Chapter 1

Introduction

The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) was created in 1984 to provide federal leadership in developing the nation's capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice, and assist crime victims. OJP carries out this mission by forming partnerships with other federal, state, and local agencies and national and community-based organizations to develop, operate, and evaluate a wide range of criminal and juvenile justice programs. OJP is dedicated to comprehensive approaches that empower communities to address crime, break the cycle of substance abuse and crime, combat family violence, address youth crime, hold offenders accountable, protect and support crime victims, enhance law enforcement initiatives, respond to terrorism, and support advancements in adjudication. OJP also works to reduce crime in Indian country, enhance technology's within the criminal and juvenile justice systems, and support state and local efforts through technical assistance and training.

How to Use This Document

This Program Plan describes the major research, statistical, demonstration, training, technical assistance, and capacity-building programs OJP plans to support in Fiscal Year 1999. FY 1999 began October 1, 1998 and runs through September 30, 1999. OJP's overall FY 1999 budget totals approximately $3.9 billion. The majority of these funds are awarded to states under OJP's formula grant programs. Of the remaining discretionary grant funds, a large portion is earmarked by the Congress for specific programs. These earmarks are noted in each chapter.

For the first time, programs in the FY 1999 OJP Program Plan are organized by topic or issue areas, rather than by bureau or office. Programs that overlap issue areas are referenced in each appropriate chapter. However, prospective applicants are encouraged to review the entire program plan and to think about how the programs or other assistance offered can assist their community in developing or enhancing a comprehensive crime control strategy.

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) programs described in this Program Plan are those OJJDP proposes to fund in FY 1999. By statute, OJJDP must publish a Proposed Comprehensive Plan in the Federal Register, allow for a period of public comment, and, based on comments received, publish a Final Comprehensive Plan.

Application kits and individual program announcements will be forthcoming throughout the fiscal year, and will be published on OJP's Internet Website at www.ojp.usdoj.gov. To be added to the mailing list for these documents as they become available, call the appropriate OJP clearinghouse listed in Chapter 14, For More Information. Chapter 14 also lists sources of additional information on OJP grant programs or other assistance. For answers to questions about OJP funding programs, call the Department of Justice Response Center toll-free at 1-800/421-6770 or 202/307-1480 to speak to an information specialist.

OJP's Organization

OJP is comprised of five bureaus, six program offices, and a number of administrative offices. The five OJP bureaus are:

• The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) provides funding, training, and technical assistance to state and local governments to combat violent and drug-related crime and to help improve the criminal justice system. Its programs include the Edward Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance formula and discretionary grant programs and the Local Law Enforcement Block Grants (LLEBG) program. BJA also administers the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program, the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, and the State Identification Systems Formula Grant Program.
  
  
• The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) collects and analyzes statistical data on crime, criminal offenders, crime victims, and the operations of justice systems at all levels of government. It also provides financial and technical support to state statistical agencies and administers special programs that aid state and local governments in improving their criminal history records and information systems.
  
  

• The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) supports research and development programs, conducts demonstrations of innovative approaches to improve criminal justice, develops new criminal justice technologies, and evaluates the effectiveness of OJP-supported and other justice programs. NIJ also provides major support for the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS), a clearinghouse of information on justice issues.
  
  
• The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) provides grants and contracts to states to help them improve their juvenile justice systems and sponsors innovative research, demonstration, evaluation, statistics, replication, technical assistance, and training programs to help improve the nation's understanding of and response to juvenile violence and delinquency.
  
  

• The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) administers victim compensation and assistance grant programs created by the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 (VOCA). OVC also provides funding, training, and technical assistance to victim service organizations, criminal justice agencies, and other professionals to improve the nation's response to crime victims. OVC's programs are funded through the Crime Victims Fund, which is derived from fines and penalties collected from federal criminal offenders, not taxpayers.

OJP's six program offices are:

• The Violence Against Women Office (VAWO) coordinates the Department of Justice's legislative and other initiatives relating to violence against women and administers grant programs to help prevent, detect, and stop violence against women, including domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
  
  

• The Corrections Program Office (CPO) provides financial and technical assistance to state and local governments to implement corrections-related programs, including correctional facility construction and corrections-based drug treatment programs.
  
  

• The Drug Courts Program Office (DCPO) supports the development, implementation, and improvement of drug courts through grants to local or state governments, courts, and tribal governments, as well as through technical assistance and training.
  
  
• The Executive Office for Weed and Seed (EOWS) helps communities build stronger, safer neighborhoods by implementing the Weed and Seed strategy, a community-based, multi-disciplinary approach to combating crime. Weed and Seed involves both law enforcement and community-building activities, including economic development and support services.
  
  
• The Office of State and Local Domestic Preparedness Support (OSLDPS) is responsible for enhancing the capacity and capability of state and local jurisdictions to prepare for and respond to incidents of domestic terrorism involving chemical and biological agents, radiological and explosive devices, and other weapons of mass destruction (WMD). It awards grants for equipment and provides training and technical assistance for state and local first responders.
  
