PROMISING PRACTICES

AGAINST HATE CRIMES

FIVE STATE AND LOCAL

DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS

Monograph

H ATE C RIMES S ERIES

PROMISING PRACTICES

AGAINST HATE CRIMES

FIVE STATE AND LOCAL

DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS

Monograph
This project was supported by Cooperative Agreement No. 95–DD–BX–K001, 

the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of 

Community Research Associates, Inc. This document was prepared by the Cen

Study and Prevention of Hate Violence, University of Southern Maine, under co

Community Research Associates, Inc. The opinions, findings, and conclusions o

mendations expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not n

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

Daniel Marcus

Acting Associate Attorney General

Mary Lou Leary

Acting Assistant Attorney General

Nancy E. Gist

Director, Bureau of Justice Assistance

Office of Justice Programs

World Wide Web Home Page

www.ojp.usdoj.gov

Bureau of Justice Assistance

World Wide Web Home Page

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA

For grant and funding information contact

U.S. Department of Justice Response Center

1–800–421–6770

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

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

Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the Office for Victims of Crime.
PROMISING PRACTICES

AGAINST HATE CRIMES

FIVE STATE AND LOCAL

DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS

May 2000

NCJ 181425

Prepared by Stephen Wessler

Center for the Study and Prevention of Hate Violence

University of Southern Maine
BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE 

Contents

Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Training and Support for Law Enforcement Professionals . . 

Meeting the Needs of Hate Crime Victims. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Addressing Hate Crimes and Bias Incidents Among Youth. . 

I. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

II. The Simon Wiesenthal Center’s National Institutes Against 

Hate Crimes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

The Institutes’ 4-Day Program at the Museum of Tolerance. 

Continuing Efforts of the Institutes—The Creative Use 

of the Internet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

III. The Victim Assistance Project in San Diego . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

The First Step—Immediate Response. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

The Second Step—Followup Contact. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

The Third Step—Weeks 2 Through 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

IV. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s JOLT Program . . . 

Prevention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Early Intervention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Prosecution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
iv

V. The Maine Department of the Attorney General’s Civil Rights 

Team Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Trainings and Workshops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Mini-Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Statewide Conferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

VI. The Massachusetts Governor’s Task Force on Hate Crimes . . 

The Civil Rights Team Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Stop the Hate Week . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

VII. Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

VIII. For More Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

iv
BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE

Executive Summary

The five demonstration programs

described in this monograph are

among our nation’s most promising

models for confronting and reducing hate crime. These programs,

funded by the Bureau of Justice

Assistance, Office of Justice

Programs, U.S. Department of

Justice, were developed by state

and local agencies. The first program provides training to law

enforcement professionals; the second program addresses the needs

of hate crime victims; and the last

three programs focus on bias

among youth, with an emphasis on

removing hate from public schools.

Training and Support for

Law Enforcement

Professionals

• The Simon Wiesenthal Center’s

National Institutes Against

Hate Crimes—Brings together

multidisciplinary teams of law

enforcement professionals from

cities, regions, and states for a

4-day intensive course at the

Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los

Angeles, California. By the end

of the course, each team has

developed a comprehensive,

coordinated plan for addressing

hate crimes in its community.

Meeting the Needs of H

Crime Victims

• The San Diego Police

Department and the AntiDefamation League’s Vict

Assistance Project—Resp

to hate crime victims’ emo

and practical needs. When 

hate crime is reported in S

Diego, a trained victim ass

tance volunteer from the S

Diego Police Department i

called to the scene to prov

emotional support and to 

dinate services for pressin

needs such as transportati

counseling, and medical a

tion. The project’s victim a

tance coordinator then wo

with the investigating dete

to provide followup contac

the victim for weeks after 

incident.

Addressing Hate Crim

and Bias Incidents Am

Youth

• The Los Angeles County

District Attorney’s JOLT

Program—Combines a co

hensive training program f

faculty and staff at K–12 s

to recognize and deal with 
vi

problems, a diversion program

for juveniles who are involved in

bias incidents and less serious

hate crimes, and aggressive

prosecution of teenagers who

commit serious hate crimes or

fail to complete the diversion

program.

