TITLE: Open Solicitation '97: The Results. Series: BJA Monograph Published: December 1997 Author: Tamar Dor-Ner, Bureau of Justice Assistance Subject: Funding resources 34 pages 70,108 bytes Figures, charts, forms, and tables are not included in this ASCII plain-text file. To view this document in its entirety, download the Adobe Acrobat graphic file available from this Web site or order a print copy from BJA at 800-688-4252. U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance ------------------------------ U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs 810 Seventh Street NW. Washington, DC 20531 Janet Reno Attorney General U.S. Department of Justice Raymond C. Fisher Associate Attorney General Laurie Robinson Assistant Attorney General Nancy E. Gist Director, Bureau of Justice Assistance ------------------------------ U.S. Department of Justice Response Center 1-800-421-6770 ------------------------------- Bureau of Justice Assistance Clearinghouse 1-800-688-4252 ------------------------------ Bureau of Justice Assistance World Wide Web Home Page http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA ------------------------------ This was prepared by Community Research Associates, Inc. under cooperative agreement No. 96-DS-BX-K002, awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. ------------------------------ The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the Office for Victims of Crime. ------------------------------ Open Solicitation '97: The Results Prepared by Tamar Dor-Ner, Bureau of Justice Assistance Monograph December 1997 NCJ 168096 ------------------------------ Foreword Long before a formal assessment of Open Solicitation '97 could be completed, it was evident to all of us at the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) that the Nation's response to our request for new ideas was tremendous. The freedom we gave to local practitioners to submit their proposals--both in submission requirements and in the breadth of topics applicants could address--produced a wealth of innovative concepts from every region of the country. BJA received more than 1,700 concept papers from all elements of the criminal justice system. They, in turn, have reached out within their communities and proposed building partnerships with schools, counties, social service agencies, and virtually every other type of institution that can play a role in improving local criminal justice systems. The potential of these partnerships for addressing the Nation's most difficult criminal justice issues is truly exciting. This report presents an overview of State and local submissions to Open Solicitation '97. Among the report's most valuable findings for both practitioners and policymakers are emerging trends in State and local criminal justice issues. It is our hope that this insight into areas of local need will help grantmakers at all government levels, as well as their grantees, design more effective programs. Because of the extraordinary contributions of everyone involved in this special project, I would like to take this opportunity to thank those who made the open solicitation process such a resounding success in its initial year. First and most important, I would like to extend heartfelt thanks to the applicants of Open Solicitation '97. We have been awed by your creativity and dedication to making a safer and better America. Within BJA, the solicitation would not have run as smoothly were it not for Patty Reilly, who coordinated the efforts of the enormous team that organized, administered, and evaluated the competition. I would also like to thank Timothy Murray, Mary Santonastasso, Butch Straub, Jim Swain, and the other BJA staff members who gave of their time and energy. In addition, BJA would like to acknowledge the superb efforts of Cygnus Corporation and the members of the Peer Panel Review Focus Group to improve the solicitation process. The focus group members were the Honorable Bruce Beaudin, Senior Judge, District of Columbia Superior Court; Lisa Hewitt, General Counsel, Commonwealth of Massachusetts; James Kane, Executive Director, Delaware Criminal Justice Council; Carlos Martinez, Director of Development, Law Offices of the Public Defender, Miami, Florida; Kathleen O'Boyle, Deputy Executive Director, Center for Community Alternatives, New York, New York; and Thomas Williams, Executive Assistant Director, Division of Parole and Probation, Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. Nancy E. Gist Director ------------------------------ Contents Chapter 1 The Idea: A New Direction in Grantmaking Chapter 2 The Process: An Emphasis on Identifying Problems and Finding Solutions Chapter 3 The Numbers: What the Solicitation Told Us About the Most Critical Areas of Need State and Local Needs Trends in Applicant Topic Areas Domestic Violence Law Enforcement Language Training Alternatives to Incarceration The Rural-Urban Gap in Technological Needs Rural and Tribal School-Based Programming Chapter 4 The Grantees: Innovative Thinking and New Faces Alaska Yupiit of Andreafski, St. Mary's Alaska Court System, Anchorage Arizona Pascua Yaqui Community, Tucson Pima County Superior Court Pretrial Services Gila River Indian Community, Laveen California Fresno County District Attorney Judicial Council of the Courts, San Francisco Vacaville Police Department Florida Orange County Government, Orlando Clerk of the Circuit Court, Leon County Georgia Chatham County District Attorney, Savannah Randolph County Commission, Columbus Iowa Fifth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services Fifth Judicial District Louisiana Office of the District Attorney, Vidalia Maine Maine Judicial Department, Administrative Office of the Courts Maryland State's Attorney's Office, Baltimore Michigan Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, Manistee Minnesota Mille Lacs Band, Ojibwe Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, Red Lake Reservation Missouri St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Montana Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Pablo Chippewa Cree Tribe, Box Elder Nevada Clark County Public Defenders Office, Las Vegas New Mexico Pueblo of Jemez Santa Fe Police Department State Office of Indian Affairs, Santa Fe New York Niagara County Sheriff's Department, Lockport Office of the Mayor, City of New York North Carolina Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Cherokee Ohio Howland Township, Warren Oregon Portland Police Bureau Texas Boerne Independent School District Washington Longview Police Department West Virginia West Virginia Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety, Criminal Justice and Highway Safety Division Glenville State College Wisconsin HoChunk Nation, Black River Appendix Sources for Further Information Figures Chapter 2 1 Open Solicitation `97 Topic Areas Chapter 3 2 Geographical Distribution of Applicants 3 Open Solicitation `97 Applicants 4 Submissions by Topic Area 5 Applicant Needs in Topic Area 1.1 Strategies to counter witness intimidation that facilitate witness participation in the criminal justice system 6 Applicant Needs in Topic Area 1.2 Strategies for special-needs populations (particularly the physically and mentally challenged, the elderly, and non-English speakers) that are involved in the criminal justice system as victims, witnesses, or offenders 7 Applicant Needs in Topic Area 3.3 Strategies to provide cost-effective alternatives to incarceration for selected defendants and offenders 8 Applicant Needs in Topic Area 4.2 Tribal strategies to provide cost-effective alternatives to incarceration 9 Applicant Needs in Topic Area 2.2 Strategies to address issues presented by juveniles charged as adults 10 Applicant Needs in Topic Area 1.3 Strategies to enhance law enforcement and prosecution coordination 11 Applicant Needs in Topic Area 2.4 Strategies to improve case processing and the administration of justice 12 Applicant Needs in Topic Area 3.2 Strategies in which criminal justice agencies address regional problems through consolidation or sharing of resources or through technology 13 Applicant Needs in Topic Area 3.1 Strategies that focus on community-based partnerships and coalitions to control and prevent crime and violence 14 Applicant Needs in Topic