Office of
                        Justice Programs
                                
                   Annual Report to Congress
                                
                        Fiscal Year 1999
                                
                                
                                











To the Congress:

     I am pleased to present the Office of Justice Programs Annual Report for Fiscal Year
1999.  In the last year of the 1990s, OJP continued the landmark programs of the 1994 Crime
Act, while expanding into new areas to continue our progress into the 21st century.  The 1990s
saw a marked expansion in federal criminal justice funding and resources, along with a sharp
decline in crime rates.  While the causal relationship between the two trends remains unclear,
rigorous, external evaluation of OJP's programs has shown that federal funding is making a
difference in the crime rate.

     Although we added several new programs in FY 1999, the core mission of OJP remained
unchanged   to help communities prevent and control crime.  Indeed, OJP continued to support
programs such as the Weed and Seed strategy, Strategic Approaches to Community Safety,
community courts, and community prosecution that handle crime control at the community level. 
The common thread that binds all community-based crime control programs is cooperation among
federal, state, and local agencies   criminal justice and otherwise   to address the particular needs
of a neighborhood.

     This Annual Report is just one tool that OJP uses to inform Congress and the public about
its programs.  Throughout this report, we have included lists of publications to consult for in-
depth information on particular issues.  To receive additional information on programs described
in this Annual Report, you can visit OJP's Website at www.ojp.usdoj.gov, or contact one of the
OJP clearinghouses or offices using the contact information provided at the end of this report.

     I am proud of OJP's accomplishments in FY 1999, and I look forward to continued
cooperation with the Congress towards our common goal of safety in America's neighborhoods.





                                   Mary Lou Leary
                                   Acting Assistant Attorney General
                       Table of Contents
                                


Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

1: THE OFFICE OF JUSTICE PROGRAMS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

2: Empowering Communities to Address Crime . . . . . . . . . . .9

3: Breaking the Cycle of Substance Abuse and Crime . . . . . . 22

4: Combating Family Violence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

5: Addressing Youth Crime. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

6: Managing Offenders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

7: Protecting and Supporting Victims of Crime. . . . . . . . . 51

8: Enhancing Technology's Use in Addressing Crime. . . . . . . 58

9: Enhancing Law Enforcement Initiatives . . . . . . . . . . . 66

10: Countering Terrorism & Ensuring
     Domestic Preparedness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

For More Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77




1
                 The Office of Justice Programs
                                
                                
                                
                          OJP'S MISSION

To provide federal leadership in
developing the nation's capacity to
prevent and control crime,
administer justice, and assist crime
victims.


                            OJP GOALS

         To identify, define, and
     promote the understanding
     of critical crime,
     delinquency, and justice
     issues.

         To develop, support, and
     evaluate promising and
     innovative strategies for
     ensuring safe and just
     communities and assisting
     victims of crime.

         To build partnerships that
     strengthen federal, state,
     and local government and
     community capacities.

         To ensure a fair workplace
     that maximizes each
     employee's contribution to
     the overall mission and
     goals of OJP.  



     Since 1984 the Office of Justice
Programs has provided federal leadership
in developing the nation's capacity to
prevent and control crime, improve the
criminal and juvenile justice systems,
increase knowledge about crime and
related issues, and assist crime victims.  

     OJP is led by an Assistant
Attorney General, who is responsible for
overall management and oversight of OJP. 
The AAG sets policy and ensures that
OJP policies and programs reflect the
priorities of the President, the Attorney
General, and the Congress.  

     The AAG promotes coordination
among the bureaus and offices within
OJP.  Five bureaus   the Bureau of Justice
Assistance, 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   administer federal
grant, training and technical assistance,
research, and statistics programs.

     OJP also includes program offices
that administer specific programs,
including those authorized by the 1994
Crime Act.  These offices include the
Violence Against Women Office, the
Executive Office for Weed and Seed, the
Corrections Program Office, the Drug
Courts Program Office, the Office for
State and Local Domestic Preparedness
Support, the Office of the Police Corps
and Law Enforcement Education, and the
American Indian and Alaska Native Affairs Office.

THE OJP BUREAUS

     The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) provides funding, training, and technical
assistance to state and local governments to combat violent and drug-related crime and
help improve the criminal justice system.  It administers the Edward Byrne Memorial State
and Local Law Enforcement Assistance, the Local Law Enforcement Block Grants, State
Criminal Alien Assistance, Public Safety Officers' Benefits, Regional Information Sharing
Systems, and other grant programs. 

     The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) is the principal criminal justice statistical
agency in the nation.  BJS collects and analyzes statistical data on crime, criminal
offenders, crime victims, and the operations of justice systems at all levels of government. 
It also provides financial and technical support to state governments in developing state
capabilities in criminal justice statistics and improving criminal history records.

     The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is the principal research and development
agency in the Department of Justice.  NIJ supports research and development programs,
conducts demonstrations of innovative approaches to improve criminal justice, develops
and tests new criminal justice technologies, evaluates the effectiveness of justice programs,
and disseminates research findings to practitioners and policymakers. NIJ also provides
primary support for the National Criminal Justice Reference Service, a clearinghouse of
criminal justice-related publications, articles, videotapes, and online information.

     The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) provides
federal leadership in preventing and controlling juvenile crime and improving the juvenile
justice system at the state and local levels.  OJJDP provides grants and contracts to states,
local communities, and Indian tribes to help them improve their juvenile justice systems
and sponsors innovative research, demonstration, evaluation, statistics, and technical
assistance and training programs to improve the nation's understanding of and response to
juvenile violence and delinquency.  OJJDP also administers the Missing and Exploited
Children's program, four programs funded under the Victims of Child Abuse Act, and the
Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
  
     The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) provides federal funds to support victim
assistance and compensation programs nationwide, and advocates for the fair treatment of
crime victims.  OVC administers grants for programs designed to benefit victims, provides
training for diverse professionals who work with victims, develops projects to enhance
victims' rights and services, and undertakes public education and awareness activities on
behalf of crime victims.  OVC's mission is to enhance the nation's capacity to assist crime
victims and to provide leadership in changing attitudes, policies, and practices to promote
justice and healing for all victims of crime. 

THE PROGRAM OFFICES

OJP has three offices that administer major programs authorized by the 1994 Crime Act:

         The Corrections Program Office (CPO) administers two major formula grant
     programs and provides technical assistance to state and local governments to help
     them with the implementation of the Crime Act's corrections-related programs.

         The Drug Courts Program Office (DCPO) administers the Crime Act's
     discretionary drug courts grant program.  This program provides support for the
     development, implementation, and improvement of drug courts through grants to
     local and state governments, courts, and tribal governments, and through technical
     assistance and training.

         The Violence Against Women Office (VAWO) administers programs designed to
     help protect, detect, and stop violence against women, including domestic
     violence, sexual assault, and stalking.  VAWO administers formula and
     discretionary grant programs authorized by the Violence Against Women Act, part
     of the 1994 Crime Act.  VAWO also coordinates the Justice Department's other
     initiatives relating to violence against women.

The following offices are also located within OJP:

         The Office of State and Local Domestic Preparedness Support (OSLDPS) is
     responsible for enhancing the capability of state and local jurisdictions to prepare
     for and respond to incidents of domestic terrorism involving chemical and
     biological agents, radiological and explosive devices, and other weapons of mass
     destruction.  It awards grants for equipment and provides training and technical
     assistance for state and local first responders.  OSLDPS operates the Center for
     Domestic Preparedness at Fort McClellan, Alabama, a facility to train first
     responders to respond to incidents involving chemical or biological weapons.

         The Office of the Police Corps and Law Enforcement Education (OPCLEE)
     provides college educational assistance to students who commit to public service
     in law enforcement and scholarships, with no service commitment, for dependents
     of law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty. 

         The Executive Office for Weed and Seed (EOWS) coordinates the Weed and
     Seed strategy, a community-based, multi-disciplinary approach to combating
     crime.  EOWS works closely with United States Attorneys to implement Operation
     Weed and Seed in communities throughout the country.

     Six offices within OJP provide agency-wide support.  They are the Office of
Congressional and Public Affairs (OCPA), the Office of General Counsel (OGC), the
Office of Administration (OA), the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), the Office of Budget
and Management Services (OBMS), and the Office of the Comptroller (OC).  Also, the
American Indian and Alaskan Native Affairs Office (AI/AN) improves outreach to
federally recognized Indian tribes.

OJP'S FY 1999 BUDGET

     Since enactment of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994,
OJP's annual budget, which includes funding for the Public Safety Officers' Death
Benefits and the Crime Victims Fund, has grown from $1.1 billion in 1995 to $3.7 billion
in 1999.  The FY 1999 budget includes $3.4 billion in direct appropriations and $324
million from the Crime Victims Fund, which is financed by collections of fines, penalty
assessments, and bond forfeitures from defendants convicted of federal crimes.  In
addition, OJP administered $405 million from other Justice Department accounts through
reimbursable agreements.  Overall, in FY 1999 OJP managed over $4.1 billion.  The chart
on the opposite page provides details on OJP's FY 1999 appropriations.

THE OJP REORGANIZATION

     In making appropriations for FY 1999, Congress directed OJP and the Justice
Department to develop a plan for a new organizational structure for OJP that would
explore the consolidation and streamlining of agency programs and activities.  A major
goal of the restructuring project was to craft an organizational plan that would be
responsive to principles of good government and sound management.

     In March 1999, the Justice Department submitted a plan to Congress for creating a
centralized organizational structure that would clarify lines of authority and eliminate
duplication and overlap in OJP functions.  Under the existing organizational structure,
OJP's program and administrative bureaus and offices operate to a great degree as a
network of independent agencies, with related, but distinct, functions, missions, and
competencies, which share a common infrastructure.  The goal of the new organizational
structure is to create a centrally administered agency comprised of coherent components,
with distinct functions and competencies, which share a common mission.

     In the report accompanying FY 2000 appropriations for Commerce, Justice, State,
and the Judiciary, Congress endorsed the principles of reorganization set out in OJP's
March 1999 plan.  OJP and the Justice Department are currently working with Congress
to implement the principles of the reorganization plan.










































                     FY 1999 Appropriations
                     in millions of dollars

CRIME ACT PROGRAMS
  Violence Against Women
     Law Enforcement and Prosecution Grants                 206.8
     Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies                       34
     Rural Domestic Violence Grants                            25
  Drug Courts                                                  40
  Prison Construction Grants                                555.5
  State Prison Drug Treatment                                  63
  Criminal History Records Upgrade (BJS)                       45
  SCAAP (BJA) 1                                               585
  Other Violent Crime Reduction Programs                     42.7

BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE
  Local Law Enforcement Block Grants                          523
  Byrne Formula Grants                                        505
  Byrne Discretionary Grants                                   47
  RISS                                                         20
  White Collar Crime Center                                   7.4
  Public Safety Officers' Benefits                           31.8

EXECUTIVE OFFICE FOR WEED AND SEED                           33.5

BUREAU OF JUSTICE STATISTICS                                   25

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF JUSTICE                                46.1

OFFICE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION
  Formula and Discretionary Grants                          277.6
  Missing Children's Program                                 17.2
  Victims of Child Abuse Act                                    7
  Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grants              250

OJP MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION                            31.5
   
OFFICE FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME 2                                 324

1/ Reflects $165 million earmark from the prison construction grant program.
2/ Program funds are not appropriated.  OVC is funded by collections of fines, penalty assessments, and bond forfeitures
from defendants convicted of federal crimes.





SHARING INFORMATION WITH THE FIELD

     The resources and national perspective of the federal government give it a unique
role in sharing knowledge about crime and justice.  An important part of OJP's mission is
reaching out to state and local justice officials, practitioners, and researchers to spread
state-of-the-art knowledge and programs nationwide.

     In FY 1999, OJP continued to support the operation of the National Criminal
Justice Reference Service, which supports the information dissemination efforts of all OJP
bureaus and offices, as well as the Office of National Drug Control Policy.  NCJRS
maintains a library of more than 145,000 documents, available in print and through the
Web at www.ncjrs.org.  The NCJRS toll-free hotline at 1-800/688-4252 provides access
to reference specialists who conduct individualized research and provide copies of
publications.  In FY 1999, NCJRS responded to more than 300,000 telephone requests
and distributed nearly 8 million documents.  The NCJRS Website received over 3.5 million
hits, and NCJRS staff responded to more than 40,000 e-mail requests for information.

     OJP has also worked to streamline administrative requirements for its grantees,
while simultaneously ensuring sound management of funded programs.  OJP is a pioneer
among federal grantmaking agencies in developing seamless automated systems and Web-
based grant management systems.  For example, the Office of the Comptroller, responsible
for financial management of OJP's federal grants, operates a phone-activated payment
system for grantees, operates a toll-free hotline for grant questions, and conducts a
nationwide training program for grantees.  In FY 1999, the Office of the Comptroller
assisted 25,000 callers, trained more than 4,000 individuals in financial management, and
revised the plain English version of the OJP Financial Guide, available online.

     OJP continued to support the Department of Justice Response Center in FY 1999. 
The Response Center is staffed by specialists who answer questions and provide
information about Justice Department funding programs, including all OJP and
Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office funding programs.  Center staff
also can provide copies of program solicitations, guidelines, and other documents. 

2
                     Empowering Communities
                        To Address Crime
                                
     During the 1990s, the Administration has worked to implement community-based
programs in cities and towns across the country   in rural areas from Houlton, Maine to Barrow,
Alaska, and in urban areas from San Diego, California to Miami, Florida.   The federal approach
recognizes that although crime is a national problem, it is more immediately a community problem
that requires action at the grassroots, neighborhood level.  Community justice calls on all the
public and private resources of a neighborhood to work closely with those traditionally associated
with criminal justice matters.  

     The centerpiece of this strategy has been community policing, which deploys officers to
neighborhood beats so they can form problem-solving partnerships with residents.  Since 1994,
the Justice Department's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) has funded
more than 100,000 new community police officers in local departments.
In the last few years, the Department of Justice has
accomplished much in partnership with local communities to
address crime, reduce violence, and promote public safety
throughout America and to make neighborhoods safer and
healthier places in which to live.  At the heart of our efforts is a
commitment to help nurture families and communities capable
of giving people the skills, knowledge, care, values, and
resources necessary to become productive, financially
self-sufficient and law-abiding citizens, accountable for their
actions. 

                                    Attorney General Janet Reno
                                 OJP has worked to build on the
                         community partnerships first developed
                         through community policing, and expand
                        them throughout the justice system as a
                              whole.  Throughout the 1990s, OJP
                       encouraged the development of systemwide
                           strategies such as the Weed and Seed
                            program, in which federal and local
                           prosecutors and law enforcement work
                   together to "weed" violence and drug dealing
                      from a specific geographic area, and work
                           with government and private housing,
                     employment, and social service agencies to
                 "seed" an area with jobs, livable housing, and
                                       opportunities for youth.
                                                               
                           Recent OJP initiatives have expanded
the community justice movement to encompass the court system and corrections.  Community
courts consolidate functions of civil, family, and misdemeanor criminal courts under a single
authority, allowing a single judge to make decisions that consider all aspects of a case.  These
courts concentrate a variety of community services under one roof, including job training, victim
                                                     assistance,                   What is community justice?

Community justice brings together citizens and the criminal justice system to solve neighborhood
problems. 

In Vermont, community justice is the Restorative Probation Program, which brings offenders
convicted of non-violent offenses before local citizens with whom they work out a mutual
agreement to pay back the community for their offense. In Oregon, community justice is the
Portland Neighborhood D.A. Program, which assigns prosecutors to neighborhoods to help solve
local quality-of-life problems. In Massachusetts, community justice is Operation Cease Fire, a
police-led initiative that has reduced gun-related violence by getting gang members in Boston to
accept a pact of nonviolence. In New York City, community justice is the Midtown Community
Court, which sentences low-level offenders to pay back the community through community service. 

What do these programs have in common? They are collaborations between a range of traditionally
separate entities, including ordinary citizens, criminal justice agencies, other government agencies
and social service providers. They emphasize neighborhood-focused problem solving. They posit a
belief that citizens are customers to whom the justice system must be accountable. They aspire to
improve public confidence in the justice system. And some pursue restorative justice, which aims to
heal the damage crime does to the victim, the community and the offender. 

Community justice grows out of community policing, a policing strategy based on the theory that
low-level disorder, such as broken lights and windows, creates an environment that encourages
crime. Starting in the 1980s, cops in many cities abandoned patrol cars and radio response units to
return to walking neighborhood beats. The goal was to encourage officers to develop an intimate
knowledge of neighborhoods. In addition, community policing sought to engage police in
crime-fighting strategies beyond just making arrests. 

The community justice movement emerged in the 1990s as other criminal justice agencies followed
the lead of the police and began to re-think the way they do business. Community courts were
created to combat low-level crime. Prosecutors began sending deputies into neighborhoods to craft
strategies targeting local disorder problems. And probation officers started setting up shop in
neighborhood centers in an effort to improve the accountability of offenders as well as their
integration into the community. 

Whether it involves police, prosecutors, probation, parole, corrections or courts, community justice
is more than just another name for community relations. It represents a fundamental shift in
philosophy   from centralized authority to neighborhood-based decision-making, from working in
isolation to engaging in collaboration, from a narrow focus on offenders to a broader appreciation of
how crime affects victims and communities. Across the country, community justice programs are
giving citizens an active role in making their neighborhoods stronger and safer. They are improving
the quality of life on a block-by-block basis. And they are testing new solutions to age-old problems
that affect citizens and the communities they live in.