• The Maine Department of the

Attorney General’s Civil Rights

Team Project—Uses teams of

students and faculty members to

promote awareness of bias and

prejudice in Maine’s public high

schools, middle schools, and

elementary schools. More 

1,900 students in 133 sc

statewide have participat

• The Massachusetts Gov

Task Force on Hate Crim

Uses civil rights teams in 

schools that are similar t

teams that have been es

lished in the Maine proje

The Task Force also prom

Stop the Hate Week thro

the Commonwealth and 

sponsored a variety of st

directed events focusing 

and bias prevention in sc
BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE 

THE IMPACT OF HATE CRIMES IS DEVASTATING TO INDIVIDUAL VICTIMS,

ENTIRE COMMUNITIES, AND, INDEED,

TO THE NATION AS A WHOLE. HATE

CRIMES, HOWEVER, ARE BEING CHALLENGED IN COUNTLESS WAYS ACROSS THIS

COUNTRY BY STATE AND COUNTY PROSECUTORIAL AGENCIES, POLICE DEPARTMENTS,

CIVIL RIGHTS ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS,

AND OTHERS. IT IS ONLY THROUGH THE

CREATIVITY, HARD WORK, AND PASSION

OF THE DEDICATED INDIVIDUALS WHO

WORK FOR THESE MANY INSTITUTIONS

THAT WE WILL CONQUER HATE, BIAS,

AND PREJUDICE.

—Nancy Gist

Director 

Bureau of Justice Assistance

Bias, prejudice, and the violence

they engender are not a new phenomenon in America. The trial and

execution of women suspected

of being witches in colonial New

England, the brutal and often deadly

treatment of Native Americans

by westward-moving European

Americans, the anti-Catholic fervor

of the Know Nothings in the 1

the bloody rampages of the n

born Ku Klux Klan in the Sou

during Reconstruction, and th

intimidation, beatings, and ki

of southern blacks and civil r

workers in the 1960s stand a

a partial testament to our nat

tragic experience with hate a

violence. During the 1980s a

1990s and continuing into th

decade, we have witnessed

hate crimes directed at Africa

Americans, gays and lesbian

women, Jews, Asian America

Latinos, Native Americans, a

physically and mentally disab

Some of these hate crimes—

the murders of James Byrd, J

in Jasper, Texas, and Matthew

Shepard in Laramie, Wyomin

have captured the nation’s he

lines, whereas too many othe

have occurred in virtual anon

The persistence of hate crim

throughout our history does n

however, mean that bias, prej

and violence are intractable. A

this country, people are devel

new ways to confront hate. A

monograph published by the

Bureau of Justice Assistance 

recently described six such in

tive initiatives.1 This monogra

1 Stephen Wessler, February 2000, Addressing Hate Crimes: Six Initiatives That Are Enhanc

Efforts of Criminal Justice Professionals, Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S

Department of Justice.
2

describes five additional efforts

funded by BJA as demonstration

sites.

• The Simon Wiesenthal Center’s

National Institutes Against

Hate Crimes, an intensive 4-day

course that brings together

teams of law enforcement professionals from cities, regions,

and states to develop new and

coordinated initiatives to combat

hate crimes.

• The San Diego Police Department and the Anti-Defamation

League’s Victim Assistance

Project, an innovative collaboration to provide victims of hate

crimes with both immediate and

emotional assistance.

• The Los Angeles County

District Attorney’s JOLT

Program, a comprehensive early

intervention, prevention, and

diversion initiative addressing

teenage perpetrators of hate

crimes and bias incidents. 

• The Maine Department of the

Attorney General’s Civil Rights

Team Project, a statewide program for preventing bias, prejudice, harassment, and violence

that is used in more than 120

high schools, middle schools,

and elementary schools.

• The Massachusetts Gov

Task Force on Hate Crim

civil rights team project t

sponsors student-directe

events and Stop the Hate

Week in schools through

the Commonwealth.

Individually, each demons

project presents a new and 

effort for confronting the na

problem with hate crimes. C

tively, the programs demon

that multifaceted approache

needed to confront, respond 

and prevent hate violence. T

most effective approaches i

coordination among all com

nents of the criminal justice 

tem, focused efforts to addr

the needs of the victims of h

crimes, diversion programs 

youth, and activities encour

hate crime prevention in ou

schools. Ultimately, our suc

in decreasing the number o

crimes will depend upon ma

organizations, both governm

and private, using similarly 

approaches to combating b

prejudice, and violence.
BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE 

The Institutes’ 4-Day

Program at the Museu

of Tolerance

Each Institute hosts three t

teams. Each team has six me

bers: one judge or other repre

sentative of the judiciary, one

prosecuting attorney, one pub

defender, one probation offic

and two law enforcement offi

Although most teams are fro

densely populated metropolit

areas such as greater New Yo

City and Los Angeles County

some teams are from smaller

more rural states. Participant

the course are chosen for the 

ership positions they hold wit

their communities and within 

organizations. Each team is

expected to formulate new st

gic approaches to combating 

crimes based on a fresh unde

standing of the unique eleme

that differentiate hate crimes 

other criminal acts.

Day 1

The program begins with a 

tated tour of the Simon Wiese

Center’s Museum of Toleranc

museum’s interactive exhibits 

participants to study the dyn

II. The Simon Wiesenthal Ce

National Institutes Against 

Hate Crimes

THE CONCEPT OF THE INSTITUTES IS

TO BRING TOGETHER TEAMS OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROFESSIONALS IN LEADERSHIP POSITIONS THROUGHOUT THE

UNITED STATES, AND CHALLENGE THEM,

INDIVIDUALLY AND AS A GROUP, TO FORMULATE FRESH THINKING, CREATE NEW

STRATEGIC THEORY, AND DESIGN BLUEPRINTS FOR COLLABORATIVE ACTION.

