[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 85 (Monday, May 4, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 24572]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-11788]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Bureau of Justice Assistance
[OJP(BJA)-1173]
RIN 1121-ZB11


Bureau of Justice Assistance FY 1998 Open Solicitation 
Announcement: Call for Papers

AGENCY: Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance, 
Justice.

ACTION: Request for concept papers.

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SUMMARY: Announcement of the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) FY 1998 
Open Solicitation. BJA is seeking innovative solutions to criminal 
justice problems facing local communities. BJA invites eligible State, 
local, and tribal governments and their agencies to submit brief 
concept papers describing emerging or chronic criminal justice issues 
within their jurisdictions and partnership-based strategies to address 
those issues.

DATES: Submissions must be received by BJA by close of business (5:30 
p.m. E.S.T.) July 2, 1998. BJA will not grant extensions of the 
deadline or accept faxed submissions.

ADDRESSES: Submissions must be mailed or delivered to: Bureau of 
Justice Assistance Control Desk, 5640 Nicholson Lane, Suite 300, 
Rockville, MD, 20852.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The U.S. Department of Justice 
Response Center at 1-800-421-6770. Copies of the FY 1998 Open 
Solicitation Announcement may be obtained by calling the BJA 
Clearinghouse at 1-800-688-4252, or by accessing the BJA World Wide Web 
home page at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority

    This action is authorized under the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 
Streets Act of 1968, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 3751-59 (1994).

Background

    The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is soliciting concept papers 
in order to continue to encourage, support and publicize local 
innovations and to build safe and healthy communities. Applicants may 
submit only one concept paper in each topic area. Applicants may apply 
for as many topic areas as they wish, but must submit a different 
concept for each topic. Concept papers must address the topic areas 
listed below.
    FY 1998 Open Solicitation Topic Areas are as follows: (1) Community 
Justice: strategies to create partnerships between communities and 
local criminal justice systems to combat crime; (2) Law Enforcement 
Partnerships to Address Hate Crimes: strategies that address crimes 
committed against individuals or groups because of race, ethnicity, 
religious affiliation, gender, disability, or sexual orientation; (3) 
Criminal Justice Challenges for Rural or Tribal Communities: strategies 
that address criminal justice challenges unique to rural or tribal 
communities; (4) Criminal Justice Responses to Senior Citizens: 
strategies that address issues presented by senior citizens' 
participation in the criminal justice system as victims, witnesses, 
defendants, offenders, and volunteers; (5) The Role of Alcohol and 
Crime: strategies that address the link between alcohol and crime; (6) 
Indigent Defense: strategies that enhance the representation of 
indigent criminal defendants; (7) Cultural Barriers to Justice: 
strategies to reduce cultural barriers preventing individuals from 
participating fully in the criminal justice system by virtue of 
language, philosophy, or experience; (8) Nontraditional Uses of 
Prosecution Resources to Enhance Public Safety: strategies which use 
prosecutors or prosecution resources to enhance public safety through 
nontraditional outreach in areas such as schools, community groups, and 
special needs populations; (9) Public Health and Criminal Justice 
Collaborations: strategies to develop collaborative efforts among 
public health and criminal justice agencies to prevent or reduce the 
incidence of violent crime in the community; and (10) Local Priorities: 
criminal justice strategies to address local problem areas not 
described in topic areas (1) through (9).
    Submissions will be reviewed by panels of practitioners, who will 
make recommendations for awards to the Director of BJA. Awards will be 
worth up to $150,000 and cover a period of 18 months. All submissions 
must adhere to the requirements outlined in the FY 1998 Open 
Solicitation Announcement.

Eligibility

    Eligibility for the FY 1998 Open Solicitation Progam to units and 
agencies of State, local, or tribal governments. Units of tribal 
governments must represent federally recognized tribes. Eligibility 
includes, but is not limited to: States, counties, municipalities, 
villages, towns, townships, courts, prosecution, indigent defense, 
probation, parole, pretrial services, corrections, law enforcement, and 
social services. This restriction does not preclude private/not-for-
profit agencies from collaborating with eligible applicants, not does 
it preclude two or more units of government from applying under the 
cover of one authorized applicant, which will be responsible for the 
administration of the award.

    Dated: April 29, 1998.
Nancy E. Gist,
Director, Bureau of Justice Assistance.
[FR Doc. 98-11788 Filed 5-1-98; 8:45 am]
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