[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 44 (Monday, March 8, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11366-11372]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-5671]



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Part XVI





Department of Justice





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Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention



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Notice of the Fiscal Year 1999 Missing and Exploited Children's Program 
Proposed Program Plan and Announcement of Discretionary Competitive 
Assistance Grant; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 44 / Monday, March 8, 1999 / 
Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
[OJP (OJJDP)-1212]
RIN 1121-ZB46


Notice of the Fiscal Year 1999 Missing and Exploited Children's 
Program Proposed Program Plan and Announcement of Discretionary 
Competitive Assistance Grant

AGENCY: Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and 
Delinquency Prevention, Justice.

ACTION: Proposed Program Plan for public comment.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 
(OJJDP) is publishing its Missing and Exploited Children's Program 
Proposed Program Plan for Fiscal Year (FY) 1999 and soliciting public 
comment on the overall plan and priorities. After analyzing the public 
comments on this Proposed Program Plan, OJJDP will issue its final FY 
1999 Missing and Exploited Children's Program Plan.

DATES: Comments must be submitted by May 7, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Public comments should be mailed to Shay Bilchik, 
Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 
800 K Street NW., 3rd Floor, Washington, D.C. 20531.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ronald C. Laney, Director, Missing and 
Exploited Children's Program, 202-616-3637. [This is not a toll-free 
number.]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Missing and Exploited Children's Program 
is administered by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 
Prevention (OJJDP). Pursuant to the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 
Prevention (JJDP) Act of 1974, as amended, Section 406 (a)(2), 42 
U.S.C. 5776, the Administrator of OJJDP is publishing for public 
comment a Proposed Program Plan for activities authorized by Title IV 
of the JJDP Act, the Missing Children's Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. 5771 
et seq., that OJJDP proposes to initiate or continue in FY 1999. Taking 
into consideration comments received on this Proposed Program Plan, the 
Administrator will develop and publish a Final Program Plan that 
describes the program activities OJJDP intends to fund during FY 1999 
using Title IV funds.
    Other than solicitations for programs specified by Congress, 
solicitations for competitive grant applications under the Final 
Program Plan will be published in the Federal Register at a later date. 
No proposals, concept papers, or other types of applications should be 
submitted at this time.

Background: The Nature of the Problem of Missing and Exploited 
Children

    For the purposes of Title IV, the term ``missing children'' refers 
to children who have been abducted by either a family or nonfamily 
member and includes children who have been abducted within the United 
States and those who have been abducted from the United States to a 
foreign country. The term ``child exploitation'' refers to any criminal 
activity that focuses on children as sexual objects and includes sexual 
abuse, child pornography, and prostitution.
    The issues involving missing and exploited children are complex and 
diverse. Since 1984, OJJDP has supported a variety of research projects 
designed to provide the knowledge needed to make informed policy 
decisions and meet the information needs of the field. These projects 
include the 1988 National Incidence Study of Missing, Abducted, 
Runaway, or Thrownaway Children (NISMART); Abduction Homicide 
Investigation Solvability Factors; Obstacles to the Recovery and Return 
of Parentally Abducted Children; and the Missing Children and Criminal 
Justice Response to Parental Abduction Cases. (Preliminary results from 
NISMART II are expected to be available in late 1999.) This research 
indicates that abduction and exploitation can have a devastating impact 
on children and families. Lessons learned from research also provide 
the basis for this proposed program plan.

Family Abduction

    NISMART estimated that 354,100 family abductions occur each year. 
Almost half (46 percent) of these abductions involved concealment, 
interstate transportation, or evidence that the abductor intended to 
keep the child indefinitely or permanently alter custody. Of this more 
serious subcategory of family abductions, a little more than half were 
perpetrated by men who were noncustodial fathers and father figures. 
Most victims were between the ages of 2 and 11. Half of these 
abductions involved unauthorized takings, and half involved failure to 
return the child after an authorized visit or stay.
    Fifteen percent of family abductions involved the use of force or 
violence, and between 75 and 85 percent involved interstate 
transportation of the child. About half of family abductions occurred 
before the parents' relationship ended. Half did not occur until 2 or 
more years after a divorce or separation, usually after parents 
developed new households, moved away, developed new relationships, or 
became disenchanted with the legal system. More than half occurred in 
the context of relationships with a history of domestic violence. An 
estimated 49 percent of abductors had criminal records, and a 
significant number had a history of violent behavior, substance abuse, 
or emotional disturbance. As NISMART found, it is not uncommon for 
child victims of family abduction to have their names and appearances 
altered; to experience medical or physical neglect, unstable schooling, 
or homelessness; or to endure frequent moves. These children are often 
told lies about the abduction and the left-behind parent, even that the 
left-behind parent is dead.
    NISMART did not report on the number of children who are abducted 
within the United States and who are taken to or illegally retained in 
foreign countries. In 1998, the U.S. Department of State maintained a 
caseload of approximately 1,000 outgoing (from the United States to 
another country) international abduction cases. It is reasonable to 
project that these abductions will increase as the trend continues 
toward a global society characterized by relaxed restrictions on 
international travel and increasing numbers of cross-cultural 
marriages, separations, and divorces.

