STRATEGIC GOAL THREE: Prevent and Reduce Crime and Violence by Assisting State, Tribal, Local and Community-Based Programs

To provide leadership in the area of crime prevention and control, the Department of Justice (DOJ) continually searches for ways to strengthen the criminal and juvenile justice capabilities of state, local and tribal governments. Three DOJ components are at the forefront of the Department's efforts to fortify community safety across the nation. The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) administers formula and discretionary grant programs, as well as provides targeted training and technical assistance on a wide range of criminal and juvenile justice system improvements. In addition, OJP conducts research, evaluates programs and collects and publishes crime-related statistical information. The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) advances community policing by developing and administering programs that respond directly to the emerging needs of state and local law enforcement; developing state-of-the-art training and technical assistance; and promoting collaboration between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve to establish problem-solving partnerships. And finally, the Community Relations Service (CRS) assists state and local officials and civic leaders to resolve conflicts and prevent violence in communities experiencing tensions due to race, color, or national origin.

In support of Strategic Goal III, OJP works in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal governments to carry out its mission to improve the nation's capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice, and assist crime victims. Its five Bureaus administer a variety of activities:

• The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) provides leadership and assistance in support of state, local and tribal justice strategies to achieve safer communities. Its program activities focus on reducing and preventing crime, violence and drug abuse and improving the overall functioning of the criminal justice system. BJA also provides financial and technical assistance to state, local, and tribal governments to implement correction-related programs, including corrections facility construction and corrections-based drug treatment programs. BJA supports the development, implementation and enhancements of drug courts by providing resources, training and technical assistance to states, state courts, local courts, units of local government, and Indian tribal governments.
  
  
• The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), the statistical arm of the Department, collects and reports on a portfolio of statistics focusing on crime and the operation of the justice system. BJS, through its grant activities, also assists state and local governments with the development of justice information systems and the collection, analysis and dissemination of statistical data.
  
  
• The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is the principal federal agency for research on crime. Its role is to build knowledge regarding "best practices" and "lessons learned" and to develop tools and technologies to help the criminal justice community prevent and control crime.
  
  
• The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) provides national leadership, coordination, and resources to develop, implement, and support effective methods to prevent and respond to juvenile delinquency and child victimization.
  
  
• The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) provides federal resources to support victims' assistance and compensation programs around the country. OVC activities enhance the nation's capacity to assist crime victims and provide leadership in changing the attitudes, policies, and practices to promote justice and healing for all crime victims.

In addition, OJP's three program offices administer program activities designed to assist state, local, and tribal governments as follows:

• The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) coordinates the Department's legislative and other initiatives relating to violence against women and administers a series of grant programs to help prevent, detect, and stop violence against women, including domestic violence, stalking and sexual assault.
  
  
• The newly created Community Capacity Development Office (CCDO) will include the Executive Office for Weed and Seed (EOWS). EOWS helps communities build stronger, safer neighborhoods by implementing the Weed and Seed strategy, a community-based, multi-disciplinary approach to combating crime.
  
  
• The Office of the Police Corps and Law Enforcement Education (OPCLEE) provides college educational assistance and professional leadership training to students who commit to public service in law enforcement, and scholarships with no service commitment to dependents of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.

OJP continues to invest significant resources in establishing partnerships with state, local, and tribal governments. Through its program activities, OJP provides federal leadership regarding matters of crime and the justice system.

Advances in technology have greatly increased criminal intelligence, information sharing among jurisdictions, and the ability to track and analyze local crime trends. Technology has provided valuable tools to help criminal justice agencies enhance their ability to lower crime and improve their operations. In addition, OJP is developing other law enforcement applications, including investigative and forensics tools, less-than-lethal devices, crime mapping, and vehicle stopping devices. Through OJP programs, states and local jurisdictions have interstate and national access to criminal records and have improved the quality of data in these systems. Accurate state data help to improve the FBI administered national criminal record systems, such as the Interstate Identification Index, the National Protection Order File, the National Sex Offender File, and the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, which provides pre-sale record checks pursuant to the Brady Act. OJP is also promoting integrated criminal justice information technology and design to facilitate and assist state and local integration efforts. The goal is to achieve a nationally integrated justice information environment that will facilitate the development of information sharing systems by federal, state, and local criminal justice agencies.

OJP is working to ensure that tribal governments are included in efforts to improve access to and integration of criminal justice and information technology. To do this, OJP has increased its efforts to channel justice-related resources to make existing programs, traditionally available to states and local entities, more relevant to the needs of tribal governments.

