law, and the use of technology 
(e.g., special monitoring equipment) to protect victims. The grantee's 
final compendium will describe key elements of a model system response 
to stalking victims. Grant activities will cover two years with $75,000 
available in FY96 and an additional $75,000 available for training and 
technical assistance in FY97.
3. Cultural Considerations in Assisting Victims of Sexual and Physical 
Violence ($75,000 in FY96 and in FY97)
    Female victims of sexual and physical violence come from many 
cultural and ethnic backgrounds. The diversity of this population 
presents victim advocates and criminal justice professionals with 
unique challenges in outreach and service delivery. Language barriers, 
cultural stigmas attached to being sexually victimized or battered, and 
lack of awareness of the availability of services often deprive women 
and their children of critical victim assistance services and criminal 
justice protections. This program will train domestic violence and 
sexual assault victim advocates, law enforcement, and attorneys to be 
more responsive to the female victims of diverse cultural and ethnic 
backgrounds. A major portion of the training will be devoted to 
implementation of the Violence Against Women provisions of the Violent 
Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994.

4. Restitution: Promising Practices ($100,000)

    Restitution is a direct and positive way to hold offenders 
accountable for the harm caused by their offenses. With widespread 
support from many victims and members of the general public, 
restitution has increasingly become mandatory for offenders in both 
juvenile and adult courts at the local, State, and Federal levels. Yet 
many jurisdictions find that orders of restitution are extremely 
difficult to enforce. Barriers to enforcement include inadequate 
administrative policies and practices, as well as the indigence of some 
offenders. This project, jointly sponsored by OVC and BJA, will 
identify promising approaches used in the criminal and juvenile justice 
systems to establish and enforce orders of restitution and to ensure 
that victims receive the payments due them. Such approaches might 
include the use of efficient, simple-to-use software programs to track 
and manage restitution orders; procedures for assessing victim losses 
to determine appropriate amounts of restitution to order; and 
strategies for collecting restitution payments. The grantee will 
produce a compendium of promising practices and accompanying training 
and technical assistance materials to assist jurisdictions that wish to 
implement them. In addition, limited technical assistance will be 
provided to sites seeking to improve their capacity to carry out court-
ordered restitution.
5. Sexual Assault Curriculum and Training Project ($100,000 in FY96 and 
in FY97)
    OVC will fund a three phased project to develop comprehensive 
training for rape crisis counselors and victim advocates who are 
responsible for providing services and securing rights for adult 
victims of sexual assault. In phase one of the project, the grantee 
will conduct an extensive literature search and review and develop a 
comprehensive training curriculum and train the trainer guidebook for 
program managers and statewide coalition leaders. The curriculum will 
present effective service delivery strategies, including crisis 
counseling, support groups, criminal justice advocacy, outreach, and 
referral services. Since the curriculum and guidebook will build upon 
existing training curricula and will include standard core elements, 
these products can be developed concurrently with the literature 
review. Phase two of the project will focus on the delivery of training 
to service providers and victim advocates at national, regional, and 
statewide training events. In the final phase of the project, it is 
anticipated that the grantee will present the training as part of the 
train the trainer component of the OVC National Victim Assistance 
Academy. In addition, the grantee will assess the training and make 
recommendations for modifications and further dissemination of 
materials. Highlights of the training program will be summarized in a 
short monograph suitable for publication as an OVC bulletin. 
Continuation funding in FY98 will be considered, depending upon the 
success of the project.

C. Non-Competitive Projects

1. Law School Clinics as Resources Against Family Violence ($25,000)
    In collaboration with the Violence Against Women Grants Office and 
the American Bar Association, OVC will support regional training 
conferences focusing on community responses to family violence. The 
target audience of the conference series consists of victim advocates 
and law school clinic personnel. The purpose of the grant is to 
encourage law school clinics to develop or enhance clinical programs 
that address family violence issues and to facilitate a recognition 
among victim advocates of law schools as valuable resources. The 
grantee will develop a monograph describing innovative services for 
family violence victims which will be disseminated to law schools 
nationwide.
2. Teleconference on Staff Victimization in Correctional Facilities 
($50,000)
    A two-hour teleconference on staff victimization in juvenile and 
adult correctional facilities will be conducted in collaboration with 
the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) and OJJDP. The 
teleconference, transmitted via satellite, will allow participants to 
view the event ``live'' on a television or a large projection screen 
and ask questions of the experts by telephone during the program. OVC, 
OJJDP, and NIC staff will jointly plan the teleconference agenda. They 
will competitively contract for both the

[[Page 21292]]