Nonfamily Abduction

    NISMART estimated that 3,200 to 4,600 short-term nonfamily 
abductions are reported yearly to law enforcement. Of these abductions, 
approximately 200 to 300 were kidnapings in which the child was either 
murdered, gone overnight, transported a distance of 50 miles or more, 
or detained by a perpetrator who intended to keep the child 
permanently. Young teenagers and girls were the most common victims, 
and two-thirds of short-term abductions involved a sexual assault. A 
majority of the victims were abducted from the street, and most 
abductions (85 percent) involved the use of force.
    Using data from household surveys, NISMART estimated that 114,600 
nonfamily abductions were attempted in 1988, most involving strangers 
and usually involving an attempt to lure a child into a car. In a 
majority of these cases, the police were not contacted.
    In 1993, OJJDP awarded a research grant to the Washington State 
Attorney General's Office to identify the

[[Page 11367]]

characteristics of successful child abduction homicide investigations. 
The study examined cases from urban, suburban, and rural areas and 
included both large and small law enforcement agencies. The study found 
that in more than half (53 percent) of the instances, the offender was 
known to the victim. Most victims were abducted within one-quarter mile 
of their last known location, while younger victims were usually 
abducted closer to their home. Victims were selected on the basis of 
opportunity in 57 percent of the offenses. Sex was the motivating 
factor behind the offenders behavior in most (70 percent) of the cases. 
More than two-thirds of the time, the initial call to law enforcement 
was to report a runaway or missing child. The research indicated that 
thorough, repetitive, organized neighborhood canvasses are critical to 
identifying the offender.

Child Exploitation

    Children are also at risk of being victimized when they have run 
away, are expelled or ``thrownaway'' from home, or are otherwise lost 
or missing. NISMART estimated that each year 446,700 children run away 
from households and another 12,800 run from juvenile facilities. Of all 
runaways identified, 133,500 were without a secure and familiar place 
to stay during their episodes. More than a third ran away more than 
once during the year, and 10 percent traveled a distance of more than 
100 miles. Of the runaways from juvenile facilities, almost one-half 
left the State. While most runaways were teenagers, almost 10 percent 
were 11 years old or younger.
    NISMART also reported that approximately 127,100 children were 
either told directly to leave their households, not allowed to return, 
had caretakers who made no effort to recover them when they ran away, 
or had been abandoned or deserted. By comparison, for every thrownaway 
child, there were four runaway children. Most thrownaways were older 
teenagers.
    Finally, NISMART estimated that 438,200 children are lost, injured, 
or otherwise missing each year. Of this total, 139,100 cases are 
serious enough for the police to be called. Almost half involve 
children under 4. Most of these episodes last less than a day. A fifth 
of the children experience physical harm. An estimated 14 percent of 
the children are abused or assaulted during the episodes.
    The advent of the information age has exposed children to a new 
threat. Industry experts estimate that more than 10 million children 
currently go online and, by the year 2002, 45 million children will use 
cyberspace to talk with friends, explore the universe, or complete 
homework assignments. In cyberspace, children are a mouse click away 
from exploring museums, libraries, and universities. Unfortunately, 
they are also a mouse click away from sexual exploitation and 
victimization.
    While providing almost limitless opportunities to learn, the 
Internet has also become the new schoolyard for predators seeking 
children to victimize. Cloaked in the anonymity of cyberspace, sex 
offenders can seek victims with little risk of detection. They no 
longer need to lurk in parks and malls. Instead, they can roam from 
chatroom to chatroom trolling for children susceptible to manipulation 
and victimization. Chatroom stalking circumvents conventional 
safeguards and provides preferential sex offenders virtually unlimited 
opportunity to have unsupervised contact with children, which has grave 
implications for parents, educators, and law enforcement.