-- From www.communityjustice.org, a project of the BJA-funded Center for Court Innovation
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
drug treatment, and domestic violence counseling.  These courts seek to address the causes, and
                               not just symptoms, of disorder. 
                                                               
     In FY 1999, OJP again expanded the definition of community justice.  Under the
leadership of Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder, OJP is supporting the development of
community prosecution programs in local district attorney's offices nationwide.  Community
prosecution adopts the community policing model by assigning prosecutors to neighborhoods,
where they can see firsthand which offenses and offenders cause the most harm to the community
so they can target prosecutions accordingly.  OJP also worked with criminal justice, public health,
and mental health professionals to improve the response of the justice system to persons with
mental health disorders.  And OJP took steps to address the most pressing problem facing many
communities   gun violence   by publishing Promising Strategies to Reduce Gun Violence, a
report on innovative approaches communities nationwide are taking to stop gun crime.
                                                               
                         DEPLOYING PROSECUTORS TO THE COMMUNITY
                                                               
     Recognizing the effectiveness of community policing in forming community partnerships
and solving problems, prosecutors have realized the important role of their offices in
complementing the role of the police.  The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia,
which is responsible for prosecuting federal and local crimes in the nation's capital, began a pilot
program in 1996 to form teams of prosecutors and community outreach specialists that focus on
crime in a specific police precinct.  In August 1999, the program expanded citywide.  In each of
Washington, D.C.'s seven police districts, locally assigned Assistant U.S. Attorneys prosecute
almost all major cases arising in that district, from drug arrests or investigations to robberies,
burglaries, and murder.  The familiarity of each team with its district enables it to know of the
persons responsible for the majority of the crime in that area.  In addition to handling
prosecutions, the teams reach out to the community within their assigned area.  Prosecutors
attend community meetings to discuss problems and issues confronting citizens, as well as to
answer questions about the criminal justice system raised by residents. 
                                                               
     A select group of experienced prosecutors has identified essential components of
successful community prosecution strategies from across the country.  An important factor is an
emphasis on interagency collaboration in problem-solving and improving the quality of life in
neighborhoods.  This focus on quality-of-life issues can include, but is not limited to, nuisance
abatement efforts, environmental crime enforcement, and the coordination of building, health, and
other safety code enforcement.  Potential partners for community prosecution strategies can
include a local jurisdiction's licensing office, health and housing departments, school systems, and
mental health agencies, as well as universities, law schools, pro bono bar associations, victim
             assistance organizations, and the faith community.
For too long, residents in high-crime areas have had no voice in
discussions that led to solutions to public safety problems that
   affect their lives.  Community prosecutors provide residents
with an opportunity to participate in strategic decision-making,
  which can make their neighborhoods safer and help restore the
                        community after being damaged by crime.
                                                               
                            Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder
                               In FY 1999, BJA funded community
                 prosecution projects in more than 40 cities to
                      replicate the principles of the promising
                       programs established in Washington, D.C.
                     and elsewhere.  In March 1999, five grants
                           were made totaling about $425,000 to
                  establish community prosecution initiatives. 
                     In September 1999, Deputy Attorney General
                       Eric Holder, who oversaw the development
                    of community prosecution in the District of
                       Columbia when he served as U.S. Attorney
                         there, announced community prosecution
grants totaling more than $4.5 million to 36 urban, rural, and tribal communities.  Denver,
Colorado and Multnomah County, Oregon, both of which have already implemented successful
community prosecution programs, received grants to serve as leadership sites, providing technical
       assistance to jurisdictions implementing new programs.  
                                                               
     IMPROVING HANDLING OF MENTAL ILLNESS IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM
                                                               
     At any given time, more than 750,000 individuals in the justice system have co-occurring
mental health and substance abuse disorders.  A BJS study released in June 1999, Mental Health
and Treatment of Inmates and Probationers, found that about 16 percent of state and local
inmates and probationers said they either had a mental condition or had stayed overnight in a
mental hospital, unit or treatment program.  Controlling for demographic differences, other
studies have found rates of mental illness among incarcerated offenders to be at least double the
                    comparable rates in the general population.
                                                               
     OJP has been working with government agencies at all levels, as well as with public
interest advocacy groups, to improve the response of the justice system to persons with mental
illness.  Two conferences in the summer of 1999 highlighted the intersection between criminal
justice and mental health, and led to recommendations and strategies on how the systems can
work together to provide ensure public safety and provide mental health treatment for those in
                                                          need.
                                                               
     In June 1999, the White House convened the first-ever Conference on Mental Health to
explore ways of addressing the stigma and discrimination people with mental illness often endure. 
The conference brought together approximately 500 representatives of mental health services
consumers and providers, advocacy groups, business leaders, public health, government agencies,
and leaders in mental health research and pharmacology.  The Attorney General chaired a session
on mental health and the criminal justice system that addressed how and why people with mental
disorders cycle in and out of jail with minimal or no treatment, often having committed minor
offenses.  The session focused on legislative proposals to address these issues, including a mental
health court proposal being developed, and the prevalence of mental illness and services in
correctional settings.  OVC presented information on its partnership with NIJ to improve the
quality of mental health services delivered to victims of crime and strengthen links between the
               victim assistance and mental health communities.
                                                               
     Following up on the White House conference, OJP and HHS' Center for Mental Health
Services hosted a July 1999 conference on people with mental disorders in the justice system. 
This session brought together 250 participants from the criminal justice and social services fields. 
Topics included the challenges of integrating criminal justice and mental health systems, diverting
mentally ill offenders to appropriate treatment through mental health court programs, improving
mental health services in the juvenile justice system, and creating community partnerships to
          respond to the needs of people with mental disorders.
                                                               
     The BJS study, released at the time of the July conference, estimated that 283,800
mentally ill offenders were held in the nation's state and federal prisons and local jails at midyear
1998, and an additional 547,800 mentally ill people were on probation in the community.  Other
                                             findings included:
                                                               
         Offenders identified as mentally ill were more likely than other offenders
incarcerated or on probation to have committed a violent offense.  Nearly 1 in 5
violent offenders in prison or jail or on probation were identified as mentally ill.
                                                               
         When compared with other inmates and probationers, the mentally ill inmates and
probationers reported higher rates of prior physical and sexual abuse and higher
rates of alcohol and drug abuse by a parent or guardian while they were growing
                                                            up.
                                                               
         Since admission, 61 percent of the mentally ill state and federal prison inmates and
41 percent of the local jail inmates said they had received treatment for a mental
condition in the form of counseling, medication or other mental health services. 
Fifty-six percent of mentally ill probationers had received treatment since
                                     beginning their sentences.
                                                               
         More than a third of the mentally ill in state prisons or local jails and a quarter in
         federal prisons exhibited signs of alcohol dependence.
                                                               
         More than three-quarters of the mentally ill inmates had been sentenced to prison,
jail, or probation at least once prior to their current sentence.  Half reported three
or more prior sentences.  The mentally ill inmates were more likely than other
      prisoners to have a prior sentence for a violent offense.
                                                               
         While incarcerated, the mentally ill are more likely than other inmates to be
involved in fights and to be charged with breaking prison and jail rules.
                                                               
     To address the issues raised by people with mental illness in the criminal justice system,
OJP is working with the Council of State Governments to develop recommendations for state and
federal legislators on police training, diversion programs, assessment and treatment in correctional
settings, and reentry.  The Council of State Governments has formed a working group of state
legislators, corrections administrators, judges, law enforcement officials, victim advocates,
prosecutors, and mental health experts to assist in this process.  The Justice Department and HHS
also support the National GAINS Center for People with Co-Occurring Disorders in the Criminal
Justice System, which collects and shares information on effective mental health and substance
abuse services for people who come in contact with the justice system.
                                                               
                       HELPING COMMUNITIES ADDRESS GUN VIOLENCE
                                                               
     In April 1999, OJJDP published Promising Strategies to Reduce Gun Violence, which
profiles 60 community programs dedicated to reducing violent and gun crime.  As its title
suggests, the report is designed to provide law enforcement, state and local elected officials,
prosecutors, judges, school administrators, community organizations, and other local stakeholders
with the tools for fighting firearm violence in their communities. It includes a blueprint for
communities to develop their own comprehensive, strategic violence reduction plan and a wealth
of practical information on demonstrated and promising gun violence reduction strategies and
programs.  This "toolbox" approach is intended to provide inspiration and guidance as
communities take action against violent crime and, in particular, gun violence.  It also is intended
to help communities learn from each other's successes. To promote and facilitate this exchange of
ideas, contact information is provided for each of the programs profiled.
                                                               
     The report found that gun violence can be considered as a three-phase continuum
comprising the illegal acquisition of firearms, the illegal possession and carrying of firearms, and
the illegal, improper, or careless use of firearms.  To be effective, any strategy to reduce gun
violence must focus on one or more of these three points of intervention; however, a
comprehensive plan will incorporate strategies and programs that focus on each of the three
                                        points of intervention.
                                                               
     The report categorized programs into five areas: comprehensive gun violence reduction
strategies, strategies to interrupt sources of illegal guns, strategies to deter illegal gun possession
and carrying, strategies to respond to illegal gun use, and education initiatives and alternative
     prevention strategies.  Examples in each category include:
                                                               
         Boston, Massachusetts, with NIJ funding, has developed a series of innovative
public safety strategies that focused on violent youth and illicit gun markets.  A
broad coalition of federal, state, and local agencies and community groups worked
with researchers from Harvard University to develop programs to address the
escalating number of juvenile homicides.  The comprehensive strategy comprises
Operation Ceasefire (a gang violence abatement strategy), the Boston Gun Project
(a gun suppression and interdiction strategy), Operation Night Light (a
police-probation partnership), neighborhood policing, tougher youth offender
laws, and expanded prevention and intervention programs.  Since these programs
went into effect, Boston has seen a dramatic decrease in the number of homicides.
                                                               
         The Oakland, California Police Department joined with ATF to monitor
compliance by federally licensed gun dealers and investigate firearms trafficking. 
With BJA funding, the Oakland weapons unit conducts comprehensive background
investigations of applicants for federal firearms licenses, maintains a data base to
identify multiple gun sales and potential straw purchasers, and traces all guns
                                         confiscated by police.
                                                               
         Kansas City, Missouri and Indianapolis, Indiana targeted gun carrying by directing
intensive police patrols to hotspot areas with above average rates of gun violence.
Patrol officers seized guns by frisking individuals who were arrested and by
making plain view sightings of firearms during routine traffic violation or safety
stops.  These programs were supported with Weed and Seed funding.
                                                               
         In Providence, Rhode Island, a special gun court hears all criminal cases involving
firearm use to enhance the speed of deposition and certainty of punishment.  The
gun court sends the message to criminals that, if they use a gun in Providence, they
                                               will go to jail.
                                                               
         Region's Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota developed an antiviolence education
program for at-risk youth and youth already involved in the juvenile justice system. 
The hospital uses actors and actual trauma unit personnel to dramatize, in a 4-hour
program, a realistic emergency room situation involving a gunshot victim in a level
1 trauma center. The youth work with doctors to treat an actor portraying a
gunshot victim, accompany the doctors as they inform the "family" that the victim
has died, and then meet with a counselor to discuss what they have seen.  Research
showed that program participants became more disturbed about violence in the
environment, had less respect for violent individuals, and had more confidence in
     the effectiveness of nonviolent problem-solving behaviors.
                                                               
     Promising Strategies provides information on federal and non-federal funding
opportunities, training, and technical assistance for communities interested in replicating the
programs described.  It was distributed to all 93 U.S. Attorneys to help them fulfill the Attorney
General's directive to develop comprehensive gun violence reduction strategies in their districts.
                                                               
                     BUILDING KNOWLEDGE ABOUT COMMUNITY JUSTICE
                                                               
     Although spending on criminal justice has seen a tremendous increase in the past decade,
money alone will not improve/increase public safety .  That is why OJP, with the support of
Congress, has emphasized rigorous, external evaluation of its grant programs, to make sure that
limited federal dollars are being spent to the best possible effect.  Beginning with programs
authorized by the 1994 Crime Act, OJP has been building evaluations into programs at the earliest
planning stages, in addition to evaluating programs that have already been designed.  OJP has also
set aside a small percentage of many funding streams to assess how well that money is being used. 
Instead of making public policy by anecdote, OJP is committed to ensuring that federal funding
               programs are research-based and knowledge-based.
                                                               
     In addition to evaluation of its funding programs, OJP conducts research on critical issues
in the criminal justice system, and collects statistics on crime and victims, criminal offenders, the
justice system, and juvenile justice.  Detailed information on OJP's research and statistical findings
on national issues during FY 1999 is described elsewhere in this report, in the topic-specific
                                                      chapters.
                                                               
     But even the best research on national crime problems and federal programs may be of
little help to communities if this information fails to capture the particular problems they are
addressing.  To solve this problem, OJP has been working with communities to gather data on
local crime and use ongoing research to guide local crime control strategies.  The Strategic
Approaches to Community Safety Initiative (SACSI), launched in 1998, encourages communities
to use information-driven approaches to fighting specific crime problems by forming partnerships
with local researchers.  NIJ's Crime Mapping Research Center promotes the research and
development of crime mapping and geographic analysis in localities nationwide.
                                                               
     In FY 1999, NIJ continued to support SACSI and the crime mapping program, and
launched a new initiative that combines features of both.  COMPASS    Community Mapping,
Planning, and Analysis for Safety Strategies   enables communities to use geographic information
systems technology to plan comprehensive crime reduction programs.  BJS, which has annually
published national data on criminal victimization since 1973, completed the first effort in 20 years
to gather data on victimization and citizen attitudes toward police at the city level.
                                                               
                                                               
                                                        COMPASS
                                                               
     In September 1999, NIJ announced that Seattle, Washington had been selected as the
demonstration site for the COMPASS program and will receive up to $1 million in grants and in-
kind assistance.  COMPASS is a unique information-based initiative that will combine data such
as employment statistics, land use data, hospital records, and arrest and victimization statistics,
into a centralized database.  COMPASS will apply Geographic Information System (GIS)
technology to this database, which will allow public safety agencies to plot crime-related data
against a map of a specified community or region.  The GIS mapping capability will help analyze
how the relationships among these community factors affect its overall well-being.  
                                                               
     An interagency policy group, composed of a number of local officials, such as the mayor,
chief of police, school superintendent, officials from social service agencies and others, will
analyze the data and develop appropriate responses.  Universities and local research institutes also
will play a key role in COMPASS implementation, by collecting and analyzing information and
helping design interventions that effectively respond to the community's crime problems.  NIJ
hopes to expand COMPASS to multiple sites in future fiscal years.
                                                               
                                        Community Crime Surveys
                                                               
     In response to requests from the law enforcement community for information on crime
rates and the effectiveness of community policing in their neighborhoods, BJS and COPS funded
surveys on criminal victimization and community policing in 12 cities in 1998.
    Gathering data on crime and community policing at the local
  level not only supplements our national data, but also allows
local officials to identify their particular crime control needs. 
 As part of the Justice Department's emphasis on police working
 with residents in their neighborhoods, we are giving local law
      enforcement agencies tools to learn more about crimes and
         public opinion that may not be reported to the police.
                                                               
                                       BJS Director Jan Chaiken
                            In June 1998, BJS and COPS released
               the results of these surveys in a report titles,
                      Criminal Victimization and Perceptions of
                      Community Safety in 12 Cities, 1998.  The
                       surveys found that more than half of all
                   respondents said they were familiar with the
                      term "community policing," and 54 percent
                   said that police officers practice community
                   policing in their neighborhoods.  Across the
                     12 cities, the percentage of residents who
                      thought that their local police practiced
                      community policing ranged from 42 percent
                  in Knoxville to 67 percent in Chicago.  Sixty
percent of respondents indicated that in the past 12 months the police had worked at least
"somewhat" with neighborhood residents on crime prevention and safety.
                                                               
     To support locally initiated citizen surveys in additional cities, BJS and COPS have
developed a software survey package that can be used to collect information on criminal
victimizations, citizen attitudes toward the police, their willingness to report crimes to the police,
and the impact of community policing strategies on crime and neighborhood conditions.  The
software uses the questions asked of tens of thousands of households by BJS' National Crime
Victimization Survey, which provides national and regional   but not state or local   data about
crime, victims, and offenders.  Localities can modify or augment these questions to suit local
needs.  The new materials will permit city and county law enforcement agencies to derive accurate
estimates of local conditions that the national survey does not reveal. 
                                                               
     Community surveys collect information about the most effective approaches to dealing
with crime and provide an excellent measure of police performance.  Using this software package,
      localities can more easily collect survey information on:
                     How much crime is there in the community?
         What proportion of crime is being reported to the police?
                           How fearful are residents of crime?
         What is the extent and nature of police contact with residents?
           How satisfied are citizens with police performance?
              What self-protective steps have residents taken?
         To what extent is the public familiar with community policing?
                                                               
     To supplement the free software package, BJS published Conducting Community Surveys:
A Practical Guide for Law Enforcement Agencies.  As of June 2000, more than 650 local
jurisdictions had requested copies of the crime survey software.
                                                               
                                       Community Justice Online
                                                               
     To promote information on community justice, OJP expanded its own Website in FY 1999
and supported other information-sharing programs.  Building Blocks for Safe and Healthy
Communities: An Ideas and Information Guide was launched in 1999 to consolidate information
on employment, health, shelter, education, and public safety initiatives that help build safer and
healthier communities in which to live and work.  The Website, at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/tree, is
graphically organized as a tree that reflects the stages in an individual's life   from infancy to
adolescence to adulthood.  The site also includes links to other Websites that highlight best
practices in community building, including Websites of the National Crime Prevention Council,
U.S. Conference of Mayors, National Governors' Association, and National Association of
                                                      Counties.
                                                               
     BJA is supporting the Community Justice Exchange, a project of the Center for Court
Innovation to provide information and assistance to community planners throughout the country. 
The Website at www.communityjustice.org provides information on existing community justice
projects, planning guidance, and an opportunity to communicate with other practitioners in the
                                                         field.
                                                               
                          SUPPORTING COMMUNITY JUSTICE PROGRAMS
                                                               
                                                  Weed and Seed
                                                               
     Weed and Seed   the Department's flagship neighborhood-based program    is a
community-based, multi-disciplinary approach to combating crime.  The Weed and Seed program
supports law enforcement initiatives to weed out drug dealing, gang activity, and violent offenders
in a geographic area, and social services initiatives to seed that area with education and
employment opportunities.  Under the leadership of U.S. Attorneys, community officials,
residents, law enforcement agencies, businesses, and schools come together to develop
  comprehensive crime control programs tailored to local needs.
                                                               
     In FY 1999, the Executive Office for Weed and Seed awarded a total of $49 million to
Weed and Seed sites throughout the country, and expanded the program to 24 new sites, bringing
the total number of officially recognized Weed and Seed sites to more than 200.
                                                               
     In July 1999, NIJ published National Evaluation of Weed and Seed: Cross-Site Analysis. 
The report found that, in six of the eight sites studied, serious violent crime declined more rapidly
than in comparable areas due to Weed and Seed program efforts.  The evaluation also found that
Weed and Seed funding acted as a significant catalyst for general community revitalization efforts,
and that most target area communities have undertaken programs and created beneficial
community organizations that likely would not have come into existence without Weed and Seed.
                                                               
     In spring 1999, EOWS published the first issue of a new quarterly magazine, Weed and
           Seed Best Practices.  Programs highlighted included:
                                                               
         In Ocala, Florida police officers identify vacant, dilapidated buildings used as crack
houses.  After the buildings are condemned by inspectors, the fire department
destroys them in a controlled burn, which allows the firefighters to practice their
skills.  The properties are cleared, and are frequently used as sites for new homes
                                 built by Habitat for Humanity.
                                                               
         Weed and Seed sites in Pittsburgh worked with the public schools to establish
Community Technology Centers and build a publicly available computer network
linked to the Internet, schools, universities, libraries, neighborhood organizations,
                                             and city agencies.
                                                               
