Title: FY 1998 Open Solicitation: The Results.
Series: Monograph
Author: Bureau of Justice Assistance
Published: September 1999
Subject: Funding Resources
27 pages
58, 200 bytes

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U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Justice Programs
810 Seventh Street NW.
Washington, DC 20531

Janet Reno
Attorney General

Daniel Marcus
Acting Associate Attorney General

Laurie Robinson
Assistant Attorney General

Noel Brennan
Deputy Assistant Attorney General

Nancy E. Gist
Director, Bureau of Justice Assistance

Office of Justice Programs
World Wide Web Home Page
www.ojp.usdoj.gov

Bureau of Justice Assistance
World Wide Web Home Page
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA

For grant and funding information contact U.S. Department of Justice Response
Center 1-800-421-6770

----------------------------

This document was prepared by the National Council on Crime and Deliquency
under grant number 99-DD-BX-0005, awarded by the Bureau of Justice
Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The
opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this
document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official
position of the U.S. Department of Justice.

----------------------------

The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice
Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National
Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention,
and the Office for Victims of Crime.

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Bureau of Justice Assistance

FY 1998 Open Solicitation: The Results

Monograph

September 1999

NCJ 178232

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Foreword

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) FY 1998 Open Solicitation
Announcement continues to follow the new direction in grantmaking that began
in 1997. The response to the FY 1998 Open Solicitation Announcement was
tremendous. More than 1,300 applications were received from a wide array of
state, local, and tribal governments. All proposals submitted for the Open
Solicitation supported the implementation of innovative programs and policies
that help to reduce crime and improve the criminal justice system.

The FY 1998 Open Solicitation Announcement provided a unique opportunity
for local practitioners from every region of the country to identify local
problems and propose solutions tailored to meet their needs. The proposals
showcased the efforts of applicants to build partnerships with schools, social
service agencies, law enforcement, and virtually every type of institution that
can play a role in improving local criminal justice systems. The potential of these
partnerships for addressing the nation's most challenging criminal justice issues
is truly exciting.

This report summarizes the types of FY 1998 Open Solicitation submissions
received by BJA. One of the report's most valuable findings, for both
practitioners and policymakers, is the identification of emerging trends in state,
local, and tribal criminal justice. It is our hope that these insights into areas of
local need will assist grantmakers at all government levels, as well as their
grantees, to design more effective programs that will strengthen the responses
of local criminal justice systems to crime and victims of crime. 

Nancy E. Gist
Director

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Contents

Chapter 1. Overview of FY 1998 Open Solicitation Program

Chapter 2. Review and Analysis of FY 1998 Applications 
--The BJA Review Process   
--Content Analysis of the Applications 
--Major Results  
o Diversity in Types of Applicants   
o Prevalent Types of Applicants  
o Diversity in Topic Areas Addressed  
o Diversity in the Proposed Strategies To Reduce Crime or Improve the
Criminal Justice System  

Chapter 3. The 1998 Grantees: Innovative Ideas From Diverse Communities  
--Alaska 
o Providing Traditional Cultural Services to At-Risk Youth

--California
o Teaching Tolerance to Juvenile Offenders
o Engaging the Community To Improve Residents' Quality of Life
o Reaching Out to Victims in the Immigrant Community 
o Prosecuting Elder Abuse Cases 
o Bringing Court Services to the Homeless 
o Providing Counseling and Resources to Victims and Witnesses of Hate
Crimes
o Implementing a Community Justice Approach

--District of Columbia
o Establishing a Community Justice Youth Court

--Florida  
o Developing a Juvenile Sentencing Project
o Improving Services for Persons With Mental Health Disabilities in the
Criminal Justice System

--Illinois 
o Establishing a Financial Exploitation of the Elderly Unit  

--Massachusetts 
o Addressing Hate Crimes Through Law Enforcement Partnerships 

-- Michigan
o Expanding the A.C.T.I.V.E. Volunteer Program

--Minnesota 
o Removing Barriers to Justice for Immigrant Populations

 Nebraska 
o Establishing a Community Coordinating Council

--Nevada
o Increasing the Reach of the Kid's Korner Program 

--New Jersey
o Establishing a Community Court

--New York 
o Strengthening Community Prosecution Efforts 

--Puerto Rico
o Improving the Justice System's Response to Senior Citizens

--South Dakota
o Delivering Alcohol and Drug Treatment to Women 

--Tennessee
o Establishing a Community Court

--Texas
o Creating a Special Foster Care Court

--Utah 
o Moving Beyond a Law Enforcement Response to Methamphetamine
o Prostitution Project

--Vermont
o Establishing a Community Justice Center 
o Identifying and Accommodating Defendants' Developmental Disabilities 

--Virginia 
o Developing a Southeast Asian Outreach Program

--Washington
o Establishing a Mental Health Court 
o Reducing Racial Disparity in the Justice System
o Developing an Elder Abuse Prosecution Team  

--Wisconsin 
o Replacing Alcohol and Drug Dependence With Traditional Cultural Values 

Sources for Further Information  

----------------------------
 
Chapter 1

Overview of FY 1998 Open Solicitation Program 

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) FY 1998 Open Solicitation Program
continues to follow the new direction in grantmaking that successfully began in
1997. This initiative is part of BJA's overall effort to support innovative
programs that strengthen the nation's criminal justice system. Through BJA's
Discretionary Grant Program, the Open Solicitation Program is designed to
encourage state, local, and tribal community agencies and governments to
submit applications consistent with BJA's overall objectives. The FY 1997
Open Solicitation resulted in BJA receiving more than 1,700 applications from
every level of government and every component of the criminal justice system.
Significantly, many of these FY 1997 applicants had not submitted applications
to BJA in the past. The tremendous number of applications submitted and the
variety of agencies applying were repeated with the FY 1998 Open
Solicitation. 