Impact on Children and Families

    The victimization of children can have devastating effects on the 
child and the family. There are clear linkages between early childhood 
victimization and later violent behavior, such as school violence, drug 
abuse, and adult criminality. According to a 1995 National Institute of 
Justice study, child maltreatment has been shown to be a significant 
predictor of adult arrests for alcohol and/or drug abuse. Children who 
have been abducted and returned to their families often live in fear of 
being reabducted. Often, when a child is returned to his or her family 
after an extended period of time, limited psychological support is 
provided to either the child or the family. Almost four-fifths of 
victims and families of missing children do not receive mental health 
or counseling services.
    For families of missing and exploited children, the impact of these 
crimes can have equally devastating effects. Emotions range from fear 
and anger to a sense of helplessness. Parents are often on their own 
when searching for their children. Like the victims of abductions, many 
parents do not receive the necessary support or counseling services to 
help them cope with this personal tragedy. When a child returns, the 
process of reunification typically takes no more than 15 minutes with 
no psychological or social service support. In most cases, the only 
nonfamily person present is a police officer.

Introduction to the Fiscal Year 1999 Program Plan

    In 1984, Congress enacted the Missing Children's Assistance Act, 
which established the Missing and Exploited Children Program (MECP) 
within OJJDP. Under the Act, MECP is responsible for coordinating 
Federal missing and exploited children activities, providing a national 
resource center and clearinghouse, and supporting research, training, 
technical assistance, and demonstration programs to enhance the overall 
response to missing children and their families.
    In FY 1998, OJJDP's Missing and Exploited Children's Program made 
significant advances in the course of meeting its responsibilities to 
provide services to children, parents, educators, prosecutors, law 
enforcement, and other professionals and interested persons working on 
child safety issues. Some of the notable accomplishments are summarized 
below.
    In May 1998, OJJDP released When Your Child Is Missing: A Family 
Survival Guide. Written by parents for parents, the Guide provides 
firsthand insights into what families should do and expect when their 
children are missing. The Guide has been distributed to every law 
enforcement agency and public library across the country and to 
nonprofit organizations, State missing children clearinghouses, and 
family support programs. Copies of the Guide are available through 
OJJDP's Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse (JJC) at 800-638-8736.
    OJJDP brought its Missing and Exploited Children's Program Web site 
online in April 1998. The Web site (www.ncjrs.org/ojjdp/missing/
index.html) features Tips for Kids that tell children where they should 
go if they are scared, lost, or need help. It also provides children 
with information to help them avoid cyber-exploitation. The site has 
pages devoted to children, parents, teachers, and law enforcement and 
hypertext links to other Web sites of the Department of Justice and to 
the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
    In FY 1998, OJJDP created the Internet Crimes Against Children 
(ICAC) Program to respond to the emerging threat of sex offenders' 
using computer-facilitated online technology to sexually exploit 
children. The focus of this initiative is to develop training and 
technical assistance programs to assist State and local law enforcement 
agencies respond effectively to the threat and to stimulate creation of 
regional multidisciplinary task forces.