production of short videotaped segments to highlight key elements of 
the topic and the ``uplink'' transmission of the event. Sites will 
register to serve as host sites, and each will designate a contact 
person to coordinate the teleconference, duplicate camera-ready 
materials for the participants, and submit participant evaluations to 
OVC.
3. Domestic Violence Against Women Technical Assistance Program
    Last year, OVC provided seed money so that customized, multi-
disciplinary training could be provided to jurisdictions seeking to 
create a coordinated response to family violence. In 1996, OVC will 
continue to work with the Violence Against Women Grants Office to 
provide Services*Training*Officers*Prosecutors (STOP) grantees 
technical assistance, including site visits for family violence teams 
to observe innovative programs in operation.
4. Safe Kids/Safe Streets: Community Based Approaches To Intervening in 
Child Abuse and Neglect ($100,000 in FY97)
    OVC will join with other OJP Bureaus to support the Child Safe 
Project, which will coordinate Federal, State, and local resources into 
a comprehensive prevention and intervention program for child victims 
and their families. This OJP-wide program will create systemic reforms 
to improve services for abused children; provide training and technical 
assistance support to practitioners who serve child victims and their 
families; strengthen a continuum of family support services to assure 
that assessment, counseling, and victim assistance services are 
available; assure the uniformity of evaluation protocols across sites; 
and provide prevention education and public information. OVC will 
provide selected grantees with training, technical assistance, and 
training materials on improving services for child victims. Assistance 
will focus on expanding the availability of medical services to 
sexually and physically abused children and mentoring or training 
programs for communities wishing to establish a Children's Advocacy 
Center. New technologies, use of specially trained nurse practitioners, 
and coordination with facilities that are providing quality forensic 
examinations and other medical services to child victims are some of 
the approaches that will be utilized to improve medical services for 
young victims.
5. Child Sexual Exploitation: Improving Investigations and Protecting 
Victims ($189,000)
    OVC and OJJDP will jointly support the continuation of a project 
that has developed a model for linking criminal justice personnel 
across jurisdictional boundaries and sources of victim assistance when 
sexually exploited children or youth are identified. During this phase, 
the grantee will: develop a ``promising practices'' report to document 
varying approaches to multi-jurisdictional collaboration; organize a 
conference, in conjunction with the 1997 National Symposium on Child 
Sexual Abuse, to bring together existing multi-jurisdictional teams; 
and develop a videotape and users' guide to showcase models for multi-
jurisdictional collaboration.
6. FBI Victim-Witness Programs ($100,000)
    OVC will provide up to $100,000 to support one demonstration 
victim-witness program in an FBI field office or resident agency. OVC 
will work with the FBI's Victim-Witness Assistance Program to announce 
the availability of the funding to field agencies. Applicant sites will 
submit a proposed implementation plan and budget. The selected project 
will identify, implement, and document promising practices for working 
with crime victims. Information about the results of this demonstration 
program will be distributed to other FBI field offices for possible 
replication. OVC will provide funding for one year, with a possible 
second year renewal.
7. U.S. Attorney Victim-Witness Program ($150,000)
    OVC and BJA will provide joint second year funding to support a 
demonstration victim-witness assistance program in the Eastern District 
of Wisconsin U.S. Attorney's Office. The purpose of the program is to 
improve the capability of U.S. Attorneys' Offices to respond to the 
rights and needs of Federal crime victims. Funds provide for the hiring 
of a victim-witness counselor advocate, a community drug victim 
specialist, and a victim-witness paralegal assistant. OVC and the U.S. 
Attorney's Office will compile the program's promising practices and 
disseminate them to other U.S. Attorneys Offices for replication.
8. National Symposium on Child Sexual Abuse ($37,000)
    OVC will support the participation of teams of Federal criminal 
justice personnel nominated by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices to attend 
the National Symposium on Child Sexual Abuse. OVC will also sponsor 
workshops specific to the unique dynamics attendant to Federal sexual 
abuse cases.
9. White-Collar Crime Victim Advocate Pilot Project ($100,000)
    OVC will support a pilot project in the Northern District of 
California U.S. Attorney's Office to improve services for white-collar 
crime victims. The project will identify, implement, and document 
promising practices for working with white-collar crime victims. Funds 
will be used to hire a white-collar crime victim advocate who will aid 
in identifying and recovering assets for victims. The advocate will 
work under the direction of the Chief of the Economic Crimes Division 
and will work closely with other components including the Asset 
Forfeiture Division, criminal investigators, the Financial Litigation 
Unit, U.S. Marshals, and the Victim-Witness Coordinator. Funds will 
also provide for computer support and travel. As part of the project, a 
representative of the U.S. Attorney's Office will participate in an ad-
hoc working group which will: (1) Identify and assess materials and 
practices that could benefit white-collar crime victims; (2) produce a 
resource kit that includes a victim pamphlet, victim handbook, and 
videotape; and (3) create a Victim-Witness Coordinator guide to 
assisting white-collar crime victims. Information about the results of 
this demonstration program will be distributed to other U.S. Attorneys 
Offices for possible replication.
10. U.S. Parole Commission Interagency Agreement ($54,000)
    Through an interagency agreement with the U.S. Parole Commission, 
OVC will fund a Victim-Witness Coordinator position to provide services 
for victims and witnesses with respect to attendance at Federal parole 
revocation hearings and notification of the results of those hearings. 
The Victim-Witness Coordinator also will coordinate with the Federal 
Bureau of Prisons when offenders are returned to prison to ensure that 
victims of the original Federal offenses are notified of the offenders' 
return to prison, any subsequent parole considerations, and the 
offenders' eventual release. At the end of the first year of this 
project, the Parole Commission will conduct an evaluation of the 
effort, including a review of case files for victim and witness 
appearance rates, and will survey victims, witnesses, and parole staff 
through questionnaires or phone interviews. The results of this review 
and survey may provide information

[[Page 21293]]

that can be used in State systems. The project might also document 
promising practices for Federal cases in which post-release supervision 
is provided by United States Probation Officers and in revocation 
proceedings conducted by the Federal Courts.
11. Children's Advocacy Center Pilot Project ($95,000)
    Through funds provided to the U.S. Attorney's Office in the 
District of Columbia, OVC will support the establishment of a 
Children's Advocacy Center demonstration site for Federal prosecutors 
and other agencies. The Center will showcase interagency services in a 
child-oriented environment. The multi-disciplinary Center will reduce 
the trauma to children by implementing a joint interview/assessment 
process among key agencies, thus minimizing the number of interviews. 
Program materials such as forms, letters, memoranda of agreement, 
policies, procedures, brochures, and informational materials for child 
victims and their families will be compiled and shared with other sites 
wishing to replicate or develop similar services for child victims.
12. International Victim Assistance Summit ($15,000)
    OVC will provide funding to assist the National Organization for 
Victim Assistance in organizing and implementing a summit on 
international victim assistance issues involving expert leaders from 
around the world.