OJP will help states and communities implement initiatives to prevent, intervene in, and suppress crime by juveniles, as well as to protect youth from crime and abuse. OJP's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) works to address youth crime through a comprehensive program of research, evaluation, program development, and information dissemination. This multi-faceted approach targets youth who experience risk factors for delinquency as well as youth arrested, processed, and sentenced in the juvenile justice system. OJP also focuses on status offenders and juvenile offenders who have been diverted from the system into alternative programs. Additionally, OJJDP addresses juvenile offenders who have been waived or transferred out of the juvenile justice system into adult criminal court, typically for the most serious and violent crimes.

OJP works to prevent use and abuse of drugs and alcohol through a variety of demonstration, educational, and public outreach programs. Research shows that drug use and crime are closely linked. OJP funds a number of ongoing data collection programs used to monitor the drug/crime nexus, including: NIJ's Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) Program and the BJS' National Crime Victimization Survey and Surveys of Jail Inmates, State Prisoners, Federal Prisoners, and Probationers. For more than a decade, the majority of detained arrestees tested positive for recent drug use within 48 hours of their arrest. Research indicates that combining criminal justice sanctions with substance abuse treatment is effective in decreasing drug and alcohol use and related crime. In addition, correctional agencies have begun to intervene in the cycle of substance abuse and crime by implementing intervention activities, drug testing, and/or treating this high-risk population while under custody or supervision. Drug courts employ the coercive power of courts to subject non-violent offenders to an integrated mix of treatment, substance abuse testing, incentives, and sanctions to break the cycle of substance abuse and crime.

OJP's Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) is dedicated to serving our nation's victims, including those in traditionally under served populations. OVC administers a mix of formula and discretionary grant programs. Through its National Crime Victim Assistance program, OVC provides funds for programs that provide direct services to crime victims. OVC's compensation program helps reimburse victims for their out-of-pocket expenses related to crime. In order to more accurately measure the effectiveness of OVC's programs, and provide the appropriate kinds of services victims most need and want, OVC and NIJ are funding a study to identify victims' needs, the sources of aid they seek to meet those needs, the adequacy of the aid they receive, the role of victim assistance and compensation programs in delivering needed aid, and whether victims are accorded their full rights under applicable statutes.

DOJ's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), will continue to advance community policing, a law enforcement philosophy that rests on sustained organizational change within agencies that decentralizes command and empowers front-line officers to establish and maintain partnerships with the community to develop innovative problem-solving approaches that address the causes of crime and disorder within the community. DOJ, through the COPS Office, supports innovative, cooperative, and community-based programs aimed at reducing crime and violence and enhancing homeland security. COPS will accomplish this through improved criminal justice information flow and interoperability across jurisdictions; enhanced crime problem identification among grantees; improved police department operations, problem-solving practices and crime prevention strategies; and by providing training and technical assistance to law enforcement agencies. Community policing opens lines of communication between the police and residents. Police officers and sheriff's deputies, as public servants who interact with citizens on a daily basis, have a unique opportunity to demonstrate the importance of police involvement in the community. In turn, they realize their authority and effectiveness are linked directly to the support they receive from citizens.

Through the Community Relations Service (CRS), the Department will continue to provide conflict resolution, violence prevention, police-community relations training, and technical assistance to local communities. Through the efforts of OJP and CRS, DOJ will continue to provide assistance to state and local governments with community-derived strategies to fight crime, resolve local conflicts, and reduce community violence and racial tension. As part of this strategy, CRS and OJP will engage communities in developing their own strategies that focus on bringing together the energy and willingness of community leaders, organizations, and citizens to work towards crime-prevention and improved race relations, thereby building safe neighborhoods and communities for all Americans.

RESOURCE COMPARISON: Strategic Goal to Total DOJ $ and FTE

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Required Skills: OJP requires skilled administrators with expertise in program development, grant administration, technical assistance, evaluation and implementation. In addition, OJP seeks staff with expertise in social science research including the collection and analysis of statistical data.

CRS requires conciliation specialists, managers, and program specialists in order to meet the performance goals. Conciliation specialists must be skilled in conflict resolution and violence prevention techniques. In addition, the managers and program specialists require skills in needs analysis; technical assistance; and program development, implementation, and evaluation. COPS requires skilled administrators with expertise in program development, grant administration, technical assistance, evaluation and implementation.

Information Technology Utilized: The OJP program is supported by the NCJRS system. OJP relies on data provided by its Program Accountability Library (PAL), which is an internal automated grant cataloging system. These systems track and provide detailed, statistical reports.

FBI programs in this area rely upon QSIS (tracks all training conducted at Quantico), and CODIS and NDIS, national DNA databases.

In addition, COPS relies on its own grant management system. In FY2002, CRS began revamping its old case management system to make it compatible with current recording and reporting needs, including the Congressionally mandated requirement to notify affected Members of Congress of conflict-related deployments of CRS conciliators.

