Section 1

Initiatives to Address a Wide Range of Criminal and Juvenile Justice Issues

Overview

Several OJP initiatives, including many fellowships and some training and technical assistance initiatives, cover a broad range of criminal and juvenile justice issues. While many initiatives that cross-cut more than one topical issue are found throughout the Program Plan, this section includes those that touch many areas and may have no single area of emphasis.

In addition, many of the programs in this section support OJP’s efforts to ensure that communities and their partners have the necessary tools to be successful, including the following:

• information about how federal funding works in their communities;
• access to a full range of technical assistance and training;
• knowledge from other communities about programs that work;
• data, research, and evaluations for use in strategic planning;
• strong public and private institutional partnerships; and
• online resources and access to technology.

Discretionary Programs

Program Name Edward Byrne Memorial Competitive Grant Program—National Initiatives
FY 2012 Funding $13,382,623
OJP Sponsor BJA
Web Link www.bja.gov
Program Contact Bureau of Justice Assistance, (202) 616-6500
Program Description
The Byrne Competitive Program helps local communities improve the capacity of state and local justice systems by providing national support efforts, including training and technical assistance strategically targeted to address local needs. Several solicitations are expected to be released under the Byrne Competitive Program that will focus on national initiatives in the areas of criminal courts, indigent defense, and justice information sharing. In addition, a solicitation will be released seeking Visiting Fellows to assist with national priority policy areas.

Eligible applicants include national, regional, state, or local public and private entities, including for-profit and nonprofit organizations, faith-based and community organizations, institutions of higher education, tribal jurisdictions, and units of local government that support national initiatives to improve the functioning of the criminal justice system. For-profit organizations must agree to waive any profit or fees for services. Joint applications are permissible, with one agency being the applicant agency.

Solicitations under this program will be released on a rolling basis, and are expected to be released from February–April, 2012. Awards under this program will be made by September 30, 2012.

Program Name Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Initiative
FY 2012 Funding $13,472,623
OJP Sponsor BJA
Web Link www.bja.gov
Program Contact Bureau of Justice Assistance, (202) 616-6500
Program Description
The Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation (BCJI) Initiative supports place-based, data- and research-driven projects to build and enhance the capacity of communities to create comprehensive strategies to address priority crime problems. BCJI employs strategies to build the capacity of distressed communities to better prevent and reduce crime and enhance conditions that contribute to community crime, as well as to expand efforts of communities to more comprehensively address these crime issues. This would include continuation of the Building Neighborhood Capacity training and technical assistance effort, which builds the capacity of the most distressed communities to develop comprehensive crime strategies. In addition, BJA plans to issue a solicitation to make site-based awards to implement or enhance the BCJI model.

Program Name Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation
FY 2012 Funding BJA $28,130,978; OJJDP $600,000 for Tribal Juvenile Accountability Discretionary Grants and $6,300,000 for Tribal Youth Program; OVC $3,600,000 for Tribal Victim Assistance and $2,700,000 for Children’s Justice Act
OJP Sponsor BJA, OJJDP, and OVC
Web Link www.justice.gov/tribal/grants.html
Program Contact CTAS Response Center, 1-800-421-6770
Program Description
The Department of Justice launched its Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS) in FY 2010 in direct response to concerns raised by tribal leaders about the Department’s grant process that did not provide the flexibility tribes needed to address their criminal justice and public safety needs. Through CTAS, federally recognized tribes and tribal consortia are able to submit a single application for most of DOJ’s tribal grant programs. DOJ designed this comprehensive approach to save time and resources and allow tribes and DOJ to gain a better understanding of the tribes’ overall public safety needs. CTAS is a collaborative effort across the following DOJ components, bureaus, and offices.

• OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
• Executive Office for United States Attorneys (EOUSA)
• Office of Community Policing Services (COPS)
• OJP’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
• Office of Tribal Justice (OTJ)
• OJP’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC)
• Office on Violence Against Women (OVW)

Program Name Tribal Justice Capacity Building Training and Technical Assistance Program
FY 2012 Funding $4,000,000
OJP Sponsor BJA
Web Link www.bja.gov
Program Contact Julius Dupree, (202) 514-1928, julius.dupree@usdoj.gov
Program Description
This program provides training and technical assistance to tribes on a range of capacity building issues, including tribal justice system strategic planning and state/tribal justice system collaboration. Through this program, training will be made available on information sharing, best practices, and new and evidence-based models of service.