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    Ten jurisdictions received assistance awards to implement regional 
task forces to address and combat Internet crimes against children that 
include representatives from law enforcement, victim services, child 
protective service agencies, and other relevant government and 
nongovernment agencies. The 10 jurisdictions are Bedford County 
Sheriff's Office, Virginia; Broward County Sheriff's Office, Florida; 
Colorado Springs Police Department, Colorado; Dallas Police Department, 
Texas; Illinois State Police; New York State Division of Criminal 
Justice Services; Portsmouth Police Department, New Hampshire; 
Sacramento County Sheriff's Office, California; South Carolina Office 
of the Attorney General; and Wisconsin Department of Justice.
    Under the ICAC Program, funds are being used to implement safety 
education and prevention programs for children, parents, and educators; 
develop response protocols that foster collaboration, information 
sharing, and service coordination; and acquire sophisticated training 
and cutting-edge equipment for investigators. Ideally, these task 
forces will become regional clusters of technical and investigative 
expertise and will become part of a national law enforcement network 
that will assist parents, educators, prosecutors, and other 
professionals working on child protection issues.
    In addition to funding the 10 ICAC Task Force cooperative 
agreements, OJJDP'S MECP engaged in several other training and 
technical assistance activities to enhance ICAC prevention, 
intervention, and investigation efforts. In FY 1998, the National 
Center for Missing and Exploited Children received funding to establish 
a CyberTipline (http://www.cybertipline.com) to collect and forward to 
appropriate law enforcement agencies information from citizens 
regarding computer-facilitated sexual exploitation of children. Online 
since March 1998, the CyberTipline has already provided law enforcement 
with information that has resulted in arrests for child exploitation 
offenses and the safe return of children enticed from home by sex 
offenders.
    OJJDP and NCMEC, in consultation with the Federal Bureau of 
Investigation (FBI), U.S. Customs Service (USCS), U.S. Postal 
Inspection Service (USPIS), and Child Exploitation and Obscenity 
Section (CEOS) of the Department of Justice, developed new law 
enforcement training programs and sponsored a national teleconference. 
The teleconference provided information regarding prevention, 
investigation, applicable Federal law, and available resources to more 
than 30,000 viewers in over 400 downlink sites. The new training 
courses, Protecting Children Online (PCO) and Protecting Children 
Online Unit Commander (UC), were developed for law enforcement managers 
and investigators. Offered regionally, PCO is a 4\1/2\ day introductory 
course that provides information about Internet investigative 
techniques, interviewing and interrogation practices, and sex offender 
behavioral characteristics and discusses current statutory law and case 
decisions pertaining to electronic communications. UC is a 2\1/2\ day 
seminar concentrating on the broader policy and legal concerns and is 
designed to assist law enforcement executives develop and execute ICAC 
response plans for their agencies. The UC seminar is held on a monthly 
basis at NCMEC's Jimmy Ryce Law Enforcement Training Center in 
Arlington, Virginia. More than 400 law enforcement executives and 
investigators participated in these two courses in FY 1998.
    Finally, OJJDP's MECP published Forming a Multidisciplinary Team To 
Investigate Child Abuse, the 12th title in OJJDP'S Portable Guides 
series, and prepared Use of Computers in the Sexual Exploitation of 