         In Syracuse, New York Weed and Seed partners began a collaborative program of
prevention through the arts to counteract youth crime, truancy, ethnic intolerance,
and substance abuse.  Youth created three themed community murals on the sides
        and backs of buildings previously filled with graffiti.
                                                               
     In August 1999, in cooperation with Mayor Lee Brown, EOWS hosted the Weed and
Seed 1999 national conference in Houston, Texas.  More than 1,400 participants from 200 Weed
and Seed sites across the country shared information on their experiences.  A training session held
in conjunction with the conference provided intensive instruction in strategic planning, community
mobilization, crime mapping, using technology, and economic development.  Attorney General
Janet Reno presented the Millennium Community Award to two outstanding community leaders
for their work in providing opportunities for residents to live, work, and raise children in a safe
                                         and clean environment.
                                                               
                                               Community Courts
                                                               
     Working through the Center for Court Innovation, the Center for Effective Public Policy,
and the Justice Management Institute, BJA provides technical assistance to sites across the
        country that are developing community justice projects.
                                                               
     In FY 1999, BJA also awarded $1.3 million for new community courts in Baltimore,
Maryland; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Palm Beach County, Florida; San Diego, California; and
                                              Portland, Oregon.
                                                               
     The BJA-funded Midtown Manhattan Community Court was established in 1993.  In its
first two and a half years, the court arraigned over 26,000 defendants.  Nearly 75 percent of the
offenders sentenced were ordered to perform community service and/or enroll in social services. 
During this period, more than 10,000 midtown community court participants completed
      community service producing over $430,000 worth of labor.
                                                               
     To highlight the importance of involving victims in the community justice process, OVC
and BJA awarded $100,000 to the Fund for the City of New York to enable the Midtown
Manhattan Community Court to conduct community impact panels.  The panels bring offenders
convicted of "quality of life crimes" such as vandalism together with community residents who
describe the impact of the crimes on their lives. This offers residents and victims a chance to
participate in the justice system in a meaningful way and also helps offenders better understand
                             the consequences of their actions.
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                      FOR MORE INFORMATION
                                
Visit the OJP Website at www.ojp.usdoj.gov, which includes general information
about OJP and its bureaus and program offices, e-mail addresses, downloadable
versions of application kits, and links to selected criminal justice Websites.  The
National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) Website at www.ncjrs.org
offers online versions of most OJP publications.  OJP publications can also be
ordered by calling the NCJRS toll-free number at 1-800/851-3420.  The following
publications are available from NCJRS:

Promising Strategies to Reduce Gun Violence (OJJDP) NCJ 173950

Responding to the Community: Principles for Planning and Creating a Community
Court (BJA) NCJ 166821

Overcoming Obstacles to Community Courts (BJA) NCJ 173400

Criminal Victimization and Perceptions of Community Safety in 12 Cities, 1998
(BJS) NCJ 173940

Conducting Community Surveys: A Practical Guide for Law Enforcement Agencies
(BJS) NCJ 178246

National Evaluation of Weed and Seed: Cross-Site Analysis (EOWS) NCJ 176358

Weed and Seed Best Practices (EOWS) NCJ 176974

3
                       Breaking the Cycle
                  of Substance Abuse and Crime
                                
The links between substance abuse and crime are clear.  More than a decade of NIJ data show that a majority of those
detained in jail after being arrested test positive for recent drug use, and BJS surveys of state prisoners have found that as
many as 83 percent report prior drug use.  While the causal relationship between substance abuse and crime is not
substantiated, the implications for the criminal and juvenile justice systems are the same   substance abuse and crime are part
of a cycle that must be interrupted to ensure public safety in our communities.

In keeping with the principles of the Justice Department's Drug Control Strategic Plan, OJP is working to build substance
abuse intervention into all points in the criminal and juvenile justice systems.  The ultimate goal is to build a comprehensive
program at the state and local level that ranges from youth drug prevention to aftercare for ex-offenders released to the
community.  OJP supports substance abuse assessment and treatment at all stages of the process   arrest, adjudication,
incarceration or correctional supervision, and reentry to the community.

PREVENTING YOUTH DRUG USE

The Drug-Free Communities Support Program began in FY 1998 to fund community coalitions that work together on
substance abuse reduction initiatives.  It is administered by OJJDP on behalf of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. 
In FY 1999, its second year of operation, the Drug-Free Communities program expanded to more than 200 sites in 43 states. 
ONDCP and OJJDP awarded $18 million to 124 new communities and continued to fund 92 communities that received FY
1998 awards.

Under the Drug-Free Communities Support Program, community coalitions that work together on substance abuse reduction
initiatives receive funds to target youth drug use.  The coalitions must design and implement multisector, multistrategy,
long-term plans designed to reduce substance abuse among youth.

PROMOTING EARLY DRUG INTERVENTION

NIJ's Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring Program (ADAM) collects and analyzes interviews and urinalysis of adult and
juvenile arrestees and detainees in police lock-ups in 35 major metropolitan areas.  In 1998, the ADAM program conducted
interviews and drug tests with more than 30,000 persons.  The 35 sites are distributed across the country to give a picture of
regional drug use trends, and 12 of the 35 sites were added in 1998.

In April 1999, NIJ published Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) Program: 1998 Annual Report on Drug Use Among
Adult and Juvenile Arrestees.  Key findings included:

                                     In 1998, cocaine use among male arrestees declined relative to 1997.  Cocaine remains the drug most commonly found in
                   test results of female arrestees, but is now second to marijuana among male arrestees.

                                     Drug use trends tend to be localized.  In Miami, for example, 53 percent of adult male arrestees tested positive for
                   cocaine use, while in San Jose only 8 percent of that group tested positive.  Among adult female arrestees, more than
                   two-thirds tested positive for cocaine in New York City compared to less than 10 percent in San Jose.

                                     High rates of methamphetamine use are often found in Western U.S. cities, particularly in San Diego, Las Vegas,
                   Spokane, Sacramento, and Salt Lake City, where more than 20 percent of both the male and female arrestee populations
                   tested positive for the presence of methamphetamine.  Other analyses, however, show that in Albuquerque, Tucson, and
                   Seattle, overall rates of methamphetamine use are less than 5 percent.

                                     Overall opiate use remains stable and widespread among arrestees, unlike the irregular geographic concentrations found
                   with methamphetamine use.  Each region of the country has at least one major center of opiate use.  Nearly 70 percent of
                   confirmed heroin users also test positive for cocaine, an indication that treatment interventions with this population will
                   need to address the problem of abuse of multiple drugs.

                                     Marijuana use is concentrated among younger arrestees, particularly young males.  Marijuana is the primary drug used by
                   juvenile arrestees.  On average, more than half of juvenile males tested positive for marijuana, ranging from approximately
                   46 percent in Indianapolis to around 63 percent in Phoenix.

NIJ's Breaking the Cycle program is testing the theory that reduced drug use in a defendant population will result in a
decline in criminal behavior, improvement in the population's social functioning, and a more effective use of criminal justice
resources, particularly detention capacity.   Breaking the Cycle is a systemwide plan designed to identify and treat all
defendants in need of substance abuse treatment.  Principal elements of the plan include:

                                     Drug testing all defendants at arrest and placement in appropriate treatment and case management for those who test
                   positive.

                                     Monitoring compliance with treatment conditions imposed by the court and administrative and judicial sanctions for
                   defendants not in compliance.

                                     Availability of recent test results at all court appearances, including the initial appearance.

NIJ supports the Breaking the Cycle program at three sites   Birmingham, Alabama; Jacksonville, Florida; and Tacoma,
Washington.  The pilot Breaking the Cycle site in Birmingham, established in 1996, has already begun to show results. 
Substance abuse assessments that once were conducted six months after arrest are now completed within two days of arrest. 
The number of defendants on the project's active caseload has more that doubled   from 900 a month to over 1,800, and the
median length of supervision has increased from about 150 days to 232 days.

In March 1999, NIJ expanded the Breaking the Cycle demonstration project to include the juvenile justice system.  The City
of Eugene, Oregon was awarded a two-year, $2 million award to implement the system-wide drug treatment and supervision
initiative for juvenile arrestees.

DEVELOPING DRUG COURTS

Drug courts are another effective strategy for reducing drug-related crime.  Drug courts use a "carrot and stick" approach to
encourage non-violent, drug abusing offenders to stop the cycle of substance abuse and crime.  Intensive supervision and
sanctions are combined with the prospect of reduced charges or shorter sentences for offenders who successfully complete
treatment and other requirements established by the judge.  Although drug courts vary somewhat among communities, such
courts typically involve active participation by judges, regular testing of offenders, and graduated sanctions.  They also use a
partnership approach that integrates drug treatment with other health and social services.  As an alternative to traditional
incarceration or probation, drug courts are an effective means to reduce drug use and recidivism and are less costly than
traditional supervision.

In FY 1999, OJP's Drug Courts Program Office awarded more than $14 million to 147 jurisdictions to expand, enhance, or
plan drug courts.  OJP also provided nearly $20 million to 70 jurisdictions that applied for drug court implementation grants
in FY 1998, but did not receive awards due to lack of funds.  

Since the program's inception in FY 1995, OJP has made approximately 500 grants totaling more than $100 million to help
jurisdictions plan, implement, enhance, or evaluate drug courts.  There are now more than 350 drug courts operating in the
United States a number which has increased from approximately 30 when OJP's program started in FY 1995.  In addition,
there are more than 200 drug courts in the planning stages.  For the first time, there is drug court activity in all 50 states.  At
least 14 states have enacted legislation that authorizes or funds drug courts, and several states are considering such
measures.

DCPO also provides extensive training and technical assistance for drug court planners and practitioners.  In FY 1999,
DCPO sponsored 22 workshops attended by more than 1,300 people, and responded to more than 3,100 requests for
technical assistance.

PROVIDING TREATMENT IN PRISONS AND JAILS

In December 1998, BJS released the study Substance Abuse and Treatment, State and Federal Prisoners, 1997.  The report
summarized the findings of surveys of state and federal prisoners on their drug involvement prior to incarceration, and their
substance abuse treatment history both inside and outside prison.  Key findings included:

                                     Fifty-seven percent of state prisoners and 45 percent of federal prisoners surveyed in 1997 said they had used drugs in the
                   month before their offense   up from 50 percent and 32 percent reported in the 1991 survey.

                                     Thirty-three percent of state and 22 percent of federal prisoners said they committed their current offense while under the
                   influence of drugs, and about one in six of both state and federal inmates said they committed their offense to get money
                   for drugs.

                                     About three-quarters of all prisoners can be characterized as being involved with alcohol or drug abuse in the time leading
                   up to their arrest.

                                     Among those prisoners who had been using drugs in the month before their offense, 15 percent of both state and federal
                   inmates said they had received drug abuse treatment during their current prison term   down from a third of such
                   prisoners in 1991.

All available data show that most prisoners' incarceration is correlated, at least in part, with substance abuse.  Yet only a
fraction of substance-abusing offenders in correctional facilities have access to much-needed treatment.  To bridge the gap
between the need for treatment and its availability, OJP directly and indirectly funds substance abuse treatment programs in
prisons and jails.  The primary grant program, Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) for State Prisoners, was
authorized by the 1994 Crime Act.  In FY 1999, OJP's Corrections Program Office awarded a total of $57.8 million to all 50
states, the District of Columbia and eligible territories under the RSAT program.  Since the program began in FY 1996, OJP
has awarded just over $173 million for substance abuse treatment in state prisons and local jails.

Breaking the cycle of substance abuse and crime is one of the
most important investments we can make in the safety of our
communities.  That is why we are working to build substance
abuse treatment into all phases of the criminal justice system. 
From drug testing and assessment of arrestees, to drug court
programs that provide supervised treatment for non-violent
offenders, to residential substance abuse treatment for prison
and jail inmates, to supervising the reentry of ex-offenders to
the community, we are working with state and local
governments to build a continuum of care for drug-involved
offenders

Acting Assistant Attorney General Mary Lou LearyPrograms funded by RSAT must be provided in residential treatment
facilities set apart from the general correctional population.  Each
offender must participate in the program for a term of six months to a
year, unless he or she drops out or is terminated.  The programs should
develop the inmate's cognitive, behavioral, social, vocational, and other
skills to solve the substance abuse and related problems.  States may use
the funds for programs in state correctional facilities, or may make
subgrants to local governments.

To ensure that gains made during treatment in prison continue after
release, OJP requires that preference be given to programs with aftercare
as an essential component.  Aftercare services should involve
coordination between the correctional treatment program and other
human service and rehabilitation programs, such as education and job
training, parole supervision, halfway houses, and self-help and peer group
programs that may aid in rehabilitation.

Although programs such as aftercare are not eligible for RSAT funding, states are required to ensure coordination between
correctional representatives and alcohol and drug abuse agencies at the state and, if appropriate, local levels. States should
also coordinate substance abuse and mental health services for dual diagnosed offenders. 

COMBATING UNDERAGE DRINKING

In July 1999, OJJDP and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) released a study showing that the costs of underage
drinking in America totals more than $58 billion annually.  Earlier research had shown that underage drinking is the nation's
largest youth drug problem, killing 6.5 times more young people than all other illicit drugs combined.  The study, Underage
Drinking: Immediate Consequences and their Costs, indicated that raising the minimum purchase age for alcohol to 21
throughout the country has been a successful strategy for reducing alcohol use and preventing related problems.  Since 1975,
minimum drinking age laws have prevented more than 17,000 traffic fatalities.   Today, all 50 states have minimum drinking
age laws set at 21.  However, despite tougher laws, minors still drink   and their drinking often results in serious health and
social problems.

In FY 1999, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) awarded $360,000 to each state under the
Enforcing the Underage Drinking Laws Program, formerly known as the Combating Underage Drinking Program.  States are
using these funds to improve enforcement of laws prohibiting sales of alcohol to minors and for alcohol use prevention
programs for youth.  In addition to the formula grants, OJJDP also joined with MADD to support the expansion of MADD's
Youth in Action program to 14 additional sites across the country.  The Youth in Action campaign directly involves young
people in policy and enforcement efforts to stem the tide of underage drinking.  The campaign encourages youth groups to
team up with law enforcement agencies to combat illegal alcohol sales to minors, conduct merchant compliance stings, curb
fake IDs on the Internet, and raise public awareness about parental liability issues related to serving alcohol to minors.   


                      FOR MORE INFORMATION
                                
Visit the OJP Website at www.ojp.usdoj.gov, which includes general
information about OJP and its bureaus and program offices, e-mail addresses,
downloadable versions of application kits, and links to selected criminal justice
Websites.  The National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) Website
at www.ncjrs.org offers online versions of most OJP publications.  OJP
publications can also be ordered by calling the NCJRS toll-free number at 1-
800/851-3420.  The following publications are available from NCJRS:

Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) Program: 1998 Annual Report on
Drug Use Among Adult and Juvenile Arrestees (NIJ) NCJ175656

Defining Drug Courts: The Key Components (DCPO) NCJ 165478

Substance Abuse and Treatment, State and Federal Prisoners, 1997 (BJS)        
NCJ 172871

Underage Drinking: Immediate Consequences and their Costs (OJJDP)

4                   
                   Combating Family Violence
                                
                                
     Since the passage of the Violence Against Women Act as part of the 1994 Crime Act, OJP
has devoted resources to helping communities improve their responses to domestic violence,
sexual assault, and stalking by treating these offenses as serious crimes.  OJP has provided more
than $800 million for state, tribal, and local programs of law enforcement, prosecutors, and courts
to address violent crimes against women, as well as research on family violence issues.  Because
violence against women is often closely associated with other problems such as child
maltreatment, OJP has formed partnerships with the government agencies and private
organizations that address these related issues.  The inclusion of community organizations in the
planning process, the coordination of the criminal justice system with social services, and the
development of up-to-date research are all practices that exemplify OJP's approach to community
justice.

ADDRESSING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

     To address violence against women and improve the safety of domestic violence, sexual
assault, and stalking victims, OJP has been working to build coordinated community responses
system that treat these crimes as serious offenses.  The STOP Violence Against Women formula
grant program, the flagship program of the 1994 Violence Against Women Act, provides grants
to states to strengthen the systemwide response to violence against women.  STOP stands for
Services, Training, Officers, and Prosecutors   all an essential part of a community response. 
States must allocate 25 percent of the grant funds to law enforcement, 25 percent to prosecution,
and 25 percent to victim services.  The remaining 25 percent can be allocated at each grantee's
discretion, within program guidelines.  In FY 1999, OJP's Violence Against Women Office
(VAWO) awarded more than $138 million to all 50 states, five territories, and the District of
Columbia.

     In keeping with OJP's commitment to rigorous evaluation of its funding programs, the
Urban Institute has been conducting ongoing studies of the effectiveness of the STOP program. 
Evaluation of the STOP Formula Grants to Combat Violence Against Women, was released in
August 1999.  It found:

                   The STOP program is having a major impact on the experiences of women victims
          of violence in the criminal justice and other service systems.

                   Both victims and service professionals report substantial benefits of STOP grants.


                   STOP projects that have placed a major emphasis on collaboration for the purpose
          of bringing about system change have been successful.  It takes work, but the
          payoffs are worth it.  Projects not explicitly focused on collaboration to create
          system change are less likely to achieve it.

     To supplement programs like STOP, which have been targeted at law enforcement,
prosecution, and victim services, OJP initiated a new program to further integrate judges and
courts into local responses to domestic violence.  The Judicial Oversight Demonstration Initiative
challenges the judiciary to take an active role in increasing offender accountability and promoting
victim safety.  In FY 1999, VAWO awarded about $2 million to each of three demonstration sites
in Dorchester, Massachusetts, Washtenaw County, Michigan, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  These
sites were selected after an extensive evaluation process by VAWO and NIJ, including site visits
to six finalists.  The three funded sites, along with the remaining nine sites, will also receive
technical assistance from the Vera Institute of Justice of New York, which received about $1.5
million.  NIJ will conduct an evaluation of each of the three demonstration sites. 

     The judicial oversight grants can be used for a variety of collaborative, court-based
activities.  Communities can create specialized domestic violence dockets or courts, improve
comprehensive services for victims that promote safety and autonomy and create data collection
systems for the judiciary that include the defendant's history of abusive behavior.  Funds can also
be used to hold offenders accountable through the enforcement of graduated sanctions ranging
from batterer intervention and alcohol and drug treatment programs to incarceration.  The first
three sites will do the following:

                   Dorchester is implementing a court-centered, comprehensive and coordinated
          community response to domestic violence.  Law enforcement and probation
          officers, prosecutors, victim advocates, batterer intervention program staff, and the
          judiciary are establishing and implementing community-wide protocols, which treat
          domestic violence as a crime and strengthen the monitoring of perpetrators.