The FY 1998 program emphasized the following three principles:

--Local agencies and public-private partnerships, not the Federal Government,
should identify the problems that need solving.

--The application process should be short and uncomplicated.

--As many agencies as possible should be encouraged to apply.

Consistent with these principles, FY 1998 applicants were required to submit
short concept papers (six pages or less) that identified problems and
recommended solutions. In developing their concept papers, applicants had to
address one of the following 10 topic or subject areas:

1. Community Justice.
2. Law Enforcement Partnerships To Address Hate Crimes.
3. Criminal Justice Challenges for Rural or Rural Tribal Communities.
4. Criminal Justice System Responses to Senior Citizens.
5. The Role of Alcohol and Crime.
6. Indigent Defense.
7. Cultural Barriers to Justice.
8. Nontraditional Uses of Prosecution Resources To Enhance Public Safety.
9. Public Health and Criminal Justice Collaborations.
10. Local Priorities.

These areas were identified through a series of BJA-initiated focus groups and
criminal justice constituent group meetings. Many of the topics are consistent
with other initiatives funded by the Office of Justice Programs (OJP). The
concept paper itself had to consist of a proposal narrative that addressed the
following five questions about the applicant's proposed program: 

1. What is the problem?
2. What are you proposing to do and how do you intend to do it?
3. What other agencies/resources will work with you?
4. How will you know if your concept works?
5. What are the costs and cost benefits of implementing the strategy?

The concept paper also had to include a budget that could not exceed
$150,000 and would provide adequate funding for up to 18 months. With these
instructions, the FY 1998 Open Solicitation Announcement was mailed to more
than 40,000 units of state, local, and tribal governments in April 1998 with a
deadline for submission of July 2, 1998. Despite this relatively short time period
for responding to the announcement, BJA received more than 1,300 formal
submissions. From this pool of applications, BJA selected 32 to receive federal
funding. 

This report summarizes the applications submitted to BJA. The findings
provide information that BJA and other components of OJP can use to develop
a more precise picture of the problems that local criminal justice systems face
and to make recommendations on how best to address these problems. BJA is
sharing this information with its Program Development Division, State
Administrative Agencies, and other OJP bureaus. The information will also be
used to guide BJA's policymaking, technical assistance, and discretionary
programs. 

---------------------------- 

Chapter 2 

Review and Analysis of FY 1998 Applications 

The BJA Review Process 

BJA received more than 1,300 applications, of which 1,202 met the
submission requirements. To determine which applicants would be selected for
an award, BJA conducted a comprehensive and three-part review process.
The first review was conducted by several practitioner/peer review panels
comprising individuals with expertise in the subject areas of the solicitation and
who represented a diverse cross-section of state and local criminal justice
systems. Each panel member received instructions from BJA on the criteria to
be used for assessing the applications. Reviewers were encouraged to evaluate
the concept papers on their suitability for implementation in their own
jurisdictions, as well as the overall quality of the application itself. The peer
review panel scored each application on a scale of 1 to 200 for each of the 5
questions addressed, for a possible total of 1,000 points. 

Submissions with the highest scores were then forwarded to a team of BJA
staff with expertise in the solicitation's general topic areas. Based on these
internal reviews, recommendations for awards were forwarded to the Director
of BJA. These recommendations were based on the quality of the proposal, the
geographical location of the prospective grantee, and the type of governmental
agency (state, local, or tribal). 

The use of brief concept papers, coupled with the peer review panels,
dramatically increased the efficiency of the process of determining which
concept papers were best suited for funding. Moreover, practitioners report
that the solicitation's streamlined concept paper and review process was far
more user friendly than BJA's traditional and more complex application
process.

Content Analysis of the Applications 

Given the large number of applications, BJA was interested in assessing the
number of submissions by topic area and geographical region and the types of
agencies applying for funds. Such an assessment provides an accounting of the
1998 program and helps BJA better understand how to modify and structure
future Open Solicitation Programs.

To assist BJA with this task, the National Council on Crime and Delinquency
(NCCD) and the Institute on Crime, Justice, and Corrections (ICJC) at The
George Washington University conducted a content analysis of each
application. A team of NCCD/ICJC staff was assembled to record basic 
descriptive information contained on the application forms (e.g., agency
affiliation) and the funds requested. The NCCD/ICJC team then conducted a
content analysis of answers to the five questions addressed in the proposal
narrative. This analysis was accomplished by reviewing approximately 100
applications and developing coding categories to classify each application by a
number of attributes. A precoded data sheet was created to ensure a high
degree of consistency among application reviews. When the content analysis of
each application was completed, the data were computerized and analyzed.
The results of this analysis are presented in the following section.

Major Results 

Diversity in Types of Applicants 
One of the most important goals of the Open Solicitation Program is to
encourage agencies that rarely apply for federal funds to submit applications.
State and local agencies representing large populations are often better 
positioned to respond to and submit sophisticated proposals typically required
by the Federal Government. This application's short, straightforward format
clearly helped encourage agencies to prepare and submit proposals, particularly
those agencies serving rural and tribal areas that historically have not had the
resources to compete for grants with complex technical requirements. In this
respect, the effort to simplify the application process in 1997 was successfully
continued in 1998.

As illustrated in exhibit 1, 80 percent of the eligible applicants were non-state
government agencies, with most of the applications submitted by municipal and
county agencies. Nineteen percent of the applicants reported that this was their
first proposal to a federal agency. Another 31 percent indicated that this was
their first U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) proposal. Only 5 percent (62
applicants) had submitted their proposals under the 1997 program, and only 2
percent (29 applicants) had submitted their proposal to other federal agencies.
A large number of these applications submitted to BJA presented ideas for
crime prevention and reduction that had not been previously proposed to the
Federal Government.