Children, the 13th title, which is forthcoming. Three additional guides 
are scheduled for publication in FY 1999: Cultural Competence and Child 
Abuse Investigations; Risk Profiles for Abduction and Appropriate 
Interventions; and Uniform Child Custody and Jurisdiction and 
Enforcement Act (UCCJEA): Implications for District Attorneys and 
Investigators. OJJDP intends to continue the series to assist field 
professionals respond to child victimization issues.
    In FY 1998, OJJDP's MECP received a National Performance Review 
Hammer award for program development in the area of international child 
abduction (ICA). Many factors can frustrate the return of children 
abducted to foreign countries. Communication problems, sovereignty 
issues, lack of legal infrastructure to enforce civil orders, and 
reluctance to return children for provincial or religious reasons are 
frequently encountered obstacles to recovering American children. These 
cases can also pose substantial legal, emotional, and financial 
challenges for the left-behind parent. Parents frequently take out 
second mortgages and exhaust their life savings on telephone calls, 
attorneys, and private investigators in the search for their children. 
Even if the children are located, the search and legal process is often 
so expensive that parents cannot afford the airfare to bring their 
children home. In response to this need, OJJDP, with the Office for 
Victims of Crime, developed the International Child Abduction Travel 
Reunification Program to assist impoverished parents recover their 
children by providing funds for international travel.
    Under a grant administered by NCMEC, 21 children in countries 
ranging from Malta to the Dominican Republic have been reunited with 
their families in the United States. In one case, an American child was 
returned home after being abandoned in a Middle East refugee camp. In 
another recovery, a child missing for 3 years was located in the foster 
care system of an African nation.
    As part of its coordination responsibilities, MECP chairs the 
Federal Agency Task Force on Missing and Exploited Children. In FY 
1998, an ad hoc subcommittee was formed to discuss issues, concerns, 
practices, and the Federal response relating to international child 
abduction. The subcommittee is preparing a report for the Attorney 
General detailing the findings and will include recommendations to 
improve and enhance the Federal response to these cases. Scheduled for 
completion in early 1999, the report will also guide development of 
resource guides for law enforcement and left-behind parents.
    In FY 1998, through a cooperative agreement with Fox Valley 
Technical College (FVTC), OJJDP provided training and technical 
assistance to more than 4,500 law enforcement, prosecutors, and health 
and family services professionals. This comprehensive training and 
technical assistance program integrates current research, state-of-the-
art practice and knowledge, and new technologies into courses that are 
designed to increase skills and abilities, enhance service coordination 
and delivery, and improve the investigation and handling of missing and 
exploited children cases. Specialized technical assistance was provided 
to practitioners and State and local juvenile justice agencies relating 
to information sharing, response planning, child protection 
legislation, Internet crimes against children, and multidisciplinary 
team development.
    In May 1998, the Attorney General participated in OJJDP's Missing 
Children's Day Ceremony to commemorate American's missing children and 
to recognize extraordinary efforts by law enforcement officers working 
to reunite children and their families. The Attorney General presented 
the NCMEC Law Enforcement