PROGRAM EVALUATIONS

Evaluations Completed FY 2002:
BJA - Multi-jurisdictional Task Forces
The Byrne Program's Multi-jurisdictional Task Forces (MJTF) have been implemented across the nation to provide enhancements to local law enforcement through the development of partnerships between agencies. An ongoing evaluation is assessing the effectiveness of this approach to crime reduction. The goal of the first phase of the project is to develop impact evaluation methodologies to be used by state planning agencies in the outcome evaluation phase. This includes an assessment of current impact and techniques used by: the state planning agencies and MJTFs; a focus group of state agency personnel; and MJTF staff and NIJ staff during six site visits within six states. FY 2003 funds for phase II, which is to develop the field test of the methodology and evaluation tool kit, have not been appropriated. However, BJA is working with the states to develop a funding strategy, which will also be dependent upon FY 2003 appropriations. If funding permits the completion of this evaluation, NIJ will issue a report and BJA will disseminate it to the states for their use in evaluating their state's task force projects.

BJA - New Hampshire Department of Corrections Community Drug Testing Program
This evaluation study is assessing the effectiveness of drug testing in two statewide programs in New Hampshire in order to develop profiles of offenders most likely to benefit from a drug-testing program. Two methods will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of random and targeted drug testing currently used by the two programs; and the impact of interventions applied as the result of testing positive. The information will allow an analysis of a specific group of factors (offenders and offense-related, treatment program model, drug testing methods, criminal justice sanctions and rewards). When the study is completed, findings will form the basis of a practice manual to allow criminal justice agencies to develop cost-effective drug testing strategies, which maximize intended criminal justice outcomes.

Comprehensive Indian Resources for Community and Law Enforcement
NIJ's evaluation is examining implementation of the Comprehensive Indian Resources for Community and Law Enforcement (CIRCLE) Project including the development and use of the comprehensive strategy, and coordination of the individual components of the CIRCLE Project at each site. The process aspect of the evaluation has been completed and the report has been submitted, reviewed, revised and is currently being considered for publication. The outcome aspect of the evaluation is just beginning and will not be completed until the second quarter of FY 2004. When the study is complete, outcomes of the CIRCLE project will be assessed including: the utilization and effectiveness of the technical assistance and training provided to the CIRCLE Project sites; the effects of the CIRCLE Project on relations between and among tribal sites; and the effectiveness of the CIRCLE Project in helping to create safer communities.

OVC - Victims of Crime Act Programs
This multi-year evaluation assesses the effectiveness of Victims of Crime Act funded compensation and assistance programs in meeting the needs of crime victims. The overall evaluation program includes a victims' needs assessment, an assessment of services available to victims, identification of unmet needs, and suggestions for improving the delivery of, and payment for services to all crime victims.

OVW - STOP Violence Against Indian Women
In cooperation with the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), this national evaluation is designed to assess the overall impact of tribal STOP programs, and to examine how the unique cultural and legal context of American Indians impacts the efficacy and effectiveness of these programs. Preliminary results show that STOP funds have enabled tribes to create new programs to reduce violence against women; increase tribal criminal justice staff; enhance training for all tribal justice and victim service personnel for task forces; develop information sharing systems; and implement coordinated community responses to violence against women. When the evaluation and final report are complete, OVW plans to use the findings to inform management and improve program development. For example, OVW will respond to weaknesses, if any, in grantee projects by drafting future grant development. In contrast, if the evaluation identifies successful project strategies, future solicitations can recommend that applicants consider these strategies in developing their proposed projects. The evaluation has been completed and the final report is currently being reviewed.

OVW--Civil Legal Assistance
This study will examine how local non-Civil Legal Assistance funded programs compliment OVW-funded programs. This study will also determine the effectiveness of these programs in meeting the needs of the women they serve. Similar to the STOP Violence Against Indian Women evaluation, OVW plans to use the findings to: inform management and improve program development; respond to any weaknesses; recommend strategies for future projects; and/or address the unmet needs of significant areas identified in the findings of the study.

Planned Evaluation:
DCPO - Drug Courts Multi-Site Evaluation
In cooperation with the Drug Court Program Office, NIJ will conduct a multi-site evaluation of six to ten special court model programs that have been in existence for a number of years. The evaluation will include both process and an outcome component. When the evaluation is complete, findings will be used to strengthen the annual application kit and the National Drug Court Training and Technical Assistance Program. It is anticipated that the solicitation will be announced in Spring 2003.

Background/Program Objectives:
OJP's Tribal Court Program is one method used to reduce crime and improve the criminal justice systems and operations in Indian Country. Over the last decade, there has been unparalleled growth in tribal courts due to a number of factors including the need to reduce the victimization of Indian people in tribal communities. This growth has increased the need for reliable means of settling disputes that arise in the ordinary course of business. For example, the need for tribal courts is spurred by incidents involving violent crime, substance abuse, and managing complex issues such as regulation of gaming, air and water pollution control, mining, banking, and toxic waste disposal.