Area 4.3 Tribal strategies to prevent substance abuse (alcohol, drugs, and inhalants) by minors Chapter 4 15 Awards by Agency as of October 1997 16 Geographical Distribution of Awards ------------------------------ Chapter 1 The Idea: A New Direction in Grantmaking Open Solicitation '97 was the response of the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) to grantees' suggestions for improving the grant application process. Their recommendations were the inspiration for a new kind of grant competition based on three compelling principles: Local agencies and public- private partnerships, not the Federal Government, should identify the problems that need solving; the application process should be short and uncomplicated; and as many agencies as possible should be encouraged to apply. Applicants did not complete complicated budgets or Federal forms. Instead, they wrote short concept papers that identified problems and suggested solutions. The solicitation emphasized clarity, competence, and ease, not the ability to submit book-length technical proposals. More than 40,000 units of State, local, and tribal governments were invited to submit papers for 40 grants ranging in value from $50,000 to $150,000. BJA awarded grants under topic areas broad enough to address the extraordinary diverse challenges facing local criminal justice systems. The topic areas, developed in focus groups and constituent meetings, were intended to solicit the greatest number of submissions and allow agencies to identify the most crucial aspect of their operations. The solicitation was clearly a boon to grantseekers, but it was also a boon to BJA and Federal policymakers in general. The volume of concept papers has given the Federal Government a clear picture of the problems local criminal justice systems face and the solutions local practitioners believe will work. BJA intends to share this information with its Discretionary Grant Division, with Byrne State administrators, and with the other Office of Justice Programs bureaus. It will guide our policymaking, assist us in the development of technical assistance packages, and enhance the accuracy with which we address State and local criminal justice issues. The value of Open Solicitation '97 far exceeds the $4 million awarded to local grantees, or even the 37 innovative programs the grantees have developed. At BJA, we are confident that what we have learned from communities across the Nation will change the way we do business. ------------------------------ Chapter 2 The Process: An Emphasis on Identifying Problems and Finding Solutions In April 1997, BJA notified State and local criminal justice agencies that they were eligible to submit grant proposals for Open Solicitation '97. The competition was also advertised on the Bureau's Web site and in criminal justice journals. Applicants had 2 months to compose a short concept paper that answered six simple questions about the program they wished to create: What is the problem? What are you trying to do, and why is this approach different? How will this strategy work? What other agencies will work with you? How will you know if your concept works? What are the costs and benefits of implementing the strategy? Applicants were invited to submit papers on topics in four general areas selected through focus groups and constituent discussions: issues in law enforcement, issues in the adjudication process, issues in rural communities, and issues in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Within these areas, agencies selected specific subtopics that addressed common problems in local communities. Applicants could submit no more than one paper on any given subtopic but could submit papers on multiple subtopics. Topic areas 1 and 2 were open to all units and agencies of State and local government. Eligibility for topic areas 3 and 4 was restricted to rural communities with populations of 25,000 or less and federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments to encourage the participation of populations typically underrepresented in the grant application process. Also, in topic area 3, preference was given to Rural Empowerment Zones, Enterprise Communities, and Champion Communities. For all topic areas, nonprofit organizations were not eligible to submit papers independently, but could apply with State and local partners. By the June 2 deadline, more than 1,700 concept papers had been submitted to Open Solicitation '97. Of those, less than 10 percent were ruled ineligible because they failed to meet the submission deadline or the solicitation's eligibility requirements. The majority of ineligible applications were submitted by nonprofit applicants without the required government partner. Of the total number of papers submitted, more than 90 percent--an enormous proportion in typical grant competitions--proceeded to the peer-review stage. BJA's use of peer review to select award recipients was by no means unprecedented in grant competitions. What was unique was how the review panels operated. Members of the panels received precisely the same instructions as the applicants, and submissions were ranked by the same explicit criteria that guided their creation. The panels comprised, with few exceptions, practitioners from a diverse cross-section of State and local criminal justice systems, very few of whom had participated in peer reviews in the past. As a result, the reviewers critiqued the concept papers with an eye for programs and proposals that they might have liked to implement in their own jurisdictions, not for grant packaging or technicalities. Reviewers scored papers on a scale of 1 to 100. The highest ranked papers in each subtopic area were, in turn, examined by teams of BJA staff members with expertise in the solicitation's general issue areas: law enforcement, adjudication, rural communities, and American Indian and Alaska Native communities. The BJA teams reviewed the findings of the peer panels and made recommendations for awards to the Director of the Bureau based on the quality of the proposals, as well as the geographic and professional distribution of the prospective grantees. From initial receipt of the 1,700 papers to final decisions for awards, the review process took only 21/2 months. In a focus group hosted by BJA and Cygnus Corporation in September 1997, practitioners reported that the solicitation's streamlined concept paper and review process was superior to the BJA's traditional application process. The use of concept papers and peer review panels dramatically increased the efficiency of the process and opened it up to new perspectives from the field. To gauge how this new process was received in the field, BJA recently conducted a telephone survey of 100 applicants to Open Solicitation '97. The applicants were selected to reflect the breakdown of submissions by State, type of organization, and topic area. For a majority of applicants surveyed, their submissions to the solicitation represented the first time they had applied for a Department of Justice (DOJ) grant. Those sampled reported being very pleased with the six-page length requirement for concept papers (81 percent), the time provided to submit papers (70 percent), and the flexibility to request funding in topic areas that reflected their criminal justice priorities (85 percent). Overall, the response to Open Solicitation '97 can be best summarized by one applicant's comment that the concept paper format was the "easiest application to put together" and that the solicitation process was "well outlined, simple, and direct." Applicants selected for an award developed formal proposals for funding with the assistance of BJA staff. To help award recipients develop performance measures for their initiatives, BJA staff are working closely with the Crime and Justice Research Institute (CJRI), a nonprofit organization experienced in the coordination and dissemination of research involving important crime and justice concerns. CJRI's research and evaluation professionals will help grantees develop goals for performance and establish procedures for generating information essential to measuring performance. CJRI will analyze this information and provide detailed feedback to grantees that they can use to make their initiatives more