National Criminal Justice Reference Service NCJRS is administered by the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice JUSTICE INFORMATION May 15, 2008 Volume 14, Number 10. Access this issue online at: http://www.ncjrs.gov/justinfo/May1508.html JUSTINFO, published the 1st and 15th of each month, highlights information from the NCJRS sponsoring agencies. ************************************************************************* CONTENTS Announcements - BJA Director Showcased in Government Executive Magazine (BJA) - Federal Trade Commission Warns Consumers About Scams (OVC) - Justice Professionals Sought To Review Byrne Applications (BJA) - National Police Week Announced (NCJRS) - Older Americans Month Recognized (NCJRS) - Peer Reviewers Needed To Evaluate Grant Applications (BJA) Funding Opportunities - Financial Assistance Available for Americans Victimized Abroad (OVC) - Funding Available for Tribal Youth Program (OJJDP) - Grant Deadline Quickly Approaching (OVC) - Missing Children's Organizations Support Solicitation Announced (OJJDP) Publications - Discover New Resources for First Responders (OVC) - Latest Issue of The AMBER Advocate Available (OAAG) - Law Enforcement Agencies Concerned About Fuel Costs (COPS) - Marijuana Use May Increase Depression Among Teens (ONDCP) - Report Reviews Youth Court Operations (OJJDP) Online Resources - Online Tool Provides Victims' Rights Law Information (OVC) Conferences and Trainings - NIJ To Hold Annual Conference in July (NIJ) - Specialized Training Available for Victim Service Providers (OVC) ************************************************************************* *** Announcements *** BJA Director Showcased in Government Executive Magazine Director Domingo Herraiz discusses the Justice Department's embrace of a grassroots program to reform its approach to crime and punishment in Government Executive Magazine's article "Imperfect Justice." BJA launched its first grassroots problem-solving criminal justice initiative in 2005 to assess what works and what doesn't work in the criminal justice system. (BJA) For more information, visit: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/pdf/ImperfectJustice.pdf ============================================================ Federal Trade Commission Warns Consumers About Scams Unsolicited e-mails and telephone calls promising advance payments or seeking to verify personal information are scams. The Internal Revenue Service and Social Security Administration will not call or e-mail individuals regarding tax or rebate information. Visit OnGuardOnline.gov to learn how to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft, phishing scams, and fraud. (OVC) For more information, visit: http://www.irs.gov/ http://onguardonline.gov/ ============================================================ Justice Professionals Sought To Review Byrne Applications Experts in crime and drug abuse prevention, law enforcement, courts, corrections, reentry, and justice information sharing are needed to review Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grants Program applications. Interested individuals can submit their resumes to Byrne.Discretionary@usdoj.gov. (BJA) For more information, visit: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/grant/08ByrneCompSol.pdf mailto:Byrne.Discretionary@usdoj.gov ============================================================ National Police Week Announced To recognize National Police Week (May 11-17, 2008), NCJRS has posted a Police Week Special Feature. This special feature includes links to publications and Web sites containing information on law enforcement safety, equipment and technology, benefit and assistance programs, and statistics about police officers and police departments. (NCJRS) For more information, visit: http://www.ncjrs.gov/policeweek/ ============================================================ Older Americans Month Recognized In observance of Older Americans Month (May 2008), NCJRS has created an Older Americans Special Feature. This resource contains links to publications and other resources on topics such as elder abuse and prescription drug abuse, as well as the prevention of such activities. (NCJRS) For more information, visit: http://www.ncjrs.gov/olderamericansmonth/ ============================================================ Peer Reviewers Needed To Evaluate Grant Applications BJA is currently recruiting experts in the criminal justice and mental health fields to serve as peer reviewers to evaluate the 2008 Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program grant applications. Interested individuals can submit their resumes to AskBJA@usdoj.gov. (BJA) For more information, visit: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/grant/JMHCprogram.html mailto:AskBJA@usdoj.gov ************************************************************************* *** Funding Opportunities *** Financial Assistance Available for Americans Victimized Abroad The International Terrorism Victim Expense Reimbursement Program (ITVERP) reimburses victims for expenses incurred as a result of terrorism acts occurring outside the United States. To learn more about program requirements and how to apply, visit the ITVERP Web site. (OVC) For more information, visit: http://www.ovc.gov/intdir/itverp/index.html ============================================================ Funding Available for Tribal Youth Program Application deadline: June 13, 2008 OJJDP is seeking applicants under its FY 2008 Tribal Youth Program's Juvenile Accountability Discretionary Grants solicitation to develop and implement programs that hold tribal youth accountable for their delinquent behavior and strengthen tribal juvenile justice systems. (OJJDP) For more information, visit: http://ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/funding/FundingDetail.asp?fi=96 ============================================================ Grant Deadline Quickly Approaching Application deadline: May 29, 2008 The FY 2008 National Field-Generated Training, Technical Assistance, and Demonstration Projects