—Liebe Geft

Director

Museum of Tolerance

Simon Wiesenthal Center

The Simon Wiesenthal Center,

through its acclaimed Museum

of Tolerance in Los Angeles,

California, created the National

Institutes Against Hate Crimes with

a grant from BJA. The Institutes

utilize the Museum, a faculty of

nationally recognized experts on

hate crimes, and the Internet to

conduct intensive training sessions

with teams of criminal justice officials from cities, regions, and

states.
4

of bias, prejudice, oppression, and

hate violence. Museum exhibits

present the Holocaust in both historical and contemporary contexts.

Participants have frequently stated

that the tour is a moving, thoughtprovoking beginning to their work.

For law enforcement professionals, the tour is a unique opportunity to compare historic events to

present-day situations they may

encounter on the job. According

to museum Director Liebe Geft, the

tour encourages participants to

hold a mirror to themselves and

confront closely held beliefs.

In the afternoon, participants

hear and discuss the personal

experience of a victim of hate violence. Presenters have included

Holocaust survivors and an African

American who as a child was

involved in the desegregation of

the Little Rock, Arkansas, schools.

One participant commented that

hearing from a Holocaust survivor

demonstrated the “ability to translate personal horror into activism.”

The remainder of the day is

devoted to sessions led by experts

on different facets of hate crimes.

Topics include demographics,

crime mapping, and the impact of

hate crimes on victims and their

communities. These sessions are

followed by a panel and breakout

group discussion of best practices

in law enforcement to combat hate

crimes. The panel includes 

sentatives of the judiciary, p

tor’s office, public defender

probation department, and 

department.

Day 2 

The day begins with a pre

tion on contemporary hate 

followed by a discussion of 

tutional issues surrounding 

enforcement of hate crime l

A former member of an org

hate group describes his or 

personal history. The aftern

session explores intergroup 

sions and how those tension

hate crimes, the different st

for combating hate crimes, 

process for reaching a cons

among team members in se

the best strategies.

Day 3 

Each team spends the thi

working together to develop 

ative and coordinated strate

addressing hate crimes in th

jurisdiction. The goal is to c

detailed blueprint for collab

that can be implemented w

team members are back in 

communities. This effort is 

heart of the Institutes, and t

important challenge for team

members is to work togethe

implement the plan. 
BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE 

Day 4

The final day examines the

explosive growth in the use of the

Internet by hate groups. At the outbreak of the Gulf War in 1990,

only one hate site existed on the

Internet. In January 2000, there

were more than 2,000 such sites.

Continuing Efforts of the

Institutes—The Creative

Use of the Internet

The Simon Wiesenthal Center

has developed an innovative

approach to using the Internet for

the Institutes’ participants. Each

participant is issued a personal

password to access the center’s

customized Web site. The password

enables participants to obtain upto-date information and resources

on hate crimes, to stay connected 

with the center’s staff, and to 

municate with one another. T

Wiesenthal Center also plans 

conduct two video conferenc

which the teams will share th

results of their efforts.

Summary

The Simon Wiesenthal Cen

plans to conduct at least 10

Institutes in 2000. What sets 

programs apart is not only th

intensity but also their focus 

developing concrete strategie

implementing coordinated ha

crime prevention and respon

efforts. Participants’ access t

sophisticated computer techn

allows teams from all over th

country to share best practic

they begin the difficult job of 

fronting hate crimes in their l

communities.
III. The Victim Assistance Pr

in San Diego 

BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE 

Diego Victim Assistance Proj

addresses both the immediat

the emotional needs of victim

hate crimes in a comprehens

citywide program.

The First Step—

Immediate Response

The first response of a San 

police officer to a hate crime 

call in an Anti-Defamation Le

trained crisis interventionist w

works directly with victims at 

scene of a crime. At the scen

crisis interventionist confers w

the officer and then meets wi

victims to talk about their ne

Frequently, the initial need of 

tims is validation of their feel

of anger, fear, and isolation. T

crisis interventionist addresse

this need and determines wh

tangible support the victims

require, often staying with the

long after the responding offi

has taken a report.

The Second Step—

Followup Contact

On the following day, the c

interventionist contacts the v

assistance coordinator, who m

ages and coordinates the Vic

Assistance Project’s response 

hate crime victims. The victim

WE WANT TO SEND A STRONG MESSAGE: WE ARE NOT GOING TO TOLERATE

HATE CRIMES IN SAN DIEGO.