Strategies to Achieve the FY 2003/FY 2004 Goal:
BJA will continue to support the development, implementation, enhancement and continuing operation of tribal court systems. Through direct awards under this program, BJA will provide financial assistance to federally recognized Indian Tribal Governments to further develop and enhance their court operations. Through its technical assistance plan, BJA will work with national Indian constituency groups to provide training and technical assistance to tribal court personnel and promote cooperation among tribal justice systems.

Crosscutting Activities:
OJP is responsible for programs affecting Indian Country and meets on a regular basis with representatives from the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs and DOJ's Office of Tribal Justice.

Background/Program Objectives:
Interstate availability of complete computerized criminal records is increasingly vital for criminal investigation, prosecution, sentencing, correctional supervision and release, and community notification. This information is also necessary to conduct thorough background checks for those applying for licenses; firearm purchases; and work involving the safety and well being of children, the elderly, and the disabled. Interstate exchange of data is critical to ensure that states have access to records maintained by other jurisdictions. The Interstate Identification Index (III), administered by the FBI, provides interstate access to information about offenders at the state and federal level and facilitates this exchange. To ensure compatibility, all state-level record enhancements are required to conform to FBI standards for III participation.

The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP) provides direct funding and technical assistance to states to improve the accuracy, utility, and interstate accessibility of the Nation's criminal history and related records and build their infrastructure to connect to national record check systems both to supply information to and conduct requisite checks, including the FBI-operated National Instant Criminal Background Check System, the National Sex Offender Registry and the National Protection Order File.

Strategies to Achieve the FY 2003/FY 2004 Goal:
BJS will continue to support states in the expanding range of areas which pertain to criminal history record systems, identification systems, communications, and support for the national record systems maintained by the FBI, including the III and the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. Support is provided through direct grants and technical assistance.

Crosscutting Activities:
BJS works closely with the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, and with key representatives of the state law enforcement and court systems.

Background/Program Objectives:
The Office of Justice Program's Crime Lab Improvement Program (CLIP), provides support to state and local labs to perform various types of forensic analysis, such as trace evidence analysis, fingerprint comparison, toxicology, firearm and tool mark analyses, and biological evidence analysis (which includes DNA testing). In FY 2004, it is anticipated that CLIP's mission will be revised, under the Department's new DNA Initiative, to become more DNA-focused in order to better address the country's current analysis needs.

The Convicted Offender DNA Backlog Reduction Program was created to reduce the backlog of convicted offender DNA samples awaiting analysis and entry into the FBI's Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) database. Reducing the offender backlog and getting samples into the system is crucial to realizing the full objective of the national DNA database-to solve old crimes and prevent new ones from occurring. Funds are targeted toward the forensic analysis of all DNA samples identified as urgent priority samples (i.e., those from homicide and rape/sexual assault cases) within the current offender backlog. Comprising the backlog are samples collected from certain classes of offenders (typically violent criminals, but offenses such as burglary are now being increasingly included) as specified by state legislation. The size of the current convicted offender backlog is constantly growing in size, due to ongoing, expansive legislative changes in qualifying offenses. This expansion creates significant influxes of samples into labs often under-equipped. The Backlog Reduction Program is the Department's attempt to alleviate this burden.

Through these laboratory improvement/assistance programs, OJP endeavors to support the FBI's CODIS program and provide the second, critical half of a team effort to use DNA technology to solve and prevent crime.

FBI's Combined DNA Index System began as a pilot project in 1990 serving 14 state and local laboratories. The DNA Identification Act of 1994 authorized the FBI to establish a national DNA database for law enforcement purposes. The Act authorizes the FBI to store the following types of DNA data from federal, state, and local law enforcement entities in its national index: DNA identification records of persons convicted of crimes; analyses of DNA samples recovered from crime scenes; analyses of DNA samples recovered from unidentified human remains; and analyses of DNA samples voluntarily contributed from relatives of missing persons. In 2000, the FBI was authorized to receive DNA profiles from federal convicted offenders and to store these profiles in a national Federal Convicted Offender index with the other four CODIS indexes.

FBI's National DNA Index System (NDIS) became operational during October 1998 and represents the highest-level database in CODIS. NDIS allows participating federal and state laboratories to exchange DNA profiles and perform inter-state searches on a weekly basis. Plans are underway to redesign CODIS and NDIS to allow for immediate uploading and searching upon demand and scalability up to 50 million DNA profiles.

Strategies to Achieve the FY 2003/FY 2004 Goal:
In FY 2003, OJP's Crime Lab Improvement Program will work with both the Congressionally directed applicants and those who receive awards in response to OJP solicitations to ensure that the proposed activities and forensic technology equipment acquisitions meet the overall program goals. This will include increasing the capacity of crime labs to meet DNA analysis requirements through automation upgrades optimizing the use of forensic DNA technology. Additionally, OJP's strategy will include the allocation of funds for research evaluation, technical assistance, and training to enhance states' capacities for future upgrades.