                   The Washtenaw County Prosecuting Attorney in Ann Arbor is establishing
          domestic violence dockets for all courts in the county and improving services for
          victims.  Funds are also being used to create a county-wide domestic violence unit. 
          This unit will include domestic violence prosecutors, investigators, probation
          officers, and victim advocates who work closely with batterer intervention
          programs, domestic violence units within police departments and a nonprofit
          advocacy organization.

                   Milwaukee County is combining graduated sanctions with intensive judicial
          oversight of offenders and expanded services for victims, with the goal of
          improving offender accountability and victim safety.

     The Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies program helps communities investigate and
prosecute domestic violence as a serious criminal offense.  In FY 1999, VAWO awarded 52
grants totaling about $28.5 million.  These awards mark the fourth year of funding under this
program and include continuation grants and grants for new programs.

     These grants encourage jurisdictions to implement mandatory or pro-arrest policies as an
effective intervention that is part of a coordinated community response to domestic violence. 
Arrest, accompanied by a thorough investigation and meaningful sanctions, demonstrates to the
offender that he has committed a serious crime and communicates to the victim that the system
will support her.

     In FY 1999, funding under this program was used to train state and local police officers,
prosecutors, judges, and victim advocates on the "full faith and credit" provision, which requires
that protection orders from one jurisdiction must be enforced in all other jurisdictions.  Before
enactment of the full faith and credit provision, victims with protection orders issued by one state
had difficulty enforcing the order if they went to work in, traveled to, or moved to most other
states.  Now a victim does not have to wait to be attacked again, meet jurisdictional requirements,
or register a protective order for it to be valid in another state.

     The inability to identify valid protection orders issued in other jurisdictions is a barrier to
implementation of full faith and credit.  OJP is helping communities to establish registries of
protection orders and to link these registries to the FBI's National Crime Information Center
(NCIC).  The National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP), administered by BJS,
supports state activities in collecting, identifying, and making available records relating to stalking
and domestic violence.
     
FIGHTING FAMILY VIOLENCE IN RURAL AND TRIBAL COMMUNITIES

     In rural areas, it can be difficult for victims of domestic violence and their children to gain
ready access to safe shelter, treatment, and counseling.  Since FY 1996, OJP has committed $52
million to improve services under the Rural Domestic Violence and Child Victimization
Enforcement Grant Program.  In FY 1999, VAWO awarded more than $15.7 million in new
awards to 53 jurisdictions in 26 states, and nearly $5 million to continue 15 existing programs. 
Projects funded include the following:

                   In Minnesota, 76 primarily rural counties and 11 tribal governments are forming
          local, multidisciplinary teams to respond to domestic violence and child abuse.

                   Louisiana is supporting domestic violence services and establishing coordinated
          community response teams in five rural parishes.  These teams include law
          enforcement officers, victim advocates, medical personnel, child welfare workers,
          and clergy.

                   Northern New Mexico Legal Services is establishing a state program of pro bono
          lawyers and domestic violence advocates to provide legal services and referrals.

                   The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians in Michigan is offering more
          services to victims, including emergency financial assistance and transportation and
          programs for children who witness domestic violence.

                   In Gafton County, New Hampshire funds are being used to establish a supervised
          visitation center to ensure safe visitation in situations where family violence has
          occurred.

                   In Reno, Nevada funds are being used to develop and implement a statewide court
          monitoring project, which will gather and evaluate data on the prosecution and
          adjudication of domestic violence cases.

                   In Montana's Yellowstone, Richland, and Lake Counties, funds are being used to
          provide services to migrant and seasonal farmworker women.

     To help tribal communities, a traditionally underserved population, address violence
against women and provide victim services, four percent of STOP funds are statutorily set aside
for American Indian and Alaskan Native tribal governments.  Under the STOP Violence Against
Indian Women program, VAWO awarded $6.5 million to 60 Indian tribal governments to
improve services for Indian women who are victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and
stalking.  These FY 1999 awards include 10 new grants to tribal governments that have not
previously received funding, and 50 grants to continue existing projects.  In addition, the Mending
the Sacred Hoop technical assistance project, comprised of experts and leaders in tribal
communities, received a total of $1.6 million to provide technical assistance and training to the
STOP Indian tribal grantees.  The consultants include tribal judges, prosecutors, law enforcement
officers, advocates, and Indian law scholars.

COMBATING VIOLENCE ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES

     Another new program in FY 1999 was the Grants to Combat Violent Crime Against
Women on Campuses program, which provided $8.1 million to 21 colleges and universities.  The
universities and colleges receiving these funds must train campus police about responding to
sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking, establish a mandatory prevention and education
program on violence against women for all incoming students, and create a coordinated response
to violence against women.  Funds may also be used to train campus administrators and
disciplinary boards to identify and respond more effectively to violence against women, and to
strengthen support services, such as medical treatment or counseling, for victims.  Data collection
and communication systems, which link campus security to local law enforcement  to identify
and track arrests and prosecutions relating to violence against women and capital
improvements, such as improved lighting, may also be supported as part of comprehensive efforts
to address violence against women on campuses.  Projects funded include the following:

                   Howard University in Washington, D.C. plans to create a sexual assault and
          domestic violence community task force, which includes representatives from
          campus and community organizations, including the D.C. Metropolitan Police
          Department and victim services agencies.  

                   Michigan State University plans to educate resident assistants, incoming students,
          sorority and fraternity members, athletes, and university staff about violence
          against women and consequences for offenders.  

                   Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee will use its grant to conduct
          domestic violence training for student health center doctors and nurses and
          Vanderbilt Medical Center emergency room staff.

                   Idaho State University will institute an education program for athletes and improve
          safety on campus by installing blue emergency telephones and enhanced lighting.

HELPING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS

     All Violence Against Women Act programs include a focus on victim services.  Often,
domestic violence matters include both criminal and civil legal issues, such as protection orders,
divorces or separations, child custody, and housing issues.  In FY 1998 the Justice Department
established a grant program to specifically address the legal needs of domestic violence victims. 
In FY 1999, VAWO awarded $21.9 million under the Civil Legal Assistance program to law
school legal clinics, victim and legal services organizations, battered women's shelters, and bar
associations in 31 states and Puerto Rico.  These organizations use the funds to provide legal
services to battered women on civil legal matters arising from abuse.  Grantees are linking civil
legal services and domestic violence victim advocacy programs.  They are also reaching out to
underserved populations such as rural, Spanish-speaking, and Asian and Pacific Islander victims
who are often isolated by language and cultural barriers.

BUILDING KNOWLEDGE ABOUT VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

     NIJ's Violence Against Women and Family Violence Research and Evaluation program
sponsors research to promote the safety of women and to increase the efficiency of the criminal
justice system's response to domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. 

     In November 1998, NIJ published Prevalence, Incidence, and Consequences of Violence
Against Women: Findings From the National Violence Against Women Survey.  This study
reported the results of a national telephone survey on violence against women, which was
conducted from November 1995 to May 1996.  Respondents were queried about physical assault
they experienced as children by adult caretakers, physical assault they experienced as adults by
any type of perpetrator, and forcible rape or stalking they experienced at any time in their life by
any type of perpetrator.  The survey found:

                   Fifty-two percent of surveyed women said they were physically assaulted as a child
          by an adult caretaker and/or as an adult by any type of perpetrator; 1.9 percent of
          surveyed women said they were physically assaulted in the previous 12 months.
          Based on these estimates, approximately 1.9 million women are physically
          assaulted annually in the United States.

                   Rape is a crime committed primarily against youth: 18 percent of women surveyed
          said they experienced a completed or attempted rape at some time in their life and
          0.3 percent said they experienced a completed or attempted rape in the previous 12
          months. Of the women who reported being raped at some time in their lives, 22
          percent were under 12 years old, and 32 percent were 12 to 17 years old when
          they were first raped.

                   Violence against women is primarily partner violence: 76 percent of the women
          who were raped and/or physically assaulted since age 18 were assaulted by a
          current or former husband, cohabiting partner, or date.

                   Using a definition of stalking that requires the victim to feel a high level of fear, the
          survey found that stalking is more prevalent than previously thought: 8 percent of
          surveyed women and 2 percent of surveyed men said they were stalked at some
          time in their life; 1 percent of surveyed women, and 0.4 percent of surveyed men
          said they were stalked in the previous 12 months. According to survey estimates,
          approximately 1 million women and 371,000 men are stalked annually in the
          United States.



                      FOR MORE INFORMATION
                                
Visit the OJP Website at www.ojp.usdoj.gov, which includes general information
about OJP and its bureaus and program offices, e-mail addresses, downloadable
versions of application kits, and links to selected criminal justice Websites.  The
National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) Website at www.ncjrs.org
offers online versions of most OJP publications.  OJP publications can also be
ordered by calling the NCJRS toll-free number at 1-800/851-3420.  The following
publications are available from NCJRS:

Prevalence, Incidence, and Consequences of Violence Against Women: Findings
from the National Violence Against Women Survey (VAWO)  NCJ 172837

Breaking the Cycle of Violence (VAWO)  NCJ 176983

Evaluation of the STOP Formula Grants to Combat Violence Against Women
(Urban Institute/VAWO)  NCJ178407

Violence by Intimates: Analysis of Data on Crimes by Current or Former Spouses,
Boyfriends, and Girlfriends (BJS)  NCJ 167237

Stalking and Domestic Violence (VAWO)  NCJ 1722204

The Criminalization of Domestic Violence: Promises and Limits (NIJ)  NCJ 157641

5
                     Addressing Youth Crime
                                


     Despite alarming reports of juvenile violence, youth crime has actually been in decline
since 1995.  But incidents of youth crime, such as high-profile school violence, remain too
common.

     OJJDP's Comprehensive Strategy for Serious, Violent, and Chronic Juvenile Offenders is
based on the premise that youth violence rarely happens suddenly   it is the end result of a
progression from problem behavior, to noncriminal misbehavior, to delinquency, to serious and
violent offending.  By intervening before this pattern begins, and at multiple points when patterns
of behavior leading to violence are underway, communities can stop youth violence before it
occurs.  The key to effective intervention is a multidisciplinary approach that relies on families and
core social institutions such as schools, churches, and community organizations as the first point
of contact for at-risk youth.  The underlying premises of the Comprehensive Strategy are that
delinquency prevention and intervention programs should be integrated with local police, social
service, child welfare, school, and family preservation programs; and community planning teams
with a broad base of participants will develop consensus around problems and priorities and build
support for comprehensive, integrated, collaborative solutions.

     The plan is dedicated to supporting healthy youth development and the primary prevention
of juvenile crime.  It recognizes, however, that some youth still will enter the juvenile justice
system, and these youth must be held accountable for their actions.  The six key principles of the
Comprehensive Strategy are:

                   Strengthening the family as the primary source to instill values and provide
          guidance and support to children.

                   Supporting core social institutions   schools, churches, youth service
          organizations, and community organizations   in their roles of developing capable,
          mature, and responsible youth.

                   Promoting delinquency prevention as the most cost-effective approach to reducing
          juvenile delinquency.

                   Intervening immediately and effectively when delinquent behavior occurs to
          successfully prevent delinquent offenders from becoming chronic offenders or
          progressively committing more serious and violent crimes.



                   Establishing a system of graduated sanctions that holds each juvenile offender
          accountable, protects public safety, and provides programs and services that meet
          identified treatment needs.

                   Identifying and controlling the small group of serious, violent, and chronic juvenile
          offenders who have committed felony offenses or who have failed to respond to
          intervention and non-secure community-based treatment and rehabilitation services
          offered by the juvenile justice system.

ENSURING SCHOOL SAFETY

     In response to incidents of violence at schools, OJJDP continued its efforts to prevent
school violence, and respond to it in the rare instances it does occur.  Although data show that
children are generally safer at school than elsewhere in the community, tragedies such as the
shootings at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado highlight the need for increased
attention to school safety.  In FY 1999, OJJDP continued its ongoing school safety initiatives, and
stepped up efforts to make schools and their communities safer by reducing youth gun violence.

     In September 1999, the President announced more than $100 million in grants to 54
communities to make schools safer and help protect young people from aggressive and violent
behavior, as well as drug and alcohol use.  The Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative is an
unprecedented joint partnership among the Departments of Justice, Education, and Health and
Human Services.  The grants are supporting comprehensive, community-wide strategies for
creating safe and drug-free schools and promoting healthy childhood development.  The strategies
combine safe school policies with youth alcohol and drug prevention, violence prevention, and
early intervention, school and community mental health programs, early childhood services, and
educational reform.

     OVC provided assistance to Littleton, Colorado and other communities that experienced
school violence.  OVC supplemented Colorado's victim assistance and victim compensation funds
to support the needs of the Littleton community.  Through the victim assistance program,
Colorado can award funds to schools or other agencies to support counseling services and other
types of victim assistance.  Funds provided to the compensation program can be used to pay for
funerals, medical expenses, private mental health services, and lost wages.  OVC continues to
work closely with the Littleton community to ensure that the short-term and long-term needs of
the victims and the surrounding community are adequately addressed.

     In September 1999, BJS and the National Center for Education Statistics released
Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 1999.  The report found that, despite several tragic and
deadly incidents on school campuses in the past few years, students were about
three times more

The Departments of Education and Justice issued the 1999 Annual Report on School Safety, which describes the
nature and scope of school violence and highlights how communities are collaborating to reduce school violence. 
The report found:

         Homicides at school remain extremely rare events   the chances of suffering a school-associated violent
     death are less than one in a million.  However, the number of multiple victim homicides has increased in
     recent years.
         Most school crime is theft, not serious violent crime.  The nature of crime away from school is far more
     serious than at school.

     The annual report also described resources available to communities for creating safer schools, and
featured existing programs that are making a difference:

  In 1994, officials in Lansing, Michigan formed a
coalition of local government, law enforcement, public
schools, prevention agencies, and representatives
from the community.  The coalition established the
Peace Center at Otto Middle School, which offers peer
mediation, an after-school community service and
violence prevention club, and classes and support for
parents.  Eighth graders receive special instruction on
law education and the importance of reporting weapon
carrying and crimes to officials.  Each parent of an
incoming student receives a welcome bag of school
materials accompanied by alcohol, tobacco, and drug
abuse and violence prevention information.  During the
first six months of the program, there was a 14 percent
decrease in suspensions.

  In Juneau, Alaska, educators and community
members developed healthy life skills standards for
Alaskan students.  A risk assessment indicated high
levels of youth alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use. In
response, Juneau-Douglas High School adopted the
"Students for Social Responsibility and Mediation"
program.  The program's focus is on peer
empowerment and personal and social skills.  The
program works in close cooperation with the Juneau-
Douglas High School Student Assistance Program, the
Police Officer in the Schools Program, the Mayor's
Task Force on Youth, the Juneau Career Center, the
Teen Health Center, the Teen Court, and 11 other
community agencies.  As a result of these efforts,
Juneau-Douglas has documented a significant
decrease in student violence, as well as an overall
reduction in drug use.  

  Teachers, students, and parents at the Linwood
Elementary School at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia,
implemented the Linwood Pride Discipline Plan to
teach students responsible decision making.  The
program's philosophy is based on the premises that
each person is a responsible decision maker; each
person makes many choices every day; each person
decides how to behave; no one else causes a person
to do anything; and each person chooses success or
failure.  If students do not make responsible choices,
they visit the Opportunity Room   a designated room
for students to think about their decisions, discuss
what occurred, and develop an action plan for the next
time they are placed in a similar situation. The
percentage of students demonstrating acceptable
behavior increased from 84 percent in the 1996-97
school year to 92 percent in 1997-98.

  Abington, Pennsylvania developed a comprehensive,
long-term prevention program to serve students from
kindergarten through high school graduation.  
Prevention programming begins with a series of
lessons on decision-making skills, resistance, and
refusal skills. At higher grade levels, these skills are
infused with prevention education in multiple areas
including awareness of tobacco, drug, and violence
issues.  The drug and violence prevention program is
supported with effective discipline policies.  Abington
Senior High School reported a decrease in student
suspensions from 54 in 1993-94 to 20 in 1997-98.

likely to be victims of nonfatal serious crime away from school than at school.  However, while
data show that the actual rate of victimization has declined or remained constant over recent
years, students seem to feel less safe at school now than just a few years ago.

     In response to strong demand from school officials and concerned citizens nationwide,
OJJDP continued to distribute Early Warning, Timely Response: A Guide to Safe Schools.  This
document, first developed by the Departments of Education and Justice in 1998, is designed to
help adults reach out to troubled children quickly and effectively.  The guide outlines the early
warning signs that point to violence and other troubling behavior and the action that school
communities can take to prevent violence, to intervene and get help for troubled children, and to
respond to school violence when it occurs.

     The guide also outlines the characteristics of schools that support prevention, appropriate
intervention, and effective crisis response. The guide points out that well-functioning schools
foster learning, safety, and socially appropriate behaviors. They have a strong academic focus and
support students in achieving high standards, foster positive relationships between school staff and
students, and promote meaningful parental and community involvement.

     OJJDP and NIJ are working with other federal agencies on a research agenda on school
safety.  Topics for research include the incidence and prevalence of school crime, risk and
protective factors at the individual and school level, school-based prevention and intervention,
community partnerships for safety, and the role of law enforcement in schools.  In September
1999, NIJ released The Appropriate and Effective Use of Security Technology in U.S. Schools. 
The publication, produced by NIJ, the Education Department, and the Sandia National
Laboratories, describes information on products available to address video surveillance, weapon
detection, entry control, and duress alarms in a school setting. 

REDUCING YOUTH VIOLENCE

     In FY 1999, OJJDP sponsored a range of programs to implement the principles embodied
in the Comprehensive Strategy.  The bulk of OJJDP funding passed directly to state governments
to support local juvenile justice and delinquency prevention projects.  In FY 1999, OJJDP
awarded more than $77 million to all 50 states, territories, and the District of Columbia under the
JJDP formula grant program to support a wide variety of juvenile justice activities, from
prevention to incarceration.  OJJDP also awarded more than $40 million under the Title V
program, which provides funds to states to develop and implement comprehensive plans for
delinquency prevention, and more than $9 million under the State Challenge Grants program,
which provides funds to improve juvenile justice systems, including juvenile courts, juvenile
corrections, and juvenile probation and aftercare programs.  

     OJJDP's largest grant program, the Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grants
(JAIBG), provided more than $232 million to states in its second year, supplementing the $232
million awarded in FY 1998.  JAIBG funds support programs designed to ensure accountability in
the juvenile justice system, in an effort to make young offenders aware of and responsible for the
consequences of their actions.  Accountability is best achieved through a system of graduated
sanctions imposed surely and swiftly.  Graduated sanctions are defined in relation to the nature
and seriousness of the offense, moving from limited interventions to more restrictive actions if the
juvenile offender continues delinquent activities.  By ensuring that even minor acts of delinquency
have consequences attached and that consequences become more severe with each additional
offense, accountability-based systems hope to halt the progression of young offenders toward
more serious and violent crime.