Training and Technical Assistance

Program Name State Justice Statistics Technical Assistance Program
FY 2012 Funding $650,000
OJP Sponsor BJS
Web Link bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/
Program Contact Devon B. Adams, (202) 514-9157, Devon.Adams@usdoj.gov
Program Description
BJS will seek to fund a State Justice Statistics Technical Assistance Program having four main components: Information Acquisition and Dissemination; the Technical Assistance Program; the Incident-Based Reporting Resource Center; and the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Data Resource Center. The goals of the project are to enhance the technical, research, and organizational capabilities of states to collect and analyze justice statistics; foster and coordinate the exchange of information and technology among local, state, and federal agencies; facilitate and coordinate policy-oriented research in the states consistent with the themes of the BJS State Justice Statistics Program for Statistical Analysis Centers (SAC); serve as a forum for expressing the common concerns and perspectives of state analysts; establish and promote professional standards for criminal justice researchers and policy analysts; and serve as liaison among the SACs and between state statistical agencies and BJS, as well as other OJP agencies.

Research and Statistical Programs

Program Name State Justice Statistics Program for State Statistical Analysis Centers
FY 2012 Funding $2,800,000
OJP Sponsor BJS
Web Link bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/
Program Contact Devon B. Adams, (202) 514-9157, Devon.Adams@usdoj.gov
Program Description
The State Justice Statistics (SJS) Program is designed to maintain and enhance each state’s capacity to address criminal justice issues through collection and analysis of data. Through the SJS Program, BJS provides limited funds to State Statistical Analysis Centers in each state to coordinate statistical activities within the state, conduct research as needed to estimate impacts of legislative and policy changes, and serve a liaison role in assisting BJS to gather data from respondent agencies within their states. The SJS Program is designed to: (a) enhance the capabilities of the states to collect, analyze, and interpret data on justice issues relevant to the states and the nation; (b) make maximum use of state statistical organizations and state-level data collected by BJS and other Department of Justice components; (c) provide a mechanism that supports the collection and sharing of vital justice system data among the states and between state and federal government; and (d) better serve the information needs of the states and federal government by providing a core body of knowledge about the administration of criminal justice in each state.

Program Name NIJ Ph.D. Graduate Research Fellowship Program
FY 2012 Funding $200,000
OJP Sponsor NIJ
Web Link www.nij.gov/funding/welcome.htm
Program Contact Marie Garcia, ( 202) 514–7128, Marie.Garcia@usdoj.gov; Gerald LaPorte, (202) 305-1106, Gerald.Laporte@usdoj.gov; Chris Tillery, (202) 305-9829, George.Tillery@usdoj.gov
Program Description
The NIJ Ph.D. Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF) program provides awards for research on crime, violence, and other criminal justice-related topics to accredited universities that offer research-based doctoral degrees. NIJ invests in doctoral education by supporting universities that sponsor students who demonstrate the potential to successfully complete doctoral degree programs in disciplines relevant to the mission of NIJ. Applicants sponsoring doctoral students in policy and health sciences or in an education field are eligible to apply only if the doctoral research dissertation is in a NIJ-supported discipline; i.e., social and behavioral sciences, operations technology, information and sensors research and development, and investigative and forensic sciences.

Program Name Building and Enhancing Criminal Justice Researcher-Practitioner Partnerships
FY 2012 Funding $1,000,000
OJP Sponsor NIJ
Web Link www.nij.gov/funding/welcome.htm
Program Contact Bethany Backes, (202) 305–4419, Bethany.Backes@usdoj.gov; Katharine Browning, (202) 616-4786, Katharine.Browning@usdoj.gov
Program Description
NIJ is interested in funding multiple research projects involving criminal justice researcher-practitioner partnerships, as well as capturing, in detail, relevant accounts of these collaborations. This solicitation specifically aims to support research and evaluation activities that include a researcher-practitioner partnership component. Within the context of the proposed research or evaluation project, these partnerships can be new or ongoing. Results from these projects should lead to better criminal justice policy, practice, and research, specifically as it relates to the participating practitioner partner.

Program Name W.E.B. Du Bois Fellowship for Research in Race, Gender, Culture, and Crime
FY 2012 Funding $200,000
OJP Sponsor NIJ
Web Link www.nij.gov/funding/welcome.htm
Program Contact Nadine Frederique, ( 202) 514-8777, Nadine.Frederique@usdoj.gov
Program Description
The W.E.B. Du Bois Fellowship for Research in Race, Gender, Culture, and Crime program seeks to advance knowledge regarding the convergence of crime, justice, and culture in various societal contexts. The Fellowship places particular emphasis on crime, violence, and the administration of justice in diverse cultural contexts within the United States.

