DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

OFF ICE OF JUSTICE PROGRAMS

BJA NI J OJJDP BJS OVC

Bureau of Justice Assistance

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Bureau of Justice Assistance

OPEN SOLICITATION ‘97:

T H E R E S U L T S

Monograph
This was prepared by Community Research Associates, Inc. under cooperative agreement

No. 96–DS–BX–K002, awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice

Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily

represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

810 Seventh Street NW.

Washington, DC 20531

Janet Reno

Attorney General

U.S. Department of Justice

Raymond C. Fisher

Associate Attorney General

Laurie Robinson

Assistant Attorney General

Nancy E. Gist

Director, Bureau of Justice Assistance

U.S. Department of Justice Response Center

1–800–421–6770

Bureau of Justice Assistance Clearinghouse

1–800–688–4252

Bureau of Justice Assistance

World Wide Web Home Page

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA

The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also

includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile

Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the Office for Victims of Crime.
Bureau of Justice Assistance

Open Solicitation ’97:

The Results

December 1997 Monograph NCJ 168096

Prepared by Tamar Dor-Ner, Bureau of Justice Assistance
iii

Open Solicitation ’97: The Results

Foreword

Long before a formal assessment of Open Solicitation ‘97 could be completed, it was evident to all of us at the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)

that the Nation’s response to our request for new ideas was tremendous.

The freedom we gave to local practitioners to submit their proposals—

both in submission requirements and in the breadth of topics applicants

could address—produced a wealth of innovative concepts from every region of the country. BJA received more than 1,700 concept papers from all

elements of the criminal justice system. They, in turn, have reached out

within their communities and proposed building partnerships with

schools, counties, social service agencies, and virtually every other type of

institution that can play a role in improving local criminal justice systems.

The potential of these partnerships for addressing the Nation’s most difficult criminal justice issues is truly exciting.

This report presents an overview of State and local submissions to Open

Solicitation ‘97. Among the report’s most valuable findings for both practitioners and policymakers are emerging trends in State and local criminal

justice issues. It is our hope that this insight into areas of local need will

help grantmakers at all government levels, as well as their grantees, design

more effective programs.

Because of the extraordinary contributions of everyone involved in this

special project, I would like to take this opportunity to thank those who

made the open solicitation process such a resounding success in its initial

year. First and most important, I would like to extend heartfelt thanks to

the applicants of Open Solicitation ‘97. We have been awed by your creativity and dedication to making a safer and better America. Within BJA,

the solicitation would not have run as smoothly were it not for Patty

Reilly, who coordinated the efforts of the enormous team that organized,

administered, and evaluated the competition. I would also like to thank

Timothy Murray, Mary Santonastasso, Butch Straub, Jim Swain, and the

other BJA staff members who gave of their time and energy.

In addition, BJA would like to acknowledge the superb efforts of Cygnus

Corporation and the members of the Peer Panel Review Focus Group to

improve the solicitation process. The focus group members were the

Honorable Bruce Beaudin, Senior Judge, District of Columbia Superior

Court; Lisa Hewitt, General Counsel, Commonwealth of Massachusetts;

James Kane, Executive Director, Delaware Criminal Justice Council;
iv

Bureau of Justice Assistance

Carlos Martinez, Director of Development, Law Offices of the Public Defender, Miami, Florida; Kathleen O’Boyle, Deputy Executive Director, Center for Community Alternatives, New York, New York; and Thomas

Williams, Executive Assistant Director, Division of Parole and Probation,

Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.

Nancy E. Gist

Director
v

Open Solicitation ’97: The Results

Chapter 1 The Idea: A New Direction in Grantmaking ..................... 1

Chapter 2 The Process: An Emphasis on Identifying Problems

 and Finding Solutions ........................................................... 3

Chapter 3 The Numbers: What the Solicitation Told Us About

 the Most Critical Areas of Need......................................... 7

State and Local Needs ............................................................... 9

Trends in Applicant Topic Areas .......................................... 10

Domestic Violence .......................................................... 10

Law Enforcement Language Training ........................ 10

Alternatives to Incarceration ........................................ 11

The Rural-Urban Gap in Technological Needs ......... 13

Rural and Tribal School-Based Programming ........... 15

Chapter 4 The Grantees: Innovative Thinking and New Faces ...... 17

Alaska ....................................................................................... 18

Yupiit of Andreafski, St. Mary’s .................................. 18

Alaska Court System, Anchorage ................................ 19

Arizona ...................................................................................... 19

Pascua Yaqui Community, Tucson.............................. 19

Pima County Superior Court Pretrial Services.......... 19

Gila River Indian Community, Laveen....................... 20

California .................................................................................. 20

Fresno County District Attorney ................................. 20

Judicial Council of the Courts, San Francisco............ 20

Vacaville Police Department ........................................ 21

Florida ....................................................................................... 21

Orange County Government, Orlando ....................... 21

Clerk of the Circuit Court, Leon County .................... 22

Georgia ...................................................................................... 22

Chatham County District Attorney, Savannah ......... 22

Randolph County Commission, Columbus ............... 23

Iowa ........................................................................................... 23

Fifth Judicial District Department of Correctional

 Services ........................................................................... 23

Fifth Judicial District ...................................................... 23

Louisiana ................................................................................... 24

Office of the District Attorney, Vidalia ....................... 24

Contents
vi

Bureau of Justice Assistance

Maine ........................................................................................ 24

Maine Judicial Department, Administrative

 Office of the Courts ...................................................... 24

Maryland ................................................................................... 25

State’s Attorney’s Office, Baltimore ............................ 25

Michigan ................................................................................... 25

Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, Manistee ......... 25

Minnesota.................................................................................. 25

Mille Lacs Band, Ojibwe ................................................ 25

Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, Red Lake

 Reservation .................................................................... 26

Missouri..................................................................................... 26

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department ................. 26

Montana .................................................................................... 27

Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Pablo ...... 27

Chippewa Cree Tribe, Box Elder ................................. 27

Nevada ...................................................................................... 27

Clark County Public Defenders Office, Las Vegas ... 27

New Mexico .............................................................................. 28

Pueblo of Jemez............................................................... 28

Santa Fe Police Department .......................................... 28

State Office of Indian Affairs, Santa Fe ....................... 28

New York .................................................................................. 29

Niagara County Sheriff’s Department, Lockport...... 29

Office of the Mayor, City of New York ....................... 29

North Carolina ......................................................................... 30

Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Cherokee ........... 30

Ohio ........................................................................................... 30

Howland Township, Warren ........................................ 30

Oregon ....................................................................................... 30

Portland Police Bureau .................................................. 30

Texas .......................................................................................... 31

Boerne Independent School District ............................ 31

Washington ............................................................................... 31

Longview Police Department ....................................... 31

West Virginia ............................................................................ 32

West Virginia Department of Military Affairs

 and Public Safety, Criminal Justice and

 Highway Safety Division ............................................ 32

Glenville State College ................................................... 32

Wisconsin .................................................................................. 32

HoChunk Nation, Black River...................................... 32

Appendix Sources for Further Information ......................................... 35
vii

Open Solicitation ’97: The Results

Figures

Chapter 2

1 Open Solicitation ‘97 Topic Areas ........................................ 4

Chapter 3

2 Geographical Distribution of Applicants ........................... 7

3 Open Solicitation ‘97 Applicants .......................................... 8

4 Submissions by Topic Area ................................................... 9

5 Applicant Needs in Topic Area 1.1

Strategies to counter witness intimidation that

 facilitate witness participation in the criminal

 justice system.......................................................................... 10

6 Applicant Needs in Topic Area 1.2

Strategies for special-needs populations (particularly the

 physically and mentally challenged, the elderly, and

 non-English speakers) that are involved in the criminal

 justice system as victims, witnesses, or offenders ............ 11

7 Applicant Needs in Topic Area 3.3

Strategies to provide cost-effective alternatives to

 incarceration for selected defendants and offenders ....... 12

8 Applicant Needs in Topic Area 4.2

Tribal strategies to provide cost-effective alternatives

 to incarceration....................................................................... 12