NDIS will be expanded to comply with the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 that requires persons convicted of terrorist acts and crimes of violence to be included in the Federal Convicted Offender Database (FCOD), which is a component of NDIS. During 2003, the FBI will establish the Mitochondrial DNA database for Missing Children and populate with DNA profiles index for Unidentified Human Remains within CODIS. Additionally, the FBI will begin redesign of CODIS software. System architecture and operations changes will make data storage and search capacities sufficient to meet all future needs, up to 50 million DNA profiles, and provide immediate electronic access to information in the national DNA database. The FBI plans to increase consultation with the forensic DNA community regarding the redesign of CODIS as well as national database and policy changes.

Crosscutting Activities:
OJP consults with other federal agencies, such as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, Department of Defense, and the National Institute of Science and Technology in performing peer-review of proposals received in response to solicitations for DNA programs. CODIS represents a partnership among FBI, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to prevent or reduce additional acts of violence, and pursue justice for those already harmed by such acts.

Background/Program Objectives:
In addition to technical support, the Department also provides critical law enforcement training. The FBI's National Academy Program serves as the foundation for the FBI's comprehensive training assistance to local, county, and state law enforcement. This program targets law enforcement managers, and its goal is to render training assistance regarding investigative, managerial, technical, and administrative aspects of law enforcement. In addition, the FBI Academy provides in-service training to local, county, and state law enforcement in many areas, such as forensic science. FBI staff located in field offices throughout the country also provides, upon request, education and training programs, thereby contributing to enhanced professionalism in American law enforcement.

Through OJP's Bureau of Justice Assistance, the National White Collar Crime Center provides a national resource for the prevention, investigation, and prosecution of multi-jurisdictional economic crimes. This includes a national training and research institute focusing on economic crime issues. One component, the National Cybercrime Training Partnership, serves as a centralized, operational focal point for assessment, design, and delivery of federal, state, and local training and technical assistance regarding computer crime investigation and prosecution.

Strategies to Achieve the FY 2003/FY 2004 Goal:
FBI's training sessions will continue to cover the full range of law enforcement, including hostage negotiation, computer-related crimes, death investigations, violent crimes, criminal psychology, forensic science, and arson.

In FY 2003, OJP will continue to support the National White Collar Crime Center by providing technical assistance and training to local law enforcement and regulatory personnel. In FY 2004, no funding is requested for the National White Collar Crime program due to its support of specialized state-specific projects that duplicate Federal efforts that are currently supported by the FBI and other law enforcement agencies.

Crosscutting Activities:
OJP in coordination with other federal, state, and local agencies, provides training and assistance in implementing statewide strategies to improve criminal justice systems. FBI's training programs have established effective partnerships with state and local entities.

Background/Program Objectives:
OJP's Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) administers a combination of two formula and nine discretionary grant programs that support the Violence Against Women Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-386), which are designed to stop domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. OVW works with U.S. Attorneys to ensure enforcement of the federal criminal statutes contained in the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994; assists the Attorney General in formulating policy related to civil and criminal justice for women; and administers more than $367 million a year in grants to help states, tribes, and local communities transform the way in which criminal justice systems respond to crimes of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. One notable program, the Rural Domestic Violence and Child Victimization Enforcement Program provides opportunities for rural jurisdictions to draw upon their unique characteristics to develop and implement policies and services designed to enhance intervention and prevention of domestic violence and child victimization.

Strategies to Achieve the FY 2003/FY 2004 Goal:
In the future to include more communities in the program nationally, OVW plans to provide more funding for new grantees as opposed to awarding continuation grants to existing grantees.

Crosscutting Activities:
OVW's work prevents violence against women and improves intervention programs along with several components within the Department of Health and Human Services. OVW has regular contact with other federal entities such as the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Office of Personnel Management, the Department of Defense (i.e., U.S. Department of Defense Task Force on Domestic Violence), the Department of Labor, and the Department of State.

Background/ Program Objectives:
OJP's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) administers the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Program. The CASA program funds local programs to support court appointed special advocates in their efforts to assist overburdened court officials and social workers. This program not only serves as a safety net for abused and neglected children, but also as an essential ally in delinquency prevention. Research shows that abused and neglected children are at increased risk of repeating the same violent behavior they experience, and are therefore at increased risk of becoming delinquents and adult criminals.

Strategies to Achieve the FY 2003/FY 2004 Goal:
Through a training and technical assistance grant from OJJDP, National CASA provides funding opportunities to communities for developing and expanding CASA programs through: electronic consultation, onsite technical assistance and monitoring, an annual national training program, and tracks subgrantee performance in National CASA's database, in order to support the start-up and management of these subgrants.

