[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 63 (Thursday, April 2, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16360-16364]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-8650]



[[Page 16359]]

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Part VI





Executive Office of the President





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Office of National Drug Control Policy



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Department of Justice





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Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention



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Drug-Free Communities Support Program; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 63 / Thursday, April 2, 1998 / 
Notices  

[[Page 16360]]



EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Office of National Drug Control Policy

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention


Drug-Free Communities Support Program

AGENCY: Office of National Drug Control Policy, EOP, and the Office of 
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Justice.

ACTION: Notice of Funding Availability program announcement.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Executive Office of the 
President, Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and the 
Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 
Prevention (OJJDP), pursuant to the provisions of the Drug-Free 
Communities Act of 1997, enacted on June 27, 1997 (Pub. L. 105-20), are 
issuing a program announcement and solicitation for applications from 
community coalitions to increase citizen participation and strengthen 
community anti-drug coalition efforts to reduce substance abuse among 
youth in communities throughout the United States and, over time, to 
reduce substance abuse among adults.
    This program is specifically designed to enable community 
coalitions to strengthen collaboration among communities, the Federal 
Government, and State, local, and tribal governments; enhance 
intergovernmental cooperation and coordination among all sectors and 
organizations of communities that demonstrate a long-term commitment to 
reducing substance abuse among youth; rechannel resources from the 
fiscal year (FY) 1998 Federal drug control budget to provide technical 
assistance, guidance, and financial support to communities that 
demonstrate a long-term commitment to reducing substance abuse among 
youth; and disseminate to communities timely information regarding 
state-of-the-art practices and initiatives that have proven to be 
effective in reducing substance abuse among youth.
    Eligible applicants are community coalitions whose components have 
worked together on substance abuse reduction initiatives, for a period 
of not less than 6 months, which include initiatives that target 
illegal drugs, including narcotics, depressants, stimulants, 
hallucinogens, and cannabis; the abuse of inhalants; or the use of 
alcohol, tobacco, or other related products that are prohibited by 
State or local law, acting through entities such as task forces, 
subcommittees, or community boards with substantial participation from 
community volunteer leaders. Community coalitions shall implement 
comprehensive long-term plans to reduce substance abuse, including the 
use of alcohol and tobacco among youth and, over time, reduce substance 
abuse among adults. Coalition efforts should build on their ongoing 
efforts and plans.
    Congress authorized the following amounts to be appropriated to the 
ONDCP for the Drug-Free Communities Support Program for the 5-year 
period beginning in FY 1998: FY 1998--$10 million; FY 1999--$20 
million; FY 2000--$30 million; FY 2001--$40 million; and FY 2002--$43.5 
million. In FY 1998, initial grant funds available for award to 
community coalitions total $8.7 million (of $10 million appropriated).
    Approximately 100 to 200 grants of up to $100,000 will be made 
available through a competitive grant process in FY 1998, which will be 
administered by OJJDP through an interagency agreement with the ONDCP.

DATES: Applications under this program are due May 18, 1998.

ADDRESSES: The application kit is available through the ONDCP 
Clearinghouse at 1-800-666-3332 and the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse 
at 1-800-638-8736. The application kit can also be obtained online at 
ONDCP's and OJJDP's homepages at http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov 
and http://ncjrs.org/ojjhome.htm

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donna Bownes, Program Manager, Office 
of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 810 Seventh Street, NW, 
Room 8118, Washington, DC 20531, 202-307-5924; e-mail: 
B[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Introduction and Background