—David Bejarano

Chief of Police

San Diego Police Department

HATE CRIMES ARE MESSAGE CRIMES.

THE MESSAGE THEY CARRY IS, “YOU DON’T

BELONG HERE; YOU DON’T MATTER.” THE

MESSAGE WE MEAN TO CONVEY IS JUST THE

OPPOSITE: “THOSE WHO WOULD MAKE

OUR PEOPLE AFRAID AND DIVIDE OUR

COMMUNITIES WILL NOT SUCCEED.”

—Morris Casuto

Director

San Diego Regional Office, 

Anti-Defamation League

Individuals who are targeted

because of their racial identity, religion, nationality, ethnicity, sexual

orientation, gender, or physical or

mental disability not only suffer 

physical injury and property damage but also frequently feel intense

fear and isolation. For many hate

crime victims, this emotional

degradation leaves deeper scars

than physical injury. The San
8

assistance coordinator immediately

calls or visits the victims to assess

their needs for ongoing services.

The detective investigating the incident also contacts the victims at

this time. This followup is crucial

for two reasons: It provides continuing emotional support and it

allows the victim assistance coordinator to assess the victims’ changing needs and to make referrals to

community organizations and service providers.

As part of this project, the victim

assistance coordinator has developed a list of community-based

organizations and other service

providers who arrange services

at no or reduced cost to victims

of hate crimes. These services

include repainting homes, religious

buildings, or other institutions

defaced by hate graffiti; fixing or

replacing windshields broken by

vandals; repairing or replacing

locks; and moving victims to new

housing.

The Third Step—

Weeks 2 Through 4

The third step in the project

occurs 2 to 4 weeks after a hate

crime. During this period, the victim assistance coordinator discusses the status of the investigation

with the detective and calls or visits

victims to report on how the case

is progressing. The victim assistance coordinator reassesses

whether the victims have ongoing

emotional or practical needs

and makes appropriate referrals.

Regular updates on the inve

tion are also provided at thi

by the investigating detectiv

victim assistance coordinato

ular contact with victims us

ends at this point.

MOST VICTIMS OF HATE CRIMES 

INJURED NOT ONLY EXTERNALLY 

ALSO TO THE SOUL. WE WANT TO 

REPAIR THEIR SOULS AND BRING TH

MUNITY TOGETHER. TOO OFTEN, VI

OF HATE CRIMES DON’T KNOW WHE

GO. THAT WILL NOT BE A PROBLEM 

DIEGO.

—Morri

San Diego Region

Anti-Defamatio

Summary

The San Diego Victim As

Project is special because it 

bines immediate response t

needs of hate crime victims 

followup contact and servic

several weeks after a hate c

has occurred. Moreover, the 

is one of the few that focuse

simultaneously on victims’ 

different types of needs: the 

emotional and the tangible. 

important, it sends a strong 

message to perpetrators of 

crimes that their bias, preju

and violence are not tolerat

San Diego.
IV. The Los Angeles County 

District Attorney’s JOLT Pro

Prevention

JOLT’s prevention compon

has two separate parts. The f

involves intensive 2-day educ

al workshops for school facu

staff, and administrators at th

Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Mu

of Tolerance in Los Angeles. 

museum’s interactive Holoca

exhibits allow visitors to expl

issues of bias, prejudice, and 

violence. Teachers are taken 

facilitated tour of the museum 

then participate in a worksho

focusing on valuing differenc

engaging in cross-cultural co

nications, and developing spe

tools for addressing these iss

their curriculum.

The second part of JOLT’s 

vention component is onsite 

ing at Antelope Valley school

entire faculty, staff, and admi

tion of elementary, junior hig

high schools attend full-day w

shops provided by the Los A

County District Attorney’s Of

the Facing History and Ourse

National Foundation. Facing H

and Ourselves, an organizatio

develops curricula and works

for teachers on bias, prejudic

harassment, and hate, was re

nized in the President’s Initiat

Race 1999 publication, Pathw

to One America in the 21st Ce

BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE 

EVERY STUDENT SHOULD BE ABLE TO

ATTEND SCHOOL WITHOUT BEING

SUBJECT TO HARASSMENT OR WORSE

BECAUSE OF THEIR RACE, RELIGION, ETHNICITY, GENDER, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, OR

PHYSICAL OR MENTAL DISABILITY. SIMPLY

PUT, THE JOLT PROGRAM SEEKS TO ENSURE

THAT EVERY STUDENT IS ABLE TO REALIZE

THIS IMPORTANT AND BASIC GOAL.

—Gil Garcetti

District Attorney

Los Angeles County

The Los Angeles County District

Attorney’s JOLT (Juvenile Offenders

Learning Tolerance) Program is an

innovative hate crime initiative for

youth that combines prevention,

early intervention, and prosecution.