Exhibit 1 also shows that the program was successful in attracting applications
from rural areas, with nearly 260 applicants (21 percent) from jurisdictions with
populations of less than 25,000 residents. Most applications were submitted by
multiagency partnerships attempting either to implement a new program or
policy or to share information and resources in an innovative manner.

 
Exhibits 2 and 3 show the geographical distribution of the Open Solicitation
applicants. Applications were received from all 50 states, the District of
Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam. While 36 states (including the District of
Columbia and U.S. territories) had fewer than 25 applicants, 14 states had 25
to 49 applicants, and 3 states had 50 or more applicants. Ten states accounted
for 50 percent of the 1,202 eligible applications: California (172), New York
(69), Florida (67), Massachusetts (49), Virginia (48), Texas (46), New Jersey
(41), Washington (41), Ohio (38), and Pennsylvania (36).

Prevalent Types of Applicants 
The most prevalent type of applicants were police, sheriff, and other law
enforcement agencies, which made up 35 percent of the total number of eligible
applications received (exhibit 4). The next largest category was multiagency
applications (16 percent), some of which consisted of a police department
partnering with a noncriminal justice agency, such as a local public school, to
formulate and implement a school violence reduction program. In other
situations, law enforcement and probation agencies proposed to work together
to better supervise those on probation. The next largest group was prosecutors
(9 percent). 

Few applications were received from state corrections agencies (4 percent),
public defenders (4 percent), probation and parole agencies (2 percent), tribal
agencies (2 percent), public schools (2 percent), or community organizations (1
percent). Although small, these numbers are significant because they represent
agencies that have rarely submitted proposals to BJA or other DOJ agencies. 

Diversity in Topic Areas Addressed 
No particular problem area identified by the applicants seemed to dominate the
submissions. As exhibit 5 indicates, each of the first nine predefined topic areas
received significant numbers of applications. The 10th topic area (Local
Priorities) represented issues that applicants wished to address but were not
prescribed by the other nine categories. In the final analysis, Local Priorities
proved to be the most popular category, with 455 applications (or 38
percent of the total). Following is a description of the types of programs
proposed for each of the 10 topic areas. 

Topic Area 1: Community Justice (123 Applications). Most applicants in this
group underscored the need for communities to build problem-solving
partnerships with criminal justice agencies (typically police) and community
organizations. Community policing and restorative justice programs were often
cited in these applications. Many applications emphasized the need to respond
to demographic shifts in the number and ethnic makeup of their juvenile
populations. 

Topic Area 2: Law Enforcement Partnerships To Address Hate Crimes (45
Applications). Somewhat related to the Community Justice theme were
applications that focused on reducing the rising incidence of hate crimes often
directed at minority ethnic groups and homosexuals. The most frequently
reported state and local requirement was the need for police to build
community partnerships. Other needs involved strategies to raise cultural
awareness among police officers and strategies to combat and prevent hate
crimes. Some applicants were responding to communities in their jurisdiction
that were experiencing major demographic shifts in Asian and Hispanic
immigrant populations.

Topic Area 3: Criminal Justice Challenges for Rural or Tribal Communities (82
Applications). Among rural and tribal community applications, many noted the
lack of communication systems that would increase the speed at which crimes
are reported to police and thus enhance the ability of police to respond. Many
applications described increases in property crimes that caused damage to
agriculturally based businesses. This category also included applications from
tribal communities concerned about rising levels of juvenile crime, alcoholism,
drug abuse, and the lack of economic opportunity. These applications cited a
need to link criminal justice reforms to the restoration of the ethnic heritage of
Native-Americans.

Topic Area 4: Criminal Justice System Responses to Senior Citizens (117
Applications). Among topic area 4 submissions, the most frequently reported
state and local need was to create strategies to prevent the abuse, both physical
and mental, of our rapidly increasing elderly population. Other needs included
strategies for building community partnerships to prevent and raise public
awareness of elder abuse. In many communities that have witnessed
demographic shifts in senior citizen populations that cannot speak English, elder
abuse has become a concern. Many programs would provide additional
school-age volunteers and increase involvement with existing social service
agencies. 

Topic Area 5: The Role of Alcohol and Crime (85 Applications). In this topic
area, the most frequently reported state and local need was to address
alcoholism. Special concern was directed at drunk driving, domestic violence,
and other crimes of violence that are often related to alcoholism. Other needs
involved strategies for correctional and social service agencies to enhance
counseling and treatment services for youth and families. The proposals
specified ways to develop partnerships with schools, families, and law
enforcement so that youth and families can receive the care they require. 

Topic Area 6: Indigent Defense (50 Applications). Indigent defense challenges
are of particular concern to poor and urban communities experiencing the
deadly nexus of gun availability, widespread crack cocaine use, and high
unemployment. Among these submissions, the most frequently cited need was
to expand existing indigent defense services and to improve interagency
information sharing with prosecutors, police, probation, and the courts. Many
proposals also noted the need to provide legal assistance to lawful immigrants
who have been accused of minor offenses. Many proposed training sessions for
public defenders regarding changes in federal immigration law and policies to
better serve their clients. 

Topic Area 7: Cultural Barriers to Justice (96 Applications). Many of these
applicants were responding to the growing Hispanic and Asian immigrant
populations in certain neighborhoods. The local criminal justice system is often
unfamiliar with the culture and customs of these populations. Concept papers
proposed to enhance cultural awareness among police officers and social
workers by providing training and hiring bilingual staff. Other papers proposed
strategies to raise public awareness of cultural diversity in the community.