    Recent studies have confirmed that teen drug abuse is a national 
problem. Juveniles were involved in 14 percent of all drug arrests in 
1996, and between 1992 and 1996, juvenile arrests for drug abuse 
violations increased 120 percent. Data from the National Parents 
Resource Institute for Drug Education (PRIDE) released in 1996 show one 
in four high school seniors use illicit drugs at least once a month and 
one in five use illicit drugs daily. The 1996 data on cocaine, 
hallucinogens, inhalants, and marijuana were the highest reported since 
PRIDE studies began in 1988.
    The National Household Survey, conducted by the Substance Abuse and 
Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), confirms that these 
alarming rates of usage are part of an increasing trend. During the 
years 1994 to 1996, illicit drug use by 12- to 17-year-olds rose 78 
percent. LSD and other hallucinogen use increased by 183 percent, and 
cocaine use increased by 166 percent during those 3 years.
    Teens are not perceiving the risks involved in drug use to the same 
extent they did just 5 years ago. The Monitoring the Future Study, 
conducted by Dr. Lloyd Johnson at the University of Michigan, indicates 
that the number of teens who perceive a great risk from using powder 
cocaine and crack cocaine have both dropped more than 10 percent among 
eighth graders, and 5 percent among tenth graders. Similar trends exist 
for the perception of risk in using LSD and marijuana. A National 
Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) study reported that in 
just 1 year the number of 12- to 17-year-olds who said they would never 
try an illegal drug dropped 40 percent. The long-term trends presented 
in the Monitoring the Future Study show a strong inverse correlation 
between the perception of risk and rate of use, making these recent 
statistics particularly disturbing.
    The risks of drug use are great despite the decreased perception of 
risk. The Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN), which reports on drug-
related emergency room episodes, shows a 30 percent increase for 12- to 
17-year-olds over the 3 years from 1994 to 1996. The consequences of 
drug use are putting more teens in hospitals.
    On June 27, 1997, the Drug-Free Communities Act of 1997 (Act) was 
signed into law by President Clinton. This Act provides financial 
assistance and support to community coalitions to carry out their 
mission of reducing substance abuse among the Nation's youth. This Act 
responds to the doubling of substance abuse among youth in the 5-year 
period preceding 1996, with substantial increases in the use of 
marijuana, inhalants, cocaine, methamphetamine, LSD, and heroin.
    Congressional findings included the following:
     The most dramatic increases in substance abuse have 
occurred among 13- and 14-year-olds.
     Casual or periodic substance abuse by youth today will 
contribute to hard core or chronic substance abuse by the next 
generation of adults.
     Substance abuse is related to other problems, such as 
rising violent teenage and violent gang crime, increasing

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health care costs, HIV infections, teenage pregnancy, high school 
dropouts, and lower economic productivity.
     Increases in substance abuse among youth are due in large 
part to an erosion of understanding by youth of the high risks 
associated with substance abuse and to the softening of peer norms 
against use.
     Substance abuse is a preventable behavior and a treatable 
disease.
     Data suggest that if parents would simply talk to their 
children regularly about the dangers of substance abuse, use among 
youth could be expected to decline as much as 30 percent.
    The General Accounting Office (GAO) found that research has 
identified promising programs that use multiple societal institutions, 
including schools, families, media, and the community, working together 
in collaboration, to achieve multicomponent approaches to substance 
abuse prevention involving school-age youth. GAO also found that common 
features of programs using a comprehensive approach included strategies 
to target multiple aspects of a youth's life. These common features 
include increasing the awareness of the social influences (i.e. 
culture, environment, etc.) that promote drug use; modifying societal 
and community-specific norms or expectations concerning drug use; and 
targeting aspects of a youth's life through the use of family, peer, 
school, and community factors.
    The Drug-Free Communities Act builds upon the success of community 
anti-drug coalitions throughout the Nation in developing and 
implementing comprehensive, long-term strategies to reduce substance 
abuse among youth on a sustained basis. The Act recognizes the critical 
value of intergovernmental cooperation and coordination involving 
national, State, and local or tribal leadership and partnerships in 
facilitating the reduction of substance abuse among youth in 
communities throughout the United States. It creates a vehicle for 
these entities to work together to reduce substance abuse through the 
Drug-Free Communities Support Program.

II. Definitions

    Definitions are contained in the Drug-Free Communities Act. (The 
Act is available online at ONDCP's and OJJDP's homepages at http://
www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov and http://ncjrs.org/ojjhome.htm 
respectively.)