OJP will continue to provide subgrants to local programs throughout the nation to support the development of new CASA programs and continue the expansion of existing CASA programs in order to increase the number of children served in each community. There are approximately 900 CASA programs that have served more than 200,000 children. National CASA targets communities in underserved areas in order to increase the number of children receiving representation from CASA volunteers. New programs are funded based on information that indicates that no other CASA programs are serving a community. For all CASA programs, National CASA offers consultation and resources that help start CASA programs and also train volunteers for established programs. CASA will continue to award grants to programs for start-up and expansion of CASA's mission through a federal grant program sponsored by OJP. The CASA subgrant program, which currently covers approximately 10% of the total CASA programs, will continue to provide funding in these categories to maximize development and expansion of opportunities to serve children.

Crosscutting Activities:
OJJDP coordinates with the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the National Academy of Public Administration, and the Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators.

Background/Program Objectives:
Among the intervention and prevention activities supported by OJJDP are juvenile mentoring programs that link at-risk youth with responsible adults to provide guidance, promote personal and social responsibility, discourage gang involvement, and encourage participation in community service activities.

OJJDP recently completed a Report to Congress on the Juvenile Mentoring Program (JUMP), including preliminary results indicating that JUMP shows promise as a prevention measure to reduce delinquency and give participating youth a better chance at success. Additionally, OJJDP continues to fund the National Mentoring Center, which provides training and technical assistance, dissemination of publications and bulletins, and conducts regional training to strengthen the ability of juvenile mentoring programs across the country.

Strategies to Achieve the FY 2003/FY 2004 Goal:
OJJDP and its technical assistance provider, the National Mentoring Center, will convene the
FY 2002 JUMP awardees and existing grantees during the coming year. At these meetings, OJJDP will provide technical assistance to the grantees on youth and mentor recruitment and stress the importance of meeting minimum recruitment objectives. Program monitors, in coordination with the national evaluator, will closely monitor recruitment efforts and outcomes of all active JUMP grants and will address shortcomings through routine and special monitoring activities. A self-evaluation workbook and training were provided to assist sites in collecting data on project operation and effectiveness. Results are expected to enhance grantee reporting.

Crosscutting Activities:
OJP is coordinating with internal program offices as well as with the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services.

Background/Program Objectives:
OJJDP administers the Missing and Exploited Children's Program (MECP). This program coordinates activities under the Missing Children's Assistance Act, including preventing abductions, investigating the exploitation of children, locating missing children and reuniting them with their families, and addressing the psychological impact of abduction on the child and the family. Program funds are used to enhance the efforts of state and local communities in their comprehensive response to missing and exploited children issues through direct assistance in planning and program development; developing and disseminating policies, procedures and programmatic information related to search teams, investigations, and crisis intervention activities; reunification of youth with their families; and issues related to victimization of families and youth involved in the missing and exploitation problem.

OJJDP's Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force program is helping communities protect children from online victimization. Nearly 30 million children and youth go online each year to research homework assignments, play games, and meet friends. The electronic actions of the unwary and vulnerable can lead to stalking, theft, and other malicious or criminal actions. In the worst instances, children and teenagers can become victims of molestation by providing personal information. This initiative encourages state and local law enforcement agencies to develop and implement regional multijurisdictional, multi-agency task forces to prevent and respond to online crimes against children.

Strategies to Achieve the FY 2003/FY 2004 Goal:
The number of ICAC Regional Task Forces will increase to 40 from the original 30. This will provide increased ICAC jurisdictional coverage in areas with no current ICAC coverage. While the number of ICAC satellites will decrease (the ICAC satellite program is being phased out), ICAC Regional Task Forces will continue to expand jurisdiction through "memoranda of understanding" with non-ICAC State and local law enforcement agencies. The increase in Regional Task Forces is not expected to increase the projected number of forensic examinations since the ICAC satellite program is being phased out.

Crosscutting Activities:
OJP's OJJDP works with national, international, state, military, and tribal victim assistance, and criminal justice agencies, as well as other professional organizations, to promote fundamental rights and comprehensive services for crime victims. OJJDP works with federal, international, state and military criminal justice agencies to respond and investigate the sexual exploitation of children online. OJJDP and the technical advisors to the ICAC Task Force Board of Directors include the FBI, U.S. Customs Services, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Executive Office for the United States Attorneys, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Background/Program Objectives:
OJP works to prevent use and abuse of drugs and alcohol through a variety of demonstration, educational, and public outreach programs. Research shows that drug use and crime are closely linked. OJP funds a number of ongoing data collection programs used to monitor the drug/crime nexus, including: NIJ's Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) Program and the BJS' National Crime Victimization Survey and Surveys of Jail Inmates, State Prisoners, Federal Prisoners, and Probationers.