effective. In the first stage of its collaboration with grantees, CJRI will publish a preliminary report for each initiative, describing its strategy, implementation challenges, and expected outcome. At the end of the award period, CJRI will produce a comprehensive evaluation of Open Solicitation `97 that will discuss the impact of each initiative in its State or community. BJA plans to distribute this report nationwide. Open Solicitation '97 produced one of the most important bodies of knowledge and demonstrations of State and local expertise ever assembled at BJA. The innovative ideas that BJA cannot fund through Open Solicitation '97 will not be discarded. Among the concept papers that did not win awards are much-valued descriptions of local problems and solutions that DOJ will use to make its programs better and more responsive. This information will be forwarded to the appropriate offices within the Department of Justice and other Federal agencies. ------------------------------ Chapter 3 The Numbers: What the Solicitation Told Us About the Most Critical Areas of Need For BJA, one of the most important indications of the solicitation's success was that applicants with relatively little experience in applying for Federal grants were encouraged to submit concept papers. The application's short, straightforward format clearly helped to level the playing field for agencies, particularly those serving rural areas, that historically have not had the resources to compete in grant competitions with complex technical requirements. Law enforcement agencies were the largest group of applicants, submitting slightly more than 30 percent of the total number of proposals. Although law enforcement agencies are important and deserving constituencies for BJA discretionary grants, it was BJA's hope that the solicitation would increase the participation of other components of the criminal justice system. Their response--accounting for more than two-thirds of all submissions--surpassed even our most optimistic expectations. State and Local Needs Even more significant than the types of practitioners applying for grants were the topics on which they submitted papers. Their selections have provided BJA with a roadmap to what State and local practitioners view as their most pressing needs. In particular, the remarkable response from rural communities met one of BJA's most important objectives for Open Solicitation '97. The Bureau hopes that this breakthrough will strengthen the Federal-local partnership for addressing long- neglected criminal justice needs in America's rural communities. Trends in Applicant Topic Areas Domestic Violence Domestic violence programs were among the most frequently proposed initiatives in several topic areas. In topic area 1.1, "strategies to counter witness intimidation that facilitate witness participation in the criminal justice system," domestic violence programs were the second most popular type of program proposed. Moreover, in many of the proposals for this topic area's most popular type of program--victim/witness coordinators--local practitioners specifically mentioned the need to deal with domestic violence. Domestic violence also ranked highly in topic areas 1.3, "strategies to enhance law enforcement and prosecution coordination"; 2.1, "strategies to strengthen linkages between courts and the communities they serve"; and 3.1, "strategies that focus on community-based partnerships and coalitions to control and prevent crime and violence." Few other types of initiatives so specific in nature ranked as highly in as many topic areas. Law Enforcement Language Training A second urgent need identified by State and local law enforcement agencies was foreign language training and assistance. The unexpectedly large number of requests for aid in this area clearly demonstrated that language training for law enforcement professionals has not been adequately addressed in areas of the country that have experienced major demographic shifts in recent decades. Departments requested funds for Spanish, Vietnamese, and Russian classes for their officers, as well as for programs to make officers aware of police practices in the native countries of immigrants. In response to this need, BJA is exploring ways to link local law enforcement agencies with Federal and State agencies that currently make foreign language training available to their personnel. Alternatives to Incarceration Another clear indication of the priorities of State and local criminal justice practitioners came to light in topic areas 3.3, 4.2, 2.1, and 2.2, which solicited papers on alternatives to incarceration and court-community linkages. Applicants from both tribal and rural communities showed a serious concern for juvenile offenders--keeping them out of jail whenever appropriate and ensuring that in- custody services exist when serious juvenile offenders are tried as adults. In addition, in topic area 2.2, "strategies to address issues presented by juveniles charged as adults," applicants consistently requested in- custody services for their transfer populations. Transferred juvenile populations, which are growing rapidly in jurisdictions across the country, are forbidden by law in many States to be housed in the same facilities as the adult inmate population. The Rural-Urban Gap in Technological Needs The great need to address the gap in resources between rural communities and urban and suburban communities was demonstrated in responses to topic areas 1.3, "strategies to enhance law enforcement and prosecution coordination"; 2.4, "strategies to improve case processing and the administration of justice"; and 3.2, "strategies in which criminal justice agencies address regional problems through consolidation or sharing of resources or through technology." In both general-eligibility topic areas, 1.3 and 2.4, applicants requested funding for systems development and integration before requesting funding for computers, indicating that most localities already had computers. What they proposed to acquire was new software, technology to integrate separate databases, and advanced equipment, such as digital cameras, to enhance existing systems. However, for applicants in topic area 3.2, which targeted rural communities, computers came in second to basic equipment, including dispatch radios and video cameras. For rural communities, such basic equipment was a more immediate concern than computers, and certainly more important than advances in computing technology. Rural and Tribal School-Based Programming In rural and tribal topic areas emphasizing community mobilization or the diversion of juveniles, schools were the focal point of applicants' submissions. In topic areas 3.1, "strategies that focus on community-based partnerships and coalitions to control and prevent crime and violence," and 4.3, "tribal strategies to prevent substance abuse (alcohol, drugs, and inhalants) by minors," the majority of programs were designed to bring the community together through the schools, rather than through the courts or other units of government. This valuable insight will help BJA and other Federal agencies create better programs for rural and tribal communities. ------------------------------ Chapter 4 The Grantees: Innovative Thinking and New Faces Of the more than 1,700 concept papers submitted to BJA, 37 were selected in October 1997 for awards of between $50,000 and $150,000. The majority of grants will cover a period of 18 months. Like the general pool of Open Solicitation '97 applicants, the grantees were heavily represented by rural and tribal agencies historically underserved by Federal grant competitions. The fact that so many of their ideas were selected on their merits demonstrates the critical importance of finding ways to open grant competitions to more agencies at the local level. Alaska Yupiit of Andreafski, St. Mary's High suicide and accidental death rates in Alaska Native communities are attributable in large part to alcohol and drug abuse. In St. Mary's, the youth of the Yupiit of Andreafski, who make up more than 60 percent of the community's population, are at great risk because of substance abuse. The jurisdiction's meager social services do not include prevention and educational services to help these youth. The Yupiit will