NRDP-DOJ Partnerships
Here are some of the successful partnerships that State Councils have had
with the Department of Justice. For more information, please contact
Rick Wetherill in the Office of
Community Development .
The Idaho Rural Theater Project "Opening Windows" is a mental health awareness tool. The Idaho Rural Development Council collaborated with the Idaho Theater for Youth and the National Endowment for the Arts to create an original play which was then presented by the Idaho Theater for Youth to educate rural teens about health risks in rural communities. Risks covered include substance abuse, domestic violence, teen pregnancy, and suicide, and use of guns. "Opening Windows" is based on real incidents gleaned from interviews in seven rural Idaho communities, and is an emotionally powerful way of portraying consequences to both teens and their parents. A resource guide also was developed as a handout and a facilitator led a discussion connecting problems presented to the audience and local health providers following the play. The play was conducted in 13 communities with audiences commonly in the hundreds in 1996. A second tour was held in 1997, including a presentation to the National Rural Development Partnership (NRDP) at its national conference in Washington, DC. The Colorado Rural Development Council acquired the rights to this play for the period June 1998 - July 1999 to produce it across rural Colorado with educational facilitated discussions to follow each presentation.
The Florida State Rural Development Council uses networks to combat domestic/child violence to improve the quality of life for rural Floridians. The Council was charged by then Governor Chiles to create a Rural Domestic/Child Violence Prevention Network. The FSRDC used its "Jump Start" Workshop model to bring together people from many service delivery disciplines across rural Florida. This workshop led to reciprocal technical assistance and information sharing among the groups and the formation of an informal network. FSRDC used a VISTA volunteer to develop an Internet web page in both Spanish and English to facilitate information sharing on a broad range of justice issues including the following pages: Citizen Safety Center with links to Florida law enforcement agencies and tips on how to protect yourself and your children; Florida Attorney General's Criminal Justice Page; and the Justice Information Center's victim advocacy resources. The Council's Executive Director conducted training for 17 coordinators of the rural domestic/child violence program serving rural Florida counties and paired them with Americorps volunteers hired to work on child violence matters.
The FSRDC has also created an ongoing dialogue among judges, corrections officials, rural health professionals, mental health organizations, churches and several non-profits. The FSRDC has several additional projects underway, including programs that distribute toys made by prison inmates to child care facilities, that provide clothing to inmates making the transition from prison to the workforce, and a program which uses inmates to pack surplus goods for delivery to needy communities.
The Vermont Council on Rural Development conducts community visits using a listening and information-gathering model to assist rural communities identify and prioritize their community needs and concerns. The VCRD brought together a resource team of council members from regional, state and federal organizations at a public meeting at which 70 citizens from Richford, VT talked about Richford's problems and potential. Issues raised at this meeting were prioritized and five top issues emerged including "improve the level of police protection". The community organized a neighborhood watch program with over 300 members; and a committee reviewed the police services contract with the Vermont State Police.
In December 2000, the U.S. Senate voted on legislation emanating from a project the South Dakota Rural Development Council began working on three years ago. The legislation recognizes The Reconciliation Place project, creating it as federal law and authorizing over $18.2 million in appropriations for project construction and future operating expenses. When completed, The Reconciliation Place will be a multifaceted facility in Fort Pierre, South Dakota that will include the Sioux Nation Supreme Court, Native American Mediation Training Center, Genealogy Center, Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center from the perspective of the Sioux Nation, and a Cultural Center. The U.S. Department of Justice has provided a grant for work on the details of implementation of the Sioux Nation Supreme Court. The Council supported this project by facilitating meetings, assisting with congressional hearings, contacting congressional offices, meeting with potential partners, seeking additional grant sources, and providing grant-writing support and advice.
The National Rural Development Partnership established a Taskforce on Women in Rural America. One of the tenets in setting up this taskforce is to work on women's accessibility to law enforcement and legal services, particularly in regard to situations of emotional and physical violence. Other tenets include: improved economic development opportunities for women and child care. The task force is planning a resource guide for State Rural Development Councils on services for women. Members of the taskforce come from the all levels of the Partnership, representing federal, tribal, state, local, private non-profit and for-profit organizations.
In May 1998, the Acting Director of the National Partnership Office of the NRDP participated in the Office of Justice Programs' Rural Crime Symposium in Albuquerque, NM. NPO staff participated in the initial planning group that developed the curriculum for the Symposium providing information on rural criminal justice issues and assisting with identifying potential contacts and presenters.
State Rural Development Councils in Colorado, Utah and Idaho are working together to produce a Public Lands Theater presentation and community dialogue on sensitive issues surrounding public lands. The purpose is to engage federal agencies and citizens in creative and constructive tools for improving community relations and settling disagreements on sensitive public lands issues in the West.
