Program Objective:
To engage AmeriCorps volunteers in projects that help communities address public safety issues and needs.
Program Description:
AmeriCorps/JustServe is the U.S. Department of Justice national service initiative, funded partially with a grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service and with funds from the Executive Office for Weed and Seed and the Bureau of Justice Assistance.
This program operates through 5 Weed and Seed sites with a total of 210 AmeriCorps members, each of whom works on the issue of public safety. Through its national service coordinator, Executive Office for Weed and Seed coordinates these five programs, monitoring the local coordinators and ensuring that the leaders and members receive the training needed to perform their jobs as AmeriCorps members and prepare them for the future. FY 1995 funding from all three sources totaled $2.4 million.
Sites:
AmeriCorps/JustServe operates in Weed and Seed sites in Los Angles, California; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; San Antonio, Texas; Fort Worth, Texas; and Seattle, Washington.
Agency Contact:
Catherine Colbert
Executive Office for Weed and Seed
U.S. Department of Justice
633 Indiana Avenue NW.
Washington, DC 20531
202-616-1152 or 602-514-7510 (U.S. Attorney's Office, Phoenix)
Assessment of School-Based Prevention Programs
Program Objective:
To study the prevalence of violence-prevention programs in schools and to assess the extent to which implementation has been successful.
Program Description:
This evaluation of school-based violence-prevention programs involves mail surveys to the principals of 900 schools nationwide. An equal number of urban, rural, and suburban schools have been chosen, as have an equal number of elementary, middle, and secondary schools. Followup surveys will be conducted with a sample of 100 middle-school teachers to validate principal responses to survey questions. A survey of 100 students will seek data regarding the effectiveness of prevention programs in changing student attitudes toward the acceptability of violence as an appropriate response to conflict.
Sites:
Because this is a broad-based research program, there are no individual project sites.
Agency Contact:
James Trudeau
National Institute of Justice
U.S. Department of Justice
633 Indiana Avenue NW.
Washington, DC 20531
202-307-2942
Program Objective:
To test intervention strategies aimed at preventing and controlling illegal drugs, gun use, and related crime.
Program Description:
This program is testing a variety of intervention strategies that are designed to prevent and control illegal drugs, gun use, and related crime and to foster healthy development among young people from drug-infested and crime-ridden neighborhoods. In FY 1995, an impact evaluation, technical assistance with emphasis on community policing, and existing demonstration sites were funded. This program is a joint effort among the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the Center for Addiction and Substance Abuse, with additional funding provided by several foundations. FY 1995 funding for this program totaled approximately $1.15 million.
Sites:
Because this is a research program, there are no individual project sites.
Agency Contact:
Jay Marshall
Bureau of Justice Assistance
U.S. Department of Justice
633 Indiana Avenue NW.
Washington, DC 20531
202-616-3215
Comprehensive Communities Program
Program Objective:
To reduce crime and violence and improve intergovernmental relationships.
Program Description:
The Comprehensive Communities Program (CCP) reflects the Administration's priority of reducing crime and violence through comprehensive planning and improvement in intergovernmental relationships. CCP requires selected jurisdictions to engage in a comprehensive planning and strategy development process to control and prevent crime and violence. It requires law enforcement and other governmental agencies to work in partnership with communities to address crime and the factors that often lead individuals into criminal behavior.
In FY 1994, 16 jurisdictions facing high rates of crime and violence were selected to participate in CCP. Four of these sites were Project PACT (Pulling America's Communities Together) communities. Each jurisdiction was awarded funds to develop a strategy that demonstrates jurisdictionwide commitment to and investment in community policing, public and private agency coordination, and community involvement in problem solving. Funds also were made available in FY 1994 to support strategy implementation in six jurisdictions. Approximately $12 million was awarded to the remaining 10 CCP sites in FY 1995.
Sites:
Phoenix, Arizona; Oakland, California; Denver, Colorado; Hartford, Connecticut; Washington, D.C.; Wilmington, Delaware; Atlanta, Georgia; Gary, Indiana; Wichita, Kansas; Baltimore, Maryland; Boston, Massachusetts; Omaha, Nebraska; Columbia, South Carolina; Fort Worth, Texas; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Seattle, Washington.
Agency Contact:
Jay Marshall
Bureau of Justice Assistance
U.S. Department of Justice
633 Indiana Avenue NW.
Washington, DC 20531
202-616-3215
Program Objective:
To test strategies to reduce crime and violence.
Program Description:
The Nonviolent Dispute Resolution program is a joint effort of the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). The program is designed to test a variety of strategies to train teenagers to manage anger constructively, resolve conflict without the use of firearms or violence, learn the importance of mutual respect, and be responsible for their actions. BJA's contribution for this effort totals approximately $538,000, and OJJDP is providing $300,000. BJA's funds were made available as part of the Comprehensive Communities Program (CCP).
Sites:
Funding for this program was included among the 16 CCP sites.
Agency Contact:
Jay Marshall
Bureau of Justice Assistance
U.S. Department of Justice
633 Indiana Avenue NW.
Washington, DC 20531
202-616-3215
Program Objective:
To address public safety and community revitalization issues.
Program Description:
Operation Weed and Seed is a community-based, comprehensive, multiagency approach designed to "weed" out crime and gang activity from target neighborhoods and then "seed" them with a wide range of human services that provide opportunities for citizens to live, work, and raise families in stable environments. Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) expenditures totaled $10 million for the overall program in FY 1995. BJA is working with 36 communities through this initiative.
Sites:
Nationwide.