OJP's ADAM program is the only federally-funded drug use prevalence program to directly address the relationship between drug use and criminal behavior. It is also the only program to provide drug use estimates based on urinalysis results, which have proven to be the most reliable method of determining recent drug use. The ADAM program obtains voluntary, anonymous interviews and urine samples from arrestees at selected booking facilities throughout the United States.

Strategies to Achieve the FY 2003/FY 2004 Goal:
To assess the benefit and program effectiveness of the ADAM program relative to its costs, an independent evaluation is ongoing and due for completion by February 2003. The results of this study will enable OJP to better gauge the benefits of the ADAM program.

Crosscutting Activities:
OJP coordinates its substance abuse treatment programs with the Department of Health and Human Services' Center for Substance Abuse Treatment and the Office of National Drug Control Policy, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies are using ADAM data to determine detailed trends in drug use, drug dependency, drug treatment, and drug market participation among arrestees.

Background/Program Objectives:
According to the latest Bureau of Justice Statistics data published in May 2000, an estimated 417,000 local jail inmates (70% of all jail inmates) had been arrested for, or convicted of, a drug offense or had used drugs regularly. Thirty-six percent were under the influence of drugs at the time of the offense, and 16% said they committed their offenses to get money for drugs. These facts demonstrate that the demand for drug treatment services is tremendous. OJP has a long history of providing drug-related resources to its constituencies in an effort to break the cycle of drugs and violence by reducing the demand, use and trafficking of illegal drugs.

The drug court movement began as a community-level response to reduce crime and substance abuse among criminal justice offenders. This new approach integrated substance abuse treatment, sanctions, and incentives with case processing to place nonviolent drug-involved defendants in judicially supervised rehabilitation programs. The traditional system had rarely provided substance abuse treatment to defendants in any systematic way and, in many cases, provided little or no threat of sanctions to drug offenders. The OJP's Drug Court Program was established in 1995 to provide financial and technical assistance to states, state courts, local courts, units of local government and Indian tribal governments to establish drug treatment courts. Drug courts employ the coercive power of the judicial system to subject non-violent offenders to an integrated mix of treatment, drug testing, incentives and sanctions to break the cycle of substance abuse and crime. This community-level movement is supported through drug court grants and targeted technical assistance and training.

OJP's Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) for State Prisoners Program is a formula grant program that assists states and units of local government in developing and implementing these programs within state and local correctional and detention facilities in which prisoners are incarcerated for a period of time sufficient to permit substance abuse treatment
(6 - 12 months).

Strategies to Achieve the FY 2003/FY 2004 Goal:
OJP's drug court program will continue to employ the statutory provisions by implementing a comprehensive four-step strategy that provides programmatic guidance and leadership to communities interested in drug courts. This discretionary grant program is designed to provide seed funding for drug courts, not long term direct support, therefore, the overall goal of the strategy is to build capacity at the state and local level. The four components of the strategy are: providing an array of training; technical assistance opportunities to implement best practices; supporting the evaluation of drug courts to demonstrate the effectiveness; and partnering with the drug court field to integrate the drug court movement into the mainstream court system.

Additionally, OJP's RSAT program will continue to fund and expand corrections-based substance abuse treatment programs and to encourage the establishment of community-based aftercare programs. A combination of both the corrections and community based treatment programs is expected to reduce recidivism, thereby reducing crime and violence within communities.

Crosscutting Activities:
OJP's drug court program coordinates with the Department of Health and Human Services' Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the State Justice Institute, and the Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to leverage the coercive power of the criminal justice system to increase the likelihood of a successful rehabilitation.

Additionally, OJP's RSAT program works with the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment and Center for Mental Health Services, as well as the Center for Disease Control and ONDCP to improve service delivery and quality to those inmates who have substance abuse, mental and physical problems.

Background/Program Objectives:
OJP's Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) is dedicated to serving our nation's victims, including those in traditionally underserved populations. OVC, in carrying out its mission, (1) enacts and enforces consistent, fundamental rights for crime victims in federal, state, juvenile, military, and tribal justice systems; (2) provides comprehensive quality services for all victims; (3) integrates crime victims' issues into all levels of the country to increase public awareness; (4) provides comprehensive quality training for service providers who work with crime victims; (5) develops a National Crime Victims Agenda to provide a guide for long term action; (6) serves in an international leadership role in promoting effective and sensitive victim services and rights around the world; and (7) ensures a central role for crime victims in the country's response to violence and victimization.

Additionally, millions of Americans call upon religious leaders for spiritual guidance, support and information in times of personal crisis. Many faith-based crime assistance programs across the country receive Victim of Crime Act funding to provide needed counseling, criminal justice support, referrals, and other critical services to America's crime victims.