Topic Area 8: Nontraditional Uses of Prosecution Resources To Enhance
Public Safety (65 Applications). These applications, submitted by prosecutors,
noted difficulties in expediting cases through the courts. They often referenced
rising numbers of violent crimes by juveniles, crimes committed by street gangs,
and drug-related crime problems. Proposals consisted of developing special
prosecutorial teams that would focus on specific crimes (ranging from truancy
to violent crimes) from the time of arraignment through sentencing, working
more closely with law enforcement and victim services groups, and creating a
community prosecutorial team that would be located within a targeted high
crime-rate district. 

Topic 9: Public Health and Criminal Justice Collaborations (84 Applications).
Among public health partnership submissions, the most frequently proposed
strategies were designed to treat alcoholism, substance abuse, and sexually
transmitted diseases. Programs that rely on well-trained volunteers to assist
victims of domestic violence were also suggested. Other proposals would
create public health partnerships to increase interagency cooperation,
especially in situations where victims need medical and/or mental health
services. 

Topic 10: Local Priorities (455 Applications). As previously noted, Local
Priorities received more submissions than any other category. The most
frequently proposed strategies included enhancing the training of law
enforcement personnel in domestic violence situations; creating alternatives to
incarceration to reduce prison and jail crowding; enhancing community
supervision for pretrial release, probation, and parole; managing incidents
involving police use of force; and improving drug treatment programs. The
desire to purchase electronic equipment (computers, cameras, modems,
software) or to plan for such technology was often mentioned in connection
with these proposals. 

Diversity in the Proposed Strategies To Reduce Crime or Improve the Criminal
Justice System 

An analysis was conducted to determine the most frequently cited strategies
proposed in the applications. Because applicants were permitted to list multiple
approaches, the responses shown in exhibit 6 exceed the total number of
applications submitted. 

The most frequently cited strategy reflected the growing concern about juvenile
crime and juvenile gangs in particular. Applications supported prevention
programs as well as policies designed to "get tough" with juveniles who commit
violent crimes. Establishing partnerships with other criminal justice and
community-based organizations highlighted the need to better coordinate and
use existing agency resources activities that can be conducted with a relatively
small grant. The need for improved computer technologies that would enable
agencies to better track and monitor their performance was also frequently
expressed. Proposals in this category often recommended studies to determine
the weaknesses of current information systems the results of which could then
be used when purchasing equipment and software. Implementing alternatives to
incarceration and improving communications with the public were also
frequently cited in the concept papers. Public education proposals ranged from
printing posters for display in schools to producing television commercials
directed at youth to dramatize the negative effects of drug use and crime. 
 
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Chapter 3

The 1998 Grantees: Innovative Ideas From Diverse Communities 

Of the more than 1,200 eligible papers submitted to BJA, 32 were selected in
October 1998 for awards of up to $150,000 and covering a period of up to 18
months. Like the general pool of Open Solicitation applicants, many grantees
were rural and tribal agencies historically underserved by federal grant
competitions. In this chapter, brief descriptions of the 32 projects are provided.
Each grantee will receive technical assistance from and be evaluated by the
Institute on Crime, Justice, and Corrections of The George Washington
University in Washington, D.C.

Bethel, Alaska 

Providing Traditional Cultural Services to At-Risk Youth 
The Orutsararmuit Native Council (ONC) is located in Bethel on the Yukon
Kuskokwin River Delta. The region is geographically and culturally removed
from urban Alaska, and many services are unavailable or inaccessible to
families in the area. Although the region's remoteness has helped to preserve
tribal traditions and cultures, modern culture has also created many social
problems for the community. Modern conveniences have replaced traditional
practices, leaving people with fewer activities in which to participate.
Compounding the problem is the sense of hopelessness created by the lack of
jobs in the region. This combination of inactivity and hopelessness has
contributed to increases in substance abuse and criminal activity in the
tribal community, especially among juveniles. 

ONC, through the Rural Alaska Juvenile Tribal Court Program, will work with
the state of Alaska to divert juvenile delinquency cases from state courts to the
ONC Children's Court. Juveniles referred to the ONC Children's Court will
receive comprehensive services designed to remove barriers to living a healthy
and productive life. ONC will offer young offenders services and counseling on
mental health, anger management, and substance abuse. Participants will also
work closely with tribal elders to learn traditional methods for dealing with
problems.

Los Angeles, California 

Teaching Tolerance to Juvenile Offenders
The Los Angeles County District Attorney will create a Juvenile Offenders
Learning Tolerance (JOLT) Program for at-risk youth who commit nonviolent
hate crimes and for their parents. The JOLT Program will focus on reaching
youth at three points in the juvenile justice system: prevention, intervention, and
suppression. Activities at these three points will be provided through a
cooperative multiagency program designed to strengthen the community's
response to hate-related violence.

Marin, California

Engaging the Community To Improve Residents' Quality of Life 
While violent crime rates fell nationwide and within Marin County during the
past few years, violent crime rates in the city of Marin's public housing
increased. Life in this Bay Area community is often characterized by visible
drug trafficking and use, neighborhood noise, high unemployment, poverty, and
violence. 

The county and city of Marin have joined with the Marin Housing Authority,
Bay Area Community Resources, the Marin City Project, Marin Services for
Women, and the Marin County Sheriff's Department to provide the tools,
training, and support for this community to identify and solve the daily problems
residents face. The program will engage the community, establish community
action teams, support community education efforts, and connect the community
with services. The program's effectiveness will be measured by indicators of
increased utilization of services and increased community satisfaction.

Orange County, California

Reaching Out to Victims in the Immigrant Community 
The Orange County District Attorney's Office lacks sufficient resources to
reach out to the county's immigrant populations and educate them about the
services available to victims of crime. Many immigrants distrust the legal system
and are reluctant to come forward to seek help or testify in criminal cases. 