9 Applicant Needs in Topic Area 2.2

Strategies to address issues presented by juveniles

 charged as adults ................................................................... 13

10 Applicant Needs in Topic Area 1.3

Strategies to enhance law enforcement and

 prosecution coordination ..................................................... 14
viii

Bureau of Justice Assistance

11 Applicant Needs in Topic Area 2.4

Strategies to improve case processing and the

 administration of justice ....................................................... 14

12 Applicant Needs in Topic Area 3.2

Strategies in which criminal justice agencies address

 regional problems through consolidation or sharing

 of resources or through technology .................................... 15

13 Applicant Needs in Topic Area 3.1

Strategies that focus on community-based partnerships

 and coalitions to control and prevent crime and

 violence.................................................................................... 16

14 Applicant Needs in Topic Area 4.3

Tribal strategies to prevent substance abuse (alcohol,

 drugs, and inhalants) by minors ......................................... 16

Chapter 4

15 Awards by Agency as of October 1997 .............................. 17

16 Geographical Distribution of Awards ............................... 18
1

Chapter 1 Open Solicitation ’97: The Results

The Idea: A New Direction in

Grantmaking

Open Solicitation ‘97 was the response of the Bureau of Justice Assistance

(BJA) to grantees’ suggestions for improving the grant application process.

Their recommendations were the inspiration for a new kind of grant competition based on three compelling principles: Local agencies and publicprivate partnerships, not the Federal Government, should identify the

problems that need solving; the application process should be short and

uncomplicated; and as many agencies as possible should be encouraged to

apply. Applicants did not complete complicated budgets or Federal forms.

Instead, they wrote short concept papers that identified problems and suggested solutions. The solicitation emphasized clarity, competence, and

ease, not the ability to submit book-length technical proposals.

More than 40,000 units of State, local, and tribal governments were invited

to submit papers for 40 grants ranging in value from $50,000 to $150,000.

BJA awarded grants under topic areas broad enough to address the extraordinary diverse challenges facing local criminal justice systems. The

topic areas, developed in focus groups and constituent meetings, were intended to solicit the greatest number of submissions and allow agencies to

identify the most crucial aspect of their operations.

The solicitation was clearly a boon to grantseekers, but it was also a boon to

BJA and Federal policymakers in general. The volume of concept papers

has given the Federal Government a clear picture of the problems local

criminal justice systems face and the solutions local practitioners believe

will work. BJA intends to share this information with its Discretionary

Announcing Open Solicitation ‘98

For Open Solicitation ‘98, BJA will solicit concept papers under a

broad range of topics that reflect major areas of interest and concern

in criminal justice as identified by practitioners at the State and local

levels. It is our hope that, from the resulting programs, we will develop a pool of information that can be shared with State and local

practitioners and communities regarding new ideas to address current emerging problems in the field. Application deadlines for Open

Solicitation submissions will be announced during FY 1998. To be

placed on the BJA mailing list, call the BJA Clearinghouse at

1–800–688–4252 or the Department of Justice Response Center at

1–800–421–6770. Announcements will also be posted on the BJA

home page at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA.
2

Bureau of Justice Assistance

Grant Division, with Byrne State administrators, and with the other Office

of Justice Programs bureaus. It will guide our policymaking, assist us in the

development of technical assistance packages, and enhance the accuracy

with which we address State and local criminal justice issues. The value of

Open Solicitation ‘97 far exceeds the $4 million awarded to local grantees,

or even the 37 innovative programs the grantees have developed. At BJA,

we are confident that what we have learned from communities across the

Nation will change the way we do business.
3

Open Solicitation ’97: The Results

The Process: An Emphasis on

Identifying Problems and

Finding Solutions

In April 1997, BJA notified State and local criminal justice agencies that they

were eligible to submit grant proposals for Open Solicitation ‘97. The competition was also advertised on the Bureau’s Web site and in criminal justice

journals. Applicants had 2 months to compose a short concept paper that answered six simple questions about the program they wished to create:

What is the problem?

What are you trying to do, and why is this approach different?

How will this strategy work?

What other agencies will work with you?

How will you know if your concept works?

What are the costs and benefits of implementing the strategy?

Applicants were invited to submit papers on topics in four general areas selected through focus groups and constituent discussions: issues in law enforcement, issues in the adjudication process, issues in rural communities,

and issues in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Within

these areas, agencies selected specific subtopics that addressed common

problems in local communities. Applicants could submit no more than one

paper on any given subtopic but could submit papers on multiple subtopics.

Topic areas 1 and 2 were open to all units and agencies of State and local

government. Eligibility for topic areas 3 and 4 was restricted to rural communities with populations of 25,000 or less and federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments to encourage the

participation of populations typically underrepresented in the grant application process. Also, in topic area 3, preference was given to Rural Empowerment Zones, Enterprise Communities, and Champion Communities. For all

topic areas, nonprofit organizations were not eligible to submit papers independently, but could apply with State and local partners.

By the June 2 deadline, more than 1,700 concept papers had been submitted

to Open Solicitation ‘97. Of those, less than 10 percent were ruled ineligible

because they failed to meet the submission deadline or the solicitation’s eligibility requirements. The majority of ineligible applications were submitted

by nonprofit applicants without the required government partner. Of the total number of papers submitted, more than 90 percent—an enormous proportion in typical grant competitions—proceeded to the peer-review stage.

Chapter 2
4

Bureau of Justice Assistance

BJA’s use of peer review to select award recipients was by no means unprecedented in grant competitions. What was unique was how the review panels

operated. Members of the panels received precisely the same instructions as

the applicants, and submissions were ranked by the same explicit criteria

that guided their creation. The panels comprised, with few exceptions, practitioners from a diverse cross-section of State and local criminal justice systems, very few of whom had participated in peer reviews in the past. As a

result, the reviewers critiqued the concept papers with an eye for programs

and proposals that they might have liked to implement in their own jurisdictions, not for grant packaging or technicalities.

Reviewers scored papers on a scale of 1 to 100. The highest ranked papers in

each subtopic area were, in turn, examined by teams of BJA staff members

with expertise in the solicitation’s general issue areas: law enforcement, adjudication, rural communities, and American Indian and Alaska Native

communities. The BJA teams reviewed the findings of the peer panels and

made recommendations for awards to the Director of the Bureau based on

the quality of the proposals, as well as the geographic and professional distribution of the prospective grantees. From initial receipt of the 1,700 papers

to final decisions for awards, the review process took only 21/2 months.

Figure 1 Open Solicitation ‘97 Topic Areas

3. Issues in Rural Communities

3.1 Strategies that focus on communitybased partnerships and coalitions to

control and prevent crime and violence.

3.2 Strategies in which criminal justice

agencies address regional problems

through consolidation or sharing of

resources or through technology.

3.3 Strategies to provide cost-effective

alternatives to incarceration for selected

defendants and offenders.

2. Issues in the Adjudication Process

2.1 Strategies to strengthen linkages

between courts and the communities

they serve.

2.2 Strategies to address issues

presented by juveniles charged as

adults.

2.3 Strategies to address the treatment

and supervision of defendants and

offenders who are substance abusers

with mental health problems.

2.4 Strategies to improve case processing and the administration of justice.

1. Issues in Law Enforcement

1.1 Strategies to counter witness intimidation that facilitate witness participation in

the criminal justice system.

1.2 Strategies for special-needs populations

(particularly the physically and mentally

challenged, the elderly, and non-English

speakers) that are involved in the criminal

justice system as victims, witnesses, or

offenders.

1.3 Strategies to enhance law enforcement

and prosecution coordination.

4. Issues in American Indian and

Alaska Native Communities

4.1 Comprehensive tribal strategies that

address gang issues.

4.2 Tribal strategies to provide costeffective alternatives to incarceration.

4.3 Tribal strategies to prevent substance abuse (alcohol, drugs, and

inhalants) by minors.
5

Open Solicitation ’97: The Results

In a focus group hosted by BJA and Cygnus Corporation in September

1997, practitioners reported that the solicitation’s streamlined concept paper and review process was superior to the BJA’s traditional application

process. The use of concept papers and peer review panels dramatically

increased the efficiency of the process and opened it up to new perspectives from the field.

