[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 5 (Friday, January 7, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1175-1180]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-354]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
[OJP (OJJDP)-1256]
RIN 1121-ZB90


Notice of the Fiscal Year 2000 Missing and Exploited Children's 
Program Proposed Program Plan

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) 2000 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 
2000 Missing and Exploited Children's Program Plan.

DATES: Comments must be submitted by March 7, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Public comments should be mailed to Shay Bilchik, 
Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 
810 7th Street NW., 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 continue in FY 2000. 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 2000 
using Title IV funds.
    OJJDP does not propose any new Missing and Exploited Children's 
programs for FY 2000. No proposals, concept papers, or other types of 
applications should be submitted.

Background

    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 first 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. This research indicated 
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.
    A decade ago, NISMART (1988) provided valuable data on family and 
nonfamily abductions and on child exploitation. The following are some 
of the major findings at that time: an estimated 354,100 family 
abductions annually; between 3,200 and 4,600 short-term nonfamily 
abductions reported yearly to law enforcement; an estimated 114,600 
attempted nonfamily

[[Page 1176]]

abductions; 446,700 runaways; and approximately 127,100 thrownaway 
children.
    The NISMART findings are in the process of being updated (see the 
program description under ``Continuation Programs'' below). Preliminary 
results from NISMART 2, the second national study to measure the 
incidence of missing, abducted, runaway, or thrownaway children, are 
expected to be available in mid-2000. NISMART 2 will:
     Update information on the characteristics of the children 
involved in missing child episodes and the nature of these episodes.
     Update estimates of the number of these episodes reported 
to police, the number of children known to be missing, and the number 
of missing children who are recovered.
     Include an aggregate estimate of missing children in all 
categories.
     Estimate the incidence of sexual assault and exploitation 
of children and youth by both family and nonfamily perpetrators.
     Analyze any significant changes in the numbers of missing, 
abducted, runaway, or thrownaway children since 1988, the focal year 
for the initial NISMART data collection.
     Improve criteria for the identification and classification 
of missing child episodes.
     Permit the identification and counting of children 
involved in certain categories of episodes (e.g., lost children) whose 
importance was first recognized during the data analysis for the 
initial NISMART study.
    The information from NISMART 2 will enable parents and the public 
to better understand the dimensions of the problem and identify those 
factors that place children at greatest risk of becoming missing. 
Practitioners and policy makers need this new information to design 
programs and policies that will ensure the safety of our Nation's 
children.
    The initial NISMART study 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, nor will NISMART 2. While 
accurate data on the number of children illegally abducted is unknown, 
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. An estimated 19 children are 
abducted from the United States or are illegally retained in foreign 
countries each week. The average age of these children is 5\1/2\ years 