     To be eligible to receive funds, a state must certify that it either has in place, or is
contemplating, laws and policies that allow prosecution as adults of juveniles aged 15 and older
who commit a serious violent crime, impose graduated sanctions that escalate in severity with
each criminal act, maintain criminal history records for juveniles who commit serious crimes,
allow judges to order parental supervision for juvenile offenders and sanction parents who do not
comply, and implement testing for use of controlled substances for youths within the juvenile
justice system.  JAIBG funds must be used in accordance with 12 legislatively mandated purpose
areas.  These purpose areas include construction of juvenile detention or correctional facilities,
hiring prosecutors and other personnel, gun and drug courts, and accountability-based programs
for juveniles.

     To address gang violence, OJJDP continued implementation of the Comprehensive Gang
Model in five communities, and supported a detailed gang problem assessment process in four
rural sites.  The core strategies of the model involve reaching at-risk and gang-involved youth
with academic, social, and economic opportunities in the community.  The model also emphasizes
holding gang members accountable for their actions, and using the problem-solving approach of
community policing.

PREVENTING YOUTH CRIME

     In addition to its support of state and local juvenile justice through formula grant
programs, OJP also supported several projects with a national scope in FY 1999.  These included
public service media campaigns, juvenile mentoring, and innovative projects to help integrate
public health and child protection agencies with delinquency prevention efforts.

     To educate youth on violence prevention, in FY 1999 OJP supported media campaigns on
violence prevention and gun safety.  In April 1999, the Attorney General kicked off Fight for
Your Rights: Take a Stand Against Violence, a public service advertising campaign on MTV.  The
announcements advertise a free CD-ROM that teenagers can obtain request online at
www.mtv.com.  The CD-ROM includes songs from Lauryn Hill, the Dave Matthews Band, and
Alanis Morissette, as well as tips on violence prevention.  The campaign received the Emmy
Governor's Award, the highest award given by the Emmy Board, for the best pro-social campaign
on television (including the networks and cable).  The public service campaign is supported by a
partnership, which includes BJA, OJJDP, and the Education Department.


     OJJDP's Juvenile Mentoring Program supports one-to-one mentoring programs for youth
at risk of educational failure, dropping out of school, or involvement in delinquency, including
gangs and drug abuse.  In February 1999, OJJDP awarded 73 grants totaling more than $14
million to provide mentoring to 7,500 young people.  With these grants, OJJDP now supports 166
JUMP sites in 41 states.  OJJDP released Juvenile Mentoring Program: 1998 Report to
Congress, which highlights initial evaluation findings from the original 93 JUMP projects.  These
projects all matched at-risk young people with adults over 21 who provide youth with discipline,
guidance and personal attention through activities such as tutoring, job training and community
service.   Most of the mentors and participating youth believed that mentoring helped the young
people improve their academic performance, avoid alcohol and drugs, and get along better with
family and friends.

     While juvenile crime rates have dropped throughout the nation, they continue to rise in
Indian Country.  To prevent and control youth violence and substance abuse among American
Indian and Alaskan native youth, OJJDP awarded nearly $8 million to 34 tribal communities in 14
states in FY 1999.  The new Tribal Youth Program awards will support accountability-based
sanctions, training for juvenile court judges, strengthening of family bonds, substance abuse
counseling, and other programs.  These grants represent an unprecedented federal investment in
tribal communities to prevent juvenile delinquency and reduce youth violence.  This program is
part of the Indian Country Law Enforcement Improvement Initiative, a joint effort of the Justice
and Interior Departments.

We are encouraged that so many communities want
to make a difference in the lives of young people. 
We hope that even more will come together to form
these critically needed coalitions to combat youth
violence.  
                                                               
                      OJJDP Acting Administrator John J. Wilson
          
     Several OJJDP programs seek to prevent
youth violence by linking delinquency prevention
programs with other resources like schools and
social services.  The SafeFutures program,
operating in six sites, seeks to create a continuum
of care in communities.  The services provided
through the program include family strengthening,
afterschool activities, mentoring, treatment
alternatives for juvenile female offenders, mental
health services, day treatment, and graduated
sanctions for violent and chronic offenders.

BUILDING KNOWLEDGE ABOUT YOUTH CRIME

     In FY 1999, OJP continued to develop research on juvenile crime and delinquency, with a
focus on school crime and gun violence.  

     In September 1999, OJJDP released Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 1999 National
Report, which provides a clear view of the nature of juvenile crime and violence and the justice
system's response.  The 215-page report details the latest statistics and research on characteristics
of the juvenile population, juvenile victims, juvenile offenders, the juvenile justice system and
process, law enforcement and juvenile crime, juvenile courts, and juveniles in correctional
facilities.  Key findings in the report include:

                   Even though more juveniles are being arrested and entering the justice system
          charged with a violent crime, the rate of serious violent crime committed by
          juveniles today is less than twenty years ago.  Serious violent victimization in the
          United States reached its peak in 1993, the highest level in two decades, before
          falling substantially between 1993 and 1997.  Violence by juveniles dropped 33
          percent in that time. 

                   Juveniles are more likely to be victims of violent crime in the hour after the end of
          the school day than at any other hour of the day.  One out of every 10 violent
          crimes known to law enforcement agencies and committed against juveniles occurs
          between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.  This late afternoon peak occurs only on school days. 
          On nonschool days, a juvenile is at greatest risk of becoming the victim of a violent
          crime between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m., but this risk is about half that in the afterschool
          hour on school days.

                   Between 1981 and 1997, the violent crime arrest rate for juvenile females nearly
          doubled, while the rate for males increased only 20 percent.  These changes in
          arrest rates for females and males changed the composition of violent offenders
          entering the juvenile justice system.  States and local jurisdictions were faced with
          a disproportionate need for intervention services and placement alternatives
          designed to address problems unique to female offenders.

                   Between 1994 and 1997, the number of murders involving a juvenile offender
          dropped 39 percent. This sharp decline was attributable entirely to a decline in
          homicides by firearms, which had increased dramatically between 1987 and 1994.

                   One in four reported murders of juveniles in 1997 occurred in just five large, urban
          counties in the United States.  More than one in four reported murders by juvenile
          offenders were in just eight counties nationwide.  Juvenile homicides are
          concentrated in large, urban areas, and most of the nation's communities do not
          encounter this problem.

     In 1999, OJJDP released the Report to Congress on Juvenile Violence Research.  The
report consolidates the findings of seven OJJDP-funded studies on youth violence and the causes
and correlates of delinquency.  Highlights include:

                   Violent offenses are overwhelmingly committed by males and the majority of
          juvenile victims of violence are male. However, females appear to be getting more
          involved in violent behavior.

                   In impoverished neighborhoods, there is a small group of offenders responsible for
          a large percentage of violent crime, but the majority of youth in these
          neighborhoods are not involved in violent offending.

                   Firearms were involved in 80 percent or more of violent incidents reported to
          police.  Guns are fairly accessible to youth in both rural and urban areas but not all
          juveniles with access to guns are equally dangerous.

     In light of the findings of these studies, the report recommends that interventions should
target gangs, guns, high-risk juveniles, and locations and times at highest risk for juvenile
violence.

     In the wake of the Littleton incident, the President established the National Campaign
Against Youth Violence to explore a public-private partnership to reduce juvenile crime and
provide positive alternatives for young people.  The President also commissioned a study about
the motion picture, television, music, and video game industries marketing material that is rated
for adults to young people, as well as advertising these materials through outlets primarily used by
minors.  OJJDP is funding this study in conjunction with the Federal Trade Commission.                      FOR MORE INFORMATION
                                
Visit the OJP Website at www.ojp.usdoj.gov, which includes general information
about OJP and its bureaus and program offices, e-mail addresses, downloadable
versions of application kits, and links to selected criminal justice Websites.  The
National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) Website at www.ncjrs.org
offers online versions of most OJP publications.  OJP publications can also be
ordered by calling NCJRS toll-free at 1-800/851-3420.  The following publications
are available from NCJRS:

Comprehensive Strategy for Serious, Violent, and Chronic Juvenile Offenders
(OJJDP)  NCJ 143453

Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 1999 (BJS)  NCJ 178906

1999 Annual Report on School Safety (Departments of Education and Justice)

Early Warning, Timely Response: A Guide to Safe Schools (OJJDP) NCJ172854

The Appropriate and Effective Use of Security Technology in U.S. Schools (NIJ) 
NCJ178265

Juvenile Mentoring Program: 1998 Report to Congress (OJJDP) NCJ173424

Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 1999 National Report (OJJDP)  NCJ 178257

Report to Congress on Juvenile Violence Research (OJJDP)  NCJ 176976

Research: Making a Difference for Juveniles (OJJDP)  NCJ 177602
 
 6
                       Managing Offenders
                                

     Managing offenders is a complicated problem, requiring the government to consider
overlapping goals of punishment, incapacitation, deterrence, and rehabilitation in developing
effective corrections policy.  The diverse population of offenders, and problems like substance
abuse and mental health disorders that often accompany offending, provide further challenges.

     OJP helps state and local agencies manage their offender populations in ways that best
protect public safety.  OJP's largest funding stream for corrections helps states build prisons to
increase incarceration of violent offenders.  At the same time, OJP supports programs to break the
cycle of offending by supporting drug treatment programs and programs to help prisoners who
have completed their sentences reenter society as law-abiding citizens.

HELPING OFFENDERS REJOIN THE COMMUNITY

     Each year, nearly 500,000 individuals leave state prison and return to communities across
the country.  For many of these offenders, the process of reintegration is difficult   they may lack
family support, have difficulty finding jobs, and associate with former peers who support the
resumption of criminal habits, as well as abuse drugs or alcohol.  Such circumstances often
contribute to an offender's return to criminal behavior and subsequent recidivism.

     In FY 1999, OJP took several steps to develop a seamless system of offender
accountability, supervision, and support that begins during incarceration and continues as the
offender leaves prison and reenters the community.  Several OJP bureaus and offices, as well as
other Justice Department components, are participating in a Reentry Working Group to improve
the system for ex-offenders returning to the community, to help manage the risks to the
community posed by released prisoners, and to reduce recidivism among paroled offenders.

     OJP is supporting the establishment of reentry courts, in which judges are actively
involved in monitoring offenders as they return to the community.  Reentry courts are modeled on
other problem-solving courts, such as drug courts.  Reentry courts are designed to promote
positive behavior by providing services to help offenders reconnect with their families and the
community, including employment, counseling, education, health, mental health, and other
essential services.  At the same time, reentry court judges would be able to use their judicial
authority to apply graduated sanctions, using the power to punish to keep individuals on the right
track.

     In September 1999, OJP issued a call for concept papers from jurisdictions interested in
establishing reentry courts.  OJP selected nine reentry court pilot sites, and is providing technical
assistance and opportunities for information sharing through a series of reentry court conferences.

     In addition to reentry courts, OJP is also exploring a variety of other reentry programs.  In
May and September 1999, NIJ and OJP's Corrections Program Office convened meetings of state
corrections administrators to explore how the corrections system, law enforcement, and the
community can work together more closely to prepare for and manage the reentry process.  The
Executive Office for Weed and Seed, in conjunctions with Nevada state officials, is supporting a
reentry demonstration project at the Weed and Seed site in Las Vegas.  

     Reentry issues are especially important when dealing with the juvenile justice system, in
which rehabilitation is an essential goal.  OJJDP supports an intensive aftercare program for high-
risk juvenile offenders leaving secure residential facilities and a targeted reintegration program in
coordination with Boys & Girls Clubs.  OJP is also working closely with the Labor Department
on youthful offender demonstration projects, which deliver educational, training, and employment
opportunities for at-risk youth.

BUILDING COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS PARTNERSHIPS

     In the early 1990's Boston, Massachusetts was experiencing heightened gang violence, a
rise in homicide victims under the age of 17, public alarm, increasingly bold behavior of gang
members in courthouses, and criticism by minority community leaders and judges of police tactics. 
Probation officers worked independently of police, and curfews were not commonly imposed by
the court and were difficult to enforce. In response to those problems, a few probation officers
met informally with a few police officers to develop the Operation Night Light model as a more
effective way of deterring juvenile violence.

               Operation Night Light pairs one probation officer with two police officers to make
surprise visits to the homes, schools, and worksites of high-risk youth probationers during the
high crime hours of 7 p.m. to midnight, rather than during regular working hours, which was
previously the norm.  The program also gives all Boston police officers information on who is on
probation and what conditions they are required to obey, allowing officers on patrol to act as
additional eyes and ears for probation around the clock.  In doing so, officers discovered that
many offenders under supervision in the community were violating the terms of their probation by
breaking court-imposed curfews and associating with other known offenders.

     Officials in Boston found that Operation Night Light's efforts   joint patrols, curfew
checks, and information sharing   have had a significant impact on gang members who are on
probation because they have begun to take conditions of supervision much more seriously. 
Between 1994 and 1996, the number of probationers arrested on new charges declined 9.2
percent, compared with a statewide increase of 14 percent during the same period.

     In FY 1999, OJP's Corrections Program Office and the Boston Police Department held a
series of four regional workshops on law enforcement-corrections partnerships to share
information on the successful program in Boston, as well as other partnerships being tried across
the country.  In March 1999, NIJ published Police-Corrections Partnerships, which describes 14
such partnerships between police and corrections agencies.  These include enhanced supervision
partnerships like Operation Night Light, as well as other programs such as joint fugitive
apprehension teams and prison anti-gang programs.

INCARCERATING VIOLENT CRIMINALS

     A major goal of the 1994 Crime Act was to effectively address serious and violent crime
by promoting incarceration of the most dangerous offenders.  OJP's Corrections Program Office
has now provided more than $1.8 billion to states through the Violent Offender
Incarceration/Truth-in-Sentencing (VOI/TIS) programs.  The funds can be used to build or
expand prisons or jails to house violent offenders and to construct or enhance correctional
facilities for nonviolent offenders in order to free up bedspace for violent offenders.  In FY 1999,
a total of more than $484 million was awarded to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the
territories, and five Indian tribes to help incarcerate more violent offenders, often for longer
periods of time.

     VOI/TIS grants are awarded on a formula basis to states and territories that demonstrate
eligibility for different funding levels through corrections practices and policies.  Every state
receives VOI Tier 1 funding.  To be eligible for VOI Tier 2 and Tier 3 funding, states must
document certain increases in the percentage of arrestees sentenced to prison, time served, or
percentage of sentence served.  States that have implemented or will implement Truth-in-
Sentencing policies requiring violent offenders to serve 85 percent of their sentence are eligible
for TIS grants.

     A report published by BJS in August 1999 documents the rise in prison populations during
the 1990s.  Prisoners in 1998 reports that:

                   The nation's state and federal prison population grew by almost 60,000 inmates
          during 1998.  The states and the District of Columbia added 49,798 prisoners and
          the federal system added 10,068.  On December 31, 1998, state and federal prisons
          held 1,302,019 inmates.  There were an additional 592,462 adult inmates in local
          jails, bringing the total incarcerated population to more than 1.8 million men and
          women.

                   Since 1990 the sentenced inmate population has grown by 65 percent in state
          prisons and 106 percent in federal prisons.  During this period 14 states reported
          increases of at least 75 percent.  In 1998 alone, seven states had population
          increases of at least 10 percent.



                   The average time served in prison by released prisoners increased from 22 months
          in 1990 to 27 months in 1997.   The amount of time entering prisoners were
          expected to serve also increased, from 38 months in 1990 to 43 months in 1997.

MANAGING SEX OFFENDERS

     According to BJS, there are an estimated 270,000 convicted sex offenders under the care,
custody, or control of corrections agencies on an average day in the United States.  Almost 60
percent of them are under some form of correctional supervision in the community   probation
or parole.  To help communities more effectively deal with these offenders, OJP established the
Center for Sex Offender Management (CSOM).  CSOM is a joint effort of OJP, the National
Institute of Corrections, and the State Justice Institute, and is administered by the Center for
Effective Public Policy and the American Probation and Parole Association.  

     In FY 1999, the Violence Against Women Office (VAWO) awarded 28 grants totaling
about $3 million under the Comprehensive Approaches to Sex Offender Management Grant
Program.  The funds assist probation and parole officers and promote collaboration among
criminal justice personnel who work directly with released sex offenders.

     As part of its National Criminal History Improvement Program, BJS is supporting the
development of a National Sex Offender Registry.  Each state received NCHIP funds in FY 1999
to implement state registries and link to the national registry maintained by the FBI.  In addition,
states must establish sex offender registries to receive full funding under BJA's Byrne formula
grant program.  States must use at least five percent of Byrne funds to improve criminal records,
including sex offender registration.

FUNDING INCARCERATION OF CRIMINAL ALIENS

     BJA's State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) provides payments to states and
localities for part of the cost of incarcerating undocumented aliens.  States and localities with
correctional facilities that incarcerate aliens accused or convicted of crimes are eligible to apply
for funds.  In FY 1999, BJA awarded more than $572 million to all 50 states, the District of
Columbia, 3 territories, and 280 local governments.  Since the program's creation in the 1994
Crime Act, BJA has provided more than $2 billion to state and local governments.

     In FY 1999, Congress required OJP to make SCAAP awards prior to August 31, or to
make partial payments based on FY 1998 allocations.  BJA accelerated the payment schedule to
make awards in July 1999, meeting the Congressional deadline.




BUILDING KNOWLEDGE ABOUT OFFENDERS

     By enhancing what we know about characteristics of offenders and how various
sentencing and corrections options affect criminal behavior, we can better build a corrections
system that meets the ultimate goal of ensuring community safety.

     Because sentencing and corrections policies have such major consequences for the quality
of justice in this country and the safety of its citizens, NIJ and the Corrections Program Office
initiated a series of Executive Sessions on Sentencing and Corrections in FY 1999.  The series,
which is continuing through 2000, is bringing together practitioners and scholars to think about
sentencing policies and the interdependence of different parts of the corrections system.  In
September 1999, NIJ released four papers resulting from the executive sessions:

                   The Fragmentation of Sentencing and Corrections in America describes four
          competing conceptions of sentencing and corrections that coexist in the United
          States today: indeterminate sentencing, comprehensive structured sentencing,
          community/restorative justice, and comprehensive risk-based systems.

                   Reconsidering Indeterminate and Structured Sentencing presents an overview of
          the state of indeterminate and comprehensive structured sentencing and elaborates
          the contrasts between them. 

