Executive Office for Weed and Seed
Fiscal Year 1998 Program Plan
Weed and Seed Program for FY 1998
Operation Weed and Seed is the Department of Justice's premier community-based crime prevention program. The Weed and Seed strategy is essentially a coordination strategy that works to make a wide range of public and private sector resources more accessible to communities. The Weed and Seed strategy also has a grant component that provides limited funding to communities to assist in the implementation of crime reduction strategies.
Under the leadership of the U.S. Attorneys, the strategy brings together federal, state, and local crime-fighting agencies, social service providers, representatives of the public and private sectors, prosecutors, business owners, and neighborhood residents--linking them in a shared goal of "weeding" out violent crime and gang activity, while "seeding" the target area with social services and economic revitalization. The strategy combines law enforcement, community policing, prevention/intervention/treatment, and neighborhood restoration. The program is managed by OJP's Executive Office for Weed and Seed (EOWS).
In FY 1998, the Weed and Seed program will continue to pursue activities that provide guidance and support (in dollars and training/technical assistance) to communities around the nation to assist them to implement the Weed and Seed strategy. These activities will include:
Assistance in developing unfunded Weed and Seed strategies through coordination with U.S. Attorneys and others. In FY 1998, about two dozen sites are expected to submit strategies to EOWS for Official Recognition. Such submission also places the site in the eligible pool for funding. Official Recognition of the strategy must be approved before grant funds can be drawn down. Applications for Official Recognition are developed through cooperation between the local U.S. Attorney's office and a broad coalition of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, social service providers, representatives of the public and private sectors, prosecutors, business owners, and neighborhood residents.
Funding of Weed and Seed Sites. EOWS will provide continuation funding to over 100 sites through application kits to be distributed in mid-January 1998, with applications due mid-March 1998. While appropriated funds have increased to $33.5 million, funding levels per site in 1998 are anticipated to be generally the same as in FY 1997, given the increase in the number of sites and the anticipated retention of the $9 million cap on Asset Forfeiture Funds. EOWS will provide funding for OJP initiatives active in Weed and Seed sites--including Pulling America's Communities Together (PACT), Safe Kids/Safe Streets, and the Community Justice initiative--as well as AmeriCorps and the Drug Education for Youth (DEFY) program. Sites whose performance indicates that they would make good use of additional funds will be offered supplemental funds for special projects and/or expansion to additional sites within the city. Additional funds will also be offered to sites with high priority law enforcement needs. Funding several sites through a single grant to a regional or state entity will be explored. The final number of funded Weed and Seed sites is estimated to be 140.
Application kits will request information to help ensure coordination of federal resources by asking Weed and Seed grant applicants what other federal grant programs (whether from the Justice Department or otherwise) are going into that jurisdiction for Weed and Seed or related efforts; what other federal grant monies they are currently applying for to support Weed and Seed or related, efforts; and how these efforts would be coordinated.
Provision of Training and Technical Assistance. Training and technical assistance (TA) will be provided in a number of ways: through training conferences for funded and developing sites arranged by EOWS, training selected and paid for by the grantee, training requested by the site and arranged and paid for by EOWS through the training broker, and peer-to-peer training provided by experienced training sites and coordinated by the National Association of Weed and Seed Communities. Enhanced technical assistance in data collection for sites will be provided through a grant to the Justice Research and Statistics Association. EOWS will also establish a user-friendly computer technology advice center and several new Safe Haven-based computer labs through TA from the Urban Technology Center.
Targeted Program Areas
Community Justice
The Weed and Seed program will continue to build out from the community policing base to a community-oriented approach to other elements of the criminal justice system. This includes community courts, probation, and prosecution programs. Grants will be provided for community justice projects related to Weed and Seed strategies in up to eight sites.
Special Emphasis Initiative Areas
The Weed and Seed program will reinforce efforts to focus on key areas within the comprehensive approach by repeating the FY 1997 program element of providing additional funding in the following areas: gun abatement, community empowerment, truancy prevention, conflict resolution, justice innovations, jobs for at-risk youth, anti-gang programs, prevention through the arts, and mentoring.
Community Economic Development
EOWS will work to strengthen the economic development subcommittees of Weed and Seed steering committees, improve linkages with Empowerment Zones/Enterprise Communities, and perform special projects. Partners in these efforts will include the National Congress for Community Economic Development (NCCED), the National Council for Urban Economic Development (CUED), and the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation.
Native American Sites
EOWS will continue to support grants to the two sites participating in the Criminal Division's Indian Country Initiative, and will process expected new applications from tribes through the normal site application process.
Enhanced Community Policing
EOWS has encouraged sites to apply for funding of mobile ministations and anticipates making several awards for these purposes.
Technology
EOWS will upgrade its own technology capabilities. EOWS will also establish a user-friendly computer technology advice center and several new Safe Haven-based computer labs through TA from the Urban Technology Center.
Dissemination of Weed and Seed Information
EOWS will have a video prepared highlighting site successes and will initiate a series of video teleconferences. EOWS also will continue the In-Sites newsletter through assistance from Aspen Services Corporation.
Resource Development and Program Sustainment Efforts
EOWS will provide training to sites in these areas and will undertake enhanced coordination with other federal agencies to make more resources available to sites, as directed by the Attorney General.
FY 1998 Program Plan Milestones
Award Process
December 31, 1997 Official Recognition Applications Due for FY 1998 Funding Eligibility
January 15, 1998 Application Kits Issued
March 16, 1998 Applications Due
July 1, 1998 Award 80 Percent of Grants
September 30, 1998 Award Balance of Grants
Training Workshops
October 1997 Conflict Resolution
Participation in NCPC Conference
January 1998 Brainstorm Symposium (with NIJ)
AmeriCorps/JustServe Kickoff
Law Enforcement Issues
February 1998 Application Guidance & Roles and Responsibilities of Site Partners (2 sessions: East and West)
March 1998 AmeriCorps/JustServe Midyear
OJP Community Justice Conference
DEFY Train-the-Trainer Workshop
April 1998 Resource Development
May 1998 Justice Innovations
July 1998 AmeriCorps/JustServe Closing
August 1998 Community Mobilization
September 1998 Participate in DEFY Wrap-Up Workshop with Department of the Navy
TBD Computer Technology Workshop for Sites to be presented by the Urban Technology Center