old. Most incidents involve a formal determination of custody prior to 
the abduction. Only 30 percent of these cases are resolved with the 
return of the child to the United States.1 It is reasonable 
to project that these abductions will increase as the trend continues 
toward a global society characterized by fewer restrictions on 
international travel and increasing numbers of cross-cultural 
marriages, separations, and divorces.
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    \1\ Chiancone, J., and Girdner, L.1998. Issues in Resolving 
Cases of International Child Abductions. Unpublished manuscript. 
Chicago, IL: American Bar Association.
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    In 1993, OJJDP awarded a research grant to the Washington State 
Attorney General's Office to identify the 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 most instances, the 
offender was known to the victim, the victim was abducted within one-
quarter mile of his or her last known location, and the victim was 
selected on the basis of opportunity. Sex was the motivating factor 
behind offenders' behavior in the great majority (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 for these cases, timely, thorough, and well-organized 
neighborhood canvassing is critical to identifying the offenders.
    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 can roam 
from chatroom to chatroom trolling for children susceptible to 
manipulation and victimization. Chatroom stalking circumvents 
conventional safeguards and provides sex offenders virtually unlimited 
opportunity to have unsupervised contact with children. This 
development has important implications for parents, educators, and law 
enforcement.
    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. Since 1986, OJJDP has sponsored three 
longitudinal studies to improve understanding of serious delinquency, 
violence, and drug use. Referred to as the Program of Research on the 
Causes and Correlates of Delinquency, these studies have confirmed the 
linkage between early childhood victimization and maltreatment and 
later criminal behavior. A history of childhood maltreatment is 
associated with at least a 25 percent increased risk of involvement in 
serious and violent delinquency, drug use, poor school performance, 
mental illness, and teenage pregnancy. A history of childhood 
maltreatment nearly doubles the risk that a teenager will experience 
multiple problems during adolescence.2 Furthermore, in a 
1996 study of 1575 court cases, Widom confirmed that neglect may be as 
damaging as physical abuse.3 A 1997 study conducted by the 
Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, Medical University of 
South Carolina, also demonstrated that childhood victimization is a 
risk factor in developing major mental health problems and alcohol 
abuse.4
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    \2\ Kelley, B.T., Thornberry, T.P. and Smith, C.A. 1997. In the 
Wake of Childhood Maltreatment. Bulletin. Washington, DC: U.S. 
Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of 
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
    \3\ Widom, C.S. 1996. The Cycle of Violence Revisited. Research 
Preview. Washington, DC: Department of Justice, Office of Justice 
Programs, National Institute of Justice.
    \4\ Kilpatrick, D., and Saunders, B.1997. Prevalence and 
Consequences of Child Victimization. Research Preview. Washington, 
DC: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
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    Children who have been abducted and returned to their families 
often live in fear of being reabducted. When a child is returned to his 
or her family after an extended period of time, even limited 
psychological support is seldom 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

[[Page 1177]]

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.
    These findings provide the research basis for the programs and 
activities set forth in the proposed Fiscal Year 2000 program plan.

Background to the Fiscal Year 2000 Program Plan

    In 1984, Congress enacted the Missing Children's Assistance Act, 
establishing the Missing and Exploited Children's 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 1999, 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.
    OJJDP supported work on a soon to be released Spanish version of 
the publication, When Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide. 
This is the first document published by OJJDP to be translated into a 
foreign language. Written by parents for parents, the Guide provides 
firsthand insights into what families should do and expect when their 
children are missing. Copies of the English and Spanish versions of the 
Guide are available through OJJDP's Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse 
(JJC) at 800-638-8736.
    MECP continued to build on the parents helping parents theme 
through the Team Hope Program. Team Hope uses specially trained parents 
to serve as mentors and provide advice to families who are undergoing a 
missing child episode. In FY 1999, more than 20 parent volunteers began 
assisting other parents with advice and information about available 
resources to assist their search for their children.
    MECP released two additional publications in the Portable Guide 
series: Forming a Multidisciplinary Team To Investigate Child Abuse and 
Use of Computers in the Sexual Exploitation of Children. Additional 
guides scheduled for release in FY 2000 include 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.
    MECP chairs the Federal Agency Task Force on Missing and Exploited 
Children as part of its coordination responsibilities. In FY 1999, an 
ad hoc subcommittee completed an assessment of the Federal response to 
international child abductions. That assessment resulted in a series of 
recommendations regarding agency roles, responsibilities, and 
jurisdiction, sent in a special report to the Attorney General and 
subsequently forwarded to Congress for review and consideration.
    In FY 1999, MECP, in a collaborative process with representatives 
from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), United States Customs 
Service, Postal Inspection Service, National Center for Missing and 
Exploited Children and the OJJDP Internet Crimes Against Children Task 
Forces (ICAC Task Force), developed investigative and operational 
standards (Standards) for the ICAC Task Force Program. The Standards 
were designed to coordinate investigations, foster information sharing, 
ensure the probative quality of undercover operations, and facilitate 
interagency case referrals through standardization of investigative 
practices. As such, they express broad themes that pertain to target 
selection, supervision and management practices, media releases, 
undercover conduct, and evidence collection procedures.
    In FY 1999, NCMEC played a critical role in making the electronic 
world of cyberspace a safer place for children. More than 700 law 
enforcement personnel, ranging from executives to frontline personnel, 
participated in NCMEC-sponsored Protecting Children Online courses. 
More than 8,500 leads were received by the CyberTipline from children, 
parents, and other individuals concerned about the safety of children 
on the Internet. Some of these leads resulted in the arrest of 
individuals using the Internet to identify children for sexual 
molestation while others led to the recovery of children enticed from 
home by sex offenders.
    In FY 1999, through a cooperative agreement with Fox Valley 
Technical College (FVTC), OJJDP sponsored training or technical 
assistance for more than 4,500 law enforcement, prosecutors, social 
services, and health and family services professionals. Training and 
technical assistance 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's cases. Specialized technical assistance was 
provided to State and local practitioners and juvenile justice agencies 
relating to Internet crimes against children, information sharing, 
response planning, child protection legislation, and multidisciplinary 
team development.
    Finally, the Attorney General again participated in the annual 
Missing Children's Day Ceremony to commemorate America'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 Officer of the Year Award 
to Postal Inspector Robert Adams, Fort Worth, TX, and Texas Ranger Matt 
Cawthon and Detective Thomas Noble of the Bellmead, TX, Police 
Department in recognition of their excellent work in recovering missing 
children. The Attorney General also presented for the first time, the 
Child Exploitation Unit Award for outstanding service, to the Dallas 
Police Department.