JOLT focuses on hate crime in

Antelope Valley, a sprawling community 80 miles northeast of Los

Angeles with a population of

200,000 residents and 64 schools.

The region has one of the highest

juvenile hate crime rates in Los

Angeles County and the state of

California. Juvenile hate crimes

have targeted the region’s AfricanAmerican, Hispanic, and gay and

lesbian populations. 
10

Promising Practices for Racial

Reconciliation.

A second workshop is conducted

by the Los Angeles County District

Attorney’s Office using the

Flashpoint curriculum. Teachers

are instructed how to incorporate

the curriculum into elementary and

junior high school classes. The curriculum uses film, music, and written material to educate young

people about civil rights, biases,

stereotypes, and discrimination.

Early Intervention

JOLT’s early intervention program is a preprosecution diversion

program for juveniles 12 to 18

years old who have engaged in

bias-motivated misconduct or have

committed low-level hate crimes.

Juveniles are given the option of

being suspended or expelled from

school or participating in the diversion program. Similarly, the Los

Angeles County District Attorney’s

Office refers juveniles who have

been accused of committing less

serious hate crimes to the program.

Juveniles who elect to go through

the diversion program start with an

informal hearing in the County

District Attorney’s Office, accompanied by their parents or guardians.

The hearing process is held within

a week of the referral to show juveniles that their conduct has immediate consequences. Juveniles who

are determined by the District

Attorney’s Office to have engaged

in bias-motivated conduct o

crime and who show a degr

accountability, sign a JOLT 

tract. Under the contract, th

(1) complete an intensive a

curriculum, (2) attend a trai

program focusing on anger 

agement and conflict resolu

(3) write letters of apology t

victims, (4) fulfill a restitutio

agreement, if appropriate, a

attend school, receive satisf

grades, and demonstrate go

citizenship.

The antihate curricula use

JOLT—one for juveniles and 

for their parents or guardian

were developed by the Nati

Conference for Community 

Justice (NCCJ). The curricu

for juveniles is taught in 3-h

sessions for 7 weeks. The s

for parents are held for 10 w

Both curricula focus on givi

ticipants a better understan

of their own biases and the 

of bias-motivated harassme

property damage, and viole

on victims.

The benefits are significan

juveniles who complete the 

sion program. They avoid th

of a petition in juvenile delin

court and are allowed to ret

or remain in school. More im

tant, they begin to understan

destructive consequences o

hate and the need to view d

in their community from a d

perspective.
Prosecution

The final component of the JOLT

Program is prosecution for three

types of juveniles. Juveniles who

have committed serious, often violent, hate crimes are categorized as

hardcore offenders and are considered to be unsuitable for the diversion program. This category also

includes juveniles who have

engaged in two or more incidents

of bias-motivated misconduct.

Juveniles who are referred to

JOLT but refuse to sign the JOLT

contract are also dealt with in this

component. The final category

includes juveniles who sign the

JOLT contract but fail to meet its

requirements.

BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE 

Summary

What sets JOLT apart is its 

prehensive approach to addr

bias-motivated misconduct b

juveniles at a variety of levels

program helps teachers incor

issues of diversity and respec

the classroom, gives juvenile

alternative to the court proce

and protects the community 

prosecuting juveniles who ha

committed serious, violent cr

or who refuse to participate i

cational or diversion activitie
V. The Maine Department of 

Attorney General’s Civil Righ

Team Project

BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE 

NO STUDENTS IN THIS STATE SHOULD

HAVE TO EXPERIENCE ANXIETY, FEAR,

OR TERROR IN THEIR ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, OR HIGH SCHOOL BECAUSE OF THE

COLOR OF THEIR SKIN, THEIR RELIGION,

THEIR GENDER, THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATION, THEIR DISABILITY, OR ANY OTHER

ASPECT OF THEMSELVES THAT MAKES THEM

DIFFERENT FROM OTHER STUDENTS. THE

SECRET TO THE SUCCESS OF THE CIVIL

RIGHTS TEAM PROJECT IS LAW ENFORCEMENT WORKING TOGETHER WITH TEACHERS

AND ADMINISTRATORS TO EMPOWER STUDENTS TO STAND UP FOR CIVILITY AND

RESPECT. THE CONCEPT IS SIMPLE; THE

CONCEPT IS POWERFUL; AND THE CONCEPT

WORKS. 

—Andrew Ketterer

Attorney General

State of Maine

In fall 1996, the Maine Attorney

General used BJA funds to start

the Civil Rights Team Project in 18

middle and high schools. The project addressed school-based bias,

prejudice, harassment, and violence. In 1997, with a larger grant

from BJA, the project expand

to 58 schools and has contin

to grow since then. As of the

1999–2000 school year, mor

117 middle and high schools 

elementary schools had deve

civil rights teams. More than 

students in Maine now partic

in civil rights teams.

