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