Fiscal Year 2000 Programs

    In FY 2000, OJJDP proposes to continue its concentration on 
programs that are national in scope, promote awareness, and enhance the 
Nation's response to missing and exploited children and their families. 
While no funds are expected to be available for new program initiatives 
in FY 2000, input from the field on the continuation programs proposed 
and on program and service needs that should be considered and 
addressed will assist the Office in making final plans for FY 2000 and 
in determining future program priorities.

Continuation Programs

    FY 2000 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. No competitive applications would be solicited for any of 
these programs in FY 2000.
National Resource Center and Clearinghouse
    In FY 1999 Congress provided funding to continue and expand the 
programs, services, and activities of the

[[Page 1178]]

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), 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, but are not limited to, 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's 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 1999, NCMEC's toll-free hotline received more than 115,000 
calls ranging from citizens reporting information concerning missing 
children to requests from parents and law enforcement for information 
and publications. NCMEC also assisted in the recovery of hundreds of 
children, disseminated millions of missing children's photographs, 
distributed nearly 2.5 million publications, and sponsored a national 
training workshop for State missing children clearinghouses and 
relevant nonprofit organizations. NCMEC also continues to assist the 
State Department in carrying out its Hague Convention responsibilities 
by processing incoming applications for children abducted to the United 
States and is broadening its efforts to recover American children 
abducted to foreign countries.
    In FY 1999, NCMEC continued to perform the national resource center 
and clearinghouse functions and broadened the ICAC training program 
with development of 1-day awareness seminars for communities seeking to 
improve their response to these offenses. NCMEC is also sponsoring 
research to determine the incidence of young people receiving unwanted 
sexual solicitations or who are unwillingly 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 in 
how to respond to these episodes. Efforts this year involved 
development and field testing of the survey instrument. Preliminary 
results are expected in FY 2000.
    A 1-year cooperative agreement will be awarded to NCMEC in FY 2000 
for continued performance of national resource center and clearinghouse 
functions and operation of the Jimmy Ryce Law Enforcement Center.
Internet Crimes Against Children Regional Task Force Development
    In 1998, the Missing and Exploited Children's Program (MECP) 
awarded $2.4 million to ten State and local law enforcement agencies to 
develop and implement regional multijurisdictional, multiagency 
responses to prevent and combat Internet crimes against children 
(ICAC). ICAC Task Forces serve as regional sources of prevention, 
education, and investigative expertise to provide assistance to 
parents, teachers, law enforcement, and other professionals working on 
child victimization issues. In FY 1999, ICAC Task Forces worked with 
representatives from the MECP, FBI, United States Customs Service, 
Postal Inspection Service, and the National Center for Missing and 
Exploited Children (NCMEC) to develop investigative and operational 
standards for the ICAC Task Force Program. These standards are designed 
to coordinate investigations, foster information sharing, ensure the 
probative quality of undercover operations, and facilitate interagency 
case referrals through standardization of investigative practices.
    On November 9, 1999, OJJDP, in cooperation with the National School 
Boards Association and NCMEC, sponsored a national teleconference 
titled On-Line Safety for Children: A Primer for Parents and Teachers. 
The teleconference was designed to raise awareness of Internet safety, 
encourage the development of safe on-line practices, and identify 
strategies for preventing Internet crimes against children. The 
teleconference was directed toward educators, school administrators, 
law enforcement, community leaders, parents, policy makers, and others 
who are interested in child safety on the Internet.
    In FY 2000, MECP plans to sponsor a series of town meetings to 
promote awareness of the importance of community-wide interdiction and 
intervention as it relates to Internet crimes against children. Based 
on the availability of funds, MECP will also make supplemental awards 
to the ten jurisdictions currently participating in the ICAC program, 
and will support a minimum of eight new ICAC sites.
Missing and Exploited Children Training and Technical Assistance 
Program
    In FY 1998, Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC) was 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 focuses on investigative techniques, interview strategies, 
comprehensive response planning, media relations, lead and case 
management, and other topics related to missing and exploited 
children's cases.
    Under the Missing and Exploited Children Training and Technical 
Assistance Program, FVTC 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 Children and its related 
subcommittees; develops documents and publications related 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 the design of 
protocols for handling and responding to cases involving missing and 
exploited children, establishment of a response planning system, and 
conducting a case review of child protection legislation. FVTC would 
continue to provide these training and technical assistance services in 
FY 2000.
Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association's Safe Return 
Program
    OJJDP administers the Safe Return program designed to facilitate 
the identification and safe return of memory-impaired persons who are 
at risk of wandering from their homes. In FY 1999, the Safe Return 
Program increased its registration database to more than 53,000 
individuals and assisted in the return of 980 wanderers.
    In FY 2000, the program will continue the national registry and the 
24-hour toll-free hotline. In addition, the Safe Return Program would 
continue work

[[Page 1179]]