create a community- oriented youth program that will base its services on three goals: prevention, diversion, and treatment. The program will identify youth at risk of substance abuse-related delinquency, as well as those who have already come into contact with the criminal justice system, and appropriate treatment plans will be developed to help them stop abusing alcohol and other drugs. The Yupiit will work with other local native communities, as well as law enforcement and social service agencies. The initiative's success will be measured with statistical records of youth crime rates, youth drug and alcohol citations, and the use of inpatient services by youth. Alaska Court System, Anchorage The experiences of members of Alaska Native communities with Federal and State government institutions, particularly the criminal justice system, are frequently alien and confusing. This pilot initiative of the Alaska Court System in Anchorage will use cultural navigators to assist Alaska Native individuals during their encounters with the criminal justice system. The navigators will be fluent in native languages, versed in native culture and traditions, and trained in the areas of crime prevention, social and legal services, court procedures, counseling and employment, treatment, and educational opportunities. Partners will include Alaska State troopers, public defenders, and legal services professionals. The program's performance will be assessed using interviews with clients and partner organizations. Arizona Pascua Yaqui Community, Tucson Tribal police report that turf tensions are high among gangs active on the densely populated, 3- square-mile Pascua Yaqui Reservation in Tucson. Seven out of 10 homes are affiliated with gangs, and the safety of the community's neighborhoods and schools has become a daily issue for residents. To create alternatives to gangs and violence in their community, the Pascua Yaqui will offer offenders and suspected offenders exposure to the Yoeme cultural arts. The initiative will use cultural identity and traditional artistic expression to give offenders a sense of personal responsibility. Partners will include the tribal court, the prosecutor's office, the probation department, and the tribal health services program. Success will be measured by comparing the community's juvenile crime rate before and after the program's implementation and through surveys of participants. Pima County Superior Court Pretrial Services In 1996, State law in Arizona was changed to allow the automatic transfer to adult court of youth 15 years of age and older, who have committed certain crimes or who have been classified as chronic offenders. Currently, transferred juveniles are considered adults only on charges currently before the court. In all other respects they remain juveniles. This hybrid classification presents unique and pressing problems for local court systems. Pima County will address the discrepancy by developing a program to determine appropriate pretrial release conditions for transferred juveniles. The program, to be operated by Pima County Superior Court Pretrial Services, will identify the needs of juveniles and coordinate the delivery of services with local resource agencies. Partners in the effort will include the county juvenile and adult probation departments, the public defender's office, the sheriff's department, and the University of Arizona. Data will be collected at both pretrial and posttrial stages to determine whether the risk assessment instrument developed for the program was successful. Gila River Indian Community, Laveen Among tribal communities in the United States, the Gila River Indian Community in Laveen suffers from some of the country's highest levels of gang violence, juvenile delinquency, and substance abuse. Shootings have escalated to more than one a night, and territory marking and other gang activities force people to live in fear. Institutions such as law enforcement and the court cannot hope to restore security without the full support of the community and families. To mobilize members of the Gila River community and channel their efforts into one broad-based initiative, the tribe will implement a Gang and Community Violence Prevention Program. Its goal is to strengthen the community's awareness of, and response to, gang- related crime. Participants will attend workshops on gangs, cycles of violence, and parenting and conflict resolution skills. Partners will include local law enforcement, social service, and tribal agencies in Gila River and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. California Fresno County District Attorney In Fresno County, police have documented at least 75 active street gangs and 3 active prison gangs, and witness intimidation associated with these gangs has become a daunting problem for law enforcement and prosecutors. At present, the county lacks sufficient resources to identify and intervene in potential acts of intimidation. The Fresno County District Attorney will combat this problem by forming a witness intimidation response team to include prosecutors,investigators, State parole and county probation officers, welfare fraud workers, and law enforcement officials. The team will develop protocols for preventing and responding to witness intimidation and take steps to send a message to the community that such acts will be vigorously investigated and prosecuted. The program will establish a 24-hour hotline for victims and witnesses, provide transportation services for witnesses, and actively pursue opportunities to intervene before intimidation occurs. Partners will include the Fresno Police Department, county supervisors, and the sheriff's department. Success will be measured by the number of witnesses contacted and served, community perceptions of the team's responsiveness, and conviction rates. Judicial Council of the Courts, San Francisco Limited resources in the States' juvenile courts dictate that only the most serious cases make it to a hearing. Too often, overburdened criminal justice systems cannot give truant and runaway children the intervention services they need. In San Francisco, the Judicial Council of the Courts will help these youth by linking courts, families, and volunteers through a Family Assessment and Intervention Resource Center. A judicially supervised, nonadversarial program, the center will offer prompt, community-based prevention, intervention, and treatment services in a neighborhood setting. Its foremost objective will be to serve children whose conduct or condition falls within statutory guidelines, but whose cases are amenable to resolution short of court intervention. Partners will include presiding judges of the superior and juvenile courts, social service agencies, victim support groups, business leaders, and nonprofit organizations serving at-risk youth. The program's effectiveness will be measured using a research program to be developed by the center and by reviewing data on the number of filings of similar juvenile cases before and after the center's creation. Vacaville Police Department One of the main obstacles to prosecuting domestic violence cases in jurisdictions across the country is victim recanting. Police departments and victim advocates cite a lack of intensive, hands-on clinical support and legal followthrough, and the psychological disruption of families' children in domestic violence cases. In Vacaville, the police department's domestic violence response team will attempt to overcome this prosecution roadblock by providing victim advocacy and legal services, as well as basic living needs and clinical counseling, for victims and their families. In each case, the team's goal is to provide victims comprehensive support from the initial call for assistance to final resolution of the case. The team will work with social workers, a local women's crisis center, and other law enforcement agencies in the area. Success will be measured by the number of domestic violence victims and families served; tracking of resource utilization; the status and use of restraining orders; prevention of, and response to, child abuse incidents; reduction in youth violence; tracking of victims through the system; and the program's impact on prosecution costs. Florida Orange County