FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | BJA | Thursday, September 7, 2000 | 202/307-0703 |
KALAMAZOO COUNTY RECEIVES JUSTICE DEPARTMENT GRANT
TO PURSUE INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS TO LOCAL PROBLEMS
Over $2.5 Million is Awarded to 22 Communities Nationwide
WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 -- The Justice Department announced today that Kalamazoo County Community Corrections Advisory Board will receive approximately $130,000 to begin a pretrial services program to address prison overcrowding problems. This grant is one of 22 awards that the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is making to communities nationwide to support new approaches to reduce crime and encourage collaboration in the criminal justice system.
These grants are being made under BJA's third annual open solicitation for innovative concepts. BJA received a total of more than 1,300 proposals from state, local and tribal governments and justice agencies.
"Once again BJA received a vigorous response to this year's request for local solutions to local problems from every state and from virtually every segment of the criminal justice system. We are inspired by the response and eager to support and highlight the work of our local counterparts to make communities safer," said BJA Director Nancy Gist. "Our measurement of the success of these projects will guide other communities confronting similar issues."
Jail overcrowding in Kalamazoo County is primarily the result of system-wide delays and an growing number of inmates awaiting trial. Kalamazoo County does not now have pretrial services to screen arrestees, verify information, and assist judges in making release decisions. A pretrial services program will provide risk/needs evaluations about defendants and provide recommendations to the court regarding bail or pretrial incarceration. The pretrial services program will also provide pretrial supervision and monitoring of defendants based on the conditions of release and recommend vocational training, educational services, and substance abuse treatment as needed.
Jurisdictions were invited to submit their ideas under nine categories: alcohol and crime, crime prevention among the elderly, improving access to services in rural and tribal settings, mental health, police partnerships, local crime and justice planning, improving front-end decision making, strategies to strengthen the adjudication process, and innovations in offender supervision and reentry.
The field of prospective applicants is limited to units and agencies of state, local or tribal government.
BJA received more than 3,000 proposals the first two years. In FY 1997, the first year, BJA made 37 grants totaling $3.7 million, chosen from over 1,700 applications. In FY 1998, BJA received over 1,300 proposals, and funded 32 projects totaling over $3 million.
Additional information about the Open Solicitation or BJA, is available at: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bja
Individual project summaries are available for each grant award on BJA's Website at: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/html/open.htm
Additional information on OJP and its programs is available at: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov.
FY 1999 BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE OPEN SOLICITATION AWARDS
STATE |
GRANTEE |
PROGRAM PURPOSE |
CONTACT |
PHONE |
Alabama |
Jefferson County |
Mental Health |
Joseph Curtain |
205/325-5688 |
California |
City of East Palo Alto |
Offender Supervision and Reentry |
Monika Hudson |
650/853-3100 |
District of Columbia |
District of Columbia |
Department of Human Services Offender Supervision and Reentry |
Valerie Boykin |
202/724-5071 |
Florida |
Dade County Legal Aid |
Improving Access to Services in Rural and Tribal Settings |
Maria E. Santanarina |
305/579-1004 |
Hawaii |
Prosecuting Attorney County of Hawaii |
Local Criminal Justice Planning |
Jay Kimura |
808/961-0466 |
Illinois |
Cook County Public Defender's Office |
Strengthening the Adjudication Process |
Nikki Whittingham |
312/603-0600 |
Louisiana |
27th Judicial District Attorney's Office |
Strengthening the Adjudication Process |
Deni Taylor |
337/948-3041 |
Michigan |
Kalamazoo County Corrections Advisory Board |
Improving Front-End Decision Making |
Thomas N. Edmonds |
616/385-6173 |
Michigan |
Macomb County Family Court/Juvenile Division |
Offender Supervision and Reentry |
Christine Antoskiewicz |
810/469-5412 |
Michigan |
State Appellate Defender Office |
Strengthening the Adjudication Process |
Dawn Van Hoek |
313/256-9833 |
Montana |
Musselshell County |
Strengthening the Adjudication Process |
Shawn Todd |
406/323-1104 |
Nevada |
State of Nevada Division of Child and Family Services |
Local Criminal Justice Planning |
Maggie Tracey |
775/687-3983 |
New York |
Dutchess County Criminal Justice Council |
Local Criminal Justice Planning |
Mary Ellen Still |
914/486-2600 |
Ohio |
The City of Riverside Police Department |
Strengthening the Adjudication Process |
William R. Ames |
937/233-1820 |
Ohio |
Massillon Municipal Courts |
Alcohol and Crime |
Edward J. Elum |
330/830-1727 |
Oregon |
Multnomah County District Attorney's Office |
Strengthening the Adjudication Process |
Michael D. Shrunk |
503/248-3143 |
Pennsylvania |
Pennsylvania Department of Corrections |
Offender Supervision and Reentry |
Angela Cerilli |
717/730-5011 |
Rhode Island |
Rhode Island District Court |
Improving Front-End Decision Making |
Albert E. DeRobbio |
401/458-5200 |
Texas |
Travis County Probate Court #1 |
Police Partnerships |
Jeri Houchins |
512/255-1465 |
Utah |
Uintah County Attorney |
Improving Access to Services in Rural and Tribal Settings |
Ken Wallentine |
435/781-5435 |
Virginia |
Greenville County/Pretrial Services |
Improving Access to Services in Rural and Tribal Settings |
Lance P. Forsythe |
804/348-1035 |
Washington |
King County Department of Adult Detention |
Alcohol and Crime |
Mary Ann Morbley |
206/205-2224 |
BJA 00-200
CONTACT: Doug Johnson or Sheila Jerusalem, 202-307-0703.