To gauge how this new process was received in the field, BJA recently conducted a telephone survey of 100 applicants to Open Solicitation ‘97. The

applicants were selected to reflect the breakdown of submissions by State,

type of organization, and topic area. For a majority of applicants surveyed,

their submissions to the solicitation represented the first time they had applied for a Department of Justice (DOJ) grant. Those sampled reported being very pleased with the six-page length requirement for concept papers

(81 percent), the time provided to submit papers (70 percent), and the flexibility to request funding in topic areas that reflected their criminal justice

priorities (85 percent). Overall, the response to Open Solicitation ‘97 can be

best summarized by one applicant’s comment that the concept paper format was the “easiest application to put together” and that the solicitation

process was “well outlined, simple, and direct.”

Applicants selected for an award developed formal proposals for funding

with the assistance of BJA staff. To help award recipients develop performance measures for their initiatives, BJA staff are working closely with

the Crime and Justice Research Institute (CJRI), a nonprofit organization

experienced in the coordination and dissemination of research involving

important crime and justice concerns. CJRI’s research and evaluation professionals will help grantees develop goals for performance and establish

procedures for generating information essential to measuring performance. CJRI will analyze this information and provide detailed feedback

to grantees that they can use to make their initiatives more effective. In the

first stage of its collaboration with grantees, CJRI will publish a preliminary report for each initiative, describing its strategy, implementation

challenges, and expected outcome. At the end of the award period, CJRI

will produce a comprehensive evaluation of Open Solicitation ‘97 that will

discuss the impact of each initiative in its State or community. BJA plans to

distribute this report nationwide.

Open Solicitation ‘97 produced one of the most important bodies of knowledge and demonstrations of State and local expertise ever assembled at

BJA. The innovative ideas that BJA cannot fund through Open Solicitation

‘97 will not be discarded. Among the concept papers that did not win

awards are much-valued descriptions of local problems and solutions that

DOJ will use to make its programs better and more responsive. This information will be forwarded to the appropriate offices within the Department

of Justice and other Federal agencies.
7

Open Solicitation ’97: The Results

The Numbers: What the

Solicitation Told Us About the

Most Critical Areas of Need

For BJA, one of the most important indications of the solicitation’s success was that applicants with relatively little experience in applying for

Federal grants were encouraged to submit concept papers. The

application’s short, straightforward format clearly helped to level the

playing field for agencies, particularly those serving rural areas, that historically have not had the resources to compete in grant competitions

with complex technical requirements.

Figure 2 Geographical Distribution of Applicants

Chapter 3

0–24 Applications

25–49 Applications

50 + Applications 

WA 

OR

TX 

NM AZ

NV CA

ID

OK

KS

NE

SD

ND

CO

WY

UT

MT

MN

IA

AR

MO

LA

WI

IL

MS AL

MI

IN OH

GA SC

TN

KY NC

VA WV

FL

PA

NY

ME

DE

NJ

MD

DC

NH

MA

CT RI

VT

HI

AK

GU PR

AK 32

AL 15

AR 10

AZ 95

CA 157

CO 28

CT 14

DC 2

DE 7

FL 94

GA 25

GU 2

HI 9

IA 31

ID 10

IL 41

IN 35

KS 18

KY 13

LA 45

MA 57

MD 20

ME 14

MI 45

MN 37

MO 27

MS 77

MT 42

NC 30

ND 13

NE 23

NH 7

NJ 33

NM 52

NV 18

NY 73

OH 61

OK 41

OR 33

PA 46

PR 12

RI 7

SC 14

SD 12

TN 32

TX 64

UT 21

VA 33

VT 18

WA 58

WI 41

WV 7

WY 6
8

Bureau of Justice Assistance

Law enforcement agencies were the largest group of applicants, submitting

slightly more than 30 percent of the total number of proposals. Although

law enforcement agencies are important and deserving constituencies for

BJA discretionary grants, it was BJA’s hope that the solicitation would increase the participation of other components of the criminal justice system.

Their response—accounting for more than two-thirds of all submissions—

surpassed even our most optimistic expectations.

Figure 3 Open Solicitation ‘97 Applicants

Police/Sheriff 552

Courts 238

Tribal Agency 166

Prosecutor 165

County/Parish 115

Town/City 95

Corrections 78

School 59

Other 50

Youth/Family Services 44

Parole/Probation 43

Public Defender 27

Public Safety Department 18

Economic Development Office 13

Pretrial Services 13

Community Organization 9

Housing Department 7

Governor’s Office 3

Defenders

2% Corrections

5% Parole/Probation/

Pretrial

4%

Counties/Municipalities

12%

Social Service 

Agencies

4%

Schools

3%

Prosecutors

9%

Tribal

10%

Courts

13%

Law Enforcement

31%

Other

7%

Submission by Type of Agency

Submission by Discipline
9

Open Solicitation ’97: The Results

State and Local Needs

Even more significant than the types of practitioners applying for grants

were the topics on which they submitted papers. Their selections have provided BJA with a roadmap to what State and local practitioners view as

their most pressing needs. In particular, the remarkable response from rural

communities met one of BJA’s most important objectives for Open Solicitation ‘97. The Bureau hopes that this breakthrough will strengthen the Federal-local partnership for addressing long-neglected criminal justice needs

in America’s rural communities.

Figure 4 Submissions by Topic Area

1. Issues in Law Enforcement

1.1 Strategies to counter witness intimidation

that facilitate witness participation in the

criminal justice system.

1.2 Strategies for special-needs populations (particularly the physically and mentally challenged, the elderly, and non-English

speakers) that are involved in the criminal

justice system as victims, witnesses, or offenders.

1.3 Strategies to enhance law enforcement and

prosecution coordination.

3. Issues in Rural Communities

3.1 Strategies that focus on community-based

partnerships and coalitions to control and

prevent crime and violence.

3.2 Strategies in which criminal justice agencies

address regional problems through consolidation or sharing of resources or through

technology.

3.3 Strategies to provide cost-effective alternatives to incarceration for selected defendants

and offenders.

2. Issues in the Adjudication Process

2.1 Strategies to strengthen linkages between

courts and the communities they serve.

2.2 Strategies to address issues presented by

juveniles charged as adults.

2.3 Strategies to address the treatment and supervision of defendants and offenders who

are substance abusers with mental health

problems.

2.4 Strategies to improve case processing and

the administration of justice.

4. Issues in American Indian and Alaska

Native Communities

4.1 Comprehensive tribal strategies that address gang issues.

4.2 Tribal strategies to provide cost-effective

alternatives to incarceration.

4.3 Tribal strategies to prevent substance abuse

(alcohol, drugs, and inhalants) by minors.

0 50 100 150 200 250 300

Submissions

Topic Areas

4.3

4.2

4.1

3.3

3.2

3.1

2.4

2.3

2.2

2.1

1.3

1.2

1.1

32

31

25

63

182

231

234

120

36

216

294

222

67

350

Key
10

Bureau of Justice Assistance

Trends in Applicant Topic Areas

Domestic Violence

Domestic violence programs were among the most frequently proposed

initiatives in several topic areas. In topic area 1.1, “strategies to counter

witness intimidation that facilitate witness participation in the criminal

justice system,” domestic violence programs were the second most popular

type of program proposed. Moreover, in many of the proposals for this

topic area’s most popular type of program—victim/witness coordinators—local practitioners specifically mentioned the need to deal with domestic violence.

Figure 5 Applicant Needs in Topic Area 1.1

Strategies to counter witness intimidation that facilitate witness participation in

the criminal justice system.

Domestic violence also ranked highly in topic areas 1.3, “strategies to enhance law enforcement and prosecution coordination”; 2.1, “strategies to

strengthen linkages between courts and the communities they serve”; and

3.1, “strategies that focus on community-based partnerships and coalitions

to control and prevent crime and violence.” Few other types of initiatives

so specific in nature ranked as highly in as many topic areas.