In response to these concerns, the District Attorney's Office will create a
public outreach program called Prosecution Resource Outreach Generating
Immigrant Victim Education (PRO GIVE). Using the latest computer
technologies, PRO GIVE will educate immigrants about the role of the District
Attorney's Office, the progression of a case through the criminal justice system,
and the many services available through the District Attorney's Office for
victims, witnesses, and their families. Presentations will be created in English,
Spanish, and Vietnamese.

Riverside, California

Prosecuting Elder Abuse Cases 
The Coachella Valley in Riverside County is home to more than 70,000 senior
residents. At least 30 percent live at or below the poverty level, and 24 percent
are minorities. Nationally, it is estimated that elder abuse has increased more
than 100 percent in the past decade, but only 1 in 14 cases is reported. In
Coachella Valley, Protective Services investigated more than 600 cases of
elder abuse in 1997, but only 20 cases were referred for review and criminal
prosecution. 

Through this project, the Riverside County District Attorney will establish and
participate in an aggressive multiagency effort to address incidents of elder
abuse. This project will serve as a national model for the role of the district
attorney in providing leadership on this issue. A key component of the project
will be the establishment of an Elder Abuse Prevention Unit in the Riverside
County District Attorney's Office to ensure the prosecution of elder abuse
cases and provide supportive services to elderly victims. The unit will work
closely with the county's Office on Aging, Adult Protective Services, and other
relevant agencies and will produce a how-to guide to assist other jurisdictions
that face this growing problem.

San Diego, California

Bringing Court Services to the Homeless 
The city of San Diego is home to an estimated 7,500 homeless individuals. The
cycle of living on the street frequently results in contact with the police in the
form of an arrest or an illegal lodging citation. In a traditional court setting, many
homeless defendants fail to appear, thereby clogging court calendars. Nearly 10
years ago, San Diego held its first Stand Down, a 3-day event in which
Vietnam Veterans coordinated a range of services for homeless veterans,
including employment and housing consultation, legal assistance, medical and
mental health treatment services, and other social support services. The court
joined this effort, and the result was the resolution of thousands of outstanding
court cases. 

To build on the achievements of Stand Down, the Homeless Court Program
will bring the court to shelters each month to improve access to the court,
resolve outstanding cases, build community collaborations, reduce court and jail
costs, and ultimately bring the homeless back into society. The program's
effectiveness will be measured through a cost-benefit analysis as well as an
assessment of recidivism rates and experiences of defendants. 

San Diego, California

Providing Counseling and Resources to Victims and Witnesses of Hate Crimes 
The San Diego Police Department will organize a comprehensive array of
services designed to address the unique issues involved with hate crimes and
their tangible and intangible effects on victims and witnesses. This program will
offer resources for less tangible injuries or losses, specifically the emotional
pain, confusion, and posttraumatic stress associated with hate crimes. 

To achieve the project's goals, the police department will develop a 
community-based response, support, and referral system adapted to the
special needs of hate crime victims; organize a volunteer corps of Hate Crime
Crisis Intervention Specialists to provide immediate, on-scene support and
assistance to hate crime victims and witnesses; and provide immediate and
ongoing support, resources, assistance, and referral to victims in the
crucial hours and days after the crime.

San Francisco, California

Implementing a Community Justice Approach 
The Mayor's Criminal Justice Council of San Francisco will implement a
community court pilot project. This program will address quality-of-life crimes
that degrade local neighborhoods and provide relief to San Francisco's
overburdened criminal court system by implementing an innovative community
court initiative in two diverse neighborhoods. The council will develop a
program model that can be used to launch other community courts throughout
San Francisco, as well as to help other jurisdictions develop community justice
programs. In addition, the council will develop a training curriculum to educate
the community about the program and will hold neighborhood advisory
meetings on the community court process.

District of Columbia 

Establishing a Community Justice Youth Court 
The Superior Court of the District of Columbia will convert its existing youth
court from an isolated demonstration program to the cornerstone of a
community justice system. To build on the success of the demonstration
project, the superior court will reshape and secure long-term support for the
youth court. The D.C. superior court will secure long-term support for and
expand the scale of the youth court by increasing the size of the jury pool, the
number of hearings, and the number and range of community placements. In
addition, the superior court will transfer current oversight of the youth court to a
community governance structure and develop a governance system with shared
ownership and responsibility for implementation.

Miami, Florida 

Developing a Juvenile Sentencing Project 
In 1997, 1,298 juveniles were transferred to the adult criminal court in 
Miami-Dade County, up from 643 in 1992. Public defenders represented
nearly 900 of these cases. Although Florida law mandates that felony court
judges consider juvenile sanctions in lieu of adult punishment for transferred
juveniles, assistant public defenders have been unable to advocate effectively
for the imposition of juvenile, rather that adult, sanctions. Only 50 of the
900 juveniles represented received juvenile sanctions. This overreliance on
adult sanctions is due, in large part, to heavy caseloads and lack of experience
of public defenders, prosecutors, and judges regarding children and sentencing
options. 

Through this grant, public defenders will improve sentencing options for
juveniles who are being considered for or who have already been transferred to
criminal court. This project will develop a national model for defense-based
sentencing planning for this growing population of youth, including a
comprehensive client-specific assessment of youth being tried as adults as well
as specialized training for attorneys and other court personnel. 

Polk County, Florida

Improving Services for Persons With Mental Health Disabilities in the Criminal
Justice System 
Individuals with a mental health disability pose high-risk, challenging situations
for the Polk County Jail. Arrest and detention frequently exacerbate the mental
health problems of the arrestee, and this disability presents a unique challenge
during the sentencing process because mental health treatment should be a
factor in the disposition of the case. Additionally, the arrestee may present a
public safety threat if continuum-of-care services are not established prior to
release from jail. As of June 1998, approximately 7 percent of the inmates in
Polk County Jail were receiving antipsychotic medication. 