                   Incorporating Restorative and Community Justice Into American Sentencing and
          Corrections describes the evolution, goals, and principles of restorative and
          community justice; explores conflicts with retributive ideas; discusses whether
          restorative and community justice should be incorporated into the criminal justice
          system; and provides examples of programs implemented successfully.

                   Reforming Sentencing and Corrections for Just Punishment and Public Safety
          explores risk-based sentencing   a construct in which the overriding goal is public
          safety which is achieved by individualized risk management.  The paper suggests
          that sentencing be restructured in accordance with rule-of-law principles, so that
          judges' rulings are based on findings of fact about the specific risks an individual
          offender poses.

     The majority of offenders are supervised in the community.  In August 1999, BJS
published Probation and Parole in the United States, 1998, which provides information on
offenders under community supervision.  Probationers are criminal offenders sentenced to a
period of correctional supervision in the community.  Parole is a period of conditional supervision
following a prison term.  The report found that:


                   The total adult correctional population grew by 164,100 men and women during
          1998 to reach a new high of 5.9 million people.  Almost 3 percent of the nation's
          adult population, or about 1 in every 34 adults, were incarcerated or on probation
          or on parole at the end of last year.

                   From 1990 through 1998, as incarceration rates rose, the percentage of the total
          correctional population under community supervision declined from 74 percent to
          69 percent.

                      FOR MORE INFORMATION
                                
Visit the OJP Website at www.ojp.usdoj.gov, which includes general information
about OJP and its bureaus and program offices, e-mail addresses, downloadable
versions of application kits, and links to selected criminal justice Websites.  The
National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) Website at www.ncjrs.org
offers online versions of most OJP publications.  OJP publications can also be
ordered by calling the NCJRS toll-free number at 1-800/851-3420.  The following
publications are available from NCJRS:

Prisoners in 1998 (BJS)  NCJ 175687

Police-Corrections Partnerships (NIJ)  NCJ 175047

The Fragmentation of Sentencing and Corrections in America (NIJ)  NCJ 175721 

Reconsidering Indeterminate and Structured Sentencing (NIJ)  NCJ 175722

Incorporating Restorative and Community Justice Into American Sentencing and
Corrections (NIJ)  NCJ 175723

Reforming Sentencing and Corrections for Just Punishment and Public Safety (NIJ)
NCJ 175724

Probation and Parole in the United States, 1998 (BJS)  NCJ 178234

7                                  
                   Protecting and Supporting
                        Victims of Crime
                                
     Crime takes a tremendous toll on its victims.  And with more than 8.9 million violent and
22.9 million property crime victimizations in 1998, vast numbers of Americans are affected.

     OJP works to meet the needs of victims of crime, by funding a network of victim service
providers, helping communities respond to crises, funding state victim compensation and victim
assistance programs, and ensuring that victims' voices are heard in the justice system. 

ASSISTING VICTIMS OF TERRORISM

     As Americans are affected by terrorism at home and abroad, OVC helps victims and their
families cope with the immediate effects of terrorism and its aftermath.  In recent years, OVC has
worked extensively with victims and victim families affected by bombings in Oklahoma City,
Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia, and embassies in East Africa.  The 1996 Antiterrorism Act
granted OVC authority and provided funding to assist American victims of terrorism abroad. 
Congress has also authorized assistance to families of Pan Am 103 victim families.

     In FY 1999, OVC continued to assist victims and families by helping them participate in
the justice system in criminal trials relating to acts of terrorism.  OVC is directly helping families
of victims from Pan Am Flight 103 attend the trial of two Libyan suspects by a Scottish court
sitting in the Netherlands, and is working with the State Department and the U.S. Attorney's
office for the Southern District of New York to assist victims of the East African embassy
bombings.  In cooperation with the U.S. Attorney's office for the District of Columbia,. OVC has
also supported assistance to victims of the Khobar Towers bombing.

     In the Pan Am 103 case, OVC has worked extensively with Scottish officials to ensure
that victim families would have access to the unique legal proceedings.  OVC is sponsoring a
secure telecast of the trial to remote sites in the United States and United Kingdom.  OVC is also
funding travel by victim families to the trial site in the Netherlands.

     To ensure that Pan Am 103 victim families have the most up-to-date information on the
trial, OVC, in conjunction with Syracuse Law School, developed a secure Website.  The Website
provides background materials about legal developments, cases, and law relating to the bombing;
criminal trial updates and legal analysis; information about OVC services for family members who
plan to attend the trial; and an interactive component enabling family members to e-mail questions
and be referred to appropriate resources.  The Website is password-protected so that only family
members and other authorized users have access.

OVC is proud to have been part of the federal effort to respond
to victims of the several recent terrorist attacks.  But, we still
have much to learn about the lasting impact of terrorism on
victims and on communities.

OVC Director Kathryn Turman   OVC also arranged briefings for the families of Pan Am 103 victims by senior U.S. and
Scottish officials in Washington, D.C. and London.  The Lord Advocate of Scotland and a team
including Scottish prosecuting attorneys, law enforcement, and court staff discussed the reasons
for the unique trial arrangements in this case, the facilities at Kamp Zeist in the Netherlands where
the trial will take place, and plans for prosecuting and investigating the case.  The victims' families
were provided with lengthy opportunities to ask questions of Scottish and Justice Department
officials, including the At                     torney General.
                                                               
                              In May 1999, OVC arranged similar
                   briefings for Americans who were injured and
                      the surviving family members of Americans
                    killed in bombings of the U.S. Embassies in
                        East Africa.  The survivors of American
                 military personnel killed in action in Somalia
                   also attended.  The meeting gave victims and
                       family members an opportunity to express
                        their concerns to high-level government
representatives; provided information to families about benefits, services, security, the recovery
process, and other issues; and provided information to families about the investigation and
prosecution of the criminal case.  Speakers included the Attorney General, Secretary of State,
Secretary of Defense, and other high ranking U.S. officials.  OVC also sponsored a similar
     briefing for victim families of the Khobar Towers bombing.
                                                               
     In June 1999, OVC convened the first meeting of an interagency task force on victims of
terrorism abroad, formed by the Attorney General to develop a protocol and resource manual on
assisting victims of terrorism abroad.  The embassy bombings in East Africa made clear the need
for a protocol to ensure coordinated, efficient, and sensitive intergovernmental response to the
needs of U.S. citizens and employees who are victims of terrorism in other countries.  Federal
agencies with overseas operations are represented, as well as agencies responsible for employee
                                       benefits and assistance.
                                                               
                                       PROTECTING CHILD VICTIMS
                                                               
     Too often, a child's first contact with the justice system is as a victim of or witness to
violence.  An NIJ study shows that a child who experiences serious violence is 50 percent more
likely to be arrested as a juvenile, and nearly 40 percent more likely to be arrested as an adult.
Child victims are also more likely to be victims of crime as adults, and children who experience
violence are at significant risk for substance abuse, mental illness, and suicide.  Intervening in the
lives of victimized children before negative patterns of behavior, low self-esteem, and damaged
character are established is essential to preventing future violence. 
                                                               
                                                               
     In December 1998, the President announced the Justice Department's Children Exposed
to Violence Initiative, directed by Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder.  The purpose of this
initiative is to focus public attention on the crime and violence that directly affect and confront
our children, and to challenge those who work with these children to break the cycle of violence
through enhanced prevention, intervention, and accountability efforts. 
                                                               
     In June 1999, OJP participated in "Safe from the Start: The National Summit on Children
Exposed to Violence."  The summit brought together experts in law enforcement, child
development, policy, tribal justice, medicine, mental health, domestic violence, education, and the
media to develop a national action plan to address the needs of child crime victims and witnesses. 
DAG Holder issued a call to action, asking states to convene their own summits on children
                                         exposed to violence.  
                                                               
     At the summit, OVC released a new video and two publications.  The summit opened with
In Their Voices, Through Their Eyes, a video that uses children's art, writings and voices to
depict how children are affected by violence.  Two publications,  Breaking the Cycle of Violence:
Recommendations to Improve the Criminal Justice Response to Child Victims and Witnesses and
Children Exposed to Violence: Criminal Justice Resources provide guidance to criminal justice
                               and child welfare practitioners.
                                                               
     In FY 1999, Congress appropriated $10 million to fund the Safe Start Initiative. The goal
of Safe Start is to create a holistic approach to prevent and reduce the harmful effects of family
and community violence on young children. Safe Start seeks to accomplish this goal by expanding
existing partnerships between service providers in key areas such as early childhood education and
development, health, mental health, child welfare, family support, substance abuse prevention and
intervention, domestic violence crisis intervention, law enforcement, courts, and legal services. 
These partnerships will create a comprehensive community service delivery system that will meet
the needs of children and their families at any point of entry into the system.
                                                               
     In FY 1999, OJJDP made awards to nine Safe Start demonstration sites for long-term
projects, as well as three awards to facilitate program expansion and service coordination in the
                       area of children's exposure to violence.
                                                               
     OJP's Safe Kids-Safe Streets: Community Approaches to Reducing Abuse and Neglect
initiative is helping communities implement a comprehensive, community-wide program to break
the cycle of childhood victimization.  OJP supports the program at five sites, providing funding
and technical assistance to help communities implement Safe Kids-Safe Streets strategies to
improve the handling of child abuse cases, coordinate parenting programs and support services for
at-risk youth, enhance data collection, and launch prevention and education campaigns that target
         detection, reporting, and prevention of child abuse.  
                                                               
     In May 1999, the Attorney General presented the Officer of the Year Award for Missing
and Exploited Children Investigations to three officers from Bellmead, Texas in recognition of
their excellent work in recovering missing children.  The award presentation was part of the 16th
annual National Missing Children's Day ceremony, sponsored by OJJDP's Missing and Exploited
Children Program.  The ceremony commemorated the first anniversary of the publication of When
Your Child is Missing: A Family Survival Guide.  Drawing on the experience of parents of
missing children, the guide describes the steps that should be taken in cooperation with law
enforcement to find a missing child.  The publication offers a checklist of what a parent should do
when a child is first missing, as well as advice on working with law enforcement, the media, and
volunteers.  More than 80,000 copies of this award-winning document have been distributed,
including one to each law enforcement agency and public library in the country.  OJJDP funded a
      Spanish translation of this guide for release in FY 2000.
                                                               
     In FY 1999, the Missing and Exploited Children Program also funded the National Center
for Missing and Exploited Children, published guides for law enforcement, and sponsored training
and technical assistance for more than 4,500 law enforcement, prosecutors, social services, and
health and family services professionals.  OJJDP also sponsored the Internet Crimes Against
Children program, described in Chapter 8, to prevent, detect, and prosecute online child
                                                  exploitation.
                                                               
                                              ASSISTING VICTIMS
                                                               
     OVC administers the Crime Victims Fund, which is funded entirely by money paid in fines
and penalties by federal criminal offenders   not taxpayer dollars.  Fines collected in one year by
U.S. Attorneys, the U.S. Courts, and the Bureau of Prisons are deposited into the fund and are
              available for grant awards in the following year.
                                                               
     In FY 1999, OVC awarded a total of $324 million from the Crime Victims Fund to aid
crime victims.  States received a total of $305 million in formula grant funds for victim assistance
and victim compensation programs.  These funds supported nearly 3,000 local victim assistance
agencies and served approximately two million crime victims.  Funding helps state victim
assistance programs provide funds to community agencies that promote crisis intervention,
criminal justice advocacy, counseling, emergency shelter, and other services.  Victim assistance
funds also support children's advocacy centers and comprehensive victim service centers. 
Compensation programs reimburse victims for out-of-pocket crime-related expenses such as
       medical bills, mental health counseling, and lost wages.
                                                               
     OVC also funds demonstration projects to improve service to victims nationally.  One
such project is a partnership with the Center for Mental Health Services, located within the
Department of Health and Human Services, to support the development of appropriate crisis
response capabilities and mobilization protocols, ensuring a rapid, coordinated response to the
                       victims of mass violence and terrorism. 
                                                               
     OVC also uses discretionary funds to respond to community crises.  In response to the
tragedy at Columbine High School, OVC supplemented victim assistance and victim
compensation funds in Colorado to ensure that victims and victim families received immediate and
                                          long-term assistance.
                                                               
     OVC supports victim services programs in Indian Country by making grants directly to
federally recognized Indian tribes for victim assistance.  Also, under the Children's Justice Act,
$1.5 million was allocated in FY 1999 for programs to improve the handling of child abuse cases
                                             in Indian Country.
                                                               
     In addition to providing state and local assistance, OVC also coordinates the response to
victims in the federal justice system.  In FY 1999, OVC led a project to revise and update the
Attorney General's Guidelines for Victim and Witness Assistance.  This document provides policy
guidelines on the treatment of crime victims and witnesses to all Department of Justice
components.  OVC is providing training to federal prosecutors and law enforcement agents on the
      Department's standards for victim and witness assistance.
                                                               
                                 RECOGNIZING SERVICE TO VICTIMS
                                                               
     On April 25-May 1, 1999, OVC sponsored the annual commemoration of National Crime
Victims' Rights Week.  The 1999 theme, "Victims' Voices: Silent No More," recognizes the
extraordinary progress that crime victims and advocates have made in improving victims' status in
the criminal justice system.  The 1999 observance paid special tribute to those individuals who
have worked to secure basic rights for crime victims, including the right to participate and be
heard.  As in past years, OVC produced a commemorative poster and a resource guide to help the
field plan activities for the week.  OVC also funded the production of a public service
announcement, which was sent to victim services programs and local television stations across the
                                                       country.
                                                               
     In September 1999, the Attorney General presented Crime Victims Fund awards to three
individuals and seven teams from throughout the Department of Justice for their efforts in
collecting criminal fines, which are deposited into the Crime Victims Fund.  The Antitrust
Division received special recognition for its efforts in prosecuting corporations that violated
criminal antitrust laws.  The fines imposed against large companies for criminal antitrust violations
comprise a large percentage of recent deposits into the Crime Victims Fund.
                                                               
                          TRAINING VICTIM SERVICE PROFESSIONALS
                                                               
     In February 1999, OVC convened the second National Symposium on Victims of Federal
Crime.  This biannual conference is the premier training event for federal employees who work
with crime victims.  A special focus of the 1999 symposium was domestic terrorism and mass
casualty response.  Other workshop tracks include child victims, white collar victims, basic victim
witness program issues, and legal issues, as well as discipline-specific areas such as military
  programs, corrections programs, and law enforcement programs.
                                                               
     In June 1999, OVC sponsored the fifth annual National Victim Service Academy.  The
week-long academy, held simultaneously at five universities, provided victim service professionals
with important updates on victims' rights and victim services, as well as new developments in the
victim assistance field.  The 1999 class included more than 350 delegates from every area of the
criminal justice system, specialists in sexual assault, domestic violence and child victimization, as
well as those who serve elderly victims, survivors of homicide victims, and victims of juvenile
offenders.  All 50 states, the District of Columbia, and American Samoa were represented.  There
were also two students from South Africa and one student from Japan.  Topics included child
victimization, domestic violence, gang violence, drunk driving, campus crime, financial fraud,
international issues in victim service, and serving the needs of underserved victims of crime.                                                               
                      FOR MORE INFORMATION
                                
Visit the OJP Website at www.ojp.usdoj.gov, which includes general information
about OJP and its bureaus and program offices, e-mail addresses, downloadable
versions of application kits, and links to selected criminal justice Websites.  The
National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) Website at www.ncjrs.org
offers online versions of most OJP publications.  OJP publications can also be
ordered by calling NCJRS toll-free at 1-800/851-3420.  The following publications
are available from NCJRS:

New Directions From the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century
(OVC)  NCJ 170600

Breaking the Cycle of Violence: Recommendations to Improve the Criminal Justice
Response to Child Victims and Witnesses and Children Exposed to Violence
(OVC)  NCJ 176983

Children Exposed to Violence: Criminal Justice Resources (OVC)  NCJ 176984

When Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide (OJJDP)  NCJ 170022

What You Can Do If You Are a Victim of Crime (OVC)  FS 0001766


8
                   Enhancing Technology's Use
                      in Addressing Crime
                                
     As criminals become more sophisticated in their use of advanced technology to perpetrate
crime, criminal justice professionals must have equally sophisticated tools to prevent, investigate,
and prosecute those crimes, to better track and manage offenders, and to protect the public.

     OJP supports development of technology for direct use by front-line law enforcement and
corrections personnel, as well as technology that improves the justice system as a whole.  Of
particular importance are initiatives to improve the use of DNA evidence and stop cybercrime.

IMPROVING THE USE OF DNA EVIDENCE

     DNA evidence was first introduced into criminal court proceedings in 1988, and now
every state in the nation allows the introduction of this kind of evidence by statute or court rule. 
While extremely useful as an investigative tool with the potential to convict the guilty and
exonerate the innocent, DNA evidence also raises a host of issues involving the use of DNA in
post-conviction cases, the use of technology to extract and store DNA information, and privacy
concerns.  

The Commission has exercised tremendous leadership in
studying the critical issues around justice-related applications of
DNA technology.  This input has resulted in the creation of tools
for the criminal justice community that balance the high
degree of certainty associated with DNA testing with our justice
system's focus on fairness and protecting the innocent.