Strategies to Achieve the FY 2003/FY 2004 Goal:
OVC will be providing support in FY 2004 to several discretionary programs aimed at increasing the involvement of the faith-based community in assisting victims of crime. These include: the Faith Community Education Initiative (non-competitive award); the Law Enforcement Chaplainry Services to Crime Victims (non-competitive award); the Collaborative Response to Crime Victims in Urban Areas (competitive); Training for Community Interfaith Councils; Faith-Based Response to Victims in High-Intensity Crime Areas; Training for Community Based Grief Centers; and the Denver Clergy project. OVC is working with each of them to develop common performance measures that can be used to report on this important activity. In addition, with respect to its formula program, OVC will revise its reporting system to capture victims served by religious organizations.

Crosscutting Activities:
OJP is working with OMB and, in turn, the White House Office of Faith Based and Community Initiatives, to develop an appropriate measure of performance. The measure will focus on efforts to improve access and level the playing field for faith-based and community organizations in the federal grant process. Currently, efforts are underway to improve data collection in this area, to better identify the types of applicants. This information will allow us to determine the effectiveness of our outreach efforts and accessibility to potential grantees. Additionally, OVC will continue to work with and encourage Victims of Crime Act Grant Administrators to provide grants to faith-based subgrantees.

Background/Program Objectives:
As crime and the fear of crime rose in the 1970s and 1980s, it became apparent that the traditional law enforcement response was not effective. Police were reacting to crime, rather than preventing it and communities felt law enforcement was unresponsive to their concerns.
A few cities began experimenting with community involvement in solving problems and addressing the conditions that lead to crime. They found it surprisingly effective. As the practice grew and developed, it came to be known as community policing.

The COPS Office has three primary objectives: reduce the fear of crime, increase community trust in law enforcement, and contribute to the reduction in locally identified, targeted crime and disorder. Community policing rests on three primary principles: 1) continuous community-law enforcement partnership to address issues in the community; 2) a problem-solving approach to the causes of crime and disorder; and 3) sustained organizational change in the law enforcement agency that decentralizes command and empowers front-line officers to build partnerships in the community and address crime and disorder using innovative problem-solving techniques.

Under the COPS Office hiring grant programs (the Universal Hiring Program (UHP), Making Officer Redeployment Effective (MORE), COPS in Schools (CIS), and Indian Country programs), awards were based on a jurisdiction's public safety needs and its ability to sustain the financial commitment to deploy additional community policing officers beyond the life of the grant. The number of officers that are ultimately deployed can decrease from the initial award estimate based on many factors including: the success of a jurisdiction's officer recruitment efforts; the actual availability of local matching funds (which can vary from initial estimates based on funding appropriated by local governments); a change in a project's scope; and the number of officers that successfully complete academy training.

The COPS In Schools program provided funding to hire School Resource Officers (SROs). While the specific activities of an SRO are largely determined by local communities to address the unique needs of their school, SROs are sworn law enforcement officers serving as liaisons to the school community, school-based problem solvers, and law-related educators. They are an integral part of the protective fabric of the school, developing relationships with students, faculty, and staff; building respect between law enforcement and schools; and helping to prevent problems from occurring.

Strategies to Achieve the FY 2003/FY 2004 Goal:
COPS will continue to support the advancement of community policing through training and technical assistance, community policing innovation conferences, development and sharing of best practices through publications and websites, and pilot community policing programs. COPS will continue to support existing grants and evaluate the effects of community policing on crime. To meet critical law enforcement needs, the COPS Office will continue to work in partnership with law enforcement agencies to enhance police integrity.

Crosscutting Activities:
COPS works with the Department of Education on the Mental Health and Community Safety Initiative for tribal communities and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the Transportation Department on a seat belt safety initiative. COPS recently led the SafeCities initiative, which included participation by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Background/Program Objectives:
The Department's Community Relations Service (CRS) continued to improve and expand upon the delivery of conflict resolution and violence prevention services to state and local officials and community leaders in FY 2002. These services include: direct mediation and conciliation services; transfer of knowledge and expertise in the establishment of partnerships and formal agreements for locally-derived solutions; development of community trust and cooperation; improvement of local preparedness for addressing violence and civil disorders; and assistance in enhancing the local capacity to resolve local conflicts.

Strategies to Achieve the FY 2003/FY 2004 Goal:
CRS will continue providing conflict resolution and violence prevention services to state and local officials and community leaders in 2003 and 2004. In addition, CRS will provide training and technical assistance, and transfer its expertise and knowledge to help state, local, and tribal governments and communities build their own capacities to address local conflicts and violent situations emanating from race and ethnicity.

Crosscutting Activities:
In achieving these crosscutting efforts, CRS collaborates internally with several components within the Department of Justice. Additionally, CRS strives to improve communications and cooperation among DOJ components, local law enforcement agencies, and minority communities.

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