Title: Competitive Grant Announcement: Awards for Planning and Implementing Strategies in Community Prosecution. Series: Solicitation Author: Bureau of Justice Assistance Published: March 2000 Subject: Funding Resources 8 pages 13,000 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. ---------------------------- Competitive Grant Announcement: Awards for Planning and Implementing Strategies in Community Prosecution Submission Deadline: June 30, 2000 ---------------------------- About BJA The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), a component of the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, supports innovative programs that strengthen the nation's criminal justice system. Its primary mission is to provide leadership and a wide range of assistance to local criminal justice strategies to make America's communities safer. BJA accomplishes this mission by providing funding, training, technical assistance, and information to state and community criminal justice programs and by emphasizing the coordination of federal, state, and local efforts. BJA's specific goals are to help communities reduce and prevent crime, violence, and drug abuse and to improve the functioning of the criminal justice system. ---------------------------- Background Community justice focuses on problem solving, strategic planning, and working in partnership with the community to prevent crime and violence and improve public safety. Increasingly, efforts to address crime and public safety have involved constituents outside traditional criminal justice systems. Throughout the country, law enforcement, courts and prosecutors, probation, parole, and defenders have begun to develop programs that emphasize working with the community. A select group of experienced prosecutors have identified the following essential components of successful community prosecution approaches from across the country. However, prosecutors planning or implementing a community prosecution program must be sensitive to the needs of their community. A component that is not needed in one jurisdiction may be essential to another's approach. o A clearly defined target area. o An emphasis on problem solving, public safety, and quality-of-life issues. This can include, but is not limited to, nuisance abatement efforts, environmental crime enforcement, and the coordination of building, health, and other safety code enforcement. o Direct interaction between the prosecutor's office and the community, which can include education, prevention, and outreach activities. o Use of partnerships among the prosecutor, law enforcement, public and private agencies, and the community. Public agencies can include a local jurisdiction's licensing office, health and housing departments, school systems, and mental health agencies. Private agencies can include universities, law schools, pro bono bar associations, victim assistance organizations, and the faith community. o Long-term strategies. o Stated commitment of policymakers. o Innovative and varied program approaches, methods, and remedies. o Continuous evaluation. ---------------------------- What This Solicitation Seeks Applicants are invited to submit concept papers that pursue a community justice approach to criminal justice. Papers must include, but are not limited to, the following elements: o A partnership which emphasizes the participation of community leaders and residents in developing strategies for public safety with prosecutors, other community justice system officials, social service organizations, community organizations, local businesses, schools, and faith-based organizations. o A mechanism for community participation that allows communities to identify local priorities, engage in problem solving and strategic planning, and communicate directly with the prosecutor's office. o A proactive orientation to crime emphasizing both prevention and enforcement. o A plan to develop programs, services, and sentencing alternatives that restore both the community and the offender. o A link to other community justice initiatives, drug and domestic violence courts, and local strategic or comprehensive public safety planning efforts. Jurisdictions designated as Weed and Seed sites are strongly encouraged to coordinate with their Weed and Seed Steering Committee in the development of this application. Concept papers are solicited in the following three areas. A jurisdiction may submit a concept paper in only one category. 1. Planning. Awards under this category will support jurisdictions' efforts to develop a comprehensive planning process for their community prosecution program. Chief among these activities should be creating partnerships and community outreach programs to identify local community prosecution priorities and forming advisory boards or collaborative planning teams that later will become an integral part of the implementation process. Funding can be used to pay 50 percent of the expenses (salary and benefits) of employing a full-time planning coordinator for 12 months. Funding will also support planning teams' participation in a BJA-sponsored training activity. These teams will comprise, at a minimum, the prosecutor, a law enforcement representative, and community leaders. They may also include public defenders, business representatives, and faith community leaders. 2. Implementation. Awards under this category will support programs that (1) have existing partnerships that have planned a community prosecution program, or (2) are engaged in work on public safety and crime prevention issues that involves local prosecutor offices, other justice system components (for example, courts, defenders, and law enforcement), and communities. A description of the planning process, including its status and stakeholders, must be included in the concept paper. Activities funded under this category can include expanding partnership members to include social service, business, or faith-based organizations and implementing previously identified strategies for a local community prosecution program. 