Maine’s civil rights teams a

made up of three or four stud

per grade, plus two or three f

advisers. The teams have two 

mal responsibilities. First, the

promote awareness of bias a

prejudice within their schools

Second, they organize forum

students to talk about harass

If a team receives information

about harassment, it is charg

with forwarding that informat

a responsible teacher or adm

trator. The Attorney General’

office assigns a community a

to each team to serve as liais

between the team and the De

ment of the Attorney Genera

Trainings and Worksh

Maine’s Department of the

Attorney General provides fu

training each fall for new and

returning civil rights teams an

faculty and community advis
14

These trainings, which are conducted by staff of the Department

of the Attorney General using the

office’s own curriculum, include the

following:

• A presentation on the type of

hate crimes committed in Maine

schools.

• Interactive exercises on the role

of degrading language and slurs

in escalating a situation to serious harassment and violence.

• A presentation by a Holocaust

survivor or a victim of bias and

prejudice in Maine.

• Role-playing exercises on how

to run effective civil rights team

meetings.

• Small group work on real-life

scenarios.

• Plans for the upcoming year.

Every school participating in

the civil rights team project agrees

to host the Department of the

Attorney General for a half-day

workshop for faculty, administrators, and staff. The workshop gives

teachers and other school staff

a better understanding of the

destructive impact of degrading

language and bias-motivated

harassment and teaches them how

to intervene when students engage

in such behavior.

Mini-Grants

The Department of the Attorney

General has developed a mini-grant

program that provides civil 

teams up to $300 for projec

addressing bias, prejudice, a

harassment. Civil rights team

used these grants to buy ma

for bulletin boards focusing 

rights issues; to pay for spea

on civil rights issues; to prod

documentary films showing 

importance of preventing bi

prejudice, and harassment; 

fund numerous other projec

Statewide Conference

Each spring, the Departm

of the Attorney General hold

statewide conference for all 

civil rights team students an

advisers. In spring 1999, mo

1,000 students attended the 

ence, which was held at the 

Center in Augusta, the state 

Students attended plenary a

breakout sessions on unders

different aspects of diversity 

developing skills to pursue c

rights causes within their sc

Summary 

The success of the Maine 

Rights Team Project lies in i

ty to tap the energies of the 

number of students who are 

mitted to ensuring that scho

places where respect for dif

is valued and where no stud

should be scared because o

harassment or violence. Inc

ingly, student civil rights tea

members are becoming lea

in their schools in confrontin

harassment and promoting 

ty and respect for difference
VI. The Massachusetts Gover

Task Force on Hate Crimes

BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE 

The Massachusetts Governor’s

Task Force on Hate Crimes has 

initiated a two-part school project

focusing on preventing hate violence. The first component of the

program was the establishment

of civil rights teams in seven

Massachusetts high schools in fall

1999. The second component,

scheduled for May 1–7, 2000, is

Stop the Hate Week, a public

awareness and education campaign

targeting schools and communities

throughout the Commonwealth.

BJA has provided funding for both

components of the project.

The Civil Rights Team

Program

In early fall 1999, the Task Force

selected seven pilot high schools as

sites for civil rights teams. The civil

rights teams are located in high

schools throughout the Commonwealth. The teams, which have

12 to 18 students, work in their

schools to promote an understanding of diversity and to decrease

school-based bias, prejudice, and

harassment.

The Task Force partnered with

the National Conference for

Community and Justice to develop

curricula and conduct training for

the seven civil rights teams.

In mid-October 1999, NCC

conducted a 2-day training p

gram for more than 100 stud

and faculty advisers. The wor

shop’s activities increased th

dents’ understanding of their 

biases and prejudices and tau

them skills to make their sch

more accepting of difference 

ultimately safer. NCCJ and th

Task Force also developed a 

riculum for training teachers 

how to reduce bias, prejudice

harassment, and hate violenc

their schools. During 2000, th

Task Force will conduct half-

workshops for faculty, staff, a

administrators at each of the 

schools with civil rights team

The Governor’s Task Force

is creating a Web site (www.

stopthehate.org) for the proje

The site has two components

first provides public informat

the Task Force’s programs, a

second is accessible by civil 

teams with a private passwor

This site will permit student m

bers of civil rights teams in M

Massachusetts, and West Virg

(which established a civil righ

team project in 15 schools in 

through its Attorney General’

Office) to communicate with 

another.
16

Stop the Hate Week

In the first week of May 2000,

the Task Force, in conjunction with

the seven participating civil rights

teams, will sponsor Stop the Hate

Week in middle and high schools

throughout the state. The event will

distribute hate crimes curricula to

schools throughout Massachusetts

and promote “bystander responsibility” for acting against bias, prejudice, and hate crimes. Stop the