grant offers awards of $50,000 to $500,000 to support the development of national-scope training, technical assistance, and demonstration project initiatives. All initiatives must focus on improving the capacity of victim service providers and allied practitioners to advance rights and services to crime victims. (OVC) For more information, visit: http://www.ovc.gov/fund/pdftxt/FY08_fieldtraining.pdf ============================================================ Missing Children's Organizations Support Solicitation Announced Application deadline: June 6, 2008 OJJDP has announced its FY 2008 Membership Support Services for Nonprofit Missing Children's Organizations program, which will provide resources for the grantee to support a membership organization of nonprofit missing children's organizations, provide services to law enforcement and community agencies, provide public awareness and education about child protection, and related purposes. (OJJDP) For more information, visit: http://ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/funding/FundingDetail.asp?fi=98 ************************************************************************* *** Publications *** Discover New Resources for First Responders "First Response to Victims of Crime" is a multimedia package produced by the National Sheriffs' Association. It examines the impact of crime on victims and describes how law enforcement, as first responders, can meet victims' needs. A video in VHS (NCJ 211618, 30 minutes) and DVD (NCJ 211619, 30 minutes) formats and a guidebook (NCJ 217272, 97 pp.) are available. (OVC) For more information, visit: http://www.ovc.gov/publications/infores/other.htm For Ordering, visit: http://www.ncjrs.gov/App/ShoppingCart/ShopCart.aspx?item=NCJ+211618&repro=0 http://www.ncjrs.gov/App/ShoppingCart/ShopCart.aspx?item=NCJ+211619&repro=0 http://www.ncjrs.gov/App/ShoppingCart/ShopCart.aspx?item=NCJ+217272&repro=0 ============================================================ Latest Issue of The AMBER Advocate Available The AMBER Advocate highlights the National AMBER Alert Conference, including Elizabeth Smart's personal account of being abducted. The April issue also features: how a Florida AMBER Alert saved a child from an Internet predator, what the families of abduction victims would like police and prosecutors to know, and AMBER in Indian Country. (OAAG) For more information, visit: http://www.amberalert.gov/newsroom/pdfs/advocate_0804.pdf ============================================================ Law Enforcement Agencies Concerned About Fuel Costs The lead article in the May 2008 issue of the COPS Office's Community Policing Dispatch discusses how police chiefs and sheriffs are responding to rising fuel costs. This issue also features articles on policing in a democratic society, community policing and community governance, new COPS Office publications, training opportunities, and upcoming conferences. (COPS) For more information, visit: http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/html/dispatch/index.html ============================================================ Marijuana Use May Increase Depression Among Teens The report "Teen Marijuana Use Worsens Depression: An Analysis of Recent Data Shows "Self-Medicating" Could Actually Make Things Worse" (NCJ 222680, 8 pp.) reveals that some teens are using drugs to alleviate feelings of depression (self-medicating). In fact, using marijuana can compound the problem, worsen depression, and lead to more serious mental disorders. (ONDCP) For more information, visit: http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/news/press08/marij_mental_hlth.pdf ============================================================ Report Reviews Youth Court Operations Published by the Hamilton Fish Institute, "Youth Courts: An Empirical Update and Analysis of Future Organizational and Research Needs" guides communities in developing and sustaining an organizational structure that helps youth courts prevent young offenders from repeating antisocial behaviors. The report is the third in a series on youth courts sponsored by OJJDP. (OJJDP) For more information, visit: http://gwired.gwu.edu/hamfish/Publications/Serial ************************************************************************* *** Online Resources *** Online Tool Provides Victims' Rights Law Information VictimLaw is an online database containing more than 15,000 victims' rights statutes (federal and state), tribal laws, constitutional amendments, court rules, and administrative code provisions. This resource, developed by the National Center for Victims of Crime with OVC funding, also offers brief victims' rights and justice system overviews and case summaries. (OVC) For more information, visit: http://www.victimlaw.info/victimlaw/ http://www.ncvc.org/ ************************************************************************* *** Conferences and Trainings *** NIJ To Hold Annual Conference in July The NIJ Conference 2008 will be held July 21-23, 2008, in Arlington, Virginia. It will showcase what works, what doesn't, and what research shows as promising. New developments in technology that increase public safety will be featured. The conference emphasizes benefits to researchers and practitioners who work together to develop effective evidence-based policies and practices. (NIJ) For more information, visit: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/events/nij_conference/welcome.htm ============================================================ Specialized Training Available for Victim Service Providers Register now for OVC's upcoming training workshops, including Providing Culturally Competent Services to Victims of Crime, September 16-18, 2008, in Lincoln, Nebraska, and Identity Theft: Supporting Victims' Financial and Emotional Recovery, October 8-9, 2008, in Reno, Nevada. 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/ProvidingCulturally.htm http://www.sei2003.com/ovcttac2008/Reno-IdentityTheft.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? 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