on the model community program and expand training and technical 
efforts focusing on law enforcement and emergency personnel.
National Crime Information Center (NCIC)
    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 2
    Under the Missing Children's Assistance Act, Title IV, OJJDP is 
required 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 2, 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 particulars of the original NISMART study. 
Specifically, the NISMART 2 study will (1) revise and enhance NISMART 
definitions, (2) survey approximately 23,000 households by telephone to 
estimate 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 NISMART 2 findings 
will be available in mid-2000, and a final report will be completed in 
FY 2000. An OJJDP Bulletin documenting the scope of the research, 
definition revisions, and methodology changes will be published in FY 
2000.
    OJJDP support for NISMART 2 would continue in FY 2000.
Parent Resource Support Network (Team Hope)
    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 2000, PAS would train additional parent volunteers and engage 
in activities to market the program.
Jimmy Ryce Law Enforcement Training Center Program
    In FY 1997, OJJDP, in partnership with the National Center for 
Missing and Exploited Children, the FBI, and OJJDP grantee Fox Valley 
Technical College (FVTC), 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's 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 1999, 371 police chiefs and sheriffs and 323 investigators 
participated in at least one of the JRLETC programs.
    Congress appropriated $1.25 million in FY 1999 to continue 
operation of the Jimmy Ryce Law Enforcement Training Center. OJJDP, 
NCMEC, the FBI, and FVTC will continue to provide training and 
technical assistance through the JRLETC and the onsite technical 
assistance program to respond to the numerous requests for assistance 
from JRLETC graduates.
    Under the JRLETC appropriation, OJJDP awarded $500,000 to FVTC to 
support regional REMAC courses, with the remaining $750,000 awarded to 
NCMEC to continue the CEO seminars and onsite technical assistance 
program. NCMEC also will draft a model policy to assist law enforcement 
executives plan response protocols for their communities. The 
International Association of Police Chiefs is currently reviewing the 
final draft of the policy and MECP anticipates publication by the 
second quarter of FY 2000.
Association of Missing and Exploited Children's Organizations
    MECP provides funds to the Association of Missing and Exploited 
Children's Organizations (AMECO) to improve, at the State and local 
level, the quality, availability, and coordination of services provided 
to missing and exploited children and their families, and to improve 
the capacity and capabilities of nonprofit organizations (NPO's) 
serving missing children and their families. While many AMECO member 
agencies serve parents and children who are the victims of domestic 
abduction, few are trained or equipped to provide specialized services 
to those involved in international abductions. Until recently, little 
attention has been given to the need to coordinate with local service 
providers and expand their services for children and their families.
    In FY 2000, additional funds would be provided to AMECO to hire 
full time staff to support the expansion of services for international 
parental abduction cases, support semiannual meetings, and develop and 
disseminate written protocols, policies, procedures, and standards for 
NPO's for both domestic and international parental abduction cases.
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 
enhancing their child death investigations. NCCFR developed a model for 
integrating data among the Criminal Justice, Vital Statistics, and 
Social Services Child Abuse Indices. NCCFR is funded by a National 
Advisory Board, which is composed of representatives from across the 
country and from relevant disciplines.
    In FY 1999 the NCCFR will continue its efforts to standardize and 
coordinate information and resources relating to child death review 
activities. This includes the development of a Web site

[[Page 1180]]

that will be used to post national data on child abuse and neglect 
related fatalities, offer Internet-based training, provide information 
about each State's CFR activities, and offer information and resources 
to professionals and practitioners throughout the country. NCCFR will 
also produce and publish a national newsletter titled Unified Response, 
expand the NCCFR list-serve, and develop and distribute training 
materials using the Internet, CD-ROM, or videotape and other media.
    In FY 2000, OJJDP would provide continuation support to NCCFR.
Investigative Case Management for Missing Children Homicides
    In FY 1993, OJJDP awarded a competitive grant 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 the specific 
characteristics of more than 550 missing child homicide cases. These 
characteristics were recorded in WAGO's child homicide database.
    In FY 1999, WAGO identified additional cases for inclusion in the 
database and began the interview data collection process. In FY 2000 
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 data collection, database 
maintenance, and case consultation activities. The database can be used 
by Federal, State, and local law enforcement to perform link analyses 
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 (CASKU)
    In FY 1997, OJJDP entered into a 3-year interagency agreement with 
the FBI's 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 is being used by the FBI and OJJDP in 
training and technical assistance programs. FY 1999 activities included 
refinement of the interview protocol, identification of incarcerated 
offenders meeting requirements of the research criteria, and field 
tests of the interview protocol.
    In FY 2000, OJJDP would continue funding support to CASKU to begin 
data collection efforts and preliminary analyses.
National Child Victimization Conference Support
    In FY 2000, MECP proposes to provide funding support to national 
conferences focusing on child abduction, exploitation, and 
victimization issues. This funding support would include the 
conferences sponsored by the National Children's Advocacy Center, 
Dallas Police Department and Children's Advocacy Center, and American 
Professional Society on the Abuse of Children.

    Dated: January 4, 2000.
Shay Bilchik,
Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
[FR Doc. 00-354 Filed 1-6-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-18-P