Government, Orlando In Orange County, the arrest and incarceration rate of homeless, mentally ill adults is growing at an alarming rate, forcing the county's criminal justice system in many cases to serve as a treatment center of last resort. To serve this vulnerable population, the Orange County government in Orlando will create a secure treatment center adjacent to the county jail. The center will serve as a central intake and assessment location for homeless, mentally ill offenders, as well as a stable environment for postcustody release. The center will include a crisis stabilization unit, a detoxification unit, residential housing, day treatment, a low-demand shelter unit, and case management facilities. It will also offer prison diversion programs, supervised aftercare, specialized services, and a central data system to track the progress of clients and the program in general. The initiative will be supported by local nonprofit organizations and social service providers. Success will be measured by the number of homeless, mentally ill offenders diverted from the prison system and treated, and by the program's impact on prison costs. Clerk of the Circuit Court, Leon County In Leon County, increasing caseloads have produced unprecedented volumes of documents and data entry needs in the county's criminal justice system. The time and resources devoted to maintenance of these records, which requires expensive, humidity- controlled storage, has clogged the system and become a financial drain on the county's revenues. To address this pressing need, the office of the Leon County Clerk of the Circuit Court will automate its filing system using existing Internet technology. Through this new electronic storage and retrieval system, attorneys and other court personnel will be able to file cases and access documents from any computer terminal using a World Wide Web browser. Once it is operational, the system will be accessible to practitioners in every jurisdiction in the county. The initiative will be developed in conjunction with all components of the county court system, as well as the Florida Office of the State Court Administrator, the county commissioner, and the county library system. Success will be measured by the extent to which participants in the court system submit and retrieve documents in an electronic format, the benefits in cost savings and error reduction generated through automation, and the system's usefulness as a model for the submission of electronic documents statewide. Georgia Chatham County District Attorney, Savannah Violent, drug-related crime plagues the city of Savannah, which in the past 12 years has twice ranked among the cities with the three highest per capita murder rates. The rapid growth of violent, drug- and gang-related crime has overburdened a justice system already beset with witness intimidation. This initiative of the Chatham County District Attorney will implement the Savannah Plan, a comprehensive, multiagency assault on witness intimidation. The heart of the plan is the vigorous prosecution, under Federal charges when possible, of any witness intimidation. The initiative will include establishing "safe spaces" for witnesses and accelerating the prosecution of intimidation cases. Special conditions of pretrial release will be developed and supervised as part of the program. Partners will include the district attorney, the U.S. Attorney, the Savannah Chamber of Commerce, religious and civic leaders, and a variety of county and municipal law enforcement agencies. Measures of the program's success will include results of witness debriefings, the number of witnesses assisted, and the perceptions of local prosecutors and law enforcement officers. Randolph County Commission, Columbus The literacy rate in rural Randolph County is among the lowest in the country, and the percentage of individuals on public assistance is among the highest. Local law enforcement officials have identified substance abuse as a major contributing factor in an overwhelming majority of arrests made in the county, and it is clear that punitive sanctions alone are not sufficient to change these defendants' behavior. In response, the Randolph County Commission in Columbus will develop a Life Choices Program for mandated referrals in need of substance abuse services. The program will include presentence substance abuse assessments and short- term substance abuse services. Partners will include professionals in the judicial system, law enforcement agencies, and probation and parole departments. The program's success will be measured by tracking the average number of jail days served and the number of repeat offenders prior to and after implementation, and through surveys of clients. Iowa Fifth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services The Fifth Judicial District includes the most densely, as well as the most sparsely, populated areas in Iowa. As a result, sex offenders in rural areas must travel up to 200 miles to receive treatment or to comply with supervision conditions. Judges are reluctant to order an offender into a program knowing the difficulties he or she will have accessing its services. This initiative, led by the Fifth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services, will replicate a Des Moines- based sexual offender treatment program in these rural areas. The program will focus on responsibility, empathy for victims, and prevention of relapses, and it will employ clinical and polygraph assessment and progressively less restrictive sanctions as offenders work toward its completion. Partners will include local mental health and victim services organizations, as well as county attorneys, public defenders, and the courts. The program's effectiveness will be measured by tracking recidivism through Iowa's community-based corrections data system. Fifth Judicial District In rural areas of Iowa, law enforcement officials have noted a dramatic increase in drug use and violence among youth. High-risk juvenile behavior has prompted numerous jurisdictions to implement prevention programs, but these uncoordinated efforts are largely reactive and often use prepackaged programming. To pull the initiatives into a cohesive, multidimensional, and proactive approach, the Fifth Judicial District will develop a program for rural elementary students that combats drug use and violence through decisionmaking skills and asset building. The Colfax-Mingo School District, the Iowa Department of Education, and nonprofit, youth-oriented organizations will collaborate on the development and implementation of this program. The program's effectiveness will be measured using student records and surveys of youth, teachers, and administrators. Louisiana Office of the District Attorney, Vidalia Increased levels of crime in rural Vidalia have overtaxed local law enforcement and the criminal courts, and local correctional resources are crowded beyond capacity. Defendants released prior to trial are often rearrested on new charges before their previous cases have been adjudicated. To help alleviate this pressure on the local criminal justice system, the Office of the District Attorney in Vidalia will create an alternative-to- incarceration program for first-time rural offenders. The program will emphasize aggressive supervision and restitution to victims. Partners will include the office of the Seventh District Judge, the Macon Ridge Economic Development Region, the Louisiana Department of Welfare and Human Resources, and local law enforcement agencies. The program's success will be measured by the number of offenders who voluntarily enter and complete the program and by the cost savings achieved through diversion of offenders from incarceration. Maine Maine Judicial Department, Administrative Office of the Courts The Maine criminal justice system has changed significantly in recent years with respect to sentencing laws and practices. There has been little opportunity, however, for members of the public, policymakers, and criminal justice professionals to examine the full impact of these changes in a formal public setting. To provide such a forum, the Administrative Office of the Courts of the Maine Judicial Department will create a statewide sentencing institute through which Federal and State judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, probation and corrections officers, legislators, victim advocates, interest groups, and service providers can discuss sentencing practices and the needs of offenders and victims in the State's criminal justice system. As part of this effort, the Administrative Office of the Courts will coordinate data collection and sharing between the Maine Department of Corrections and the court system, and will promote the use of creative sentencing options through training, research, and public education. Partners in the initiative include the Maine Judicial Department, the State attorney general, the Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Council of Churches, and a community dispute resolution center. Success will be measured over several years by examining trends and changes in overall sentencing practices. Maryland State's Attorney's Office, Baltimore In Baltimore, hundreds of incidents of witness intimidation in recent years have interfered with the prosecution of chronic offenders. To provide immediate and continuing protection of at-risk witnesses, the Maryland State's Attorney's Office will develop a witness security program. At the heart of the program will be a witness security task force led by the State's Attorney. Other members will include representatives from the police, the community, the sheriff's department, and the State departments of social services, corrections, and housing. Success will be measured by the number of witnesses protected, the number of guilty pleas to the most serious charge, and the overall conviction rate in witness protection cases. Michigan Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, Manistee The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, recently restored to Federal recognition, is rebuilding its reservation community in Manistee. The process of moving families from predominantly public housing to the reservation presents unique and challenging opportunities. To ease the strain on families during this difficult time of transition, the tribe will develop a system that identifies families' needs and refers them to agencies that can help meet those needs. The tribe also plans to develop a plan for implementing a community policing program. Long-term goals include producing a document outlining the formal roles of State, tribal, and community agencies in this process and creating a juvenile code and peacemaking system for the reservation. Partners include the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, the Michigan Family Independence Agency, and State and local law enforcement and social service agencies. The program's effectiveness will be measured through community surveys as well as by tracking the number of juveniles involved in community policing referrals. The system will respond to data collected on youth deemed to be at risk. Minnesota Mille Lacs Band, Ojibwe The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe represent just 4 percent of the county's population, but account for 34 percent of those incarcerated there, including juveniles. Approximately 80 percent of the Band's youth drop out of high school, and many become teenage parents. The overincarceration of tribal youth in Ojibwe could have a devastating long-term impact on the future of the tribe. Through this initiative, the Mille Lacs Band will use a traditional "healing circle" process in collaboration with traditional courts. The program will be supported by the local school system, tribal social service agencies, and the Band's departments of natural resources, housing, and streets and roads. The program's success will be measured using demographic and delinquency data on clients, surveys, and comparison of preprogram and postprogram statistics. Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, Red Lake Reservation As the number of juveniles living on the Red Lake Reservation has more than doubled over the past decade, so have rates of juvenile misbehavior. The region's juvenile justice system currently struggles to handle a caseload that is eight times larger than the system was designed to accommodate. Incarceration resources are overburdened and provide little or no relief for these problems. The Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians will implement a program to address this overload by providing alternatives to youth incarceration. The program will demonstrate to youthful offenders the impact of their crimes on victims, their families, and the broader community. In addition, the program will offer services to youth through craft workshops, intermediate community sanctions, elder guidance, job skills building, and mediation. The program will be implemented in partnership with local courts, public defenders, prosecutors, probation officers, high schools, and local social service organizations. The program's effectiveness will be assessed by the degree of community participation and other statistical measures. Missouri St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department conducts the bulk of its operations out of three stations. Because these stations are spread throughout the St. Louis area, prosecutors currently have few opportunities for face-to-face interaction with victims and witnesses, weakening the credibility of the prosecution process. To facilitate interaction between prosecutors and victims, as well as between prosecutors and police, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department will install a multiagency video system that will connect the department's police stations, the Circuit Attorney's Warrant Office, and the U.S. Attorney's Office. Witnesses, victims, prosecutors, and police will use the system to share information and to expedite warrant applications, incident reviews, and, when applicable, immediate Federal referral. Success will be measured by the number of warrants issued, random surveys of victims and witnesses, and calculations of cost savings for the police department. Montana Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Pablo In Pablo, problems created by youth from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes are commonly referred to the police, courts, and schools. As a result, adults in the community tend to ignore both positive and negative youth activity, allowing "the authorities" to deal with the issue of developing alternatives to juvenile delinquency. To create a positive force for youth in their community, the Salish and Kootenai Tribes will implement a rural diversion project tailored to the needs of tribal youth. The initiative will employ sanctions through a deferred prosecution program and rely on traditional tribal elder guidance to reach at-risk youth. Partners will include the community's police, public defender, local housing authority, and mental health center and addiction treatment program, as well as parents' groups, schools, and tribal elders. The program's effectiveness will be assessed using offense referral statistics and community surveys. Chippewa Cree Tribe, Box Elder In Box Elder, the Chippewa Cree Tribe faces a serious problem of chemical dependency in its population, especially among the young. Historically, widespread stereotypes about homelessness, destitution, and alcohol dependency among American Indians have contributed significantly to this problem both locally and in tribal communities across the Nation. To help overcome the tradition of low expectations, the Chippewa Cree Tribe will educate tribe members about their ancestors' tenacity under harsh conditions. Tribal ceremonies, which flourished for decades despite attempts at suppression, and the tribe's communal strength will be used to foster self-dignity in Chippewa youth and to remove the pressures that lead them to substance abuse. Programs, including a project to retrace the tribe's journey to the reservation, will be held at schools, local service agencies, and the reservation's chemical dependency center. The initiative's effectiveness will be measured through internal evaluations and a midproject multi- disciplinary review with recommendations for improvement. Nevada Clark County Public Defenders Office, Las Vegas Many rural communities in Nevada have no full-time judiciary, let alone full-time