The goals of this program are to increase services to persons with mental
health disabilities who are arrested in Polk County, to ensure the establishment
of a continuum of care between the criminal justice and mental health systems,
and to reduce the involvement of mental health inmates in the criminal justice
system.

Springfield, Illinois 

Establishing a Financial Exploitation of the Elderly Unit 
This project supports the development of a Financial Exploitation of the Elderly
Unit within the Illinois State Police to respond to requests for assistance and
training in the investigation and prosecution of statewide financial exploitation
cases against the elderly. The project will fund two investigators who will serve
as advocates to help facilitate the reporting, investigation, and prosecution of
perpetrators of financial crimes against the elderly and to educate the elderly on
financial abuse. They will also use deterrence to reduce the instances of
financial exploitation committed against elderly citizens.

Boston, Massachusetts 

Addressing Hate Crimes Through Law Enforcement Partnerships 
The Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety, Governor's Task Force
on Hate Crimes, will address the problem of underreporting hate crimes. The
program will research and develop innovative and wide-ranging
countermeasures against hate crimes, based on a clear understanding of the
challenges posed by underreporting. The task force will assess and quantify the
extent of underreporting of hate crimes and perform intensive outreach and
assistance to organizations potentially available to help victims report hate
crimes. In addition, the task force will conduct diversity training seminars for
both youth and convicted hate crime perpetrators.

Forsyth Township, Michigan 

Expanding the A.C.T.I.V.E. Volunteer Program 
Forsyth Township, a rural community on Michigan's Upper Peninsula, is the
state's largest township, covering 181 square miles. The Forsyth Township
Police Department, which consists of seven sworn police officers, patrols this
large geographical area. Generally, each shift is covered by one officer.
Because the township is so large, many outlying homes receive limited
patrol coverage from the police department. Officers spend much of their time
responding to priority calls and often do not have the opportunity to respond
immediately to nonemergency incidents, such as vandalism, theft, and other less
important complaints. 

To address this problem, the Forsyth Township Police Department has created
a volunteer program called Adults Committed Toward Implementing Volunteer
Efforts (A.C.T.I.V.E.). A.C.T.I.V.E. members patrol outlying areas, take
accident reports, assist with traffic control, collect evidence, participate in
public relations activities, and perform other administrative duties while sworn
officers are responding to more serious and more urgent situations. Five
volunteers have been selected for the A.C.T.I.V.E. program and will receive
training at the local police academy. Through this grant, the Forsyth Township
Police Department will purchase a specially equipped vehicle for the program,
as well as uniforms and related supplies.

Hennepin County, Minnesota 

Removing Barriers to Justice for Immigrant Populations 
During the past decade, many immigrants and refugees have moved to
Hennepin County and settled in the Minneapolis metropolitan area. The rapid
growth of the area's immigrant population has placed new strains on the court
system. Increasingly, Hennepin County courts are facing difficulties in providing
qualified interpreters for court proceedings involving defendants and witnesses
who do not speak English. Compounding the problems caused by the
language barrier, many immigrants, especially from the area's growing East
African community, are unfamiliar with local laws and the criminal justice
system. 

Hennepin County has developed a two-pronged strategy to address these
issues. The first strategy seeks to evaluate, assess, and improve the quality of
interpretive services provided to non-English speakers at the Hennepin County
District Court. The county will work with the Minnesota State Court System to
create a model interpreter program that can be used in other jurisdictions. The
second strategy will focus exclusively on improving the relationship between
the Hennepin County District Court and the county's East African community.
Hennepin County will contract with Jambo, Inc., a nonprofit East African
advocacy organization, to provide liaison services to this population.

Omaha, Nebraska 

Establishing a Community Coordinating Council 
This award will support the partnership between the Omaha Human Relations
Department and the city's Community Coordinating Council Against Hate
Crimes, which will coordinate the development of a detailed strategy to address
hate crimes. The purpose of the project is to support metropolitan Omaha's
efforts to reduce the incidence of hate crimes through increased public
awareness and reporting and to improve prosecution and law enforcement
through enhanced investigation and training on hate violence. The project will
develop a variety of public relations initiatives and conduct training seminars for
law enforcement, prosecutors, and the public.

Reno, Nevada 

Increasing the Reach of the Kid's Korner Program 
Many low-income families in the Reno area live in motels that are old, poorly
maintained, and frequently in violation of building, safety, and health codes. In
June 1996, two Reno police officers investigated several incidents involving
small children and their parents who were living in the motels. The police
officers found that the children were often unsupervised, hungry, and living in
extreme filth and poverty. 

In response, the Reno Police Department created the Kid's Korner program.
Kid's Korner, a partnership of five local agencies, is a "knock and talk"
program in which police officers visit local motels to check on the welfare of the
children living there and provide families with access to community resources. A
community health nurse accompanies each police officer to offer on-the-spot
health and social assessments of the families, "well-baby" checkups,
immunizations, and immediate medical care. The nurse also provides education
on hygiene, nutrition, child development, parenting skills, and the effects of
drugs and alcohol. Funding from this grant will add a full-time police officer and
a community health nurse to Kid's Korner, enabling the program to significantly
increase the number of children and families it serves. 

Belleville, New Jersey 

Establishing a Community Court 
This project supports the establishment of a community court in the Valley
section of Belleville Township, which will become an integral part of the
Community Policing Partnership Program. The project will fund several
positions to create a community court that will make justice visible to,
accessible to, and proactive for Valley residents who will become stakeholders
in the process. The goals of the project are to reduce the number of complaints
in the Valley and restore a sense of community, well-being, and pride by
creating a partnership between the community and the local judicial system.