Law Enforcement Language Training

A second urgent need identified by State and local law enforcement agencies

was foreign language training and assistance. The unexpectedly large number

of requests for aid in this area clearly demonstrated that language training for

law enforcement professionals has not been adequately addressed in areas of

the country that have experienced major demographic shifts in recent decades. Departments requested funds for Spanish, Vietnamese, and Russian

classes for their officers, as well as for programs to make officers aware of police practices in the native countries of immigrants.

0

2

4

6

8

0

2

4

6

8

Community-Based 

Witness Programs

Child Abuse

Witness

Relocation

Domestic

Violence Teams

Victim/Witness

Coordinator

5

5

8

13

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18

Submissions

Program Type

19

20 22
11

Open Solicitation ’97: The Results

Figure 6 Applicant Needs in Topic Area 1.2

Strategies for special-needs populations (particularly the physically and mentally

challenged, the elderly, and non-English speakers) that are involved in the criminal justice system as victims, witnesses, or offenders.

In response to this need, BJA is exploring ways to link local law enforcement agencies with Federal and State agencies that currently make foreign

language training available to their personnel.

Alternatives to Incarceration

Another clear indication of the priorities of State and local criminal justice

practitioners came to light in topic areas 3.3, 4.2, 2.1, and 2.2, which solicited papers on alternatives to incarceration and court-community linkages.

Applicants from both tribal and rural communities showed a serious concern for juvenile offenders—keeping them out of jail whenever appropriate

and ensuring that in-custody services exist when serious juvenile offenders

are tried as adults.

0 10 20 30 40 50

Community

Policing

Juvenile

Intervention/

Prevention

Services for

the Elderly

Services for

the Disabled

Foreign Language

Training/Assistance Program Type

Submissions

10

15

18

19

47
12

Bureau of Justice Assistance

Figure 7 Applicant Needs in Topic Area 3.3

Strategies to provide cost-effective alternatives to incarceration for selected defendants and offenders.

Figure 8 Applicant Needs in Topic Area 4.2

Tribal strategies to provide cost-effective alternatives to incarceration.

In addition, in topic area 2.2, “strategies to address issues presented by juveniles charged as adults,” applicants consistently requested in-custody

services for their transfer populations. Transferred juvenile populations,

which are growing rapidly in jurisdictions across the country, are forbidden by law in many States to be housed in the same facilities as the adult

inmate population.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

3

5

5

7

7

Submissions

Transition/Part-Time

Programs

Substance Abuse

Home Detention/Electronic

Monitoring

Behavioral/Cognitive

Assessment

Juvenile

Program Type

0 2 4 6 8 10

5

5

9

Cognitive/Behavioral

Assessment

Community Service

Juvenile

Submissions

Program Type
13

Open Solicitation ’97: The Results

Figure 9 Applicant Needs in Topic Area 2.2

Strategies to address issues presented by juveniles charged as adults.

The Rural-Urban Gap in Technological Needs

The great need to address the gap in resources between rural communities

and urban and suburban communities was demonstrated in responses to

topic areas 1.3, “strategies to enhance law enforcement and prosecution

coordination”; 2.4, “strategies to improve case processing and the administration of justice”; and 3.2, “strategies in which criminal justice agencies

address regional problems through consolidation or sharing of resources

or through technology.”

In both general-eligibility topic areas, 1.3 and 2.4, applicants requested

funding for systems development and integration before requesting funding for computers, indicating that most localities already had computers.

What they proposed to acquire was new software, technology to integrate

separate databases, and advanced equipment, such as digital cameras, to

enhance existing systems. However, for applicants in topic area 3.2, which

targeted rural communities, computers came in second to basic equipment,

including dispatch radios and video cameras. For rural communities, such

basic equipment was a more immediate concern than computers, and certainly more important than advances in computing technology.

0 3 6 9 12 15

Pretrial Release

Supervision

Specialized

Defense

Data Collection/

Research

Treatment/

Education

in Detention

Submissions

3

5

7

13

Program Type
14

Bureau of Justice Assistance

Figure 10 Applicant Needs in Topic Area 1.3

Strategies to enhance law enforcement and prosecution coordination.

Figure 11 Applicant Needs in Topic Area 2.4

Strategies to improve case processing and the administration of justice.

0 20 40 60 80 100

Task

Forces

Training

Domestic

Violence

Systems

Integration

Automation

Equipment

11

17

20

28

Submissions

Program Type

83

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Submissions

10

12

14

15

26

Juvenile

Alternative

Sentencing

Computer

Equipment

Specialized

Court

Cross-System

Integration

Program Type
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Open Solicitation ’97: The Results

Figure 12 Applicant Needs in Topic Area 3.2

Strategies in which criminal justice agencies address regional problems through

consolidation or sharing of resources or through technology.

Rural and Tribal School-Based Programming

In rural and tribal topic areas emphasizing community mobilization or

the diversion of juveniles, schools were the focal point of applicants’ submissions. In topic areas 3.1, “strategies that focus on community-based

partnerships and coalitions to control and prevent crime and violence,”

and 4.3, “tribal strategies to prevent substance abuse (alcohol, drugs, and

inhalants) by minors,” the majority of programs were designed to bring

the community together through the schools, rather than through the

courts or other units of government. This valuable insight will help BJA

and other Federal agencies create better programs for rural and tribal

communities.

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Submissions

Equipment

Cross-Department 

Systems Integration

Special Units

Computers

Technology

(Noncomputer)

Program Type

12

12

22

27

34

40
16

Bureau of Justice Assistance

Figure 13 Applicant Needs in Topic Area 3.1

Strategies that focus on community-based partnerships and coalitions to control

and prevent crime and violence.

Figure 14 Applicant Needs in Topic Area 4.3

Tribal strategies to prevent substance abuse (alcohol, drugs, and inhalants) by

minors.

Submissions

Juvenile

(Courts/Offenders)

Domestic Violence

Community Policing

Juvenile

(Community School)

Program Type

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

80

11

11

22

27

63

Community

Mobilization

Submissions

Mentoring

Treatment

(Out of Custody)

Program Type

0 2 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2

5

8

9 School Based

Treatment

(Special Cultural)
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Open Solicitation ’97: The Results

The Grantees: Innovative

Thinking and New Faces

Chapter 4

Of the more than 1,700 concept papers submitted to BJA, 37 were selected

in October 1997 for awards of between $50,000 and $150,000. The majority

of grants will cover a period of 18 months.

Like the general pool of Open Solicitation ‘97 applicants, the grantees were

heavily represented by rural and tribal agencies historically underserved by

Federal grant competitions. The fact that so many of their ideas were selected on their merits demonstrates the critical importance of finding ways

to open grant competitions to more agencies at the local level.

Figure 15 Awards by Agency as of October 1997

0 3 6 9 12 15

Defenders

Corrections

Pretrial

Towns/Cities

Safety

Department

Schools

Prosecutors

Counties/

Parishes

Courts

Law

Enforcement

Tribal 13

6

5

3

3

2

1

1

1

1

1

Agency

Awards
18

Bureau of Justice Assistance

Figure 16 Geographical Distribution of Awards

Alaska

Yupiit of Andreafski, St. Mary’s

High suicide and accidental death rates in Alaska Native communities are

attributable in large part to alcohol and drug abuse. In St. Mary’s, the youth

of the Yupiit of Andreafski, who make up more than 60 percent of the

community’s population, are at great risk because of substance abuse. The

jurisdiction’s meager social services do not include prevention and educational services to help these youth. The Yupiit will create a communityoriented youth program that will base its services on three goals: prevention,

diversion, and treatment. The program will identify youth at risk of substance abuse-related delinquency, as well as those who have already come

into contact with the criminal justice system, and appropriate treatment

plans will be developed to help them stop abusing alcohol and other drugs.

The Yupiit will work with other local native communities, as well as law

enforcement and social service agencies. The initiative’s success will be

measured with statistical records of youth crime rates, youth drug and

alcohol citations, and the use of inpatient services by youth.

