E-ALERT: Volume 2, Number 7

Important Grant Program Announcements

Dear E-Alert Subscriber:

We have recently learned that recent editions of the Department of Justice Task Force for Faith-based and Community Initiatives E-Alert’s may not have reached all intended recipients. The following reiterates information recently distributed to E-Alert Subscribers.

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President's Prisoner Re-entry Initiative

The U.S. Department of Labor Announces $19.8 Million in Funding for Faith-Based and Community Organizations. [link: http://www.dol.gov/cfbci/funding ]

The U.S. Department of Justice will subsequently award competitive grants to State agencies to provide pre-release services to prisoners who will be returning to the communities served by these grants from the Department of Labor.

President George W. Bush’s Prisoner Re-entry Initiative seeks to strengthen urban communities characterized by large numbers of returning prisoners through an employment-centered program that incorporates mentoring, job training, and other comprehensive transitional services. The Department of Labor (DOL) will award grants to faith-based and community organizations (FBCOs), through this competitive process, to be the agencies carrying out this Initiative.

Each lead local agency awarded a DOL grant may choose to directly provide services to released prisoners; provide sub-grants to other FBCOs to provide these services; or use a mixed approach of providing some direct services themselves while using other FBCOs to also provide services. Most lead local agencies will need to sub-grant some portion of their award to other FBCOs. If the lead local agency is using sub-grantees, it will be responsible for providing technical assistance and oversight to these other FBCOs. Lead local FBCOs applying for these grants will identify as part of their application the need in the community that they plan to serve; their proposed FBCO sub-grantees; their plan for serving released prisoners; and their partnerships with the criminal justice system, Workforce Investment Board, housing authority, and mental health and substance abuse treatment providers.

RURAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND CHILD VICTIMIZATION ENFORCEMENT GRANT PROGRAM SPECIAL INITIATIVE: FAITH-BASED AND COMMUNITY INITIATIVE PILOT PROGRAM

Please Note the Following Changes:
New Application Deadline: April 29, 2005

Diane Stuart, Director of the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), and the Department’s Task Force for Faith-based and Community Initiatives announces the release of a FY2005 Grant Program Solicitation designed to expand grass roots, faith-based and community-based services to rural victims of domestic violence.

This Pilot Program is distinct from the FY 2005 Rural Domestic Violence and Child Victimization Grant Program as OVW will award funding, through a cooperative agreement, to intermediary organizations that will (1) support the activities of small, grass roots faith-based and community organizations in serving rural victims of domestic violence through the management of competitive sub-awards and (2) provide technical assistance to sub-award recipients to develop their capacity to provide services to rural victims of domestic violence.

Office for Victims of Crime Funding Announcement: HOPE II

John Gillis, Director of the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) announces a new funding opportunity. OVC has allocated up to $3.0 million for Helping Outreach Programs to Expand II. http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/fund/dakit.htm#2> The purpose of this program is to support and improve the delivery of services to crime victims through subawards to small faith-based and/or community-based organizations, with an emphasis placed on supporting programs and organizations that have not received funding from the Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, prior to the date of the solicitation. Funding will be provided to one pass-through organization. Interested applicants should register online with the Office of Justice Programs Grant Management System no later than April 18, 2005 and submit their applications by May 11, 2005.

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Program Announcement: Faith and Community-Based Delinquency Treatment Initiative

On March 31, 2005, the State of Florida announced the implementation of its Faith and Community-Based Delinquency Treatment Initiative, a $3.5 million effort funded by the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. This grant money will allow Florida to jump-start a multi-faceted faith-based initiative for youthful offenders that establishes a collaborative effort among the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, local agencies, faith-based institutions, community organizations, and private businesses to provide positive, caring adult relationships, greater supervision and moral leadership as basic elements of a structured rehabilitative program for youthful offenders as they transition back into their communities.

The program will continue the mentoring relationships established in the residential phase of treatment during the aftercare phase--with the ultimate goal of lower recidivism for these juveniles.

"I am pleased that this Department of Justice grant will provide youthful offenders with the support of caring, adult relationships through the use of chaplains and involvement of faith and community-based mentors in the residential phase of treatment," said Bob Flores, Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention, OJP. "The program will continue these mentoring relationships and involve local churches and community groups in helping to rebuild family relationships during the aftercare phase -- with the ultimate goal of helping kids make a fresh start."

For more information, we invite you to visit the DOJ Task Force for Faith-based and Community Initiatives website, at http://www.usdoj.gov/fbci.