prosecutors or defense attorneys. Substance abuse treatment in these communities, if it exists at all, often is available only in the form of occasional 12-step meetings. It is estimated, however, that up to 80 percent of crimes that occur in these sparsely populated areas involve drugs or alcohol. The Clark County Public Defenders Office in Las Vegas will address this problem by creating a roving rural- circuit drug court and by offering rotating regional counseling services for residents of communities without alcohol or drug services. The drug court will be developed with the participation of these local institutions: the Eighth Judicial District Court, the Clark County Justice Center, the Clark County District Attorney, the Clark County Public Defender, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Bureau, the Mesquite Municipal Court, Choices Unlimited, and the Nevada State Drug Court Association. The initiative's effectiveness will be measured using data from a project-specific database. New Mexico Pueblo of Jemez The tribal court approach to criminal justice, especially as it relates to delinquency among the young, focuses on resolving conflict. Tribal justice involves laws and customs that engage offending individuals and their families. This process is nonadversarial and attempts to solve problems while maintaining family relationships. The Pueblo of Jemez will use these traditional principles of tribal justice as the foundation for a youth program. The tribe's initiative will identify juveniles at risk of delinquency, coordinate the delivery of outreach services to them, and enroll youth in community-based activities. Many of the Pueblo's tribal organizations will participate in the program, as will the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the University of New Mexico. The initiative's effectiveness will be measured using preprogram and postprogram data linked to program objectives and surveys of participants. Santa Fe Police Department Nearly 50 percent of arrests for intoxication in Santa Fe are of individuals with mental health problems. Currently, these individuals receive no assessment or tracking, and very little, if any, treatment. The Santa Fe Police Department will take a new approach with these offenders by transporting them to protective custody centers or detoxification units. At these locations, the offenders will receive medical attention, assessments by licensed clinical counselors, referrals for treatment, and case tracking and followup. The program will emphasize cultural sensitivity, family training, and helping youth through mentorship. Santa Fe police will be assisted by Crisis Response of Santa Fe, Youth and Family Services, and other community and social service organizations. Success will be measured by the number of individuals who are picked up, detained, transported to protective custody or detoxification, assessed, and diagnosed with mental or substance abuse disorders. The program will also compare recidivism rates before and after its implementation. State Office of Indian Affairs, Santa Fe The State Office of Indian Affairs in Santa Fe will address perceived inequalities in how American Indian youth being charged as adults are processed through the Federal and State court systems. Two critical factors contributing to these perceived inequalities are the location of offenses and limitations imposed on Courts of Indian Crimes. However, because New Mexico is the only State that allows tribal courts to intervene with American Indian youth, a rational and measured approach is possible. The project's main goal is to produce a single Children's Code for the 22 separate Indian jurisdictions in New Mexico. The code will allow tribes to apply sanctions to youthful offenders immediately, appropriately, and with sensitivity to the offenders' cultural heritage. Partners will include the New Mexico Council; local universities, offices of courts and corrections, and schools of law; and judges and other experts from the tribes and pueblos of New Mexico. Success will be measured by the code's adoption by the State of New Mexico and local tribes and its potential for implementation in other States. New York Niagara County Sheriff's Department, Lockport Despite "must prosecute" policies and an aggressive response by local law enforcement agencies to incidents of domestic violence, approximately 25 percent of domestic violence cases in Niagara County are dismissed due to lack of evidence or lack of victim support. To address this issue, the Niagara County Sheriff's Department in Lockport will coordinate a more comprehensive response to domestic violence through a multiagency Domestic Violence Response Team. Members will include the sheriff's department, the district attorney, and the Niagara County Violence Intervention Program. Initiatives planned by the team include training sheriff's deputies and advocates for victims of domestic violence in enforcing the county's new pro-arrest and no-drop policies, taking steps to make reporting of domestic violence uniform, and implementing intervention strategies to empower victims. Success will be measured by comparing the number of preimplementation and postimplementation arrests, as well as by comparing the percentage of cases in Niagara Falls dismissed or pled down because of lack of evidence with the percentage of cases dismissed or pled down in town justice courts. Office of the Mayor, City of New York Juveniles transferred from family to adult courts enter an adversarial system geared toward prosecution, not toward crafting an individual disposition that takes into account the youth's unique family, emotional, developmental, and school history. In New York City, the Office of the Mayor will create a community-based agency to provide services to youth tried as adults. A second important objective of the agency is training public defense attorneys in individualized, community-based sentencing options and offender services. The City of New York will implement the program in partnership with the administrators of the Assigned Counsel Plan and the Osborne Association, a nonprofit agency serving adult and family courts in New York City. Success will be measured by comparing outcomes for youth serviced by the program with those for youth who are not. North Carolina Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Cherokee In Cherokee, North Carolina, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians have experienced a steady increase in recent years in gang activity and criminal behavior among youth in their community. In response, the tribe's police agency will create a Cherokee Anti-Gang Enforcement (CAGE) unit that will combine intelligence and investigation with intervention and suppression. The unit will work closely with schools, businesses, and local youth service organizations to offer youth alternatives to gangs and delinquency. Major outreach efforts will focus on reaching youth at popular activities, such as sporting events and school functions, and through the media. The initiative will also mobilize the community to remove graffiti and to take action to reduce the presence of gangs in neighborhoods and schools. Ohio Howland Township, Warren In rural Howland Township, near Warren, increasing numbers of juveniles are being charged with misdemeanors such as vandalism and underage drinking, and a lack of alternatives to court action has clogged the local courts and overburdened law enforcement. The township will train juvenile diversion counselors to work closely with the courts, schools, religious institutions, community organizations, and police department to offer appropriate alternative sanctions to youth whose offenses are not serious enough to warrant court appearances. These sanctions could include curfews, strict monitoring of behavior at school, confinement of offenders to their houses, and community service. The program will emphasize comprehensive and family-centered approaches to curbing delinquent behavior before it becomes serious. Success will be measured by tracking the number of juveniles processed through the juvenile court, with a goal of reducing the total by 50 percent. Oregon Portland Police Bureau It is estimated that more than 15,000 developmentally disabled persons