III. Program Goals and Objectives

Goals

     Reduce substance abuse among youth by addressing the 
factors that put youth at risk of substance abuse, including tobacco, 
and inhalant use.
     Disseminate information about effective substance abuse 
reduction strategies and initiatives for youth that can be replicated 
in other communities.
     Assess the effectiveness of community substance abuse 
reduction initiatives directed toward youth.

Objectives

     Support the efforts of community coalitions to prevent and 
reduce substance abuse among youth and, over time, among adults.
     Strengthen collaboration among communities, the Federal 
Government, and State, local, and tribal governments and private 
nonprofit agencies.
     Enhance intergovernmental cooperation and coordination on 
the issue of substance abuse among youth.
     Serve as a catalyst for increased citizen participation 
and greater collaboration among all sectors and organizations of a 
community to reduce substance abuse among youth.

IV. Project Strategy

    The application must include a description of how the applicant's 
proposed long-term strategic plan (a minimum of 5 years) meets the 
goals and objectives of the Drug-Free Communities Support Program. 
Applicants must describe how the Drug-Free Communities Support grant 
would enhance or augment the coalition's substance abuse reduction 
efforts. The discussion should include information on substance abuse 
reduction activities being conducted by the coalition, or members of 
the coalition, the coalition's plan to coordinate and leverage services 
to enhance substance abuse reduction efforts, and identify services and 
existing gaps in services and use this information to develop a 
strategy that minimizes duplication and inefficiencies and maximizes 
cooperation, coordination, and collaboration. The plan must include an 
articulated mission, timeline outlining the tasks associated with 
implementing the plan, and a strategy for ensuring that the coalition 
and the programs operated by the coalition will become self-sustaining 
within 5 years.

Tasks

     Establish a system to measure and report outcomes.
     Conduct an initial benchmark survey of drug use among 
youth in the community (or use local surveys or performance measures 
available or accessible in the community at the time of the grant 
application).
     Conduct biennial surveys (or incorporate local surveys in 
existence at the time of the evaluation) to measure the progress and 
effectiveness of the coalition.
     Implement prevention and treatment activities designed to 
reduce substance abuse by juveniles.

V. Dollar Amount and Duration

    FY 1998 community coalition award amounts for initial 12-month 
grants will be available up to $100,000, with a dollar for dollar match 
of non-Federal funds, to be provided in cash or in-kind (defined as the 
value of something received or provided that does not have a cost 
associated with it, such as donated services), by the applicant in the 
amount of Federal funds requested.
    It is anticipated that approximately 100 to 200 projects will be 
funded. In the event that there are insufficient funds to provide 
grants to all qualified applicants, ONDCP and OJJDP will consider, in 
the agencies discretion, use of FY 1999 funds to provide awards to such 
qualified applicants. Applicants funded with FY 1998 funds will be 
eligible for renewal grants for FY 1999-2002, based on availability of 
funds and grantee performance. Generally, no more than one coalition 
per community will be funded with FY 1998 funds. However, multiple 
coalitions serving a community may qualify for matching Federal grants 
if they independently meet the program criteria and demonstrate that 
they are collaborating with one another. Indian tribes will be limited 
to one grant per tribal entity.

VI. Eligibility Requirements

    To be eligible to receive a grant, a coalition shall:
     Demonstrate a community coalition has been established and 
that the representatives of the community coalition have worked 
together, for a period of not less than 6 months, on substance abuse 
reduction initiatives, which must, at a minimum, include initiatives 
that target the illegal use or abuse of drugs, including narcotics, 
depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, and cannabis; and which may 
target the abuse of inhalants and the use of alcohol, tobacco, or other 
related products where such use is prohibited by State or local law.
     Demonstrate that the coalition represents the community 
and include in the coalition at least one representative of each of the 
following: Youth; parents; and representatives