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Officer of the Year Award for excellent work in recovering missing 
children to Inspector Jose Berrios and Agents Cesar Nieves and Ismael 
Cintron, all of Puerto Rico; Detective Jim Munsterman of San Diego; and 
Detectives Christina Metelski and Billy Soso of Phoenix.

Fiscal Year 1999 Programs

    In FY 1999, OJJDP proposes, through MECP, to continue to 
concentrate on programs that are national in scope, promote awareness, 
and enhance the Nation's response to missing and exploited children and 
their families. Although funds for new programs in FY 1999 are limited, 
input from the field on program and service needs will assist OJJDP in 
planning both FY 1999 and future programming.

New Programs

    OJJDP proposes to fund one new program in FY 1999. This proposed 
program is described below.
Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Training and Technical 
Assistance Program
    OJJDP proposes to issue a competitive solicitation to develop an 
ICAC Task Force training and technical assistance program. Activities 
under this program would include delivering advanced technical training 
related to computer-facilitated sexual exploitation offenses, convening 
ICAC town meetings, facilitating the ICAC Task Force Review Board, and 
assisting in task force development in other ways as determined by 
OJJDP.

Continuation Programs

    The FY 1999 Title IV continuation programs are summarized below. 
Available funds, implementation sites, and other descriptive 
information are subject to change based on the plan review process, 
grantee performance, application quality, fund availability, and other 
factors. With the exception of the ICAC Regional Task Force Development 
Program, no additional applications will be solicited for these 
programs in FY 1999.
National Resource Center and Clearinghouse
    Congress has provided $8,120,000 to continue and expand the 
programs, services, and activities of the National Center for Missing 
and Exploited Children, a national resource center and clearinghouse 
dedicated to missing and exploited children and their families. As 
provided in Title IV, the functions of the Center include the 
following:
     Provide a toll-free hotline where citizens can report 
investigative leads and parents and other interested individuals can 
receive information concerning missing children.
     Provide technical assistance to parents, law enforcement, 
and other agencies working on missing and exploited children issues.
     Promote information sharing and provide technical 
assistance by networking with regional nonprofit organizations, State 
missing children clearinghouses, and law enforcement agencies.
     Develop publications that contain practical, timely 
information.
     Provide information regarding programs offering free or 
low-cost transportation services that assist in reuniting children with 
their families.
    In FY 1998, NCMEC's toll-free hotline received more than 132,000 
calls ranging from citizens reporting information concerning missing 
children to parents and law enforcement requesting information and 
publications. NCMEC also assisted in the recovery of 6,930 children, 
disseminated millions of missing children photographs, distributed 
thousands of publications, and sponsored a national training workshop 
for State missing children clearinghouses and relevant nonprofit 
organizations. NCMEC also assists the State Department carry out its 
Hague Convention responsibilities by processing applications for 
children abducted to the United States (incoming cases).
    In FY 1998, in addition to performing the national resource center 
and clearinghouses functions, NCMEC launched a Know the Rules safety 
education program. This program, targeting teenaged girls, was 
developed in response to research indicating that girls are at much 
greater risk of sexual exploitation than boys. NCMEC also published 
Teen Safety on the Information Highway to complement its CyberTipline 
and ICAC law enforcement training programs. This publication is 
designed to promote safe Internet practices for teenagers, the age 
group most at risk of sexual exploitation.
    In FY 1999, NCMEC will continue to perform the national 
clearinghouse functions and will broaden the ICAC training program 
through development of 1-day awareness seminars for communities seeking 
to improve their response to these offenses. NCMEC will also sponsor 
research to determine the incidence of young people receiving sexual 
solicitations or who are exposed to pornography via the Internet and 
the context in which the exposure or solicitation occurred and to 
evaluate current knowledge of children and parents about how to respond 
to these episodes.
    A 1-year cooperative agreement will be awarded to NCMEC in FY 1999 
for the performance of the national resource center and clearinghouse 
functions. No additional applications will be solicited in FY 1999.
Internet Crimes Against Children Regional Task Force Development
    A total of $5 million is available for this program in FY 1999. 
OJJDP will award funding to a minimum of eight additional jurisdictions 
to develop and support regional law enforcement task forces to address 
the problem of Internet crimes against children. A total of $2.6 
million will be available for these new jurisdictions. Within 30 days 
of the date of this publication, OJJDP intends to issue a solicitation 
for assistance awards to States or local units of government, or 
combinations thereof, to assist communities in developing comprehensive 
multiagency responses that emphasize collaboration, information 
sharing, and victim assistance.
    In addition to these new sites, additional funding will be awarded 
to the 10 jurisdictions that received initial grants in FY 1998. A 
total of $2.4 million will be available for this continuation funding.
Title IV Training and Technical Assistance Program
    In FY 1998, Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC) was competitively 
awarded a 3-year cooperative agreement to provide training and 
technical assistance to law enforcement, prosecutors, and health and 
family services professionals. The purpose of this program is to ensure 
the provision of up-to-date, practical training and technical 
assistance for professionals working on missing and exploited children 
issues. Training modules focus on investigative techniques, interview 
strategies, comprehensive response planning, media relations, lead and 
case management, and other topics related to missing and exploited 
children cases.
    Under the Title IV Training and Technical Assistance Program, FVTC 
currently offers five courses: Responding to Missing and Abducted 
Children, Child Sexual Exploitation Investigations, Child Abuse and 
Exploitation Investigative Techniques, Missing and Exploited Children, 
and Child Abuse and Exploitation Team Investigation Process. FVTC also 
provides technical assistance and support to the Federal Agency Task 
Force on Missing and Exploited