Mineola, New York 

Strengthening Community Prosecution Efforts 
The Nassau County District Attorney's Office will work with BJA to reduce
the incidences of crime in Hempstead Village. This project will build upon the
community problem-solving initiative instituted by the District Attorney's Office
in 1997, expanding the effort's education, sports, and mentoring programs. This
project will work to strengthen community prosecution by hiring an additional
assistant district attorney to work in the community. The District Attorney's
Office will work closely with law enforcement, the courts, the schools, social
service agencies, youth-serving organizations, religious leaders, and athletic
organizations. 

San Juan, Puerto Rico 

Improving the Justice System's Response to Senior Citizens 
This project supports the expansion of the city of San Juan's Domestic
Violence Program to address the physical and emotional abuse of elderly
women. The purpose of this project is to secure a mobile unit to regularly visit
elderly women living in rural and marginal areas of San Juan and provide
counseling, crisis intervention, and legal assistance. 

Eagle Butte, South Dakota 

Delivering Alcohol and Drug Treatment to Women 
The high crime rate on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation has a direct
correlation to alcohol abuse. Nearly 87 percent of all criminal offenses on the
reservation are alcohol related. The Four Bands Healing Center is responsible
for alcohol and drug treatment on the reservation. The center has a
comprehensive treatment program for men that provides a nonalcoholic
environment during treatment. For women, however, there is no comparable
nonalcoholic environment. This situation, coupled with child care issues,
substantially impedes successful treatment for women. 

The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe's Winyan Okiciyapi Oti (the home where
women help each other) project is dedicated to changing the way treatment is
delivered to women by providing an alcohol- and drug-free environment,
secure child care during treatment, mental health services, and comprehensive
aftercare. The program's effectiveness will be measured by the number of
treatment and aftercare completions. 

Memphis, Tennessee 

Establishing a Community Court 
This project will establish a community court in the Frayser community of
Memphis to address quality-of-life crimes and serve as the focal point of crime
prevention efforts in the area. The court will be supported by a collaboration of
criminal justice agencies and neighborhood groups working together to reduce
and prevent crime in the Frayser neighborhood. The court will be located in a
neighborhood building and will be available for the public and for school classes
to observe its operations.

Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas 

Creating a Special Foster Care Court 
This project will support the development of the Special Foster Care Court for
the Lower Rio Grande Valley. This court will assist the juvenile justice system,
thereby providing immediate intervention and services for juvenile crime and
preventing juvenile risk factors normally associated with criminality. The goals
of the court will be to reduce the backlog of child protective service cases,
reduce the amount of time children spend under temporary supervision,
improve judicial proceedings involving foster care cases, and address the
problematic issues of child abuse and crime.

Salt Lake City, Utah 

Moving Beyond a Law Enforcement Response to Methamphetamine 
The Salt Lake City Corporation seeks to address the exposure of citizens in
Salt Lake City to deadly chemicals found in methamphetamine labs. This
project will increase the capacity of the local health department, child protective
services, and police department through a two-pronged system. First, the
strategy will enhance current methods of dealing with methamphetamine
production, distribution, and use and integrate these methods into those of
other agencies. Second, the agencies will work together to create a
best-practices training curriculum to be shared with other jurisdictions. 

Salt Lake City, Utah

Prostitution Project
The number of young women, including juveniles, in Salt Lake City who have
become involved in prostitution has steadily increased in recent years. In
addition to street prostitution, many women are also engaged in prostitution
through the city's escort businesses, which are more difficult for police to
investigate. 

In response, Salt Lake City initiated a collaborative community effort in 1995
to develop interventions for young women involved in prostitution. Expanding
on this initiative, the city will continue the police department's emphasis on
arresting pimps and owners of illegal sexually oriented businesses. The project
will also emphasize the coordination of community resources available to
women who want to leave prostitution. A victim advocate and public health
nurse/social worker will be hired to provide educational and social services to
women and juveniles involved in prostitution. These individuals will work
closely with the Salt Lake City Mayor's Office as part of an interagency team
responsible for the coordination of community resources and programs. 

Burlington, Vermont 

Establishing a Community Justice Center 
Burlington, located in the northwest corner of Vermont on the shores of Lake
Champlain, has a population of 40,000 year-round residents. It is also home to
15,000 college students during the school year. Although not the sole source of
community disturbances, college students make their presence felt in some
areas of the city in ways that do not ingratiate them to the city's permanent
residents. In the past 3 years, neighborhood disturbances have accounted for
25 percent of calls to the police department, and noise complaints have
constituted 40 percent of all disturbance calls. People feel less safe, and these
fears are driven largely by a decline in neighborhood civility and quality of life. 

The goals of this project are to establish a place for citizens to learn about
conflict resolution and restorative justice, enhance the city's Reparative
Probation Program, develop community boards to deal with low-level crime,
better coordinate existing services, and provide citizens with the tools for
resolving neighborhood conflict. 

Montpelier, Vermont

Identifying and Accommodating Defendants' Developmental Disabilities 
The Vermont Office of the Defender General will work to improve the
representation of and participation by persons with developmental disabilities in
the criminal and juvenile justice systems. This program will improve the
Vermont criminal justice system's awareness and handling of developmentally
disabled clients. The program is expected to reduce recidivism and decrease
litigation by reducing the number of probation violation complaints,
postconviction challenges, plea confusions, motions to withdraw, and appeals.
These goals will be achieved through a program designed to recognize the
special needs of developmentally disabled clients when they first enter the
judicial system. 