II. Voices From the Field

A. Comprehensive Initiatives

1. Field Generated National Impact Projects ($550,000 in FY96 and in 
FY97)--Competitive
    This program is designed to give the field wide latitude in making 
proposals to improve practices and enhance crime victims' access to 
rights and services. OVC invites the submission of proposals for 
training and technical assistance projects that: (1) Address an area of 
ongoing or emerging need; (2) are national in scope or will have a 
national impact; and (3) will provide products or materials that may be 
easily adapted, replicated, and disseminated to practitioners in the 
field. Proposals must be congruent with OVC's discretionary funding 
authority to support demonstration, training, and technical assistance 
projects that improve the response to and services for crime victims. 
Activities outside the scope of OVC's funding authority include 
prevention, treatment for perpetrators, research, evaluation, and other 
activities not directly linked to assisting crime victims. Proposed 
projects may range from $50,000 to $100,000. Consideration will be 
given to projects that warrant multi-year funding based on project 
design. However, each phase should be capable of standing alone. 
Examples of the kinds of activities that can be supported include, but 
are not limited to:
     One to two day symposia on promising practices in a given 
topic area. Products will include an inventory of practices and 
programs; a list of expert trainers/practitioners; and symposia 
proceedings, and suggested strategies for action.
     Training programs for trainers and practitioners in a 
given program area. Train the trainer programs using existing and 
demonstrated successful curricula as well as the development of new 
training materials are encouraged. Products will include a survey of 
promising practices for new programs or an update of the curricula for 
existing programs; development and pilot-testing of training curricula 
and participant manuals; and plans to train with or directly 
disseminate the training products.
     Compendia of promising practices and program guidelines. 
Products will include a survey of the field; inventory and 
identification of promising approaches; identification of core 
programmatic elements and development of model programs or practices 
briefs; and publication of a short bulletin.
     Training videotapes with instructional booklets, for use 
by a trainer or as stand-alone training aids.
     Innovative applications of technology, such as interactive 
computerized training materials, or instruction and guidance in using 
other emerging technologies to inform, assist, or improve services to 
crime victims.
     Demonstration projects built on existing innovative 
programs that can serve as learning laboratories or production of 
information that enables others to replicate promising policies, 
practices, or entire programs.
    Examples of topics might include, but are not limited to: victim 
notification systems; training programs for judges, prosecutors, and 
law enforcement officers; train the trainer programs using curricula 
which have been demonstrated to be successful; victim assistance 
programs tailored to meet the unique needs of campus, white-collar 
crime, and bank robbery victims; and assistance practices that are 
responsive to ``hidden'' or underserved victim populations.
    Applicants for train the trainer projects must include the 
curriculum they intend to use. Proposals involving collaboration 
between public, not-for-profit, and private sector organizations are 
encouraged.
    OVC also is seeking to stimulate a response to crime victims from 
diverse fields such as the religious community, private non-profit 
agencies that link with the corporate community to address victim 
issues (such as workplace violence), and partnerships between 
organizations that result in expanded services for crime victims. In 
order to draw diverse skill, experience, and knowledge from the range 
of organizations that address crime victim issues, no more than two 
proposals or more than $150,000 will be considered for award to any 
single victim organization in a single year.

B. Competitive Programs

1. Solicitation of Concept Papers for FY97 ($600,000)
Innovative Training, Technical Assistance and Demonstration Projects
    In FY96, OVC anticipates funding five or six of the highest ranking 
applications submitted under ``Field Generated National Impact 
Projects,'' which is described above. OVC is also inviting the 
submission of concept papers on victim-related topics. OVC will review 
and rank the papers, and invite the highest ranking applicants to 
submit full proposals for FY97 funding consideration. Concept papers 
will enable OVC to explore new ideas without burdening prospective 
applicants, and also permit OVC to project more accurately the nature 
and amount of future grant awards. To be considered for funding, 
concept papers must address program areas within OVC's funding 
authority. Please see ``Field Generated National Impact Projects'' 
above. The examples provided, which illustrate permissible activities, 
are not intended to limit innovative ideas or approaches; the examples 
should not be construed as the only areas of interest or topics that 
will be funded. OVC's Program Announcement and Application Kit will 
give further guidance on preparing and submitting concept papers, which 
are due October 1, 1996 or February 1, 1997 for two cycles of review 
and funding.
Special Focus: Assisting the Victims of Crime in the Adjudicative and 
Administrative Aspects of Criminal, Civil, and Tribal Courts
    OVC recognizes the central role courts play in ensuring the 
delivery of justice, enhancing victims' perceptions that