1 Award

2 Awards

3 Awards 

WA 

OR

TX 

NM AZ

NV CA

ID

OK

KS

NE

SD

ND

CO

WY

UT

MT

MN

IA

AR

MO

LA

WI

IL

MS AL

MI

IN OH

GA SC

TN

KY NC

VA WV

FL

PA

NY

ME

DE

NJ

MD

DC

NH

MA

CT RI

VT

HI

AK

GU PR
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Open Solicitation ’97: The Results

Alaska Court System, Anchorage

The experiences of members of Alaska Native communities with Federal

and State government institutions, particularly the criminal justice system,

are frequently alien and confusing. This pilot initiative of the Alaska Court

System in Anchorage will use cultural navigators to assist Alaska Native

individuals during their encounters with the criminal justice system. The

navigators will be fluent in native languages, versed in native culture and

traditions, and trained in the areas of crime prevention, social and legal services, court procedures, counseling and employment, treatment, and educational opportunities. Partners will include Alaska State troopers, public

defenders, and legal services professionals. The program’s performance

will be assessed using interviews with clients and partner organizations.

Arizona

Pascua Yaqui Community, Tucson

Tribal police report that turf tensions are high among gangs active on the

densely populated, 3-square-mile Pascua Yaqui Reservation in Tucson.

Seven out of 10 homes are affiliated with gangs, and the safety of the

community’s neighborhoods and schools has become a daily issue for residents. To create alternatives to gangs and violence in their community, the

Pascua Yaqui will offer offenders and suspected offenders exposure to the

Yoeme cultural arts. The initiative will use cultural identity and traditional

artistic expression to give offenders a sense of personal responsibility.

Partners will include the tribal court, the prosecutor’s office, the probation

department, and the tribal health services program. Success will be measured by comparing the community’s juvenile crime rate before and after

the program’s implementation and through surveys of participants.

Pima County Superior Court Pretrial Services

In 1996, State law in Arizona was changed to allow the automatic transfer

to adult court of youth 15 years of age and older, who have committed certain crimes or who have been classified as chronic offenders. Currently,

transferred juveniles are considered adults only on charges currently before the court. In all other respects they remain juveniles. This hybrid classification presents unique and pressing problems for local court systems.

Pima County will address the discrepancy by developing a program to determine appropriate pretrial release conditions for transferred juveniles.

The program, to be operated by Pima County Superior Court Pretrial Services, will identify the needs of juveniles and coordinate the delivery of

services with local resource agencies. Partners in the effort will include the

county juvenile and adult probation departments, the public defender’s

office, the sheriff’s department, and the University of Arizona. Data will be

collected at both pretrial and posttrial stages to determine whether the risk

assessment instrument developed for the program was successful.
20

Bureau of Justice Assistance

Gila River Indian Community, Laveen

Among tribal communities in the United States, the Gila River Indian

Community in Laveen suffers from some of the country’s highest levels of

gang violence, juvenile delinquency, and substance abuse. Shootings have

escalated to more than one a night, and territory marking and other gang

activities force people to live in fear. Institutions such as law enforcement

and the court cannot hope to restore security without the full support of

the community and families. To mobilize members of the Gila River community and channel their efforts into one broad-based initiative, the tribe

will implement a Gang and Community Violence Prevention Program. Its

goal is to strengthen the community’s awareness of, and response to, gangrelated crime. Participants will attend workshops on gangs, cycles of violence, and parenting and conflict resolution skills. Partners will include

local law enforcement, social service, and tribal agencies in Gila River and

the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

California

Fresno County District Attorney

In Fresno County, police have documented at least 75 active street gangs

and 3 active prison gangs, and witness intimidation associated with these

gangs has become a daunting problem for law enforcement and prosecutors. At present, the county lacks sufficient resources to identify and intervene in potential acts of intimidation. The Fresno County District Attorney

will combat this problem by forming a witness intimidation response team

to include prosecutors, investigators, State parole and county probation officers, welfare fraud workers, and law enforcement officials. The team will

develop protocols for preventing and responding to witness intimidation

and take steps to send a message to the community that such acts will be

vigorously investigated and prosecuted. The program will establish a 24-

hour hotline for victims and witnesses, provide transportation services for

witnesses, and actively pursue opportunities to intervene before intimidation occurs. Partners will include the Fresno Police Department, county supervisors, and the sheriff’s department. Success will be measured by the

number of witnesses contacted and served, community perceptions of the

team’s responsiveness, and conviction rates.

Judicial Council of the Courts, San Francisco

Limited resources in the States’ juvenile courts dictate that only the most

serious cases make it to a hearing. Too often, overburdened criminal justice

systems cannot give truant and runaway children the intervention services

they need. In San Francisco, the Judicial Council of the Courts will help

these youth by linking courts, families, and volunteers through a Family

Assessment and Intervention Resource Center. A judicially supervised,

nonadversarial program, the center will offer prompt, community-based
21

Open Solicitation ’97: The Results

prevention, intervention, and treatment services in a neighborhood setting.

Its foremost objective will be to serve children whose conduct or condition

falls within statutory guidelines, but whose cases are amenable to resolution short of court intervention. Partners will include presiding judges of

the superior and juvenile courts, social service agencies, victim support

groups, business leaders, and nonprofit organizations serving at-risk

youth. The program’s effectiveness will be measured using a research program to be developed by the center and by reviewing data on the number

of filings of similar juvenile cases before and after the center’s creation.

Vacaville Police Department

One of the main obstacles to prosecuting domestic violence cases in jurisdictions across the country is victim recanting. Police departments and victim advocates cite a lack of intensive, hands-on clinical support and legal

followthrough, and the psychological disruption of families’ children in domestic violence cases. In Vacaville, the police department’s domestic violence response team will attempt to overcome this prosecution roadblock

by providing victim advocacy and legal services, as well as basic living

needs and clinical counseling, for victims and their families. In each case,

the team’s goal is to provide victims comprehensive support from the initial

call for assistance to final resolution of the case. The team will work with

social workers, a local women’s crisis center, and other law enforcement

agencies in the area. Success will be measured by the number of domestic

violence victims and families served; tracking of resource utilization; the

status and use of restraining orders; prevention of, and response to, child

abuse incidents; reduction in youth violence; tracking of victims through

the system; and the program’s impact on prosecution costs.

Florida

Orange County Government, Orlando

In Orange County, the arrest and incarceration rate of homeless, mentally

ill adults is growing at an alarming rate, forcing the county’s criminal justice system in many cases to serve as a treatment center of last resort. To

serve this vulnerable population, the Orange County government in Orlando will create a secure treatment center adjacent to the county jail. The

center will serve as a central intake and assessment location for homeless,

mentally ill offenders, as well as a stable environment for postcustody release. The center will include a crisis stabilization unit, a detoxification

unit, residential housing, day treatment, a low-demand shelter unit, and

case management facilities. It will also offer prison diversion programs, supervised aftercare, specialized services, and a central data system to track

the progress of clients and the program in general. The initiative will be

supported by local nonprofit organizations and social service providers.

Success will be measured by the number of homeless, mentally ill offend-
22

Bureau of Justice Assistance

ers diverted from the prison system and treated, and by the program’s impact on prison costs.

Clerk of the Circuit Court, Leon County

In Leon County, increasing caseloads have produced unprecedented volumes of documents and data entry needs in the county’s criminal justice

system. The time and resources devoted to maintenance of these records,

which requires expensive, humidity-controlled storage, has clogged the

system and become a financial drain on the county’s revenues. To address

this pressing need, the office of the Leon County Clerk of the Circuit Court

will automate its filing system using existing Internet technology. Through

this new electronic storage and retrieval system, attorneys and other court

personnel will be able to file cases and access documents from any computer terminal using a World Wide Web browser. Once it is operational,

the system will be accessible to practitioners in every jurisdiction in the

county. The initiative will be developed in conjunction with all components of the county court system, as well as the Florida Office of the State

Court Administrator, the county commissioner, and the county library system. Success will be measured by the extent to which participants in the

court system submit and retrieve documents in an electronic format, the

benefits in cost savings and error reduction generated through automation,

and the system’s usefulness as a model for the submission of electronic

documents statewide.