reside in Multnomah County. These individuals' emotional and developmental problems often increase their vulnerability in situations in which they are witnesses to or victims of crime, and financially strapped local criminal justice systems lack the resources to adequately assist them. In Portland, the city's police bureau will provide personal safety training to these adults. The training will increase their awareness of police services and emphasize ways to reduce their vulnerability. Partners will include the Developmental Disability Advisory Group and community advocacy groups. Success will be measured by feedback to pilot presentations, surveys of clients and staff, and evaluations of the initiative by project advisers. Texas Boerne Independent School District Recent statistics reported for the city of Boerne show a dramatic increase in juvenile crime and substance abuse, including a 600-percent increase in juvenile probation referrals over the past 5 years. A coordinated response to this trend will be led by the Boerne Independent School District in a new initiative called Collaborating for Children. The school district and its partners, which include law enforcement agencies, schools, parents, and students, will create a court that will adjudicate cases involving teenagers and will raise public awareness about juvenile delinquency and substance abuse. The program's success will be measured by the reduction in school attendance and dress code violations, parental attendance at parent-teacher conferences, statistics from Child Protective Services, and teen court adjudication trends. Washington Longview Police Department In Longview, the processing of domestic violence cases is currently delayed 2 to 3 weeks between time of arrest and prosecutor review. This "holding pattern" occurs without police or prosecutor involvement and leads to a number of serious problems, including erosion of the strength of the prosecutor's case, limitations on disposition options, and insufficient monitoring of victims and defendants. The Longview Police Department will bridge the gap by hiring a domestic violence legal coordinator. The coordinator will organize the efforts of the police, witnesses, emergency support services, city prosecutor, courts, and victims. He or she will help victims and witnesses stay in contact; monitor victims, defendants, and witnesses; help coordinate arraignment and prosecution proceedings; and make sure that all statutory victim support requirements are met. Success will be measured using program evaluations and reviews of compliance with established protocol. West Virginia West Virginia Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety, Criminal Justice and Highway Safety Division In West Virginia, the number of serious juvenile offenders has more than doubled in the past 10 years. In response, the State legislature has instituted changes in criminal laws that have led to an increase in the number of juveniles transferred to adult courts. The courts, however, lack adequate and appropriate programs to serve the needs of transferred youth. To address this gap in services, the Criminal Justice and Highway Safety Division in the West Virginia Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety will develop programs tailored to the needs of juveniles charged as adults. These programs will stress family, peer, and community involvement in treatment, as well as personal responsibility. Partners will include the State departments of health and human services and education, juvenile service and delinquency prevention organizations, courts, prosecutors, and community nonprofit groups. The effectiveness of the programs will be assessed through a formal process and outcome evaluation to be conducted by the Criminal Justice Statistical Analysis Center. Glenville State College Stressful working conditions are an inevitable part of the law enforcement profession. Left unchecked, stress can contribute to destructive patterns of behavior. Officers in rural areas with low tax bases such as Glenville are especially at risk because their departments often do not have the resources to treat stress-related behavior. This initiative, to be spearheaded by Glenville State College, will combat law enforcement stress with two strategies: developing and delivering a training program for law enforcement agencies in the State that serve populations of less than 25,000, and creating and distributing a pocket card with stress reaction symptoms and contact numbers for professional help. Glenville State will be assisted in this project by the West Virginia Criminal Justice Association, the West Virginia State Police, the U.S. Attorney's Office, and the West Virginia Department of Criminal Justice and Highway Safety. The program's success will be measured through a series of surveys distributed to police officers and through a followup survey distributed to departments. Wisconsin HoChunk Nation, Black River Juvenile delinquency is creating problems in the HoChunk Nation in Black River, and these problems have been escalating over time. In particular, incidents of drug abuse, juvenile arrests, and violence in the home have increased dramatically in the past several years. The area's Indian Child Welfare Services are overburdened and have resources to address only the most serious incidents. To help youth in its community, the HoChunk Nation's Department of Social Services will implement an early intervention community services program to address delinquency and minor offenses. The program will employ a youth case manager with a background in social work who will coordinate the efforts of the courts, schools, and service providers. The program's success will be measured by comparing overall preprogram and postprogram delinquency statistics, as well as records on individual offenders. ------------------------------ Announcing Open Solicitation '98 For Open Solicitation '98, BJA will solicit concept papers under a broad range of topics that reflect major areas of interest and concern in criminal justice as identified by practitioners at the State and local levels. It is our hope that, from the resulting programs, we will develop a pool of information that can be shared with State and local practitioners and communities regarding new ideas to address current emerging problems in the field. Application deadlines for Open Solicitation submissions will be announced during FY 1998. To be placed on the BJA mailing list, call the BJA Clearinghouse at 1-800-688-4252 or the Department of Justice Response Center at 1-800-421-6770. Announcements will also be posted on the BJA home page at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA. ------------------------------ Sources for Further Information For further information about Open Solicitation '97, Open Solicitation '98, or other BJA programs, contact BJA or the BJA Clearinghouse at the addresses listed below. Information and publications are also available via the BJA Web site at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA. Bureau of Justice Assistance 810 Seventh Street NW. Washington, DC 20531 202-514-5947 Bureau of Justice Assistance Clearinghouse P.O. Box 6000 Rockville, MD 20849-6000 1-800-688-4252 ------------------------------ Bureau of Justice Assistance Information General Information Callers may contact the U.S. Department of Justice Response Center for general information or specific needs, such as assistance in submitting grants applications and information on training. To contact the Response Center, call 1-800-421-6770 or write to 1100 Vermont Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20005. Indepth Information For more indepth information about BJA, its programs, and its funding opportunities, requesters can call the BJA Clearinghouse. The BJA Clearinghouse, a component of the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS), shares BJA program information with State and local agencies and community groups across the country. Information specialists are available to provide reference and referral services, publication distribution, participation and support for conferences, and other networking and outreach activities. The Clearinghouse can be reached by: o Mail P.O. 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