Roanoke, Virginia 

Developing a Southeast Asian Outreach Program 
Over the past few years, Roanoke has experienced significant growth in its
Vietnamese population. At 2 percent of the population, these refugees
represent the largest ethnic culture in the city. Recent incidents requiring the
involvement of law enforcement have revealed that the Vietnamese community
generally distrusts the police and other government agencies and does not
adequately understand the local judicial system. These problems are
compounded by the police department's lack of understanding of Vietnamese
culture and language. 

The goals of this program are to develop a better understanding of cultural
differences, provide insight into the American judicial system, foster greater
trust between the Vietnamese residents and law enforcement officials, and
demonstrate the police department's commitment to the Vietnamese
community. The police department will create two temporary civilian
community resource specialist positions. These specialists will serve as liaisons
to the Vietnamese community for 1 year. Through daily interaction with officers,
they are expected to gain the experience necessary to become police officers.
The Roanoke Police Department will also offer educational and cultural
afterschool programs for Vietnamese youth, develop adult educational
programs on police and court services, provide police officers with cultural
diversity training that emphasizes Vietnamese culture, and offer special
programs to encourage Vietnamese family interaction with the greater
community.

Seattle, Washington 

Establishing a Mental Health Court 
The traditional criminal justice system often fails to address the unique 
circumstances of mentally ill offenders. Currently, King County District Court
in Seattle relies on a case processing strategy that requires misdemeanant
defendants to appear before several different judges for the same case.
Although this model provides an adequate level of service for most defendants,
the approach creates barriers that prevent the court from identifying and
addressing the needs of individuals who are mentally ill. Mentally ill offenders
often cycle through the criminal justice system, spending unnecessary time in jail
and lacking access to mental health treatment services. 

To address this problem, King County District Court will implement a Mental
Health Court that will provide a single point of contact for mentally ill
defendants who are charged with misdemeanor offenses. A team  of specialists
with knowledge in mental health issues, including a judge, prosecutor, defender,
mental health court monitor, treatment provider, and probation officer, will
work with defendants to develop a court-ordered treatment plan as a diversion
from prosecution or as a sentencing alternative to jail. This strategy will use the
authority and oversight capabilities of the court to link mentally ill defendants
with mental health treatment providers.

Seattle, Washington

Reducing Racial Disparity in the Justice System 
The King County Office of Public Defense in Seattle will work to reduce racial
disparities in bail and sentencing decisions, thereby improving the adjudication
process by increasing public respect and enhancing fairness. The project will
focus on three major areas: client representation, education of defenders, and
education and discussion in the broader justice system concerning racial
disproportion, its causes, and its effects.

Spokane, Washington

Developing an Elder Abuse Prosecution Team 
The project supports the development of an Elder Abuse Prosecution Team
(EAPT) to aggressively prosecute perpetrators of physical abuse and neglect
against elders. EAPT will facilitate enhanced victim advocacy services to the
elderly and organize a Coordinated Community Response Coalition to develop
a campaign to prevent violence and abuse against elders. The goals of the
project are to vigorously prosecute those who commit elder abuse, educate the
community to recognize signs and symptoms of abuse, employ knowledgeable
investigators to increase and improve responses to reported crimes against the
elderly, and work in partnership with community organizations to develop
prevention strategies.

Bayfield, Wisconsin 

Replacing Alcohol and Drug Dependence With Traditional Cultural Values 
The reservation of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (Ojibwe
and Anishinabe), located in the northernmost part of Wisconsin in the Township
of Russell, is the only reservation in Bayfield County. Although Native-
Americans constitute only 13 percent of the county's population, they represent
more than 30 percent of those involved in the county's criminal justice system.
Many tribal members have been arrested for and convicted of crimes
committed while under the influence of alcohol and drugs. 

The Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa will develop an intervention
program for tribal members who have committed a criminal offense while under
the influence of alcohol. Through this program, the Red Cliff Band will seek to
improve the quality of life for residents of the reservation and increase
opportunities for individuals to become contributing members of the tribe. The
program is based on the premise that a Native-American becomes a stronger
person through the practice of his or her own culture and beliefs. This strength
enables the individual to replace the need for alcohol and drugs with
responsibility for oneself, one's family, and one's community.

----------------------------

Sources for Further Information

For further information about the Open Solicitation Program or other BJA
programs, contact BJA or the BJA Clearinghouse.

Bureau of Justice Assistance
810 Seventh Street NW.
Washington, DC 20531
202-514-6278
World Wide Web: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA

Bureau of Justice Assistance Clearinghouse
P.O. Box 6000
Rockville, MD 20849-6000
1-800-688-4252
World Wide Web: www.ncjrs.org

U.S. Department of Justice Response Center
1-800-421-6770 or 202-307-1480

----------------------------

Bureau of Justice Assistance Information

General Information
Callers may contact the U.S. Department of Justice Response Center for
general information or specific needs, such as assistance in submitting grants
applications and information on training. To contact the Response Center, call
1-800-421-6770 or write to 1100 Vermont Avenue NW., Washington, DC
20005.

Indepth Information
For more indepth information about BJA, its programs, and its funding
opportunities, requesters can call the BJA Clearinghouse. The BJA
Clearinghouse, a component of the National Criminal Justice Reference Service
(NCJRS), shares BJA program information with state and local agencies and
community groups across the country. Information specialists are available to
provide reference and referral services, publication distribution, participation
and support for conferences, and other networking and outreach activities. The
Clearinghouse can be reached by:

--Mail
P.O. Box 6000
Rockville, MD 20849-6000

--Visit   
2277 Research Boulevard
Rockville, MD 20850

--Telephone
1-800-688-4252
Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. eastern time

--Fax
301-519-5212

--Fax on Demand
1-800-688-4252

--BJA Home Page
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA

--NCJRS World Wide Web
www.ncjrs.org

--E-mail
askncjrs@ncjrs.org

--JUSTINFO Newsletter
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