Hate Week will also include cultural 

and educational activities su

art exhibits on civil rights hi

speaking events featuring s

of the Holocaust; communit

forums in Boston, Worceste

Springfield; and a variety of 

grams directed and sponsor

students themselves. The Ta

Force expects to dissemina

lic service announcements 

media outlets statewide focu

on civil rights issues and res

for differences. 
VII. Conclusion

BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE 

NO ONE APPROACH EXISTS TO CONFRONTING AND PREVENTING HATE

CRIMES IN THIS NATION. RATHER, HATE

CRIMES WILL ONLY BE SUCCESSFULLY

ADDRESSED WHEN COUNTLESS PEOPLE

THROUGHOUT THE 50 STATES WORK

TOGETHER TO DEVELOP APPROACHES THAT

ARE APPROPRIATE FOR THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND WORK INDIVIDUALLY TO

DEVELOP THE COURAGE AND SKILLS TO

SERVE AS ROLE MODELS OF CIVILITY AND

RESPECT. WE HOPE THAT OTHERS WILL

TAKE THE PROGRAMS DESCRIBED IN THIS

MONOGRAPH AS GUIDEPOSTS FOR DEVELOPING THEIR OWN PROGRAMS TAILORED

TO THE NEEDS OF THEIR COMMUNITIES.

—Rose Ochi

Director

Community Relations Service

U.S. Department of Justice

BJA and every component of the

U.S. Department of Justice have

made it a priority to stop hatemotivated violence. Disturbing acts

of violence and harassment b

on racial and ethnic identity, 

gion, nationality, sexual orien

gender, and disability occur i

every type of American comm

ty, from the inner city to the s

est rural town. But in the face 

this violence, communities ar

fighting back. 

Like the organizations and 

munity leaders cited in this m

graph, schools, civil rights gr

police departments, prosecut

offices, county and local gov

ments, and neighborhood org

tions are taking action agains

hate-motivated violence. The

innovative programs often ta

ferent approaches, tapping e

community’s unique resource

However, these communities 

bound together by their creat

and by the dedication of the 

ing number of men, women, 

youth who passionately devo

their time and energy to conf

hate crimes. BJA will continu

highlight these promising and

effective programs, providing

resources and ideas to other 

munities combating hate viol
BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE 

VIII. For More Information

Please use the contact information

below to learn more about the

programs discussed in this 

monograph.

Simon Wiesenthal Center’s 

National Institutes Against 

Hate Crimes

Liebe Geft, Director

Museum of Tolerance

9760 West Pico Boulevard

Los Angeles, CA 90035–4572

310–553–8403

World Wide Web:

www.wiesenthal.com/

Lucinda Freeman, Project 

Coordinator 

310–772–7619

E-mail: Lfreeman@wiesenthal.net

San Diego Police Department and 

Anti-Defamation League’s 

Victim Assistance Project

Anna M. Knuth, Officer 

San Diego Police Department

1401 Broadway

San Diego, CA 92101–5729

858–573–5040

or

Morris Casuto, Director 

San Diego Regional Office, 

Anti-Defamation League

7851 Mission Center Court

Suite 320

San Diego, CA 92108–1328

619–293–3770

Los Angeles County District 

Attorney’s JOLT Program

Linda Baek, Deputy District 

Attorney/JOLT Program Man

320 West Temple Street 

Room 780–29

Los Angeles, CA 90013

213–893–2118

Maine Department of the At

General’s Civil Rights Team 

Project

Thomas Harnett, Assistant

Attorney General 

6 State House Station

Augusta, ME 04333

207–626–8848

E-mail:

Thomas.a.Harnett@state.me.us

World Wide Web:

www.state.me.us/ag/crt/crt.htm

Massachusetts Governor’s T

Force on Hate Crimes

Christina Bouras, Executive Di

Governor’s Task Force on 

Hate Crimes 

c/o Executive Office of Public 

Programs Division

1 Ashburton Place, Suite 2110

Boston, MA 02108

617–727–6300, Ext. 25339

World Wide Web:

www.stopthehate.org
20

For information from other organizations that are addressing hate

crimes, please contact any of the

organizations listed below.

Anti-Defamation League

823 United Nations Plaza

New York, NY 10017

212–490–2525

Arab American Institute

918 16th Street NW., Suite 601

Washington, DC 20006

202–429–9210

Fax: 202–429–9214

Bureau of Justice Assistance

810 Seventh Street NW., 

Fourth Floor

Washington, DC 20531

202–616–6500

Fax: 202–305–1367

Bureau of Justice Statistics

810 Seventh Street NW.

Washington, DC 20531

202–307–0765

Fax: 202–307–5846

Community Relations Service

U.S. Department of Justice

600 E Street NW., Suite 2000

Washington, DC 20530

202–305–2935

Fax: 202–305–3009

Disability Law Center

11 Beacon Street, Suite 925

Boston, MA 02108

617–723–8455

Fax: 617–723–9125

Facing History and Ourselv

National Foundation

16 Hurd Road

Brookline, MA 02146

617–232–1595

Fax: 617–232–0281

Federal Bureau of Investiga

J. Edgar Hoover Building

10th Street and Pennsylvania 

Avenue NW.

Washington, DC 20535

202–324–1143

Federal Bureau of Investiga

Criminal Justice Information 

Services Division

Attn: Uniform Crime Reports

1000 Custer Hollow Road

Clarksburg, WV 26306

304–625–4995

Fax: 304–625–5394

Human Rights Campaign

919 18th Street NW.

Washington, DC 20006

202–628–4160

Fax: 202–347–5323

International Association o

Chiefs of Police

515 North Washington Street

Alexandria, VA 22314–2357

703–836–6767

Fax: 703–836–4543

National Asian Pacific Ame

Legal Consortium

1140 Connecticut Avenue NW

Suite 1200

Washington, DC 20036

202–296–2300

Fax: 202–296–2318
BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE 

National Conference of Christians 

and Jews 

71 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1100

New York, NY 10003

212–206–0006

Fax: 212–255–6177

National Congress of American 

Indians

2010 Massachusetts Avenue NW., 

Second Floor

Washington, DC 20036

202–466–7767

Fax: 202–466–7797

National Council of La Raza

1111 19th Street NW., Suite 1000

Washington, DC 20036

202–785–1670

Fax: 202–776–1792

National Criminal Justice 

Association

444 North Capitol Street NW., 

Suite 618

Washington, DC 20001

202–624–1440

Fax: 202–508–3859

National Gay and Lesbian 

Task Force

1700 Kalorama Road NW.

Washington, DC 20009–2702

202–332–6483

Fax: 202–332–0207

National Network of Violence 

Prevention

55 Chapel Street

Newton, MA 02158

617–969–7100

Fax: 617–244–3436

National Women’s Law Cent

11 Dupont Circle NW., Suite 80

Washington, DC 20036

202–588–5180

Fax: 202–588–5185

Office of Juvenile Justice an

Delinquency Prevention

810 Seventh Street NW.

Washington, DC 20531

202–307–5911

Fax: 202–307–2093

Office for Victims of Crime

810 Seventh Street NW.

Washington, DC 20531

202–307–5983

Fax: 202–514–6383

President’s Initiative on 

One America

The Old Executive Office Build

Washington, DC 20502

202–395–1010

Simon Wiesenthal Center

9760 West Pico Boulevard

Los Angeles, CA 90035

310–553–9036

Fax: 310–553–8007

U.S. Commission on Civil Ri

624 Ninth Street NW.,

Suite 700

Washington, DC 20425

202–337–0382

Fax: 202–376–7558

U.S. Department of Educatio

600 Independence Avenue SW

Washington, DC 20202

202–205–5557

Fax: 202–205–5381
22

U.S. Department of Housing and 

Urban Development

451 Seventh Street SW.,

Room 10000

Washington, DC 20410

202–708–0417

Fax: 202–708–2476

Violence Against Women Office

800 K Street NW., Suite 900

Washington, DC 20531

202–616–8894

Fax: 202–307–3911

Women’s Legal Defense Fund

1875 Connecticut Avenue NW.,

Suite 710

Washington, DC 20009

202–986–2600

Fax: 202–986–2539

For additional information a

BJA programs, contact:

Bureau of Justice Assista

Clearinghouse

P.O. Box 6000

Rockville, MD 20849–6000

1–800–688–4252

Fax: 301–519–5212

Clearinghouse staff are ava

Monday through Friday, 8:3

to 7 p.m. eastern time. Ask 

placed on the BJA mailing 

U.S. Department of Justi

Response Center

1–800–421–6770 or

202–307–1480

Response Center staff are a

Monday through Friday, 9 a

5 p.m. eastern time.
Bureau of Justice Assistan

Information

General Information

❒ 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

Callers may contact the U.S. Department of Justice Response Center for general i

tion or specific needs, such as assistance in submitting grant applications and info

on training. To contact the Response Center, call 1–800–421–6770 or write to 110

Vermont Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20005.

Indepth Information

For more indepth information about BJA, its programs, and its funding opportuniti

requesters can call the BJA Clearinghouse. The BJA Clearinghouse, a component 

National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS), shares BJA program inform

with state and local agencies and community groups across the country. Informati

cialists are available to provide reference and referral services, publication distribu

participation and support for conferences, and other networking and outreach activ

The Clearinghouse can be reached by

❒ 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] 
PRESORTED S

POSTAGE & F

DOJ/B

PERMIT NO

U.S. Department of JusticeOffice of Justice ProgramsBureau of Justice AssistanceWashington, DC 20531Official BusinessPenalty for Private Use $300