  

• The Office of the Police Corps and Law Enforcement Education (OPCLEE), which in November 1998 transferred to OJP from the Justice Department's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), provides college educational assistance to students who commit to public service in law enforcement, and scholarships--with no service commitment--for dependents of law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty.

Formula Versus Discretionary Grant Programs

OJP awards grants and contracts or enters into cooperative agreements to implement programs, provide technical assistance and training, conduct research and evaluations, and collect and analyze data. Grants are awarded in two forms: formula (or block grants) and discretionary grants. Formula grants are awarded to states or units of local government, which, in turn, decide how funds are distributed to state, local, and nonprofit organizations. Formulas vary among programs and consider such factors as population, juvenile population, crime rate, etc. Discretionary funds are awarded directly by OJP bureaus and offices to state and local agencies and private organizations. This Program Plan primarily describes the discretionary grant programs OJP will support in FY 1999. The following briefly describes OJP's formula grant programs:

• BJA's Edward Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance formula grant program provides funds to assist states and units of local government in controlling and preventing drug abuse, crime, and violence, and in improving the functioning of the criminal justice system. Byrne funds are awarded for projects addressing 26 purpose areas, including law enforcement, adjudication, community crime prevention, and development of criminal justice information systems. Each chapter in this Program Plan notes the related Byrne purpose areas for which formula funds may be used.
  
  

• The Local Law Enforcement Block Grants (LLEBG) program, which is also administered by BJA, awards block grants to units of local government to reduce crime and enhance public safety. Grants must be used for one or more of certain purposes, including hiring law enforcement personnel, purchasing law enforcement equipment, enhancing school security, establishing or operating drug courts, adjudicating violent offenders, multijurisdictional task forces, and crime prevention programs.
  
  
• BJA's State Identification Systems (SIS) Grants program gives states resources to develop or improve their computerized identification systems and integrate those systems with the FBI's national identification databases. SIS grants can be used to: 1) create computerized identification systems that are compatible and integrated with databases of the FBI's National Crime Information Center; 2) improve forensic laboratories' ability to analyze DNA in ways that are compatible and integrated with the FBI's Combined DNA Identification System; or 3) develop automated fingerprint systems that are compatible and integrated with the FBI's Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System.

• OJJDP's Formula Grants Program, Title V Incentive Grants for Local Delinquency Prevention Programs, and Part E State Challenge Grants programs support state and local efforts to improve the juvenile justice system and prevent delinquency.
  
  
• Another OJJDP program, the Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grant (JAIBG), supports state and local efforts to address juvenile crime by encouraging reforms that hold all offenders accountable for their crimes. Funds may be used for any of 11 purposes, including building juvenile detention facilities, hiring juvenile justice personnel, juvenile drug and gun courts, and accountability-based programs for juvenile offenders. Congress has specified minimum amounts for certain purposes.
  
  

• The Residential Substance Abuse Treatment for State Prisoners (RSAT) program, administered by CPO, funds programs that provide individual and group substance abuse treatment activities for offenders in residential facilities operated by state and local correctional agencies.

  
  

• The Violent Offender Incarceration/Truth in Sentencing grant programs, also administered by CPO, help states build or expand correctional facilities for adult or juvenile offenders. The Violent Offender Incarceration grant program is administered on a three-tiered formula basis, while Truth in Sentencing awards are distributed as an incentive to states to enact sentencing reforms to ensure that violent offenders serve at least 85 percent of their sentences.
  
  
• VAWO's STOP Violence Against Women formula grants program supports improvements in the abilities of law enforcement to respond to violence against women, development of more effective strategies and programs to prevent violent crimes against women, and improvements in data collection and tracking systems. By law, at least a quarter of STOP funds must be dedicated each to enhancing direct services for crime victims, for law enforcement, and for prosecution.

• The VOCA Victim Compensation Formula Grants, administered by OVC, are awarded to states and territories to alleviate the economic impact of crime on victims. Awards are based on 40 percent of state payouts during the previous federal fiscal year. In general, these grants reimburse victims of violent crimes and their service providers for medical, mental health, funeral, and other crime-related expenses, and provide for loss of support and lost wages.

• The VOCA Victim Assistance Formula Grants, also administered by OVC, are awarded to states and territories to support direct services to crime victims. Awards are prorated based on population. The majority of the funds are subgranted to community-based programs, including rape crisis centers, battered women's shelters, children's advocacy centers, and victim service units within law enforcement agencies. A minimum of 10 percent of funds must be spent on each of four populations: domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and underserved crime victims.

More detailed information about any of these programs, or a referral to the appropriate contact in the administering state office, is available by calling the Department of Justice Response Center at 1-800/421-6770 or by visiting the OJP Website at www.ojp.usdoj.gov.

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