NIJ Acting Director Julie E. Samuels    To examine the critical policy issues
surrounding DNA evidence, the Attorn                         ey
General directed NIJ to form the Nat                      ional
Commission on the Future of DNA Evid                     ence. 
This independent panel composed of j                     udges,
prosecutors, defense attorneys, tech                     nology
experts, and others, is charged with                  reviewing
critical policy issues regarding DNA                   evidence
and recommending courses of action t                          o
improve its use as a tool of investi                 gation and
adjudication in criminal cases.  The                           
Commission is addressing five specif                 ic areas: 
                                                               
                The use of DNA in post-conviction relief cases
         Legal concerns, including the scope of discovery in DNA cases
         Criteria for training and technical assistance for criminal justice professionals
involved in the identification, collection, and preservation of DNA evidence at the
                                                    crime scene
         Essential laboratory capabilities in the face of emerging technologies
         The impact of future technological developments on the use of DNA in the
                                      criminal justice system. 
                                                               
     In September 1999, NIJ released two publications arising from the work of the
Commission.  Postconviction DNA Testing: Recommendations for Handling Requests provides
guidelines to determine which situations warrant DNA testing or retesting and those in which the
use of DNA technologies would be of no value in assessing actual innocence.  What Every Law
Enforcement Officer Should Know About DNA Evidence gives suggestions for preserving DNA
evidence at crime scenes, and is being distributed to every law enforcement officer in the country.
                                                               
     States are now permitting the testing of DNA samples of different categories of convicted
offenders to support a national database so that the power of DNA can be harnessed to solve
more crimes.  The creation of a national database has created a backlog of a half million DNA
samples of convicted offenders that have not been analyzed and entered into the database. 
                                                               
     Through its Forensic DNA Laboratory Improvement Program, NIJ is helping government
crime labs to conduct state-of-the-art DNA testing to support the investigation and adjudication
of violent crime.  The program funds procurement of updated equipment, supplies, laboratory
           modifications, and training for laboratory analysts.
                                                               
     NIJ is also supporting development of technology that will make DNA analysis a routine,
inexpensive, and highly flexible crime-solving tool. Over the past four years, NIJ has undertaken a
DNA research initiative with three ambitious goals: to make DNA tests affordable, timely, and
portable.  In 1999, NIJ unveiled the DNA chip, a new process that will allow on-scene DNA
screening by law enforcement to determine who was at a crime scene.  The chip technology is
currently being used to identify people at risk for such diseases as breast cancer and cystic
fibrosis.  NIJ determined the same device has criminal justice applications that will enable law
enforcement to use DNA information at the scene of the crime, rather than wait weeks for
analysis in a distant lab.  The chip, which costs between $10 and $15, can be brought to a crime
scene.  The on-scene evidence would be inserted into one end and then the chip placed in a small
computer mounted within a police patrol vehicle.  The computer will uplink that information to a
national criminal justice database and search the DNA profile identified on the chip.  The goal is
to have the chip available to law enforcement within two years.  
                                                               
                  ENHANCING CRIMINAL RECORDS AND IDENTIFICATION
                                                               
     Background checks for gun purchasers depend upon accurate and timely information
about criminal histories.  For the past five years, BJS' National Criminal History Improvement
Program (NCHIP) program has been funding improvements in criminal history record keeping,
which makes systems like instant background checks for gun purchasers possible.  In FY 1999,
BJS awarded a total of $38 million to 50 states and territories to continue their improvement of
criminal history records.  The grants fund the modernization and automation of criminal history
records used in the FBI National Instant Criminal Background Check System, National Sex
Offender Registry, and registries of domestic violence orders.  The grants also fund technology
such as automated fingerprint identification systems and computerized mug shots and booking
                                                       systems.
                                                               
     In FY 1999, BJA awarded grants totaling about $9 million to all 50 states under the State
Identification Systems (SIS) formula grant program.  SIS is a collaborative effort between BJA
and the FBI to help states integrate their information systems with the FBI's national identification
                                                     databases.
                                                               
                       DEVELOPING NEW TOOLS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT
                                                               
     NIJ's network of National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Centers identify
new technologies, test equipment, and disseminate information to help law enforcement and
corrections personnel do their jobs safely, efficiently, and effectively.
                                                               
     NIJ also develops minimum performance standards for equipment and technology and also
supports testing products against those standards.  Testing and research have led to performance
standards for more than 60 types of criminal justice equipment, ranging from soft body armor and
handcuffs to patrol cars and communications systems.  NIJ does not recommend particular
brands; it distributes lists of products that have passed standardized tests and indicates each item's
strength, endurance, and performance.  NIJ's primary partner in standards development and
product testing is the Office of Law Enforcement Standards (OLES) at the National Institute of
            Standards and Technology.  Recent projects include:
                                                               
         Creation of a stab-resistant body armor standard to address the danger embodied
by sharp-edged and pointed instruments. The stab and slash threats posed by those
weapons represent the primary threat to corrections officers and a secondary threat
                                            to police officers.
                                                               
         Update of the NIJ standard pertaining to ballistic resistance of police body armor.
                                                               
         Preparation of a NIJ guide on selection and application of video surveillance
equipment and of a standard pertaining to certain types of kits for preliminary
                              identification of drugs of abuse.
                                                               
     An example of technology being developed for law enforcement officers is the less-than-
lethal program.  This program is designed to create options for law enforcement officers to
employ safer, less severe applications of force.  Such options enable officers to better match the
amount of force needed to overcome a given level of resistance or threat in contrast to perhaps
being compelled, in the absence of those new options, to choose between using too little or too
much force.  Technologies currently under development or evaluation are electrical devices,
             chemicals, lights, nets, and interdiction devices.
                                                               
     In May 1999, NIJ hosted the third annual mock prison riot, which showcased emerging
corrections technologies.  The training exercise offered corrections personnel the opportunity to
utilize the latest technology in a real prison environment in order to prepare for emergency
situations.  More than 1,100 corrections professionals and technology vendors from 35 states, the
District of Columbia, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Colombia participated. 
Approximately 60 corrections technologies ranging from drug and explosives detection to infrared
  night vision devices were on hand for demonstration and use. 
                                                               
                                            SHARING INFORMATION
                                                               
     In today's fast-moving, mobile, and fluid environment there are many occasions when
more than one law enforcement agency may be involved in a case or situation.  Police units from
multiple departments engaging in a joint operation, such as a high-speed pursuit, frequently
cannot communicate with one another directly as events are unfolding.  This inability may result
from use of different radio frequencies, varying and proprietary protocols or system architectures
that are incompatible, outdated equipment, or operational restraints. 
                                                               
     NIJ is addressing interoperability problems through its AGILE program (Advanced
Generation of Interoperability for Law Enforcement). AGILE consists of four principal
                                                    components:
                                                               
         Supporting or seeding interoperability research and development to expand
knowledge of the issues and to spawn possible solutions.  For example, planning is
under way to invest in such technologies as high-bandwidth and wireless
                                                communications.
                                                               
         Testing, evaluating, and demonstrating technologies.  NIJ has deployed a
communications switch that links disparate radio systems so that over-the-air
     communication is now feasible among three police agencies.
                                                               
         Developing standards.  The AGILE team is identifying existing standards related
to interoperability that can be adopted or adapted by manufacturers and public
safety agencies. The process for developing standards for wireless interoperability
                                                  is under way.
                                                               
         Engaging in education and outreach.  This will entail a public awareness
campaign aimed at decision makers to emphasize the urgency of the
interoperability problem, propose solutions, and facilitate multiagency cooperation.
                                                               
     Other information sharing activities are no-less important even though they are not as
time-sensitive.  The Regional Information Sharing System (RISS) is a multijurisdictional criminal
intelligence system operated by and for state and local law enforcement agencies.  The program
comprises six regional sites, which act as hubs for the member agencies that use RISS.  In FY
1999, the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) awarded approximately $20 million to these
regional intelligence centers to help federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies share
information vital to fighting crime that spans across jurisdictional boundaries.  These grants enable
RISS participants to purchase equipment and hire personnel to develop and maintain a secure
Intranet to access and share criminal intelligence and information on a real-time basis.
                                                               
     In addition to building interoperability and communications into law enforcement, OJP is
also sponsoring integration of the justice system information as a whole.  The OJP Justice
Integration Initiative seeks to improve communication and information sharing among justice
agencies at all levels of government, federal, state, and local, and across all disciplines with the
                        juvenile and criminal justice systems. 
                                                               
     Because of its involvement in multiple parts of state and local justice systems, OJP has an
unparalleled opportunity, through the coordinated and targeted use of grant funds, to form
partnerships with state, local, and tribal governments to help them support integrated criminal
justice information systems.  Based on input from the field, in 1999, OJP convened a series of task
force meetings, symposia, and workshops to further the discussion on integrated justice
information systems.  In addition to hosting the meetings, OJP staff were featured as speakers at
over 18 national events and participated in over 65 site visits directly relating to integrated justice
          information systems in state and local jurisdictions.
                                                               
                                            FIGHTING CYBERCRIME
                                                               
     Explosive growth in Internet commerce, e-mail, and electronic networks have expanded
the capabilities of criminals to commit crime.  Hackers have proven themselves capable of major
disruptions of electronic businesses and of inflicting considerable financial losses.  Online
pedophiles and stalkers prey on youngsters in chat rooms.  White collar criminals are adept at
electronic money laundering.  Electronic developments are changing the face of crime. 
Investigators in every type of law enforcement agency in the nation are now confronted with
electronic evidence that demands a high order of technical knowledge and skill. 
                                                               
     Computer forensic science is the process of extracting information and data from
computer storage media and guaranteeing its accuracy and reliability.  Like traditional crime
investigation, cyberforensics involves gathering an assortment of physical evidence, interviewing
witnesses, and determining suspects   but it also involves a knowledge of software options and
                                                computer media.
                                                               
     In FY 1999, NIJ conducted a comprehensive assessment of the needs of state and local
law enforcement officers with regard to electronic crime.  As a result of the assessment, NIJ
began development of several guides for use by law enforcement agency personnel in investigating
and prosecuting electronic crime.  Best Practices for Seizing Electronic Evidence was created in
association with the Secret Service and the International Association of Chiefs of Police.  The
document, based on information from a large working group of criminal justice officials and
electronic crime experts, is designed to help crime scene investigators develop a basic
understanding of key technical and legal factors regarding the search and seizure of electronic
                                     storage devices and media.
                                                               
     OJJDP's Internet Crimes Against Children program seeks to protect children against
cyberpredators.  Online child exploitation presents complex technical and investigative challenges
for law enforcement. Because few crime investigations begin and end in the same jurisdiction,
investigations require close coordination among federal, state, and local law enforcement
agencies.  In addition, evidence collection, interviewing practices and undercover operations must
be carefully adapted to meet the technical and legal demands of Internet crimes. 
                                                               
     The ICAC program encourages communities to develop regional, multi-jurisdictional and
multi-agency responses to Internet crimes.  In FY 1999, OJJDP awarded nearly $3 million for 10
state and local law enforcement task forces, bringing to 20 the number of ICAC initiatives
nationwide.  OJJDP also awarded $1.8 million in continuation funding to the 10 original task
forces funded in FY 1998.  Grant funds are used to ensure that investigators receive specialized
training in Internet crimes, and are equipped with the most up-to-date computer technology.  The
task forces developed as part of the ICAC program are also designed to become sources of
prevention, education, and investigative experience to provide technical assistance to parents,
            teachers, law enforcement, and other professionals.
                                                               
     The 10 original ICAC grantees' collective efforts have led to the arrest of more than 100
people who were using the Internet to sexually exploit children.  The grantees have also trained
more than 500 law enforcement officers and prosecutors.  In Virginia, the Bedford County
Sheriff's Office created the "Safe Surfin" education program, which features an animated
character named Surge the Protector, to teach children about safe Internet practices.  In New
Hampshire, the Portsmouth Police Department developed a video and discussion handbook to
help police officers conduct Internet awareness programs for parents and children.
                                                               
     The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, funded by OJJDP, also played a
critical role in making the electronic world of cyberspace a safer place for children. More than 700
law enforcement personnel, ranging from executives to frontline personnel, participated in courses
on protecting children online.  More than 8,500 leads were received by the CyberTipline,
established as a place to report suspicious online activity to authorities.  Some of these leads
resulted in the arrest of individuals using the Internet to identify children for sexual molestation,
while others led to the recovery of children enticed from home by sex offenders.
                                                               
                                        ADOPTING NEW TECHNOLOGY
                                                               
     OJP is working to further automate its own administrative and grant making processes so
that practitioners in the field can obtain federal assistance simply and efficiently.  The Bulletproof
Vest Partnership (BVP) was OJP's first Internet-only funding application process.  Its
development represented a unique public-private partnership including several OJP agencies, the
NASA, the U.S. Census Bureau, and REI Systems, Incorporated.  The BVP Web site became
operational in April 1999 and garnered the prestigious 1999 Intergovernmental Open Systems
Solutions Gold Award from the Federation of Government Information Processing Councils.  The
Bulletproof Vest Partnership, described fully in Chapter 9, provides funding to localities and state
agencies to purchase bullet-resistant vests for their officers.  All transactions between OJP and the
applicants occur over the Internet, representing a major technological innovation.  For those
departments without Internet access, OJP established a technical assistance center at the
University of Arkansas to assist them with submitting their applications.
                                                               
     In FY 1999, OJP also made progress in automating other grant systems.  BJA's Local
Law Enforcement Block Grants program moved its application and payment process to an online
system, and OJP's program offices began to use an online Grants Management System to process
applications.  In FY 1999, potential grantees could choose to apply for OJP funding via the OJP
Web site, although submission of hardcopy proposals was still acceptable.  OJP is moving to a
completely paper-free application and award process for some programs, and hopes to move all
           grant making completely online within the next year.
                                                                                                                               
                      FOR MORE INFORMATION
                                
Visit the OJP Website at www.ojp.usdoj.gov, which includes general information
about OJP and its bureaus and program offices, e-mail addresses, downloadable
versions of application kits, and links to selected criminal justice Websites.  The
National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) Website at www.ncjrs.org
offers online versions of most OJP publications.  OJP publications can also be
ordered by calling NCJRS toll-free at 1-800/851-3420.  The following publications
are available from NCJRS:

Convicted by Juries, Exonerated by Science: Case Studies in the Use of DNA
Evidence to Establish Innocence After Trial (NIJ)  NCJ 161258

Postconviction DNA Testing: Recommendations for Handling Requests (NIJ)   
NCJ 177626

What Every Law Enforcement Officer Should Know About DNA Evidence (NIJ)
BC 614




9 
                 Enhancing Law Enforcement and
                    Adjudication Initiatives
                                
                                
     Law enforcement and the courts are the most visible parts of the criminal justice system in
the community.  These institutions have an enormous impact on how residents view the quality of
life in their neighborhoods, the criminal justice system, and the law.  OJP is working to promote
innovation in law enforcement and adjudication in the day-to-day policing and operation of the
courts, as well as long-term projects to improve the structure of the justice system in
neighborhoods.  In addition to programs such as community prosecution and drug courts
described elsewhere in this report, OJP also worked in FY 1999 to improve relationships between
police and communities, increase access to the justice system for indigent defendants, and support
the day-to-day operations of law enforcement.

ENSURING FAIRNESS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT

     Recent years have seen increased attention to issues of fairness in law enforcement, with
issues such as racial profiling in traffic stops and police use of force becoming more prominent. 
Although community policing has resulted in improved police-minority relations, some residents
lack trust and confidence in the police.  Ongoing research by NIJ and BJS seeks to provide the
perspective, insight, and factual data needed by police and others to address this problem
constructively.  The goal of this research is to assist law enforcement agencies in protecting the
public, enhancing the safety of the community and officers, and building widespread support
among those they serve.

     In June 1999, BJS and COPS released Criminal Victimization and Perceptions of
Community Safety in 12 Cities, 1998.  The publication reported findings from city-level surveys
of victimization, citizen perceptions of crime, and attitudes toward local police and community
policing.  Cities selected for the survey project had police departments that represented varying
stages in the development of community policing.  The surveys found:

                   Police enjoy widespread community support, with about 80 percent or more of
          citizens in each of the 12 cities reporting satisfaction with police in their
          neighborhoods.  The proportion of residents reporting that they were "very
          satisfied" or "satisfied" with the police ranged from 97 percent in Madison,
          Wisconsin to 78 percent in Washington, D.C.  Few residents in the 12 cities  
          about 3 percent   said they were "very dissatisfied" with the police.

                   However, black residents reported lower rates of satisfaction with police than
          white residents.  Overall, 76 percent of black residents reported being satisfied
          with police in their neighborhoods, compared to 90 percent of white residents.

                   More than half of all respondents said they were familiar with the term "community
          policing," and 54 percent said that police officers practice community policing in
          their neighborhoods.  Sixty percent of respondents indicated that in the past 12
          months the police had worked at least "somewhat" with neighborhood residents on
          crime prevention and safety.

     To collect more comprehensive data on citizen interaction with the police, BJS added the
Police-Public Contact Survey as a supplement to the 1999 National Crime Victimization Survey. 
The police-public survey probes respondents about traffic stops and other types of contacts
between citizens and the police and identifies those encounters in which the respondent was
threatened with a use of force or force was actually used.  The survey was used in interviews with
approximately 90,000 U.S. residents aged 16 or older.  BJS anticipates using data from this
survey as part of the required annual report to Congress on use of excessive force.

     In June 1999, the President issued an Executive Memorandum on Fairness in Law
Enforcement.  The directive requires federal law enforcement agencies to examine public contacts
to ascertain the presence of bias-motivated conduct by federal officers.  BJS worked with law
enforcement agencies in Justice, Treasury, and Interior Departments to develop a plan for
gathering data on the race, ethnicity, and gender of citizens who federal law enforcement officers
encounter.  This plan was submitted to the White House at the end of FY 1999.

     NIJ and BJS released Use of Force by Police: 1998 Summary of National and Local
Data.  The report describes what is known about police use of force, details current research and
data collection projects, and gives suggestions for future research.  It found:  

                   It is known with substantial confidence that police use force infrequently, relatively
          minor types of force dominate statistics on police use of force, and use of force
          typically occurs when police are attempting an arrest and the suspect is resisting. 
          It is known with moderate confidence that use of force appears to be unrelated to
          an officer's personal characteristics, such as age, gender, and ethnicity, and that a
          small proportion of officers are disproportionately involved in use-of-force
          incidents.  It is unknown how often police use force in ways that can be judged as
          wrongful.

                   One study found that more than 80 percent of arrests did not involve force by
          police (excluding handcuffing) or by suspects.  In 98 percent of arrests where force
          was used, no weapon was used, threatened, or even displayed.

                   More research is required on how use of force by police varies across time, cities,
          and individual police departments. Research also is needed on individual,
          situational, and organizational factors related to variations in use-of-force levels. 
          Research should focus on the relation between excessive use of force, meaning the
          frequency with which police use force, and excessive force per se, meaning
          instances in which police use more force than is necessary.

ENSURING COMPLIANCE WITH CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS

     OJP's Office for Civil Rights actively enforces civil rights laws prohibiting discrimination
by agencies that receive federal funding.  OCR has initiated a number of investigations into
complaints against various police departments alleging discriminatory traffic stops and searches,
or other forms of racial profiling.  When complaints are sustained, OJP takes administrative action
to remedy civil rights violations, from requiring changes in policy to suspending funding.  Even
when no violation are found, OJP often recommends changes in policies and practices to help law
enforcement alleviate perceptions of bias and build community trust.  OJP also works with
agencies to promote the full and equal participation of women and minority individuals in
employment opportunities, and investigates complaints of employment discrimination.

IMPROVING INDIGENT DEFENSE

     Between 80 and 90 percent of all people charged with criminal offenses in America do not
have enough money to hire a private lawyer.  In these cases, it is the constitutional responsibility
of the government to provide counsel, to ensure that criminal proceedings are fair and
constitutional, and to protect the innocent.  There are vast disparities, however, in the extent to
which jurisdictions around the country are fulfilling this mandate.  Some states and counties
maintain adequately funded indigent defense systems, where defenders have manageable caseloads
and provide quality representation, and work with other criminal justice agencies.  But in others,
defender caseloads are far in excess of national standards, and the quality of legal services is
subordinated to considerations of cost and speed. 