Georgia

Chatham County District Attorney, Savannah

Violent, drug-related crime plagues the city of Savannah, which in the past

12 years has twice ranked among the cities with the three highest per

capita murder rates. The rapid growth of violent, drug- and gang-related

crime has overburdened a justice system already beset with witness intimidation. This initiative of the Chatham County District Attorney will implement the Savannah Plan, a comprehensive, multiagency assault on witness

intimidation. The heart of the plan is the vigorous prosecution, under Federal charges when possible, of any witness intimidation. The initiative will

include establishing “safe spaces” for witnesses and accelerating the prosecution of intimidation cases. Special conditions of pretrial release will be

developed and supervised as part of the program. Partners will include the

district attorney, the U.S. Attorney, the Savannah Chamber of Commerce,

religious and civic leaders, and a variety of county and municipal law enforcement agencies. Measures of the program’s success will include results

of witness debriefings, the number of witnesses assisted, and the perceptions of local prosecutors and law enforcement officers.
23

Open Solicitation ’97: The Results

Randolph County Commission, Columbus

The literacy rate in rural Randolph County is among the lowest in the

country, and the percentage of individuals on public assistance is among

the highest. Local law enforcement officials have identified substance

abuse as a major contributing factor in an overwhelming majority of arrests made in the county, and it is clear that punitive sanctions alone are

not sufficient to change these defendants’ behavior. In response, the

Randolph County Commission in Columbus will develop a Life Choices

Program for mandated referrals in need of substance abuse services. The

program will include presentence substance abuse assessments and shortterm substance abuse services. Partners will include professionals in the

judicial system, law enforcement agencies, and probation and parole departments. The program’s success will be measured by tracking the average number of jail days served and the number of repeat offenders prior to

and after implementation, and through surveys of clients.

Iowa

Fifth Judicial District Department of

Correctional Services

The Fifth Judicial District includes the most densely, as well as the most

sparsely, populated areas in Iowa. As a result, sex offenders in rural areas

must travel up to 200 miles to receive treatment or to comply with supervision conditions. Judges are reluctant to order an offender into a program

knowing the difficulties he or she will have accessing its services. This initiative, led by the Fifth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services, will replicate a Des Moines-based sexual offender treatment

program in these rural areas. The program will focus on responsibility,

empathy for victims, and prevention of relapses, and it will employ clinical

and polygraph assessment and progressively less restrictive sanctions as

offenders work toward its completion. Partners will include local mental

health and victim services organizations, as well as county attorneys, public defenders, and the courts. The program’s effectiveness will be measured by tracking recidivism through Iowa’s community-based corrections

data system.

Fifth Judicial District

In rural areas of Iowa, law enforcement officials have noted a dramatic increase in drug use and violence among youth. High-risk juvenile behavior

has prompted numerous jurisdictions to implement prevention programs,

but these uncoordinated efforts are largely reactive and often use prepackaged programming. To pull the initiatives into a cohesive, multidimensional, and proactive approach, the Fifth Judicial District will develop a

program for rural elementary students that combats drug use and violence

through decisionmaking skills and asset building. The Colfax-Mingo
24

Bureau of Justice Assistance

School District, the Iowa Department of Education, and nonprofit, youthoriented organizations will collaborate on the development and implementation of this program. The program’s effectiveness will be measured using

student records and surveys of youth, teachers, and administrators.

Louisiana

Office of the District Attorney, Vidalia

Increased levels of crime in rural Vidalia have overtaxed local law enforcement and the criminal courts, and local correctional resources are

crowded beyond capacity. Defendants released prior to trial are often rearrested on new charges before their previous cases have been adjudicated. To help alleviate this pressure on the local criminal justice system,

the Office of the District Attorney in Vidalia will create an alternative-toincarceration program for first-time rural offenders. The program will

emphasize aggressive supervision and restitution to victims. Partners will

include the office of the Seventh District Judge, the Macon Ridge Economic Development Region, the Louisiana Department of Welfare and

Human Resources, and local law enforcement agencies. The program’s

success will be measured by the number of offenders who voluntarily enter and complete the program and by the cost savings achieved through

diversion of offenders from incarceration.

Maine

Maine Judicial Department, Administrative Office of

the Courts

The Maine criminal justice system has changed significantly in recent years

with respect to sentencing laws and practices. There has been little opportunity, however, for members of the public, policymakers, and criminal

justice professionals to examine the full impact of these changes in a formal public setting. To provide such a forum, the Administrative Office of

the Courts of the Maine Judicial Department will create a statewide sentencing institute through which Federal and State judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, probation and corrections officers, legislators, victim

advocates, interest groups, and service providers can discuss sentencing

practices and the needs of offenders and victims in the State’s criminal justice system. As part of this effort, the Administrative Office of the Courts

will coordinate data collection and sharing between the Maine Department

of Corrections and the court system, and will promote the use of creative

sentencing options through training, research, and public education. Partners in the initiative include the Maine Judicial Department, the State attorney general, the Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Council

of Churches, and a community dispute resolution center. Success will be
25

Open Solicitation ’97: The Results

measured over several years by examining trends and changes in overall

sentencing practices.

Maryland

State’s Attorney’s Office, Baltimore

In Baltimore, hundreds of incidents of witness intimidation in recent years

have interfered with the prosecution of chronic offenders. To provide immediate and continuing protection of at-risk witnesses, the Maryland

State’s Attorney’s Office will develop a witness security program. At the

heart of the program will be a witness security task force led by the State’s

Attorney. Other members will include representatives from the police, the

community, the sheriff’s department, and the State departments of social

services, corrections, and housing. Success will be measured by the number of witnesses protected, the number of guilty pleas to the most serious

charge, and the overall conviction rate in witness protection cases.

Michigan

Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, Manistee

The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, recently restored to Federal recognition, is rebuilding its reservation community in Manistee. The process

of moving families from predominantly public housing to the reservation

presents unique and challenging opportunities. To ease the strain on families during this difficult time of transition, the tribe will develop a system

that identifies families’ needs and refers them to agencies that can help

meet those needs. The tribe also plans to develop a plan for implementing

a community policing program. Long-term goals include producing a

document outlining the formal roles of State, tribal, and community agencies in this process and creating a juvenile code and peacemaking system

for the reservation. Partners include the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, the Michigan Family Independence Agency, and State

and local law enforcement and social service agencies. The program’s effectiveness will be measured through community surveys as well as by

tracking the number of juveniles involved in community policing referrals.

The system will respond to data collected on youth deemed to be at risk.

Minnesota

Mille Lacs Band, Ojibwe

The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe represent just 4 percent of the county’s

population, but account for 34 percent of those incarcerated there, including juveniles. Approximately 80 percent of the Band’s youth drop out of

high school, and many become teenage parents. The overincarceration of
26

Bureau of Justice Assistance

tribal youth in Ojibwe could have a devastating long-term impact on the

future of the tribe. Through this initiative, the Mille Lacs Band will use a

traditional “healing circle” process in collaboration with traditional courts.

The program will be supported by the local school system, tribal social service agencies, and the Band’s departments of natural resources, housing,

and streets and roads. The program’s success will be measured using demographic and delinquency data on clients, surveys, and comparison of

preprogram and postprogram statistics.

Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, Red Lake

Reservation

As the number of juveniles living on the Red Lake Reservation has more

than doubled over the past decade, so have rates of juvenile misbehavior.

The region’s juvenile justice system currently struggles to handle a

caseload that is eight times larger than the system was designed to accommodate. Incarceration resources are overburdened and provide little or no

relief for these problems. The Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians will

implement a program to address this overload by providing alternatives to

youth incarceration. The program will demonstrate to youthful offenders

the impact of their crimes on victims, their families, and the broader community. In addition, the program will offer services to youth through craft

workshops, intermediate community sanctions, elder guidance, job skills

building, and mediation. The program will be implemented in partnership

with local courts, public defenders, prosecutors, probation officers, high

schools, and local social service organizations. The program’s effectiveness

will be assessed by the degree of community participation and other statistical measures.