Program Name Research and Evaluation in Justice Systems
FY 2012 Funding $1,850,000
OJP Sponsor NIJ
Web Link www.nij.gov/funding/welcome.htm
Program Contact Eric Martin, (202) 514-9588, Eric.D.Martin@usdoj.gov; Linda Truitt, (202)-353-9081, Linda.Truitt@usdoj.gov; Marie Garcia, (202) 514-7128, Marie.Garcia@usdoj.gov
Program Description
NIJ seeks proposals to examine topics relevant to state and/or local criminal and juvenile justice systems policy and practice. Specific focus areas under this solicitation include research on district attorneys’ pretrial diversion programs; a pilot study on the impact of incarceration on families; and research on the impact of video visitation on offender outcomes.

Program Name Research and Evaluation on Trafficking in Persons
FY 2012 Funding $1,000,000
OJP Sponsor NIJ
Web Link www.nij.gov/funding/welcome.htm
Program Contact John Picarelli, (202) 307-3213, John.Picarelli@usdoj.gov
Program Description
NIJ seeks applications for research and evaluation studies on trafficking in persons (TIP) that can help federal, state, local, or tribal criminal justice agencies meet the challenge of TIP in their jurisdictions. NIJ is interested in studies that address: the under-reporting of trafficking cases at the federal, state and local levels of criminal justice; and the knowledge gaps related to trafficking in persons in the United States. NIJ also is interested in evaluation studies of counter-trafficking programs and tools.

Program Name Research on Domestic Radicalization
FY 2012 Funding $2,000,000
OJP Sponsor NIJ
Web Link www.nij.gov/funding/welcome.htm
Program Contact John Picarelli, (202) 307-3213, John.Picarelli@usdoj.gov
Program Description
NIJ seeks proposals for research on the phenomenon of domestic radicalization to violence. The focus of this solicitation is on all forms of domestic radicalization that lead to violent extremism. Specific focus areas under this solicitation include: empirical evaluation of theories of domestic radicalization; examination of radicalization processes for individuals; comparative analysis of violent extremists, organized criminals, gangs, hate groups and/or cults; and influence of community and other policing strategies on domestic radicalization to violence.

Program Name Desistance from Crime Over the Life Course
FY 2012 Funding $1,000,000
OJP Sponsor NIJ
Web Link www.nij.gov/funding/welcome.htm
Program Contact Carrie Mulford, Social Science Analyst, (202) 307-2959, Carrie.Mulford@usdoj.gov or Marie Garcia, (202) 514-7128, Marie.Garcia@usdoj.gov
Program Description
NIJ seeks proposals to conduct research that enhances knowledge of the process of desistance. NIJ encourages applicants to submit proposals for bold, innovative approaches to enhancing understanding of the processes underlying desistance from crime.

Program Name BJS Visiting Fellows
FY 2012 Funding $600,000
OJP Sponsor BJS
Web Link bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/
Program Contact Gerard Ramker, (202) 307-0765, Gerard.Ramker@usdoj.gov
Program Description
Under BJS sponsorship, selected fellows conduct studies on topics of their choosing that also support BJS goals and use BJS data. They interact with BJS staff and gain first-hand knowledge of some of the most recent developments in the field of criminal justice research. In addition to carrying out their research, fellows also have opportunities to contribute in other significant ways. For example, recent fellows have briefed the Attorney General on latest trends in youth violence, helped design a BJS survey on police use of force, explored new methods for visualizing BJS data, compared crime rates between the U.S. and England, and examined the methodological history of the NCVS. This program is open to senior level social science researchers whose work on crime-related subjects has been extensively published. Some fellows remain onsite at BJS for the entire duration of their project. Others make only occasional visits to accommodate their schedules. At the close of their visit, fellows prepare a research report summarizing results and policy implications of their project.

Program Name BJS Data Resource Center Program
FY 2012 Funding $1,500,000
OJP Sponsor BJS
Web Link bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/
Program Contact William Sabol, (202) 307-0765, William.Sabol@usdoj.gov
Program Description
BJS will seek to make a multi-year obligation to establish a BJS Data Resource Center at an institution of higher education or professional social science research organization that will provide analytical support to BJS and produce sponsored publications from available BJS data. The goal is to generate up to 10 products per year, as well as provide specific quantities of technical and methodological assistance, responses to requests, and empirical studies.