[[Page 21294]]

justice has been done, and improving their sense of safety and redress. 
In recent years, court personnel--judges, court administrators, and 
clerks of court--have increasingly developed innovative strategies for 
assisting the victims of crime in both adjudicative and administrative 
aspects of criminal, civil, tribal, and juvenile courts. OVC seeks 
concept papers from courts, court-related organizations, and other 
agencies with relevant expertise to support activities that enhance or 
demonstrate innovations in courts' responses to and activities with 
victims of crime, and that can be replicated in other jurisdictions. 
Such court activities can involve, but are not limited to: (1) The 
development and delivery of education and training or curricula 
development for court personnel, victim advocates, and victims, with 
particular emphasis on increasing coordination with the prosecutor and 
other components of the criminal justice system; (2) activities to 
improve victims' access to justice, including the access of those 
proceeding pro se in related civil/domestic relations matters; (3) 
diagnostic services and referrals to appropriate community services; 
(4) programs to increase the safety of victims and witnesses in cases 
of stalking, threats, and intimidation and to reduce their exposure to 
the offender and the offender's supporters throughout the trial period; 
and (5) programs that ensure victims are kept informed of, prepared 
for, and have the opportunity to be heard at the various stages of the 
court process. Other issues of particular interest that proposed 
projects might address are: the impact of the media in high profile 
cases; gaining acceptance and understanding of the role of victim 
advocates in the judicial system; and procedures that limit the trauma 
of testimony by making accommodations to victims with special needs, 
such as children and the disabled.
2. State and Regional Conference Support Initiative ($75,000)
    In FY96, OVC will continue its successful Conference Support 
Training Initiative. This comprehensive, multi-disciplinary approach to 
training has provided an opportunity for nearly 10,000 victim 
assistance providers, crime victims, law enforcement officials, 
prosecutors, and allied professionals to attend cost-effective State, 
regional, and national victim assistance conferences. Over the past 
three years, OVC has co-sponsored 35 State and regional victim 
assistance conferences, as well as tracks of victim assistance training 
at four national conferences of allied professions. Through this 
initiative, OVC will continue to fund State and regional training 
events. Priority funding consideration will be given to States that 
have not previously participated in this project. A portion of the 
training workshops must be devoted to Federal crime victim issues. 
These issues may include bank robbery, bias/hate crimes, white-collar 
crime, and crimes occurring on Federal lands or in Indian Country.
3. Innovative Federal Victim and Witness Practices ($100,000)
    OVC will entertain proposals for identifying promising practices in 
addressing Federal victim and witness-related issues.

C. Non-Competitive Projects

1. Federal Crime Victim Assistance Fund ($75,000)
    Through an interagency agreement with the Executive Office of U.S. 
Attorneys, OVC will provide financial assistance to victims of Federal 
crime when other resources are not available. OVC will respond to 
requests from individual U.S. Attorneys' Offices for assistance in 
meeting the direct and immediate needs of Federal crime victims.
2. District Specific Training ($80,000)
    OVC will provide funding to Federal Districts to support training 
conferences and seminars addressing Federal victims' rights issues and 
compliance with the Attorney General Guidelines for Victim and Witness 
Assistance. The purpose of this program is to allow U.S. Attorneys' 
Offices to sponsor training events that meet local or regional needs.
3. Oklahoma City Federal Victim Assistance Program ($100,000 in FY96 
and in FY97)
    Through an interagency agreement with the Executive Office of U.S. 
Attorneys, OVC will make funding available to aid victims of the Alfred 
P. Murrah Federal building bombing. OVC will respond to requests from 
the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Western District of Oklahoma for 
financial assistance to support transportation to the trial in Denver, 
Colorado, for temporary shelter, and for crisis counseling. OVC will 
make an additional $100,000 available for this program in FY97.

III. Building Vital Capacity in Victim Services

A. Comprehensive Initiatives

1. OVC Resource Center ($350,000)--Non-Competitive
    The OVC Resource Center is a national clearinghouse of information 
concerning victim and witness assistance programs, victim compensation 
programs, and organizations from the private sector that assist victims 
and witnesses. It serves a broad constituency of individuals and 
organizations with professional, academic, and advocacy-related 
interests in the welfare of crime victims, including victim service 
providers, law enforcement agencies, clergy, prosecutors, health care 
practitioners, legislators, researchers, and victims. Key projects 
anticipated during FY96 include the establishment and distribution of 
an OVC newsletter, the development of new Internet/World Wide Web-based 
resources, and extensive conference activity. This initiative is 
supported jointly by OVC and BJA.
2. Training and Technical Assistance Center
    In recent years, OVC has developed several new mechanisms to direct 
training and technical assistance toward building the capacities of 
victim service agencies, frequently in response to requests from 
individual agencies for help in dealing with specific topics or 
problems. The OVC Training and Technical Assistance Center will offer a 
centralized access point for information about OVC's training and 
technical assistance resources. It will develop and disseminate 
training and technical assistance materials on topics of interest to 
the field, and mobilize specialized teams to address these topics and 
other identified areas of need. The Center also will assess and 
evaluate the training and technical assistance provided by Center 
components to ensure that high standards of quality are maintained. 
During FY96, OVC will publish a Request for Proposal (RFP) to contract 
services for FY97-2000.
    The Training and Technical Assistance Center will include:
    Capacity Building Technical Assistance--Competitive. OVC is 
launching a technical assistance program designed to strengthen 
community-based statewide and national victim assistance organizations, 
coalitions, and support groups. There are currently over 8,000 local 
victim service programs, hundreds of statewide coalitions, and nearly a 
dozen national

[[Page 21295]]

victim organizations that have worked to make the criminal justice and 
social service systems more responsive to the needs and rights of crime 
victims. Although their accomplishments have been impressive, many 
grassroots, volunteer-powered agencies need organizational development 
assistance in order to ensure their continuation and nurture future 
growth. Through this program, such agencies may request the assistance 
of an expert or team of experts who can assess their current operations 
and advise them on strengthening their organizational structure and 
funding base, suggest strategies for networking and outreach, support 
their capacity to seed new chapters or services, and provide leadership 
and board development training. Interested organizations may apply to 
OVC for Capacity Building Technical Assistance, following application 
guidelines which will be described in the Program Announcement and 
Application Kit. The five top-ranking applicants will receive up to 
$10,000 in intensive, individualized technical assistance. This project 
will be coordinated with OVC's organizational development resource kit 
described below under the heading, ``Resource Materials for Victim 
Organizations.''
    Trainers Bureau ($165,000 in FY96)--Non-Competitive. The Trainers 
Bureau is a mechanism for supporting cost-effective training and 
technical assistance to victim assistance programs and other agencies 
that deal with crime victims. Since its creation in 1994, the program 
has responded to more than 80 requests for a broad range of assistance. 
During FY96, OVC will publish a Request for Proposal (RFP) to contract 
services for FY97-2000. It is anticipated that this program will 
continue without interruption, and public and private not-for-profit 
agencies can continue to request assistance by contacting OVC for 
application instructions. BJA is collaborating with OVC in supporting 
this program.
    The Trainer's Bureau also will support a conference for OVC's 
discretionary grantees that provides information on the best strategies 
for developing and conducting effective training events, incorporates 
new technologies, involves OVC grantees in summarizing their projects 
and accomplishments, and focuses on OVC staff and grantee reciprocal 
responsibilities. The purpose is to share information about all 
projects, promote networking, and provide a forum to discuss future 
activities that will improve the quality of OVC training and technical 
assistance products and services.
    Community Crisis Response (CCR) ($25,000)--Non-Competitive. Through 
CCR, which was formerly called Immediate Response to Emerging Issues 
(IREP), OVC will continue to provide rapid response to requests for 
emergency training or technical assistance from communities and 
Federal, State, and local agencies responding to a major crisis 
involving multiple victims. Communities and agencies can continue to 
request assistance by contacting OVC for application instructions.
    Victim Assistance Partnerships and Strategies for the 1996 
Olympics--Non-Competitive. OVC will provide support to public and 
private partnerships in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding communities to 
assist them in addressing the increased and special needs of people 
victimized during the 1996 Olympic Games. The designated lead local 
agency will convene a planning committee of Federal, State, and local 
officials and victim advocates to develop a crisis response plan and 
protocols and to facilitate memoranda of understanding among the 
relevant agencies to carry out the plan.
    Conference and Meeting Support ($80,000)--Non-Competitive. This 
program will support logistics, planning, and travel-related costs for 
OVC-sponsored conferences and meetings. These events are likely to 
include:
     Focus groups that highlight major emerging issues. One 
topic OVC anticipates exploring through a focus group is victim 
assistance from the religious community. Since many victims and 
survivors seek counsel and support from their religious leaders, 
members of the clergy have a tremendous potential to assist crime 
victims. This focus group will recruit participants from the widest 
possible diversity of religious training institutions. A project 
advisory committee will be identified from staff of seminaries, bible 
colleges, rabbinical schools, and clerical training institutions, as 
well as from religious leaders who are involved in victim issues and 
victim advocates. Additional focus groups on other topics also may be 
convened.
     Meetings with OVC's various constituent groups, including 
State VOCA grantees.
     Support for Regional Coordination Initiative activities.
     Funding for unanticipated conferences and events that OVC 
may wish to conduct in the course of the year.
3. Regional Coordination Initiative--Non-Competitive
    This initiative is designed to promote networking and collaboration 
among victim service professionals on a regional basis. It mobilizes 
teams of Regional Field Coordinators (RFCs), selected from experienced 
victim service providers, to develop and implement regional training 
and technical assistance projects on victims issues. Each of four 
regional teams plans and organizes a training or technical assistance 
activity that their group will sponsor during the year. Activities are 
selected based upon input gathered from victim service providers and 
allied professionals throughout each region. Funding for team 
activities will be provided through the Training and Technical 
Assistance Center.
4. Train the Trainer Seminar Series ($450,000)--Non-Competitive
Hate/Bias Crime ($150,000 in FY96 and in FY97)
Victim Assistance in Community Corrections ($100,000)
Responding to Staff Victimization in Correctional Agencies ($100,000)
Death Notification ($100,000)

    OVC will sponsor a series of training for trainers seminars using 
curricula on topics of special interest that have already been 
developed through previous OVC grants. Between two and four seminars 
will be offered on each topic.
    Using the curricula they have already developed, pilot-tested, and 
delivered, the Education Development Center will offer training on 
Hate/Bias Crime; the American Probation and Parole Association will 
present seminars on Victim Assistance in Community Corrections; the 
National Victim Center will offer training on Responding to Staff 
Victimization in Correctional Agencies; and Mothers Against Drunk 
Driving will provide seminars on Death Notification. Respective 
grantees will: (1) Update the existing training package to produce 
comprehensive and user-friendly instructor and participant training 
manuals; (2) develop a plan for recruiting ``strategically placed'' 
individuals and supporting their attendance through scholarships at a 
training seminar; (3) produce a plan and instruments for assessing the 
impact of the training; (4) conduct train the trainer seminars; and (5) 
prepare a final report that presents the project assessment and makes 
recommendations for further improvements or training.
    Since the focus of the project is to integrate the training 
information into policies and procedures, the recruitment

[[Page 21296]]

process is crucial to the project's success. Grantees should therefore 
present a plan to attract certified trainers or individuals who are 
strategically located within a national, State, or local training 
academy or other system. Participating trainees must commit to 
disseminating the information through in-service training in their 
organizations, at State or local training academies, or via other means 
that channel the information to allied professionals in community, 
State, or national arenas.
5. TRIAD/Elder Abuse ($50,000 in FY96 and $200,000 in FY97)--Non-
Competitive
    In 1994, OVC entered into a partnership with BJA and the 
Administration on Aging at the Department of Health and Human Services 
to support regional TRIAD conferences. These training conferences have 
stimulated the growth of over 260 TRIAD programs in 44 States around 
the country. TRIAD is a joint effort of the American Association of 
Retired Persons, International Association of Chiefs of Police, and 
National Sheriffs' Association to build a coordinated service response 
to elderly crime victims. This successful training will be continued in 
FY96 and FY97.
6. Reproduction and Distribution of Training Materials for Federal 
Personnel ($80,000)--Non-Competitive
    OVC will set aside funding for the reproduction and dissemination 
of various training manuals and informational materials, including 
monographs, videos, and the Attorney General Guidelines for Victim and 
Witness Assistance.
7. Automated Victim Assistance Case-Tracking/Notification System 
($100,000)--Non-Competitive
    OVC will support the development, testing, and use of a specialized 
computer program that tracks victim, defendant, case, and service 
agency information. The system would be designed to: send victims 
timely notification of case proceedings and dispositions; provide 
victim service referrals; generate victim-related statistics; and 
ensure compliance with the Attorney General Guidelines for Victim and 
Witness Assistance. OVC will reimburse the Executive Office of U.S. 
Attorneys for expenses incurred by their Management Information Systems 
and/or by U.S. Attorneys' Offices.

B. Competitive Programs

1. Action Partnerships With Professional Organizations ($120,000 in 
FY97--Amounts up to $15,000 per Grant Will Be Awarded Depending on the 
Activities Pursued by Applicant Organizations)
    OVC seeks to join with national professional and membership 
organizations to support projects that provide information and training 
to their membership for the purpose of improving their response to 
crime victims. OVC is seeking proposals that specify techniques by 
which applicant organizations will disseminate the information to their 
membership and encourage its understanding, use, and integration into 
the daily practice of those who work with crime victims. Organizations 
of medical, mental health, legal, and criminal justice personnel, as 
well as the clergy and other allied professionals, are invited to 
propose one or more of the following activities: (1) Training tracks or 
a series of workshops at national conferences; (2) and sharing 
information through periodicals, special monographs or descriptions of 
model practices, ``codes of ethics,'' membership mailings, 
teleconferences, videotapes, new communication technologies, and other 
avenues for reaching the range of professionals who assist crime 
victims. OVC is particularly interested in projects that result not 
only in information dissemination but in increased interaction between 
the membership of two or more groups. This project is a new component 
of OVC's Training and Technical Assistance Center.
2. Resource Materials for Victim Organizations ($125,000)
    This project will support the development of a training and 
resource kit designed to strengthen community-based statewide and 
national victim organizations, coalitions, and support groups. Family 
members of homicide victims and survivors of other violent crimes often 
turn to self-help organizations for critical and long-term support 
services, including peer support, criminal justice advocacy, and 
referrals. Self-help groups, typically staffed primarily or even solely 
by volunteers--many of whom are survivors--have continual and pressing 
needs for training and technical assistance on a variety of topics.
    The resource kit will be used to provide training and technical 
assistance that strengthens community-based statewide and national 
victim assistance organizations, coalitions, and support groups. The 
kit will cover such topics as: advocacy within the criminal and 
juvenile justice systems; working in the legislative, political, and 
media arenas; fund-raising and management techniques for volunteer 
organizations; strategies for networking; ways to strengthen 
organizational structure; techniques for leadership and board 
development; and outreach to underserved and minority populations. The 
grantee will identify an advisory committee of representatives of the 
major support groups for family members of homicide victims and 
survivors of other violent crimes, who will help shape the contents of 
the kit. The materials will be pilot-tested in several different 
settings. After they have been revised, they will be printed and 
disseminated to groups nationwide. OVC anticipates funding a second 
phase of this project which will provide funding to several support 
groups to use the training and resource kit with paid and volunteer 
staff members.
3. OVC ``Help'' Series ($30,000 in FY97)
    OVC will fund the development of a packet of crime-specific 
brochures that succinctly capture the best known information on a 
variety of crime-related topics and identify national resources and 800 
numbers. The packet will complement the OVC Resource Center display; 
accompany responses to victims' letters, as appropriate; and serve as 
general public awareness material. Individual brochures will address 
the topics of sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking, drunk 
driving, and child abuse, with an edition specially tailored for 
children (ages 6-11 and 12-16 years).

C. Non-Competitive Projects

1. Regional Seminars for Establishing Community and Institutional 
Crisis Response Teams ($100,000 in FY97)
    OVC will provide continuation funding to organize, conduct, and 
assess a series of three regional training seminars on establishing 
community and institutional crisis response teams. The regional 
training will assist participants in preparing a community or 
institutional crisis response plan that is flexible enough to 
appropriately address many possible crime-related crises. The plan must 
address both chronic crises, such as multiple victimizations on one 
college campus, and acute crises, such as hostage situations. The 
training also will assist in identifying key professionals to serve on 
the crisis response team.

[[Page 21297]]

2. Victim Assistance Training Strategies ($25,000)
    As presented in 1995, the National Victim Assistance Academy 
consisted of a one week (40 hour), intensive block of training provided 
to approximately 40 victim service providers. In an effort to ensure 
that OVC is pursuing the most effective approach to building a training 
academy, this project will assess the basic elements of an effective 
academy, including: relevant target population, training practices and 
methodologies, technological pathways, and the relation of the academy 
to existing or potential State and national accreditation processes for 
victim service personnel. Options in all of these areas will be 
examined, as well as their respective cost implications. With input 
from OVC on the office's current training priorities and issues related 
to content, training sites, and number of participants, a 
recommendation report will be produced that can guide the process of 
building a multi-faceted Victim Assistance Academy that will enhance 
the quality of victim services in future years.
3. Resources for National Crime Victims Rights Week, 1997 ($30,000)
    Each year since 1982, National Crime Victims Rights Week (NCVRW) 
has been formally designated and commemorated at the Federal level 
during the month of April. NCVRW provides the nation the opportunity to 
acknowledge the plight of crime victims and to recognize the numerous 
reforms that have been instituted to advance their rights and respond 
to their unique needs. This project will support collaborative efforts 
between OVC and victim service organizations to make materials 
available to victims service providers, advocates, elected leaders, and 
the general public to assist in the commemoration of the national 
event.
4. Children's Advocacy Center Mentoring Program ($50,000)
    Children's Advocacy Centers (CAC) are assisting communities across 
the country in improving the handling of child victim cases by creating 
special child-friendly environments, adjusting criminal justice 
procedures to the needs and abilities of children, and adopting multi-
disciplinary approaches. In FY95, OVC joined with OJJDP and the 
National Children's Advocacy Network to produce a video illustrating 
``best medical practices'' for medical examinations; to conduct a 
conference to facilitate shared resources between CACs and family 
violence programs; and to support a specialized training track on 
family violence at the National Symposium on Child Sexual Abuse. In 
FY96, OVC will continue this joint effort with OJJDP by supporting a 
mentoring program that enables communities to connect with existing 
CACs and receive ongoing assistance in establishing or improving CACs 
or multi-disciplinary teams in their own communities.
5. Battered Women's Justice Project ($90,000)
    In FY95, OVC funded the Battered Women's Justice Project to analyze 
the Full-Faith and Credit provisions of the Violence Against Women Act 
and provide: (1) An in-depth State-by-State analysis of enforcement 
efforts; and (2) training and technical support for State and Federal 
prosecutors to implement these provisions. OVC is working closely with 
the Violence Against Women Office and the Violence Against Women Grants 
Office on this program and plans to continue this jointly funded effort 
in FY96.
6. Domestic Violence In Kentucky: Model Law Enforcement Response 
($20,000)
    OVC has worked closely with the Community Oriented Policing 
Services Office (COPS) and the Violence Against Women Grants Office to 
establish a demonstration program in Kentucky to implement the Full-
Faith and Credit provisions of the Violence Against Women Act. This 
program is both an intra-state and inter-state enforcement effort.
7. Office of Legal Education Victim Rights and Legal Issues Instructor 
($100,000)
    OVC will support an attorney instructor who will draft litigation 
series chapters and course material and present classroom instruction 
on Federal victims' rights legislation, case law and policy, and 
prosecutors' duties and responsibilities to Federal crime victims. OVC 
will make funding available through an interagency agreement with the 
Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys.
8. Federal Prosecutor and Victim-Witness Coordinator Travel ($200,000)
    OVC will provide funding to allow victim-witness coordinators and 
prosecutors from U.S. Attorneys' Offices to attend various training 
conferences. These funds, to be made available through an interagency 
agreement with the Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys, will cover 
travel-related expenses.
9. Federal Law Enforcement Training Center ($125,000)
    OVC will continue to support victim assistance training to law 
enforcement officers from over 70 Federal agencies. This agreement will 
provide funding for a trainer to present both basic and advanced 
courses at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center.
10. FBI Agreement ($273,000)
    Through an interagency agreement with the FBI, OVC will support 
skill development training of Victim-Witness Coordinators at the 
investigative level. The agreement will provide for training for FBI 
Victim-Witness Coordinators and fund a full-time trainer at the FBI 
Academy.
11. Federal Interagency Agreements ($100,000)
    OVC will make funding available to various Federal agencies to 
enhance their capacities for responding to victim and witness needs. 
OVC will use funds to support requests for training or production and 
distribution of informational materials.
12. Federal Travel ($130,000)
    OVC will provide funding to allow non-U.S. Attorney Federal 
criminal justice personnel to both attend and train at OVC-sponsored 
training sessions.
13. Developing and Marketing of Products ($50,000 in FY96 and $110,000 
in FY97)
    OVC is developing a minimum of 35 monographs and publications to 
disseminate descriptions of promising practices, that is, innovative 
and outstanding service strategies and programs that address the needs 
of crime victims. In addition, OVC will update the civil legal remedies 
bulletin, which informs victims of ways to pursue recovery and justice 
through civil procedures. The updated version will address current 
State laws and improved procedures and practices. Other products that 
will be reproduced and disseminated include the National Bias Crimes 
Training Guides, elder abuse training materials, and a guidebook for 
communities on responding to sexual abuse.

IV. VOCA Enhancements

A. Non-Competitive Programs
1. National Technical Assistance Conference for State VOCA Victim 
Compensation and Victim Assistance Administrators ($100,000)
    In FY96, OVC will provide funding to expand and enhance its support 
of

[[Page 21298]]

national-scope training and technical assistance for State VOCA victim 
compensation and assistance administrators. Grant awards will be made 
to the National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA) and the 
National Association of Crime Victim Compensation Boards (NACVCB) 
jointly to plan and conduct a national training and technical 
assistance meeting. The meeting will bring VOCA victim compensation and 
assistance administrators together to receive guidance and technical 
assistance to advance their administration of the Federal VOCA grant 
programs. The grantees will work together to develop the conference 
agenda, identify presenters, and manage other conference activities. A 
major purpose of the grant is to foster ongoing collaboration and 
coordination among compensation and assistance programs. Compensation 
and assistance administrators throughout the country will be consulted 
by the grantees concerning conference dates, presenters, and agenda.
2. Mentor Program for State VOCA Victim Compensation and Assistance 
Programs ($50,000)
    OVC will continue support for a newly established mentoring program 
to provide for on-site, expert assistance for State VOCA victim 
compensation and assistance programs. Participating ``mentors'' are 
drawn from a pool of VOCA administrators who have demonstrated 
proficiency in a range of program management and operational areas. 
Technical assistance is customized to meet the specific needs of VOCA 
victim compensation and assistance administrators. OVC will make 
$50,000 available to continue in this effort. Approved on-site 
assistance will be short-term, generally lasting between one and three 
days.

B. Competitive Program

1. Regional Technical Assistance Meetings for State VOCA Administrators 
($25,000 in FY97)
    In FY97, OVC will continue to support regional training and 
technical assistance meetings for State VOCA compensation and 
assistance administrators. The purpose of this initiative is to fund a 
number of regional State VOCA administrators' meetings to address 
training and information needs. These meetings may focus exclusively on 
victim assistance or victim compensation, or on a combination of the 
two. Federal funds will be used to support coordination, materials, 
meeting space, consultants, and other costs associated with planning, 
delivering, and assessing each meeting.

V. Victim Assistance in Indian Country

A. Comprehensive Initiatives

1. Victim Assistance in Indian Country Promising Practices ($25,000)--
Non-Competitive
    OVC will provide funding to the National Institute of Justice to 
assess the efficacy of VAIC programs.

B. Competitive Programs

1. Children's Advocacy Centers in Indian Country ($50,000)
    OVC will provide funding to assist two tribes in establishing 
Children's Advocacy Centers to serve as demonstration sites. In 
creating child-focused, multi-disciplinary settings, the centers will 
allow for a coordinated strategy to meet the needs of child victims and 
the criminal justice system. OVC will make funding available through 
OJJDP under a cooperative agreement with regional Children's Advocacy 
Centers.
2. Topic-Specific Monographs ($75,000)
    OVC will make funds available for the development of bulletins, 
fact sheets, and monographs on issues relevant to Native American child 
victims. Topics will include jurisdictional issues, child interviewing 
techniques, reporting procedures, child protection teams, psychological 
evaluations, cultural sensitivity, and tribal-Federal coordination.

C. Non-Competitive Programs

1. Victim Assistance in Indian Country ($767,000)
    OVC will make funding available to 18 States to support on-
reservation victim assistance programs in Indian country. OVC currently 
funds 32 such programs, enabling tribal communities under Federal 
jurisdiction to establish domestic violence shelters, crisis counseling 
programs, court advocacy networks, and other victim services.
2. Children's Justice Act Discretionary Grant Program for Native 
Americans ($717,000)
    OVC will provide third year funding to continue projects designed 
to improve the investigation and prosecution of child physical and 
sexual abuse cases in tribal communities. The programs have helped to 
establish special tribal child abuse prosecution units, develop 
interdisciplinary child abuse protocols, revise tribal legal codes, 
sponsor training, and support a variety of other initiatives designed 
to aid in the handling of child abuse cases.
3. Training and Technical Assistance for Children's Justice Act 
Grantees ($200,000)
    OVC will award continued funding to the National Indian Justice 
Center (NIJC) to provide training and technical assistance to tribes 
and tribal organizations in improving the handling of child physical 
and sexual abuse cases. NIJC will assess the needs of new Children's 
Justice Act grantees; develop plans to meet those needs; provide on-
site and telephonic technical assistance to both new and continuation 
grantees; and produce a monograph which describes promising practices 
that have been implemented to assist child victims in Indian Country.
4. Tribal Court Appointed Special Advocate Programs ($50,000)
    OVC will support the continuation of Court Appointed Special 
Advocate (CASA) programs in Indian Country. The programs will enable 
tribal court systems to assign advocates to represent the best 
interests of Native American children. Funding will be made available 
through OJJDP under a cooperative agreement with the National CASA 
Association.
5. Attorney General's Indian Country Justice Initiative ($273,000)
    OVC will make funding available to support the Attorney General's 
Indian Country Justice Initiative at the Pueblo of Laguna in New Mexico 
and the Northern Cheyenne Tribe in Montana. This interagency 
initiative, which funds comprehensive services for two Indian tribes, 
is a collaborative effort between the Administrative Office of the U.S. 
Courts, the Department of the Interior, and various DOJ components, 
including the Criminal Division, the Office of Tribal Justice, the 
Office of Policy Development, and OVC, as well as other OJP bureaus. 
OVC will support Children's Justice Act and CASA projects, as well as 
victim-witness programs, at each site. OVC will work closely with the 
DOJ Criminal Division to implement these projects.
6. Tribal and Federal Judges Training ($50,000)
    Through an interagency agreement with the Federal Judicial Center 
and DOJ's Office of Policy Development, OVC will support a program to 
educate tribal and Federal judges on the handling of child sexual abuse 
cases in Indian country. The program will provide legal education on 
Federal procedural law involving the Federal

[[Page 21299]]

Rules of Evidence, the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedures, and the 
Major Crimes Act; issues of prosecutorial discretion; and relevant 
tribal law regarding child sexual abuse. Funding also will support the 
development of a program manual for tribal and Federal judges.

[FR Doc. 96-11485 Filed 5-8-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-18-P