Missouri

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department conducts the bulk of its operations out of three stations. Because these stations are spread throughout

the St. Louis area, prosecutors currently have few opportunities for face-toface interaction with victims and witnesses, weakening the credibility of

the prosecution process. To facilitate interaction between prosecutors and

victims, as well as between prosecutors and police, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department will install a multiagency video system that will

connect the department’s police stations, the Circuit Attorney’s Warrant

Office, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Witnesses, victims, prosecutors, and

police will use the system to share information and to expedite warrant

applications, incident reviews, and, when applicable, immediate Federal

referral. Success will be measured by the number of warrants issued,

random surveys of victims and witnesses, and calculations of cost savings

for the police department.
27

Open Solicitation ’97: The Results

Montana

Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Pablo

In Pablo, problems created by youth from the Confederated Salish and

Kootenai Tribes are commonly referred to the police, courts, and schools.

As a result, adults in the community tend to ignore both positive and

negative youth activity, allowing “the authorities” to deal with the issue of

developing alternatives to juvenile delinquency. To create a positive force

for youth in their community, the Salish and Kootenai Tribes will implement a rural diversion project tailored to the needs of tribal youth. The initiative will employ sanctions through a deferred prosecution program and

rely on traditional tribal elder guidance to reach at-risk youth. Partners

will include the community’s police, public defender, local housing authority, and mental health center and addiction treatment program, as well

as parents’ groups, schools, and tribal elders. The program’s effectiveness

will be assessed using offense referral statistics and community surveys.

Chippewa Cree Tribe, Box Elder

In Box Elder, the Chippewa Cree Tribe faces a serious problem of chemical

dependency in its population, especially among the young. Historically,

widespread stereotypes about homelessness, destitution, and alcohol dependency among American Indians have contributed significantly to this

problem both locally and in tribal communities across the Nation. To help

overcome the tradition of low expectations, the Chippewa Cree Tribe will

educate tribe members about their ancestors’ tenacity under harsh conditions. Tribal ceremonies, which flourished for decades despite attempts at

suppression, and the tribe’s communal strength will be used to foster selfdignity in Chippewa youth and to remove the pressures that lead them to

substance abuse. Programs, including a project to retrace the tribe’s journey to the reservation, will be held at schools, local service agencies, and

the reservation’s chemical dependency center. The initiative’s effectiveness

will be measured through internal evaluations and a midproject multidisciplinary review with recommendations for improvement.

Nevada

Clark County Public Defenders Office, Las Vegas

Many rural communities in Nevada have no full-time judiciary, let alone

full-time prosecutors or defense attorneys. Substance abuse treatment in

these communities, if it exists at all, often is available only in the form of

occasional 12-step meetings. It is estimated, however, that up to 80 percent

of crimes that occur in these sparsely populated areas involve drugs or alcohol. The Clark County Public Defenders Office in Las Vegas will address

this problem by creating a roving rural-circuit drug court and by offering

rotating regional counseling services for residents of communities without
28

Bureau of Justice Assistance

alcohol or drug services. The drug court will be developed with the participation of these local institutions: the Eighth Judicial District Court, the

Clark County Justice Center, the Clark County District Attorney, the Clark

County Public Defender, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Bureau, the

Mesquite Municipal Court, Choices Unlimited, and the Nevada State Drug

Court Association. The initiative’s effectiveness will be measured using

data from a project-specific database.

New Mexico

Pueblo of Jemez

The tribal court approach to criminal justice, especially as it relates to delinquency among the young, focuses on resolving conflict. Tribal justice

involves laws and customs that engage offending individuals and their

families. This process is nonadversarial and attempts to solve problems

while maintaining family relationships. The Pueblo of Jemez will use

these traditional principles of tribal justice as the foundation for a youth

program. The tribe’s initiative will identify juveniles at risk of delinquency, coordinate the delivery of outreach services to them, and enroll

youth in community-based activities. Many of the Pueblo’s tribal organizations will participate in the program, as will the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the University of New Mexico. The initiative’s effectiveness will

be measured using preprogram and postprogram data linked to program

objectives and surveys of participants.

Santa Fe Police Department

Nearly 50 percent of arrests for intoxication in Santa Fe are of individuals

with mental health problems. Currently, these individuals receive no assessment or tracking, and very little, if any, treatment. The Santa Fe Police

Department will take a new approach with these offenders by transporting

them to protective custody centers or detoxification units. At these locations, the offenders will receive medical attention, assessments by licensed

clinical counselors, referrals for treatment, and case tracking and followup.

The program will emphasize cultural sensitivity, family training, and helping youth through mentorship. Santa Fe police will be assisted by Crisis

Response of Santa Fe, Youth and Family Services, and other community

and social service organizations. Success will be measured by the number

of individuals who are picked up, detained, transported to protective custody or detoxification, assessed, and diagnosed with mental or substance

abuse disorders. The program will also compare recidivism rates before

and after its implementation.

State Office of Indian Affairs, Santa Fe

The State Office of Indian Affairs in Santa Fe will address perceived inequalities in how American Indian youth being charged as adults are
29

Open Solicitation ’97: The Results

processed through the Federal and State court systems. Two critical factors

contributing to these perceived inequalities are the location of offenses and

limitations imposed on Courts of Indian Crimes. However, because New

Mexico is the only State that allows tribal courts to intervene with American Indian youth, a rational and measured approach is possible. The

project’s main goal is to produce a single Children’s Code for the 22 separate Indian jurisdictions in New Mexico. The code will allow tribes to apply sanctions to youthful offenders immediately, appropriately, and with

sensitivity to the offenders’ cultural heritage. Partners will include the

New Mexico Council; local universities, offices of courts and corrections,

and schools of law; and judges and other experts from the tribes and pueblos of New Mexico. Success will be measured by the code’s adoption by the

State of New Mexico and local tribes and its potential for implementation

in other States.

New York

Niagara County Sheriff’s Department, Lockport

Despite “must prosecute” policies and an aggressive response by local law

enforcement agencies to incidents of domestic violence, approximately 25

percent of domestic violence cases in Niagara County are dismissed due to

lack of evidence or lack of victim support. To address this issue, the

Niagara County Sheriff’s Department in Lockport will coordinate a more

comprehensive response to domestic violence through a multiagency Domestic Violence Response Team. Members will include the sheriff’s department, the district attorney, and the Niagara County Violence Intervention

Program. Initiatives planned by the team include training sheriff’s deputies and advocates for victims of domestic violence in enforcing the

county’s new pro-arrest and no-drop policies, taking steps to make reporting of domestic violence uniform, and implementing intervention strategies to empower victims. Success will be measured by comparing the

number of preimplementation and postimplementation arrests, as well as

by comparing the percentage of cases in Niagara Falls dismissed or pled

down because of lack of evidence with the percentage of cases dismissed

or pled down in town justice courts.

Office of the Mayor, City of New York

Juveniles transferred from family to adult courts enter an adversarial system

geared toward prosecution, not toward crafting an individual disposition

that takes into account the youth’s unique family, emotional, developmental,

and school history. In New York City, the Office of the Mayor will create a

community-based agency to provide services to youth tried as adults. A second important objective of the agency is training public defense attorneys in

individualized, community-based sentencing options and offender services.

The City of New York will implement the program in partnership with the
30

Bureau of Justice Assistance

administrators of the Assigned Counsel Plan and the Osborne Association, a

nonprofit agency serving adult and family courts in New York City. Success

will be measured by comparing outcomes for youth serviced by the program

with those for youth who are not.

North Carolina

Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Cherokee

In Cherokee, North Carolina, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians have

experienced a steady increase in recent years in gang activity and criminal

behavior among youth in their community. In response, the tribe’s police

agency will create a Cherokee Anti-Gang Enforcement (CAGE) unit that

will combine intelligence and investigation with intervention and suppression. The unit will work closely with schools, businesses, and local youth

service organizations to offer youth alternatives to gangs and delinquency.

Major outreach efforts will focus on reaching youth at popular activities,

such as sporting events and school functions, and through the media. The

initiative will also mobilize the community to remove graffiti and to take

action to reduce the presence of gangs in neighborhoods and schools.