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from the business community; the media; schools; youth-serving 
organizations; law enforcement agencies; religious or fraternal 
organizations; civic and volunteer groups; health care professionals; 
State, local, or tribal governmental agencies with expertise in the 
field of substance abuse (including, if applicable, the State authority 
with primary authority for substance abuse); and other organizations 
involved in reducing substance abuse.
     Coalitions should consider other representatives, such as: 
State, local, or Federal elected officials, representatives of Indian 
tribes (as that term is defined in section 4(e) of the Indian Self-
Determination Act (25 U.S.C. 450b(e)); juvenile justice; or child 
welfare agencies.
     Ensure that a community coalition member is designated as 
a representative of no more than one of the required representation 
categories.
     Ensure that there is a substantial community volunteer 
effort.
     Ensure that the coalition is a nonprofit, charitable, 
educational organization, or unit of local government; or is part of, 
or affiliated with, an eligible organization or entity.
     Ensure that the coalition will receive and expend non-
Federal cash or in-kind match equal to or above the amount of the 
Federal funds sought.
     Possess a strategy to solicit substantial financial 
support from non-Federal sources to ensure that the coalition and the 
programs operated by the coalition will be self-sustaining following 
the period of Federal financial support.
     Agree to participate in evaluating the coalition's program 
and possess the capability to gather and submit data related to 
substance abuse among youth and commit to working cooperatively with 
OJJDP, evaluation team, training and technical assistance providers, 
ONDCP, and the ONDCP Advisory Commission on Drug-Free Communities.

Mission and Strategies

    Community coalitions must:
     Have as their principal mission the reduction of substance 
abuse among youth, and the illegal use or abuse of drugs. A secondary 
mission may be reducing the abuse of inhalants, alcohol, tobacco, or 
other related products where such use is prohibited by State or local 
law.
     Describe and document the risk factors, nature, and extent 
of the substance abuse problem in the targeted community.
     Provide a description of substance abuse prevention and 
treatment programs and activities.
     Identify substance abuse programs and service gaps 
relating to the use and abuse of drugs.
     Develop a, or enhance an existing, 5-year strategic plan 
to reduce substance abuse among youth.
     Work to develop a consensus regarding the priorities of 
the community in combating substance abuse among youth.
     Identify and establish a system to collect core process 
and outcome indicators, measure and report outcomes consistent with 
common coalition indicators, and follow evaluation protocols 
established by ONDCP and OJJDP.
     Agree to participate in a cross-site national evaluation 
study that will include the collection of indicators, using common 
instruments and protocols designed to demonstrate the coalition's 
effect on perceived risk, attitudes, and drug-abusing behavior.
     Identify the agencies, programs, projects, and initiatives 
(other than those represented by the coalition members) that the 
coalition will collaborate and coordinate with to leverage services, 
resources, and efforts in order to have the greatest impact on 
achieving the goal of the Drug-Free Communities Support Program.
     Address how culturally competent strategies and services 
will be provided to minority populations.
     Address how rural communities, where applicable, can 
reduce substance abuse among youth.
     Disseminate information about effective substance abuse 
reduction strategies and initiatives for youth.

VII. Selection Criteria

    Applications will be screened and then evaluated by ONDCP and OJJDP 
staff using the general selection criteria below.
    Applicants whose proposal meets all eligibility criteria and 
submission requirements, and which hold promise for a successful 
community coalition program, will then be evaluated and rated by a peer 
review panel according to the criteria outlined below.
    The selection criteria will be used to determine the extent of each 
applicant's responsiveness to program application requirements, 
organizational capability, and thoroughness and innovation in 
responding to strategic issues related to project implementation.

Problems To Be Addressed (20 Points)

    Applicants should describe in the narrative section how their 
coalition, through collaborative efforts, long-term (minimum of 5 
years) strategic planning, and implementation efforts will reduce 
substance abuse among youth and, over time, also among adults. 
Applicants can use this opportunity to indicate their understanding of 
substance abuse among youth and its effects upon families and 
communities.
    Applicants must provide a discussion of the substance abuse in the 
target community. This discussion must address:
    (1) The nature, and extent of youth substance abuse, including use 
of inhalants, alcohol, and tobacco products, in the target community, 
and (2) factors in the community that put youth at risk of substance 
abuse. The discussion in this section should answer the questions, What 
is the level of substance abuse among youth in the target community? 
What are the major drugs of abuse among youth in the target community? 
and What are the underlying factors associated with substance abuse in 
the target community? If available, applicants should provide findings 
from a recent school-based survey of drug use among youth or other 
local surveys of drug use that document the extent of the substance 
abuse problems among the community's youth. If such survey data are not 
available, applicants must report other indicators or measures of the 
extent of the problem using local data such as crime, justice, health, 
economic, and school-related statistics. The information provided in 
this section will be used as the baseline against which the progress 
and effectiveness of the coalition's efforts to prevent and reduce 
substance abuse among youth will be measured.
    As part of this narrative, applicants should indicate their 
knowledge of how and why coalitions can be effective in addressing 
alcohol and substance abuse issues in communities.

Goals and Objectives (20 Points)

    Applicants must provide a clear discussion of the proposed project 
goals and objectives as they logically relate to the stated problems 
described in section I. In developing the proposed goals, applicants 
should consider this question: If we are successful, what will be the 
difference in the target community? The proposed project goals should 
state what the coalition hopes to accomplish with the Drug-Free 
Communities Support Program grant. In stating the goals, the applicant 
must be careful to describe the desired end result (the outcome) and 
not the means to the end. For example, if one of the goals is to 
``reduce inhalant abuse

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among youth in the target community,'' to accomplish it, the project 
objectives should describe, in concrete terms, who or what will change, 
by how much, and over what period of time. The project objectives 
should include measurable results associated with project goals. For 
example, one of the objectives related to the goal of reducing inhalant 
abuse among youth may be to ``gain commitment within 6 months from all 
merchants in the target community to keep inhalants behind the counter 
or in locked cases.'' Generally, the objectives should be tied to a 
timeline. Each of the goals and objectives must be addressed in this 
narrative section.

Program Design/Strategy (25 Points)

    Applicants must provide a detailed description of the proposed 
program design that will achieve the project goals and objectives 
specified in section III and how those activities address the problems 
and associated risk factors described in section I. The description 
should address how the proposed activities will be culturally relevant.
    The proposed activities should be practical, achievable, and 
measurable. The program design must describe the logical links between 
the project goals, objectives, and the proposed activities. In 
describing these links, applicants should consider which goals and 
objectives will be attained by which activity(ies) and how the goals 
and objectives will be attained. The plan should include a description 
of the specific steps the applicant will take to meet the project goals 
and objectives. For example, if an applicant intends to reduce inhalant 
abuse by gaining commitment from all merchants in the target community 
to keep inhalants behind the counter or in locked cases, the applicant 
should describe exactly what steps it will take to secure their 
commitment.
    Applicants should provide a timeline outlining the steps that will 
be taken to implement the proposed activities as well as other tasks 
associated with implementing the Drug-Free Communities Support Program.
    The program design must specifically describe how the applicant 
will monitor progress toward achieving the project goals and 
objectives, including the types of information that they will collect 
and how they will collect it, so that the applicant knows the program 
is on track and working. Applicants will be expected to collect 
information on what activities are/were undertaken with this grant 
(core process indicators) and what results were achieved (core outcome 
indicators).
    Core process indicators allow grantees to answer these questions: 
What was done? How was it done? How much of it was done? and To whom/
for whom was it done? While it is anticipated that tools to collect the 
core indicators will be developed as part of a national evaluation, 
applicants should discuss how they plan to collect the following core 
process indicators:
     A description of the project, service, or activity (what 
goes on?).
     Project, service, or activity location (where does it 
occur?).
     Hours of operation/days of the week and hours of the day 
the activity occurs (when does it occur?).
     Frequency of activity (how often does it occur--hourly, 
daily, weekly, monthly).
     Number of paid staff and volunteers (who carries out the 
activity?).
     Target population (for service delivery programs such as 
tutoring and mentoring) including ages and other defining 
characteristics (who receives the service?).
     Target audience or system (for nonservice delivery 
programs such as media campaigns and policy development).
     The number of youth served/reached.
    For example, if one of the applicant's project objectives is to 
educate 100 youth per month on the dangers of substance use, the 
applicant must collect information on how often the activity occurred, 
how many youth participated in the activity, and how often each youth 
attended the activity.
    Core outcome indicators help to determine if the program is 
achieving the results the applicant planned to achieve. These 
indicators allow the applicant to state what participants will 
understand more about or be able to do after completing or being 
involved in the program. Applicants must describe what the indicators 
of success will be and how these indicators will be collected.
    In addition, coalitions will be required to provide information on 
the following core program outcome indicators:
     Improvements in the level of collaboration among 
communities, the Federal Government, and State, local, and tribal 
governments (e.g., increased number of interagency agreements).
     Enhancements in intergovernmental cooperation and 
coordination on youth substance abuse issues (e.g., adoption and use of 
an integrated management information system to share data on youth 
substance abuse).
     Increases in citizen participation in substance abuse 
prevention efforts.
     Changes in youth substance abuse measures as compared with 
the baseline measures described in section I.
    Other outcome indicators will be detailed in the national 
evaluation.

