National Criminal Justice Reference Service NCJRS is administered by the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice JUSTICE INFORMATION March 01, 2008 Volume 14, Number 5. Access this issue online at: http://www.ncjrs.gov/justinfo/Mar0108.html JUSTINFO, published the 1st and 15th of each month, highlights information from the NCJRS sponsoring agencies. ************************************************************************* CONTENTS Announcements - Correctional Industries Podcasts Available (NIC) - Discussing Ethical Practices in Victim Services (OVC) - Download the Latest NCVRW Screensaver (OVC) - National Consumer Protection Week Activities Announced (NCJRS) - Promote NCVRW With Web Banners (OVC) Funding Opportunities - Enhancing Local Criminal Justice Systems (NIC) - Foundation Seeks Proposals for Reclaiming Futures Sites (OJJDP) - Funding Available for Community-Based Drug Prevention (ONDCP) - Reducing Backlogs in DNA Testing (NIJ) Conferences and Trainings - Addressing the Challenges Facing Tribal Communities (OJP) - Attend NCVRW Prelude Events (OVC) - Build Your Professional Skills at NVAA (OVC) - Conferences To Assist Community and Faith-Based Organizations (OJJDP) - Register for G.R.E.A.T. National Training Conference (BJA) - Resolving Threats With Minimal Force (NIJ) - Training for Victim Service Providers Available (OVC) ************************************************************************* *** Announcements *** Correctional Industries Podcasts Available NIC is offering podcasts to inform practitioners in the corrections field about important issues. Current podcasts include information on the Maryland State Department of Education Re-entry Mobile Unit, Felix Mata's (Program Administrator for US Probation) focus on workforce development and re-entry, and activities of the National Correctional Industries Association. (NIC) For more information, visit: http://www.nicic.org/owdpodcasts ============================================================ Discussing Ethical Practices in Victim Services On March 12, 2008, at 2 p.m. ET, the Office for Victims of Crime will host a Web Forum Guest Host Session on ethical practices in victim services. Join Melissa Hook, Executive Director of the District of Columbia Office of Victim Services and author of "Ethics in Victim Services," for the live discussion. (OVC) For more information, visit: http://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ovcproviderforum/index.asp ============================================================ Download the Latest NCVRW Screensaver Display a constant reminder that National Crime Victims' Rights Week (NCVRW) is fast approaching - April 13-19, 2008. Download the newest screensaver in the gallery promoting NCVRW. Show your support for victims' rights and carry the event theme "Justice for VICTIMS. Justice for ALL." to your desktop. (OVC) For more information, visit: http://www.ovc.gov/gallery/screensavers.html ============================================================ National Consumer Protection Week Activities Announced During National Consumer Protection Week (March 2-8, 2008), NCJRS invites you to review the Fraud Awareness Special Feature and the Internet Safety Special Feature to view information on the topics and learn how you can protect yourself from being victimized. (NCJRS) For more information, visit: http://www.ncjrs.gov/fraudawareness/ http://www.ncjrs.gov/internetsafety/ ============================================================ Promote NCVRW With Web Banners In anticipation of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW), April 13-19, 2008, OVC encourages you to download and display banner ads on your Web site. Visit the banner gallery to choose your favorite and link to the NCVRW Web page. (OVC) For more information, visit: http://www.ovc.gov/ncvrw/banners.htm http://www.ovc.gov/ncvrw/welcome.html ************************************************************************* *** Funding Opportunities *** Enhancing Local Criminal Justice Systems Application deadline: April 4, 2008 NIC is accepting applications for a cooperative agreement for the development phase of a new initiative, "Evidence Based Decision Making for Local Criminal Justice Systems.” The initiative's goal is to establish and test links between local criminal justice decisions and the application of human and organizational change principles to achieve reduction of pretrial misconduct and postconviction reoffending. (NIC) For more information, visit: http://community.nicic.org/blogs/nic/archive/2008/02/19/grant-opportunity-evidence-based-decision-making-for-local-criminal-justice-systems.aspx ============================================================ Foundation Seeks Proposals for Reclaiming Futures Sites Application deadline: April 1, 2008 The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is seeking to add up to six additional sites to its Reclaiming Futures program. The program enhances the capacity of juvenile courts to provide youth who enter the justice system because of drug and alcohol offenses with an appropriate response that matches accountability with overcoming addiction. (OJJDP) For more information, visit: http://www.reclaimingfutures.org/ ============================================================ Funding Available for Community-Based Drug Prevention ONDCP, in partnership with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, has announced the availability of $1.2 million for new Drug-Free Communities Support Mentoring Program grants. An estimated 15 new Mentoring grants will be awarded to drug and alcohol prevention community coalitions. (ONDCP) For more information, visit: http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/news/press08/021508.html ============================================================ Reducing Backlogs in DNA Testing Application deadline: April 4, 2008 Funding for the Convicted Offender and/or Arrestee DNA Backlog Reduction Program is open to states with designated existing and accredited DNA database laboratories to reduce the backlog of DNA database samples. Backlog reductions should be achieved through in-house analysis, testing by accredited fee-for-service laboratories, or data review of sample profiles generated by an accredited fee-for-service laboratory. (NIJ) For more information, visit: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/sl000830.pdf ************************************************************************* *** Conferences and Trainings *** Addressing the Challenges Facing Tribal Communities The Office of Justice Programs, in partnership with several federal agencies, is sponsoring three Tribal Justice & Safety events: Government-to-Government Consultation, Training and Technical Assistance, and a National Tribal Symposium on Sex Offender Management and Accountability. The next session will be held March 5-7, 2008, in Washington, DC. (OJP) For more information, visit: http://guest.cvent.com/EVENTS/Info/Summary.aspx?e=ed0f60d3-c38f-4ab3-80d2-c60014bdc880 ============================================================ Attend NCVRW Prelude Events On April 10, 2008, accomplished author and investigative journalist Dominick Dunne will deliver remarks at OVC's National Observance and Candlelight Ceremony. On April 11, 2008, the Attorney General's Crime Victim Service Awards will be presented to individuals and organizations that have demonstrated outstanding service for victims. Visit the NCVRW Web page for more information. (OVC) For more information, visit: http://www.ovc.gov/ncvrw/welcome.html ============================================================ Build Your Professional Skills at NVAA The 2008 National Victim Assistance Academy (NVAA) will be held May 4-9, 2008, in St. Louis, Missouri. Visit the OVC TTAC Web site for more information and to be added to the mailing list. (OVC) For more information, visit: https://www.ovcttac.gov/nvaa2008/ ============================================================ Conferences To Assist Community and Faith-Based Organizations OJJDP will hold two conferences on Accessing and Sustaining Resources for Community and Faith-Based Organizations. The first conference will be held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on March 19-20, 2008, and the second will be held in Los Angeles, California, on April 1-2, 2008. Early registration is recommended because space is limited. (OJJDP) For more information, visit: http://www.sei2003.com/ojjdp/ ============================================================ Register for G.R.E.A.T. National Training Conference On July 16-18, 2008, in St. Louis, Missouri, BJA will host the G.R.E.A.T. National Training Conference. Goals include preventing youth crime, violence, and gang involvement; developing positive relationships with youth; and improving the delivery of the middle school curriculum, elementary school curriculum, summer program, and G.R.E.A.T. Families program. (BJA) For more information, visit: http://www.great-online.org/Conference2008/Default.Aspx ============================================================ Resolving Threats With Minimal Force The Countering Terrorism through Technology, Minimal Force and Less Lethal Options conference, sponsored in part by NIJ, will be held May 21-23, 2008, in Orlando, Florida. The objective of the conference is to enhance the collective ability of law enforcement to resolve critical incidents and potentially violent encounters while increasing both public and officer safety and safeguarding civil liberties. (NIJ) For more information, visit: http://www.ntoa.org/terrorism/conference/index.html ============================================================ Training for Victim Service Providers Available Register now for OVC's upcoming training workshops, including Sexual Assault Advocate/Counselor Training, April 29-30, 2008, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Compassion Fatigue/Vicarious Trauma, August 19-20, 2008, in Spokane, Washington. To view course descriptions and learning objectives or to register, visit the OVC TTAC Web Site. (OVC) For more information, visit: http://www.sei2003.com/ovcttac2008/SexualAssualt.htm http://www.sei2003.com/ovcttac2008/CompassionAugust.htm https://www.ovcttac.gov/trainingCenter/training.cfm ************************************************************************* Ordering Instructions - Resources available for online ordering are noted with the reference "Order Online." Order these items online by searching for the NCJ number on the NCJRS Web site at http://www.ncjrs.gov/App/Publications/AlphaList.aspx NCJRS Online Resources - View the NCJRS Web site at http://www.ncjrs.gov - Have a question? Search our database of Questions and Answers at http://www.ncjrs.gov/App/QA/SearchQA.aspx - Can't find an answer? E-mail us at http://www.ncjrs.gov/App/QA/SubmitQuestion.aspx - Have a comment or suggestion? Tell us at http://www.ncjrs.gov/App/Feedback.aspx Subscription Details - To subscribe to this newsletter go to http://www.ncjrs.gov/subreg.html - To unsubscribe from this newsletter go to https://puborder.ncjrs.gov/Listservs/unsubscribe_justinfo.asp If you have any questions about JUSTINFO, need to change your e-mail address, or experience technical difficulties in receiving or unsubscribing to the newsletter, please go to http://www.ncjrs.gov/App/QA/SubmitQuestion.aspx or call 800-851-3420 or 301 519-5500.