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Children and its related subcommittees; writes numerous documents and 
publications relating to missing and exploited children; convenes 
special focus groups or meetings to facilitate communication and 
problem solving among youth service workers and professionals at the 
Federal, State, and local level; and performs special projects as 
directed by OJJDP such as designing protocols for handling and 
responding to cases involving missing and exploited children, 
establishing a response planning system, and conducting a case review 
of child protection legislation. No additional applications will be 
solicited in FY 1999.
    To obtain additional information about specific training programs 
or copy of the FY 1999 training schedule, please call FVTC at 800-648-
4966.
Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association's Safe Return 
Program
    OJJDP is responsible for providing financial monitoring and 
oversight of this program, for which Congress has provided $900,000 in 
FY 1999. The program facilitates identification and safe return of 
memory-impaired persons who are at risk of wandering from their homes.
    In FY 1998, the Safe Return Program increased its registration 
database to nearly 45,000 individuals and assisted in the return of 992 
wanderers.
    In FY 1999, the program will continue to expand the national 
registry of memory-impaired persons, maintain a toll-free telephone 
service, provide a Fax Alert System, conduct a ``train the trainers'' 
program for law enforcement and emergency personnel, disseminate 
informational and educational materials, and continue a national public 
awareness campaign.
National Crime Information Center
    OJJDP proposes to continue to transfer funds to the Department of 
Justice's Justice Management Division, through a reimbursable 
agreement, to continue NCMEC's online access to the FBI's National 
Crime Information Center (NCIC) Wanted and Missing Persons files. The 
ability to verify NCIC entries, communicate with law enforcement 
through the Interstate Law Enforcement Telecommunication System, and be 
notified of life-threatening cases through the NCIC flagging system is 
crucial to NCMEC's mission of providing advice and technical assistance 
to law enforcement.
NISMART II
    Under the Missing Children's Assistance Act, OJJDP is authorized to 
conduct periodic studies of the scope of the problem of missing 
children in the United States. The first national study was conducted 
in 1988, with results published in 1990. In FY 1995, OJJDP funded 
NISMART II, the second national study of missing, abducted, runaway, 
and thrownaway children in the United States. Temple University 
received funding in FY 1995 to conduct this study, which builds on the 
strengths and addresses some of the weaknesses of the initial NISMART 
study. Temple has contracted with the University of New Hampshire 
Survey Research Laboratory and Westat, Inc., to carry out specific 
components of the study and provide extensive background knowledge 
about the NISMART study. The NISMART II study is designed to (1) revise 
and enhance the original NISMART definitions, (2) survey approximately 
23,000 households by telephone to determine how many children are 
missing on an annual basis, (3) survey law enforcement agencies to 
determine the annual frequency of child abductions, (4) survey 
approximately 10,000 youth by telephone to understand what happens 
during missing children episodes, (5) interview directors of 
residential facilities and institutions to determine how many residents 
run away; and (6) analyze data on thrownaway children from a related 
survey of community professionals.
    The findings from these surveys will provide updated estimates on 
the number of missing children each year in the United States. 
Preliminary findings focusing on the area of stereotypical kidnaping 
are expected to be available in late 1999 and a final report completed 
in FY 2000. An OJJDP Fact Sheet documenting the scope of the research, 
definition revisions, and methodology changes will be published in FY 
1999.
Effective Community-Based Approaches for Dealing With Missing and 
Exploited Children
    In FY 1995, the American Bar Association (ABA) was awarded an 18-
month grant to study effective community-based approaches for dealing 
with missing and exploited children. The objectives of Phase I of this 
study were to (1) conduct a national search for communities that have 
implemented a multiagency response to missing and exploited children 
and their families, (2) select five communities with working 
multiagency responses that hold promise for replication, (3) evaluate 
these five communities' responses, and (4) prepare a final report. 
Phase I was completed in July 1997. In Phase II, which started in 
August 1997, the ABA is preparing a final report that synthesizes 
research findings from Phase I into a modular training curriculum to 
help communities plan, implement, and evaluate a multiagency response 
to missing and exploited children and their families. Phase II of the 
project will be completed in FY 1999.
Parent Resource Support Network
    In FY 1997, OJJDP entered into a competitively awarded 3-year 
cooperative agreement with Public Administration Services (PAS) to 
develop and maintain a parent support network. The goal of this project 
is to stimulate development of a network of screened and trained parent 
volunteers who will provide assistance and advice to other victim 
parents.
    In FY 1998, PAS installed a case management system to document 
referrals and assistance activity, recruited and trained parent 
mentors, and began direct service delivery to requesting parents. In FY 
1999, OJJDP will provide supplemental funding to PAS to continue 
providing direct services to families searching for their children.
Jimmy Ryce Law Enforcement Training Center
    In FY 1997 OJJDP, in partnership with the National Center for 
Missing and Exploited Children, the FBI, and OJJDP grantee Fox Valley 
Technical College, developed and implemented the Jimmy Ryce Law 
Enforcement Training Center (JRLETC) program. JRLETC offers two law 
enforcement training tracks that are designed to improve the national 
investigative response to missing children cases.
    JRLETC's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) seminars approach missing 
children cases from a management perspective and offer information 
regarding coordination and communication issues, resource assessment, 
legal concerns, and policy development for police chiefs and sheriffs. 
The Responding to Missing and Exploited Children (REMAC) course offers 
modules focusing on investigative techniques for all aspects of missing 
children cases. In FY 1998, 402 police chiefs and sheriffs and 458 
investigators representing law enforcement agencies from every State 
participated in at least one of the JRLETC programs.
    Congress appropriated $1,250,000 in FY 1998 to continue operation 
of the Jimmy Ryce Law Enforcement Training