Management and Organizational Capability (20 Points)

    Applicants must describe who will develop and implement the 
strategic plan and its associated program activities and how it will be 
accomplished. The application must indicate all principal individuals 
and their positions in the project management design. A roster must be 
completed containing information on the composition requirements and 
representation of the coalition member individuals and pertinent 
associated information. Memorandums of understanding must be listed in 
this narrative outlining what agencies, initiatives, programs, and 
projects will be working collaboratively with the coalition to 
accomplish the overall program goals of the Drug-Free Communities 
Support Program.
    Applicants must demonstrate that the individuals involved in the 
project have the experience and knowledge necessary to successfully 
complete the project within the 1-year project period. In assessing the 
coalition's capabilities and its collaborative partners, reviewers will 
give particular attention to the experience and capabilities of the 
overall staff. Additionally, how the coalition will manage this 
collaborative effort among coalition members and collaborative partners 
to meet the program goals. The applicant should also clearly indicate 
who will perform which function and by when (based on the timeline 
deliverable). Applicants should include a one-page organizational chart 
to graphically portray the management structure of the project.
    The coalition must demonstrate that the individuals involved in the 
project will be able to work effectively with the community, its 
associated collaborative partners, OJJDP, ONDCP, the evaluation team, 
and the training and technical assistance providers involved in this 
program. Applicants must describe how the non-Federal resources brought 
to the project will be managed.

Budget (15 Points)

    Applicants must provide a proposed budget that is complete, 
detailed, reasonable, allowable, and cost effective in relation to the 
activities to be undertaken.
    Staff and peer reviewer recommendations are advisory only and the 
final award decision will be made

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by the ONDCP Director and Drug-Free Communities Support Program 
Administrator and the OJJDP Administrator. OJJDP will negotiate 
specific terms of the award with the selected applicants.
    The ONDCP Director, Program Administrator, and Advisory Commission, 
in cooperation with the OJJDP Administrator, are committed to ensuring 
the likelihood of project success in urban, rural, and tribal 
communities. Therefore, in selecting applicants, consideration will be 
given to achieving representative demographic distribution (urban, 
rural, and tribal) of applications and to funding a variety of 
innovative program designs.

VIII. Application Requirements

    Instructions are contained in the application kit available through 
the ONDCP Clearinghouse at 1-800-666-3332 and the Juvenile Justice 
Clearinghouse at 1-800-638-8736.

IX. Delivery Instructions and Due Date

    Instructions are contained in the application kit available through 
the ONDCP Clearinghouse at 1-800-666-3332 and the Juvenile Justice 
Clearinghouse at 1-800-638-8736. Applications postmarked after May 18, 
1998 will not be considered.
Barry R. McCaffrey,
Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy.
Shay Bilchik,
Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
[FR Doc. 98-8650 Filed 4-1-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3180-02-P