Justice Department Announces More Than $5.6 Million for Field-Initiated Crime Fighting Strategies

WASHINGTON, Sept. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs (OJP) today announced more than $5.6 million for field-generated projects that seek to strengthen the criminal justice system by challenging the field to identify and define emerging or chronic systemic issues and to develop innovative strategies for resolving them.

"Programs such as the field-initiated competitive grant program highlight that the most effective way to confront crime is through dynamic and collaborative partnerships with federal, state, and local law enforcement, and community organizations," said Laurie O. Robinson, Assistant Attorney General for OJP.  "Among OJP's key responsibilities are to invest in innovative programs in criminal justice, to help our partners in the field put into place these crime-fighting strategies, and to assess their successes and failures along the way."

The awards are rooted in the Department's commitment to be not only tough on crime, but smart on crime, through supporting, developing, and enhancing evidence-based practices, building upon current models, and encouraging innovative approaches and strategies nationwide.

OJP's Bureau of Justice Assistance's (BJA) awarded the funding in three categories: (1) state or local programs that strategically address emerging crime issues or an increase in crime; (2) innovative strategies to address significant crime issues; or (3) strategies to sustain innovative or evidence-based programs.  Categories 2 and 3 sought applications from either national level programs or state or local programs that could be replicated.  Awardees must establish and collect performance measurement data and document program impact.

"These groundbreaking programs will result in practical tools, backed by evidence of effectiveness, which may be used nationwide to help build state and local capacities for crime fighting," said James H. Burch, II, Acting Director for BJA.

Awardees and their projects are listed below, by category.

Category 1:

"Developing and Operating New Orleans' First Pretrial Services System"

Vera Institute of Justice, $467,960

The Vera Institute of Justice will create and implement a pretrial services system for the City of

New Orleans to more effectively resolve minor, non-violent offenses and refocus its criminal justice resources on the prevention, investigation, and prosecution of violent crime.

Category 2:

"Resource Center on Women Involved in the Criminal Justice System"

Center for Effective Public Policy, $749,994

The Center for Effective Public Policy will establish a national "Resource Center on Women Involved in the Criminal Justice System" to manage women offenders in an evidence-based and gender informed manner to reduce recidivism and to achieve more successful outcomes with women involved in the criminal justice system.

"National Witness Protection Center"

Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape, $750,000

The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape will initiate a pilot project to enhance existing working responses to witness intimidation and to close gaps in neglected areas with training and technical assistance.

"Smarter Sentencing Pilot Project"

South Arkansas Substance Abuse, $750,000

The 13th Judicial District of Arkansas will serve as a pilot in the State to explore changes to current sentencing practices that could lead to reduced crime, reduced substance abuse, and improve the capacity of the criminal justice system.

"Pocket Guide on Legal Issues Related to Elder Abuse"

American Bar Association Fund for Justice and Education, $249,054

This project will develop a pocket guide of information for criminal justice system professionals about elder abuse.

"Innovative Programs for Special Correctional Populations"

Georgia Southern University Research and Service Foundation, $150,669

This project will use a web-based resource guide to examine high priority special populations and their associated managerial difficulties in prisons and document current evidence-based strategies.

Category 3:

"Identifying Successful Strategies to Promote Program Sustainability"

RAND Corporation, $345,908

The Rand Corporation will develop a set of strategies to promote program sustainability by examining the transition of demonstration programs from initial federal funding to stable local funding.

"Skills for Offender Assessment and Responsivity in New Goals"

George Mason University, $749,898

George Mason University will create a suite of web-based tools that supplement traditional correctional and judicial academies to help build capacity.

"Understanding, Promoting, and Sustaining the Use of Research and Evidence-Based Programs and Practices by State Administering Agencies"

Justice Research and Statistics Association Inc., $440,195

This project will develop a practical tool for the State Administering Agencies to assess their ability to facilitate and sustain evidence-based practices.

"Sustaining Five Violent Crime Reduction Coalitions in Tennessee"

Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration, $335,418

The Tennessee State Administering Agency will replicate successful violent crime reduction coalitions throughout the State to support existing local partnerships using evidence-based strategies and mentoring other communities.

"Performance-Based Prosecution Project"

Philadelphia District Attorney's Office, $641,695

This project will enable the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office to improve decision-making using data-driven and case-specific policy.

A complete list of OJP's Fiscal Year 2010 funding awards is posted in the funding section of the

OJP Web site at: http://www.ojp.gov/funding/10grantawards.htm.

The Office of Justice Programs (OJP), headed by Assistant Attorney General Laurie O. Robinson, provides federal leadership in developing the nation's capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice, and assist victims.  OJP has seven bureaus and offices: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; the Office for Victims of Crime; the Community Capacity Development Office, and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART).  More information about OJP and its components can be found at http://www.ojp.gov.

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SOURCE Office of Justice Programs

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