Agency Contact:
Jay Marshall
Bureau of Justice Assistance
U.S. Department of Justice
633 Indiana Avenue NW.
Washington, DC 20531
202-616-3215
Program Objective:
To provide positive alternatives to at-risk youth outside the regular school curriculum.
Program Description:
This program is a collaborative effort of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Bureau of Justice Assistance, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Pathways to Success promotes vocational skills, entrepreneurial activities, recreation, and arts education for at-risk youth after school outside the regular school curriculum. At the local level, the program involves collaboration with existing youth-serving agencies and education, business, arts, and community groups.
Sites:
Program sites include Anchorage, Alaska; Washington, D.C.; Miami, Florida; New York, New York; and Newport County, Rhode Island.
Agency Contact:
Kristen Kracke
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
U.S. Department of Justice
633 Indiana Avenue NW.
Washington, DC 20531
202-616-3649
Prevalence and Consequences of Child Victimization: The National Survey of Adolescents
Program Objective:
To study the prevalence, nature, and effects of child victimization.
Program Description:
This project will continue funding of a study of the prevalence, nature, and effects of child victimization, particularly the relationship between child victimization and the development and continuation of drug abuse and other emotional and behavioral problems later in life. The study will be conducted through a review and synthesis of literature and a nationally representative telephone survey of adolescents and their parents. A series of reports will provide recommendations for policies, programs, and future research.
Sites:
Because this is a national survey, there are no individual project sites.
Agency Contact:
Bernie Auchter
National Institute of Justice
U.S. Department of Justice
633 Indiana Avenue NW.
Washington, DC 20531
202-307-2942
Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods
Program Objective:
To examine the relationship between physical development and the onset of criminal behavior.
Program Description:
A multidisciplinary team of doctors, psychologists, sociologists, and anthropologists are conducting a longitudinal study of residents in 80 Chicago neighborhoods to determine what physical, emotional, or contextual factors affect the development of criminal behavior. The goal of the project is to learn what community protective factors enable some people to lead successful, productive lives, even in high-risk environments. This study is the first to examine the whole picture -- community, family, peers, and individual characteristics -- to offer a comprehensive understanding of human social behavior, both positive and negative. Data are being collected on nearly 11,000 subjects from birth to age 32.
Sites:
Chicago, Illinois.
Agency Contact:
Christy Visher
National Institute of Justice
U.S. Department of Justice
633 Indiana Avenue NW.
Washington, DC 20531
202-307-2942
Program Objective:
To reduce violence and delinquency through local collaboration and partnerships.
Program Description:
The goals of this program are to use existing Federal, State, local, and private partnerships to:
Control and prevent juvenile crime and violence by reducing risk factors and increasing protective factors relating to the onset and continuation of juvenile crime and delinquency; develop graduated sanctions to hold delinquents accountable to victims and ensure community safety; and provide a continuum of services for all youth.
Develop a more efficient and effective service delivery system that is capable of meeting the needs of at-risk youth and their families at any point of entry into the system.
Build the capacity to institutionalize and sustain coordinated efforts by streamlining the service delivery system and expanding and diversifying funding sources.
Determine what outcomes have been achieved and whether a comprehensive strategy has been successful in preventing and controlling juvenile crime and delinquency.
Sites:
SafeFutures is being implemented in six communities: Contra Costa County, California; Imperial County, California; Boston, Massachusetts; St. Louis, Missouri; Fort Belknap Indian Community, Harlem, Montana; and Seattle, Washington.
Agency Contact:
Kristen Kracke
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
U.S. Department of Justice
633 Indiana Avenue NW.
Washington, DC 20531
202-616-3649
Title V Incentive Grants for Local Delinquency Prevention Programs
Program Objective:
To provide support to local governments to develop and implement strategies to reduce and prevent juvenile delinquency.
Program Description:
The aim of the Title V program is to prevent and reduce delinquency and youth violence by helping communities develop and implement risk-focused delinquency prevention strategies. Title V provides a framework and tools to help community members address the needs of their youth, children, and families in a comprehensive, coordinated manner. Title V funds are awarded through State agencies to units of general local government for developing appropriate community-based prevention strategies. FY 1995 funds for the Title V program totaled $20 million.
Sites:
Nationwide.
Agency Contact:
Donna Bownes
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
U.S. Department of Justice
633 Indiana Avenue NW.
Washington, DC 20531
202-616-9618
Program Objective:
The purpose of this project is to increase the capacity of State and local communities to treat and rehabilitate juvenile offenders and to prevent at-risk youth from becoming involved in the juvenile justice system.
Program Description:
This program is a collaborative effort of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and the U.S. Department of the Interior's Office of National Service and Educational Partnerships. The goal of this program is to increase the capacity of States and local communities to treat and rehabilitate juvenile offenders and to prevent at-risk youth from entering the juvenile justice system. This goal is accomplished by establishing a nationwide network of small, specialized programs for youth on Federal lands. The programs include residential and nonresidential environment and conservation work and education initiatives. The program targets at-risk youth who live in underserved communities and serious and violent juvenile offenders in nonsecure and secure confinement.
Sites:
Program sites include Banyan Halfway House Work Release Program, Palm Beach County, Florida; Big Cypress National Wilderness Institute, Ochopee, Florida; the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, Washington, D.C.; City Lights Park Program, Washington, D.C.; Genesis Youth Center, Salt Lake City, Utah; and Southwest Youth Center Work Release Program, Cedar City, Utah.
Agency Contact:
Kristen Kracke
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
U.S. Department of Justice
633 Indiana Avenue NW.
Washington, DC 20531
202-616-3649
Bob Buechner
Office of National Service and Educational Partnerships
U.S. Department of the Interior
1849 C Street, NW., Room 5204
Washington, D.C. 20240
202-208-3620