3. Enhancement. Awards under this category will support fully operational community prosecution programs that involve broad-based partnerships working to identify local safety priorities and problem-solving strategies. Concept papers must describe current program activities and stakeholders, and they must discuss how this funding will enhance continuing community prosecution efforts. Examples of activities eligible for funding under this category include expanding the program's reach to more neighborhoods or expanding the program's scope to additional crime and safety issues. ---------------------------- Amount, Length of Awards The proposal should include a request for funding within the following guidelines. o Planning Grants: Awards will not exceed $75,000. The grant period will be up to 12 months. BJA will determine the number of awards based upon the submissions received. o Implementation Grants: Awards will not exceed $200,000. Up to 15 projects will be funded. The grant period will be up to 18 months. o Enhancement Grants: Awards will not exceed $150,000. Up to 10 projects will be funded. The grant period will be up to 18 months. ---------------------------- Who Is Eligible Applicants are limited to state, county, city, and tribal public prosecutor offices. Applicants must indicate the population size of their jurisdiction. ---------------------------- Administrative Requirements Applicants must submit 10 copies of their paper. To be considered for funding, concept papers must: o Follow the format described below under Selection Criteria in the sequence shown. o Not exceed 10 pages (not including cover page). o Include a budget that reflects the activities described in the concept paper. The budget must include an allocation for the attendance of project representatives at a 2- to 3-day cluster conference (location to be determined), at which they will meet with representatives from DOJ, BJA, and technical assistance providers. o Be submitted on 8 1/2- by 11-inch paper, double spaced on one side, in standard 12 point font. o Not include attachments. ---------------------------- Selection Criteria Concept papers must address the following questions in the order presented below. List each question by number, followed by your answer. Papers not following this format will be removed from the review process. If selected, applicants will be required to complete all necessary federal forms. 1. Identify the problem(s) your proposal addresses. (20 points) Indicate if your proposal is to plan a new initiative, implement a program already conceived, or enhance an existing project. 2. Describe what you are proposing to do and your plans to accomplish those objectives. (25 points) Provide an overview of your proposal. Make certain that clear and strong links exist between what you are proposing and how it will address the problem(s) you described in Question 1. 3. Describe your project's strategies for linking prosecution with community involvement. Include a description of proposed or existing partnerships and how the community will be involved in decisionmaking. (25 points) How will you ensure that the residents of the community are heard and involved in identifying problems and developing problem-solving strategies? 4. Describe how you will measure outcomes for your program at regular intervals throughout its operation. (10 points) Include a discussion of how you will collect, maintain, and analyze data related to the program's performance. 5. Present a budget for the project that is directly related to the activities in your proposal. (20 points) The budget must describe not only the costs of the program but the cost-benefits to the community. ---------------------------- Deadline and Submission Ten copies of your concept paper must be RECEIVED at the address below no later than 5 p.m. eastern time, June 30, 2000. Concept papers delivered after the deadline will not be considered. BJA will not grant extensions of the deadline or accept faxed submissions. Concept papers should be mailed or delivered to: Bureau of Justice Assistance Attention: BJA Control Desk 5640 Nicholson Lane, Suite 300 Rockville, Maryland 20852 ---------------------------- Measuring Performance An important requirement for recipients of this grant program is the development of program goals and measures of how well those goals are being met. To help each grantee undertake this process, staff of the National District Attorneys Association, the American Prosecutor's Research Institute (APRI), and the Center for Court Innovation will provide technical assistance on developing, implementing, and assessing each program's goals, structure, and strategies. Technical assistance will also be available for generating, collecting, and analyzing program data, as well as for generally enhancing the program's performance. Recipients of funds under this solicitation agree to cooperate with their selected program evaluator. ---------------------------- Publications for Reference o Community Prosecution: A Guide for Prosecutors, American Prosecutors Research Institute, 1-703-519-1645. o Community Prosecution Profiles: Denver, Colorado; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Portland, Oregon, Center for Court Innovation, 1-212-397-3050. o "Community-Oriented Lawyering," National Institute of Justice Journal, January 2000, National Institute of Justice, 1-800-851-3420 or www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij. ---------------------------- For More Information The staff of the Department of Justice Response Center are available at 1-800- 421-6770 to answer questions about this solicitation. Applicants will receive a postcard acknowledging BJA's receipt of their concept paper within 4 to 6 weeks of the submission deadline. For general information about BJA programs and technical assistance, contact the BJA Clearinghouse at 1-800-688-4252 or access the BJA World Wide Web home page at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA. ---------------------------- SL 000406 ---------------------------- Strategies in Community Prosecution Submission Cover Page All applicants must use this page as the cover for their submission. Type of Grant o Planning o Implementation o Enhancement Name of Applying Agency Address of Applying Agency Applicant Unit of Government (city, county, state, tribal) Jurisdiction's Population Size Point of Contact (name and title) Contact Telephone Number Contact Fax Number Contact Internet Address Have you previously attended a BJA/APRI-sponsored community prosecution training conference? o Yes o No