     To help improve the quality of justice in America, OJP focused on indigent defense in FY
1999 by sponsoring conferences, awarding grants, and providing training and technical assistance. 


     In February 1999, OJP and BJA sponsored a National Symposium on Indigent Defense for
more than 275 participants, primarily members of the indigent defense community.  The
symposium was the first Justice Department-sponsored national event on indigent defense since
the early 1960s.  Participants explored practical ways in which those representing indigent
criminal defendants can improve representation by forging partnerships within and outside the
criminal justice system, without compromising their roles as advocates in our adversarial justice
system. 


     BJA, in conjunction with Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, is
sponsoring a series of Executive Sessions on Indigent Defense Systems to develop plans for
improving the quality and efficiency of indigent defense in the American criminal justice system.
Issues to be discussed include institutionalized racism within the criminal justice system,
under-resourced programs, and disparate charging and sentencing practices.

     In February 1999, BJA awarded seven grants of up to $80,000 each to indigent defense
offices to improve case management practices and utilize technology.  BJA also awarded funds to
the National Legal Aid and Defender Association and the Vera Institute of Justice to provide
training and technical assistance to indigent defense practitioners.

SUPPORTING LAW ENFORCEMENT

     Lightweight body armor has been widely available for use by law enforcement for more
than 20 years.  In that time, there has been a dramatic reduction in officer homicides.  In the
1960s and 1970s, NIJ and its predecessor agencies sponsored the initial research into bullet-
resistant vests for law enforcement use.  NIJ continues to work to improve on body armor
technology today, with the goal of making bullet-resistant vests more effective, as well as lighter
and more comfortable to encourage their use. 

Individuals who risk their lives to ensure our protection deserve
fast and efficient access to equipment designed to protect them. 
This Internet system will allow BJA to get funds where they
need to go quicker and ultimately save lives.

BJA Director Nancy Gist       A new program in FY 1999 improved
the safety of law enfor                  cement and corrections
officers nationwide.  T                     he Bulletproof Vest
Partnership, administer                     ed by BJA, provided
more than $41 million t                            o over 3,500
jurisdictions to help t                    hem purchase bullet-
resistant vests to prot                    ect more than 92,000
officers.  The entire a                  pplication and payment
process took place onli                           ne through an
innovative Web-based application, described in Chapter 8.  Funds covered up to 50 percent of the
cost of vests meeting N                           IJ standards.
                                                               
     More than 3,300 local jurisdictions received Local Law Enforcement Block Grants
(LLEBG) totaling $472 million in FY 1998 to help them reduce crime and improve public safety. 
The funds can be used to hire police officers, improve security in and around schools, purchase
law enforcement equipment and technology, enhance the adjudication of violent offenders, and for
                                  other public safety efforts. 
                                                               
     BJA's Edward Byrne Memorial Formula Grant Program provided a total of $505 million
to all 50 states, five territories, and the District of Columbia in FY 1999.  Byrne funds are
awarded to state governments for projects to improve the criminal justice system at the state and
local level.  States make subawards to local agencies.  The funds must be used in accordance with
26 legislatively authorized purpose areas, including multijurisdictional drug task forces, criminal
justice records improvement, crime prevention, and drug treatment and education.
                                                               
     The Police Corps is designed to address violent crime by helping police and sheriffs'
departments increase the number of officers with advanced education and training assigned to
community patrol. The program, which operates within states that submitted an approved state
plan, is designed to motivate highly qualified young people to serve as police officers and sheriffs'
deputies.  It offers federal scholarships on a competitive basis to college students who agree to
serve as police for at least four years.  Participants become full members of state and local police
departments in geographic areas that have the greatest need for additional police officers.  All
serve on community patrol.  Upon graduation from college, participants must complete a 16 to 24
week residential Police Corps Academy in the state where they will serve as police officers.  This
academy emphasizes ethics, communication skills, weaponless arrest and control procedures,
physical fitness, leadership, and problem solving in multicultural settings.  
                                                               
     In FY 1999, OJP's Office of the Police Corps and Law Enforcement Education provided
$40 million to 25 participating states for the Police Corps program.  Police Corps graduates are
employed in 149 jurisdictions in the participating states.  State, county, and local law enforcement
agencies that have hired Police Corps graduates are extremely positive about the quality of these
officers, and indicate a desire to hire more Police Corps graduates.
                                                               
     The Public Safety Officers' Benefits program is designed to offer peace of mind to men
and women seeking careers in public safety, and to make a strong statement about the value
American society places on the contributions of those who serve their communities in potentially
dangerous circumstances.  The PSOB program provides financial benefits to survivors of police
officers, firefighters, and emergency response personnel killed in the line of duty, and to those
who are permanently and totally disabled in the line of duty.  The program, administered by BJA,
also collects information on line-of-duty deaths, which is used to enhance public safety officer
training.  In FY 1999, the PSOB program awarded more than $29 million in death benefits to the
 surviving families of more than 200 public safety officers.   
                                                               
     In September 1999, the Justice Department extended further support to the families of
public safety officers by amending the regulations governing the Federal Law Enforcement
Dependents' Assistance (FLEDA) program.  The program, also administered by BJA, provides
higher education financial assistance to eligible survivors of those whose death or permanent
disability resulted while in the line of duty.  The changes extended the program's benefits to
include the families of state and local public safety officers, as well as federal public safety
officers.  With the inclusion of state and local officers, BJA changed the name to the "Public
  Safety Officers' Educational Assistance (PSOEA) program.     
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                              MANAGING STRESSFUL JOB CONDITIONS
                                                               
     Stress is an occupational hazard for law enforcement and correctional officers of all ranks,
including their families and co-workers.  Stress among law enforcement and corrections officers
can be seen in a high incidence of alcoholism, divorce, and suicide.  To mitigate the effects of
stress, NIJ sponsors research, evaluation, and demonstration projects that address stressful
conditions experienced by law enforcement and corrections officers.  NIJ's efforts take into
account the varying concerns of police and corrections management, labor organizations, and
family members.  In FY 1999, NIJ funded five new projects, bringing the number of awards since
                                 the program's inception to 30.
                                                               
                                 ADDRESSING INTERNATIONAL CRIME
                                                               
     There is increasing evidence that domestic public safety in the United States is being
jeopardized by crime that emanates from beyond our shores.  Increases in international trade and
communication also facilitate criminals' ability to commit crimes that transcend national borders. 
In addition to drug trafficking, international crime today includes terrorism, trafficking in women
and children, transnational organized crime, and cybercrime.  NIJ's International Center is
working to develop a better understanding of crime that crosses national boundaries by analyzing
              crime policy and research with global dimensions.
                                                               
     In FY 1999, NIJ continued to expand its international activities.  The Arrestee Drug
Abuse Monitoring Program (ADAM), which interviews and tests for drug use persons detained in
police lockups, expanded to six international sites.  The International ADAM, or I-ADAM,
program seeks to build knowledge about transnational drug use and drug distribution patterns.  
                                                               
     NIJ has also formed partnerships with the Ukrainian Academy of Law Sciences, the Home
Office of the United Kingdom, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and Israel's Bureau of the
Chief Scientist to study crime issues affecting different countries.  NIJ is also sharing information
through the World Justice Information Network, as well as an Internet studio for conducting
    training sessions in remote locations throughout the world.
                                                               
                                                               
                                                                                                                               
                      FOR MORE INFORMATION
                                
Visit the OJP Website at www.ojp.usdoj.gov, which includes general information
about OJP and its bureaus and program offices, e-mail addresses, downloadable
versions of application kits, and links to selected criminal justice Websites.  The
National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) Website at www.ncjrs.org
offers online versions of most OJP publications.  OJP publications can also be
ordered by calling NCJRS toll-free at 1-800/851-3420.  The following publications
are available from NCJRS:

Criminal Victimization and Perceptions of Community Safety in 12 Cities, 1998
(BJS)  NCJ 173940

Use of Force by Police: 1998 Summary of National and Local Data (NIJ) 
NCJ 176330

10
                     Countering Terrorism &
                       Ensuring Domestic
                                    Preparedness
                                 
     Until recently, terrorism was a federal matter, not a concern for state and local
governments.  But events in the past decade have shown that terrorists have the will and the
capability to conduct attacks within the United States.  The bombings of the World Trade Center
in New York City, the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, and the Centennial Park during
the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta highlight the threats faced by American communities.

     The use of sarin, a nerve agent, in Japan in 1995 further demonstrated the deadly
consequences of a terrorist attack involving a highly toxic material.  The need to prepare for
incidents involving weapons of mass destruction   chemical, biological, and radiological threats  
is very real.

     In recent years, Congress and the Administration have placed a major emphasis on
preparing this nation to respond to terrorism within its borders.  The burden of responding to
domestic terrorism, especially in the critical few hours after an event occurs, falls initially on state
and local emergency response agencies.  OJP is working to give local police officers, firefighters,
and emergency medical personnel the training and equipment they need to respond effectively to
terrorist emergencies.  At the same time, OJP is working with states and local communities to
plan their responses to terrorism, and test these plans by conducting realistic training exercises.

TRAINING FIRST RESPONDERS

     Most often, local police and firefighters are the first on the scene of incidents of terrorism
or other catastrophes.  To help first responders prepare, OJP's Office for State and Local
Domestic Preparedness Support (OSLDPS) has established several training programs.  OJP's
Center for Domestic Preparedness at Fort McClellan, Alabama provides a unique environment
and opportunity to offer specialized advanced training in managing incidents of domestic
terrorism, involving chemical agents and other toxic substances.  Beginning in FY 1998, the Army
base at Fort McClellan is being converted from military to civilian use.  The Justice Department is
using the chemical defense training facilities at Fort McClellan to train first responders in a
contaminated environment using "live agents"   actual toxic substances.  Such facilities are
invaluable in both providing training on the use of specialized equipment and in providing the
confidence gained by being able to have operated in an actual contaminated environment.


     The Center for Domestic Preparedness is one of five facilities comprising the Consortium
for Domestic Preparedness.  The other institutes are the National Energetic Materials Research
and Testing Center at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology; National Center for
Bio-Medical Research and Training at Louisiana State University; National Emergency Response
and Rescue Training Center at Texas A&M; and National Exercise, Test, and Training Center,
Nevada Test Site. 

     The members of the consortium offer specialized training to address different types of
threats.  For example, the Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) conducts training using live
chemical and agents, while the training center at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and
Technology offers training in responding to events where explosive devices have been used.

     OSLDPS also supports training for law enforcement in conjunction with the National
Sheriffs' Association, and training for firefighters in conjunction with the National Fire Academy.  

     BJA offers training to law enforcement officers and prosecutors on detecting, preventing,
and responding to domestic terrorism.  The State and Local Anti-Terrorism Training addresses
detecting and investigating violent, extremist criminal activity.

EQUIPPING LOCALITIES

     OJP provides funding to state and local jurisdictions to enable these jurisdictions to
purchase the specialized equipment needed to respond to terrorist incidents involving the use of
weapons of mass destruction.  In FY 1999, OSLDPS awarded funds to the nation's 157 largest
jurisdictions to provide a basic defensive capability to respond to domestic terrorism incidents. 
OSLDPS also provided funds to each of the 50 states for equipment purchases and planning
efforts.  The funds are being used to purchase certain types of emergency response equipment
needed by fire services, emergency medical services, hazardous materials response units, and law
enforcement agencies to respond to a terrorist incident involving nuclear, chemical, or biological
weapons or explosive or incendiary devices.  Types of equipment purchased through the program
include protective suits, decontamination showers, equipment to detect chemical, biological, and
radiological threats, and interoperable communications equipment to allow firefighters, law
enforcement, HAZMAT teams, and emergency medical personnel to coordinate their efforts.

     As part of the FY 1999 State Domestic Preparedness Equipment Program, states are
required to conduct individual needs and risk assessments and, using the information gathered,
develop individual state strategies addressing issues of training, equipment, and technical
assistance in domestic preparedness support.  Future equipment funding will be distributed in
accordance with these state strategies.


PLANNING A RESPONSE TO TERRORISM

     During FY 1999, OSLDPS undertook a major nationwide needs assessment aimed at
providing a view of emergency response requirements across the nation.  The first phase of this
assessment focused on needs at the national level.  OSLDPS is currently focusing in more detail at
the state and local levels.  These assessments will result in detailed information for each of the 50
states.  To assist states in completing this project, OSLDPS is providing both planning grants and
technical assistance, including assessment tools and instruments.

     OSLDPS is working closely with other federal agencies, including the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the FBI to
help city, county, and state emergency managers, law enforcement officers, and public health
officials pinpoint vulnerabilities and develop plans for countering terrorism. The assessment
results will serve not only as a roadmap for program planning, but also as a benchmark for
measuring program effectiveness.

     As a tool in the planning process, OJP and other federal agencies routinely support local
domestic preparedness exercises.  Real life situational exercises provide valuable training and
learning experiences for emergency response personnel, public officials, and others involved in
responding to weapons of mass destruction incidents.  In FY 1999, Congress directed the
Administration to conduct an exercise that involves all key personnel   federal agency personnel
and state and local emergency responders, including law enforcement, fire, and emergency
medical personnel    who would participate in the crisis and consequence management of a
domestic weapons of mass destruction terrorist attack.  The goal of the exercise, called
"TOPOFF" because of the involvement of top officials, is to assess the nation's crisis and
consequence management capacity under extraordinarily stressful conditions. Consistent with
legislative recommendations, the TOPOFF exercise will simulate a chemical and a biological
attack.

     The exercise scenarios will enable top officials and relevant personnel to practice different
courses of action, gain and maintain situational awareness, and assemble appropriate resources.
Mayors, city managers, state governors and local and state personnel will be key participants and
play active roles throughout the exercise.  

     In May 1999, OJP convened a TOPOFF planning conference with more than 150 state
and local emergency response experts and planners from across the country.  The group discussed
criteria for the selection of sites, inclusion of state and local representatives, exercise management
and control, evaluation structure, policy implications of the federal response, and public affairs
issues.



     At the direction of Congress, the exercise will be conducted without advance notice to
participants.  Specific dates and characteristics of the exercise are being withheld from
participants who will be responding as they would in a real-life situation.  Updates will be
available on the Website.

USING TECHNOLOGY AGAINST TERRORISM

     In FY 1999, Congress appropriated $10 million for domestic anti-terrorism technology
development.  NIJ is working with several research partners on a variety of projects.  One such
project is a chemical agent sensor system designed to protect subway systems in the event of a
terrorist attack.  The system is designed to sense the presence of chemical agents in less-than-
lethal concentrations in sufficient time to allow for response and evacuation.  This system is
currently being tested by a transit authority in a major metropolitan area.  Also in development are
technologies that screen for concealed weapons and explosives and improvements to methods for
disabling explosive devices.

                      FOR MORE INFORMATION
                                
Visit the OJP Website at www.ojp.usdoj.gov, which includes general information
about OJP and its bureaus and program offices, e-mail addresses, downloadable
versions of application kits, and links to selected criminal justice Websites.  The
National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) Website at www.ncjrs.org
offers online versions of most OJP publications.  OJP publications can also be
ordered by calling NCJRS toll-free at 1-800/851-3420.  The following publications
are available from NCJRS:

Domestic Preparedness Stakeholders Forum Proceedings (OSLDPS)  

Office for State and Local Domestic Preparedness Support Fact Sheet (OSLDPS)

Inventory of State and Local Law Enforcement Technology Needs to Combat
Terrorism (NIJ)  NCJ 173384

                      For More Information

     The Office of Congressional and Public Affairs is a key point of contact for all of OJP. 
OCPA is responsible for ensuring effective communications with Congress, the news media, and
the public.  The telephone number for OCPA is 202/307-0703.

     OJP maintains a Website at www.ojp.usdoj.gov.  In addition to general information about
OJP and its bureaus, the Website includes downloadable versions of many OJP publications and
application kits, as well as useful links to selected criminal justice Websites.  Each bureau and
office's Website includes an e-mail address where you can write with questions about the office.

     To be placed on mailing lists to receive grant announcements and application kits, call the
Department of Justice Response Center at 1-800/421-6770 (in Washington, D.C. call      
202/307-1480).

     For ordering and other information about OJP publications, contact the National Criminal
Justice Reference Service at 1-800/851-3420 or on the Internet at www.ncjrs.org.  You may also
call one of the OJP clearinghouses listed below.

                                   BJA Clearinghouse                  Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse
                              1-800/688-4252                1-800/638-8736

                                   BJS Clearinghouse                  National Victims Resource Center
                              1-800/732-3277                1-800/627-6872


11                            
                      Sharing Information
                   & Streamlining Government
                                
     Just as OJP grant and technical assistance programs support change and
efficiency in community criminal justice systems, OJP itself is constantly striving to
reinvent its own processes to be more responsive to its consumers and maximize the
effects of taxpayer dollars.  FY 1998 saw OJP recognized with a Hammer Award from
the Vice President's National Partnership for Reinventing Government, and a major
overhaul of information systems to update financial management, automate grant
applications, and solve the Year 2000 problem.


PROMOTING RESEARCH AND EVALUATION

     Starting with the passage of the 1994 Crime Act, OJP has used money from
program funds to support research and evaluation in those areas.  For example, each
of the OJP Crime Act Program Offices has allocated a percentage of its available
funds--up to 14 percent each year to fund evaluation of new programs.  For each
program area, NIJ is developing a multi-year research and national evaluation strategy. 
OJP has worked to include such "built-in" evaluations for all its funding programs, and
the Congress has approved such "set-asides" for research and evaluation to find out
what works and to inform future spending and program planning.  Congress has also
approved training and technical assistance "set-asides" for these programs.

                      FOR MORE INFORMATION
                                
Visit the OJP Website at www.ojp.usdoj.gov, which includes general information
about OJP and its bureaus and program offices, e-mail addresses, downloadable
versions of application kits, and links to selected criminal justice Websites.  The
National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) Website at www.ncjrs.org
offers online versions of most OJP publications.  The following publications are
available from NCJRS:

Adjudication

Indigent defense

Indians

On October 13, the Attorney General announced $89 million in grants to tribal communities to
hire, equip, and train law enforcement officers and to build new jails and detention facilities in
Indian territory.  The Indian Law Enforcement Initiative is supported by BJA, OJJDP, NIJ,
OVC, the Violence Against Women Office (VAWO), and the Corrections Program Office (CPO). 
Delegations from the Pueblo of Zuni, Northern Cheyenne Tribe, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe met
with the Attorney General, DAAG Brennan, and other Department staff to discuss the
Comprehensive Indian Resources for Community and Law Enforcement (CIRCLE) project. 
OJP Comptroller Schwimer and staff met with tribal representatives to discuss financial issues.