Office of Justice Programs Weekly News Brief

WASHINGTON, Aug. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is being released by the Office of Justice Programs:

OJP's Leadership Speaks at Tribal Summit – In remarks at the National Intertribal Youth Summit, on Monday, July 30, Acting Assistant Attorney General Mary Lou Leary said, "I find it remarkable and commendable that so many young tribal members are so strongly invested in the future of their communities. The pride you show in your heritage and the concern you display for maintaining it are truly admirable … it's gratifying for those of us in leadership positions at the federal and tribal levels to see this kind of commitment."  http://www.ojp.gov/newsroom/speeches/2012/12_0730mlleary.pdf

BJS Releases Census of Publicly Funded Forensic Crime Laboratories, 2009 – According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics' newly released report, Census of Publicly Funded Forensic Crime Laboratories, 2009, the nation's publicly funded crime labs had an estimated backlog of 1.2 million requests for forensic services at the end of 2009, a figure relatively unchanged from the backlog at yearend 2008. In 2009, the 411 federal, state, county and municipal labs began the year with more than 1.0 million backlogged requests and received an additional estimated 4.1 million new requests for forensic services from law enforcement and other criminal justice agencies during the year. www.BJS.gov

Neighborhood Revitalization Conference – Acting Associate Attorney General Tony West addressed the Neighborhood Revitalization Conference sponsored by the United Neighborhood Centers of America on August 2.  He announced up to $900,000 in grant awards under the Building Neighborhood Capacity Program (BNCP) administered by OJP's Bureau of Justice Assistance.  The program is designed to help distressed neighborhoods form cross-sector partnerships that improve their ability to leverage federal, state, local, and private resources.   The awards will support eight neighborhoods in four cities: Flint, Michigan; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Memphis, Tennessee; and Fresno, California.  BNCP is a program of the White House-led Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative, a multi-agency effort involving the Departments of Justice, Education, Treasury, Health and Human Services, and Housing and Urban Development.

2012 OJP Grants Posted on OJP.gov – OJP will now provide regular updates on grants awarded for Fiscal Year 2012 on its website. This weekly report of grant awards will include the grantee's name, city, state, award amount, and program office.  OJP is reviewing a number of grant applications and will continuously update the site until October 2012. www.ojp.gov

SOURCE U.S. Department of Justice - Office of Justice Programs