[[Page 11371]]

Center. OJJDP, NCMEC, the FBI, and FVTC will continue to provide 
training and technical assistance through JRLETC and the onsite 
technical assistance program to respond to the numerous requests for 
assistance from JRLETC graduates.
    Under the FY 1999 JRLETC appropriation, OJJDP will award $500,000 
to FVTC to support regional REMAC courses, with the remaining $750,000 
to be awarded to NCMEC to continue the CEO seminars and provide onsite 
technical assistance. In addition, NCMEC will draft a model policy to 
assist law enforcement executives plan response protocols for their 
communities.
    No additional applications will be solicited in FY 1999.
Criminal Parental Kidnaping Training and Technical Assistance
    In FY 1997, OJJDP supplemented an initial competitive award by 
funding the American Prosecutors Research Institute (APRI) to provide 
parental abduction training and technical assistance for prosecutors 
and to develop a training course pertaining to the prosecution of child 
exploitation cases. Child exploitation prosecutions are among the most 
complicated that prosecutors confront because of the age and immaturity 
of victims, societal and law enforcement attitudes toward these 
victims, the need for specialized understanding of the dynamics of 
sexual exploitation, and the jurisdictional and communication 
difficulties resulting from the involvement of numerous agencies. To 
effectively handle such cases, prosecutors must approach victims with 
sensitivity and an understanding of the psychological dynamics 
involved.
    In FY 1998, APRI delivered training to 60 prosecutors and provided 
technical assistance to more than 400 prosecutors and investigators on 
an as-needed basis. In addition, APRI disseminated a quarterly 
newsletter, maintained an up-to-date parental kidnaping and child 
exploitation database that included a compilation of statutes and case 
law summaries, and developed the legal modules for the Protecting 
Children Online and Protecting Children Online Unit Commander courses 
and assisted in the national Internet Crimes Against Children 
teleconference.
    In FY 1999, while continuing, updating, and expanding its current 
technical assistance activities, APRI would offer four training courses 
for prosecutors in two areas: child exploitation and parental 
kidnaping. The parental abduction course would concentrate on difficult 
case strategies, resource availability, preventive measures, and 
recovery techniques. The child exploitation course would discuss legal 
issues pertaining to computer search and seizures, juvenile 
prostitution, child pornography, and the emerging threat posed by 
criminals using Internet technology to victimize children. OJJDP 
proposes to provide supplemental funding to APRI in FY 1999.
National Center on Child Fatality Review
    In FY 1997, OJJDP awarded a grant to the National Center on Child 
Fatality Review (NCCFR) in Los Angeles, California, to develop State 
and local uniform reporting definitions and generic child fatality 
review team protocols for consideration by communities working on 
improving child death investigations.
    NCCFR developed a model for integrating data among the Criminal 
Justice, Vital Statistics, and Social Services Child Abuse Indices. 
NCCFR also selected a national advisory board, which is composed of 
representatives from across the country and from relevant disciplines.
    In FY 1999, OJJDP proposes to continue support to NCCFR to (1) 
disseminate the model protocols for integrating the data mentioned 
above to State and local child fatality review teams and other relevant 
agencies; (2) develop a Web site and update it with journal articles, 
references, new studies, new findings, and new resources; (3) maintain 
paper and electronic directories of State and local child fatality 
review teams, national associations, and Federal agency contacts; (4) 
maintain a listing of contacts for all areas relating to child 
victimization and death; (5) provide information and training materials 
on basic team management and special problems such as confidentiality, 
risk assessment, and special case circumstances; (6) coordinate 
teleconferences and Internet meetings of the advisory board; (7) 
maintain and share published reports of State and local teams; (8) 
develop, coordinate, and implement multidisciplinary training; and (9) 
plan for a national conference.
Investigative Case Management for Missing Children Homicides
    In FY 1993, OJJDP made a competitive award to the Washington State 
Attorney General's Office (WAGO) to analyze the solvability factors of 
missing children homicide investigations. During the course of that 
research, WAGO collected and analyzed specific characteristics of more 
than 550 missing child homicide cases. These characteristics were 
recorded in WAGO's child homicide database.
    In FY 1998, WAGO conducted a national search and identified an 
additional 526 child murder cases for possible inclusion in the 
database. In FY 1999, OJJDP proposes to continue to provide funding 
support to WAGO to ensure the vitality and investigative relevance of 
its child homicide database. This funding would support both the 
gathering of new case information and the development of specific case 
studies that will be used to illustrate the research findings in 
training presentations. In addition, the database would be used by 
Federal, State, and local law enforcement to perform link analysis by 
identifying cases with similar characteristics. Law enforcement 
database inquiries can be made by calling WAGO at 800-345-2793.
FBI Child Abduction and Serial Killer Unit
    In FY 1997, OJJDP entered into a 3-year interagency agreement with 
the FBI's Child Abduction and Serial Killer Unit (CASKU) to expand 
research to broaden law enforcement's understanding of homicidal 
pedophiles' selection and luring of their victims, their planning 
activities, and their efforts to escape prosecution. This information 
will be used by the FBI and OJJDP in training and technical assistance 
programs. FY 1998 activities included identification of 300 prospective 
interview candidates, completion of a 780-question interview protocol, 
and submission of the protocol for review by various State boards.
    In FY 1999, OJJDP will continue funding support to CASKU to 
complete the research manager employment process to include background 
screening and begin data collection efforts.
National Child Victimization Conference Support
    In FY 1999, OJJDP proposes to provide funding support to national 
conferences focusing on child abduction, exploitation, and 
victimization issues. This funding support would include conferences 
sponsored by the National Children's Advocacy Center, Dallas Police 
Department, and American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children.


[[Page 11372]]


    Dated: March 2, 1999.
Shay Bilchik,
Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
[FR Doc. 99-5671 Filed 3-5-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-18-P