Ohio

Howland Township, Warren

In rural Howland Township, near Warren, increasing numbers of juveniles

are being charged with misdemeanors such as vandalism and underage

drinking, and a lack of alternatives to court action has clogged the local

courts and overburdened law enforcement. The township will train juvenile diversion counselors to work closely with the courts, schools, religious

institutions, community organizations, and police department to offer appropriate alternative sanctions to youth whose offenses are not serious

enough to warrant court appearances. These sanctions could include curfews, strict monitoring of behavior at school, confinement of offenders to

their houses, and community service. The program will emphasize comprehensive and family-centered approaches to curbing delinquent behavior before it becomes serious. Success will be measured by tracking the

number of juveniles processed through the juvenile court, with a goal of

reducing the total by 50 percent.

Oregon

Portland Police Bureau

It is estimated that more than 15,000 developmentally disabled persons

reside in Multnomah County. These individuals’ emotional and develop-
31

Open Solicitation ’97: The Results

mental problems often increase their vulnerability in situations in which

they are witnesses to or victims of crime, and financially strapped local

criminal justice systems lack the resources to adequately assist them. In Portland, the city’s police bureau will provide personal safety training to these

adults. The training will increase their awareness of police services and emphasize ways to reduce their vulnerability. Partners will include the Developmental Disability Advisory Group and community advocacy groups.

Success will be measured by feedback to pilot presentations, surveys of clients and staff, and evaluations of the initiative by project advisers.

Texas

Boerne Independent School District

Recent statistics reported for the city of Boerne show a dramatic increase in

juvenile crime and substance abuse, including a 600-percent increase in juvenile probation referrals over the past 5 years. A coordinated response to

this trend will be led by the Boerne Independent School District in a new

initiative called Collaborating for Children. The school district and its partners, which include law enforcement agencies, schools, parents, and students, will create a court that will adjudicate cases involving teenagers and

will raise public awareness about juvenile delinquency and substance

abuse. The program’s success will be measured by the reduction in school

attendance and dress code violations, parental attendance at parentteacher conferences, statistics from Child Protective Services, and teen

court adjudication trends.

Washington

Longview Police Department

In Longview, the processing of domestic violence cases is currently delayed 2 to 3 weeks between time of arrest and prosecutor review. This

“holding pattern” occurs without police or prosecutor involvement and

leads to a number of serious problems, including erosion of the strength of

the prosecutor’s case, limitations on disposition options, and insufficient

monitoring of victims and defendants. The Longview Police Department

will bridge the gap by hiring a domestic violence legal coordinator. The coordinator will organize the efforts of the police, witnesses, emergency support services, city prosecutor, courts, and victims. He or she will help

victims and witnesses stay in contact; monitor victims, defendants, and

witnesses; help coordinate arraignment and prosecution proceedings; and

make sure that all statutory victim support requirements are met. Success

will be measured using program evaluations and reviews of compliance

with established protocol.
32

Bureau of Justice Assistance

West Virginia

West Virginia Department of Military Affairs and Public

Safety, Criminal Justice and Highway Safety Division

In West Virginia, the number of serious juvenile offenders has more than

doubled in the past 10 years. In response, the State legislature has instituted changes in criminal laws that have led to an increase in the number

of juveniles transferred to adult courts. The courts, however, lack adequate

and appropriate programs to serve the needs of transferred youth. To address this gap in services, the Criminal Justice and Highway Safety Division in the West Virginia Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety

will develop programs tailored to the needs of juveniles charged as adults.

These programs will stress family, peer, and community involvement in

treatment, as well as personal responsibility. Partners will include the State

departments of health and human services and education, juvenile service

and delinquency prevention organizations, courts, prosecutors, and community nonprofit groups. The effectiveness of the programs will be assessed through a formal process and outcome evaluation to be conducted

by the Criminal Justice Statistical Analysis Center.

Glenville State College

Stressful working conditions are an inevitable part of the law enforcement

profession. Left unchecked, stress can contribute to destructive patterns of

behavior. Officers in rural areas with low tax bases such as Glenville are

especially at risk because their departments often do not have the resources to treat stress-related behavior. This initiative, to be spearheaded

by Glenville State College, will combat law enforcement stress with two

strategies: developing and delivering a training program for law enforcement agencies in the State that serve populations of less than 25,000, and

creating and distributing a pocket card with stress reaction symptoms and

contact numbers for professional help. Glenville State will be assisted in

this project by the West Virginia Criminal Justice Association, the West

Virginia State Police, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the West Virginia Department of Criminal Justice and Highway Safety. The program’s success

will be measured through a series of surveys distributed to police officers

and through a followup survey distributed to departments.

Wisconsin

HoChunk Nation, Black River

Juvenile delinquency is creating problems in the HoChunk Nation in Black

River, and these problems have been escalating over time. In particular,

incidents of drug abuse, juvenile arrests, and violence in the home have increased dramatically in the past several years. The area’s Indian Child

Welfare Services are overburdened and have resources to address only the
33

Open Solicitation ’97: The Results

most serious incidents. To help youth in its community, the HoChunk

Nation’s Department of Social Services will implement an early intervention community services program to address delinquency and minor offenses. The program will employ a youth case manager with a background

in social work who will coordinate the efforts of the courts, schools, and

service providers. The program’s success will be measured by comparing

overall preprogram and postprogram delinquency statistics, as well as

records on individual offenders.
35

Open Solicitation ‘97: The Results

Sources for Further Information

Appendix

For further information about Open Solicitation ‘97, Open Solicitation ‘98,

or other BJA programs, contact BJA or the BJA Clearinghouse at the addresses listed below. Information and publications are also available via

the BJA Web site at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA.

Bureau of Justice Assistance

810 Seventh Street NW.

Washington, DC 20531

202–514–5947

Bureau of Justice Assistance Clearinghouse

P. O. Box 6000

Rockville, MD 20849–6000

1–800–688–4252
Bureau of Justice

Assistance

Information

General Information

Callers may contact the U.S. Department

of Justice Response Center for general information or specific needs, such as assistance in

submitting grants applications and information

on training. To contact the Response Center,

call 1–800–421–6770 or write to 1100 Vermont

Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20005.

Indepth Information

For more indepth information about BJA, its

programs, and its funding opportunities,

requesters can call the BJA Clearinghouse.

The BJA Clearinghouse, a component of the

National Criminal Justice Reference Service

(NCJRS), shares BJA program information

with State and local agencies and community

groups across the country. Information

specialists are available to provide reference

and referral services, publication distribution,

participation and support for conferences, and

other networking and outreach activities. The

Clearinghouse can be reached by:

❒ Mail

P.O. Box 6000

Rockville, MD 20849–6000

❒ Visit

2277 Research Boulevard

Rockville, MD 20850

❒ Telephone

1–800–688–4252

Monday through Friday

8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

eastern time

❒ Fax

301–519–5212

❒ Fax on Demand

1–800–688–4252

❒ BJA Home Page

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA

❒ NCJRS World Wide Web

http://www.ncjrs.org

❒ E-mail

askncjrs@ncjrs.org

❒ JUSTINFO Newsletter

E-mail to listproc@ncjrs.org

Leave the subject line blank

In the body of the message,

type:

subscribe justinfo [your name]
U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Bureau of Justice Assistance

Washington, DC 20531

Official Business

Penalty for Private Use $300

BULK RATE

POSTAGE & FEES PAID

DOJ/BJA

Permit No. G–91

Announcing Open Solicitation ‘98

For Open Solicitation ‘98, BJA will solicit concept papers under a

broad range of topics that reflect major areas of interest and concern

in criminal justice as identified by practitioners at the State and local

levels. It is our hope that, from the resulting programs, we will develop a pool of information that can be shared with State and local

practitioners and communities regarding new ideas to address current emerging problems in the field. Application deadlines for Open

Solicitation submissions will be announced during FY 1998. To be

placed on the BJA mailing list, call the BJA Clearinghouse at

1–800–688–4252 or the Department of Justice Response Center at

1–800–421–6770. Announcements will also be posted on the BJA

home page at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA.