The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) recently developed a comprehensive fact sheet on BJA grant funding resources that address hate crimes, crimes that impact civil rights, and other bias-motivated and hate incidents. The Department of Justice (DOJ) is committed to advancing work that promotes civil rights, increasing access to justice, supporting crime victims, protecting the public from crime and evolving threats, and building trust between law enforcement and the community.
The National Institute of Justice recently released a research brief authored by Katherine Scafide, Ph.D. and other colleagues investigating alternate and more suitable light sources to traditional options for bruise detection in violent crime cases such as domestic violence and sexual assault. Inaccurate documentation of injuries can be detrimental to the victim’s legal case against their attacker as well as to the victim’s medical treatment.
This month, the Bureau of Justice Assistance released a brief on the Law Enforcement-Mental Health Learning Site program developed by the Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center that offers national resources to law enforcement and behavioral health agencies seeking to tailor response models and implementation strategies to their individual community’s needs.
This month, the Vera Institute of Justice (Vera) released its annual report celebrating their 60-year anniversary and library of work to transform justice systems, end overcriminalization, and reduce mass incarceration of people of color, immigrants, and people experiencing poverty. Supported by the U.S.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance released a "Prison Industry Enhancement Certification Program (PIECP) Compliance Guide" this month to offer support to PIECP certification holders. First instituted in 1979, the PIECP encourages state and local governments to create work opportunities in prisons that aim to place justice-involved individuals in real-world environments that encourage meaningful employment opportunities upon release.
Last month, the Bureau of Justice Assistance released the “Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) Auditors: Information and Resources” factsheet. The National Standards to Prevent, Detect, and Respond to Prison Rape (Standards) established a PREA audit that is designed to assess compliance through written policies and procedures followed by institutionalization into day-to-day practices at all levels. PREA auditors are responsible for conducting high quality, reliable, objective, and comprehensive audits that hold agencies accountable.
This past November, the Council of State Governments Justice Center in collaboration with the National Police Foundation published “Creating Buy-In: Best Practices for Collaborating with Referral Sources for Crisis Stabilization Units.” Crisis stabilization units (CSU) provide law enforcement officers and mobile crisis teams a safe space to bring individuals during a behavioral health crisis.Buy-in from referral sources, particularly law enforcement agencies, is crucial to ensuring that people are suitably connected to the appropriate CSU.
Last month, the National Institute of Justice released a knowledge-sharing brief by the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on the use of rapid toxicology screening tools in lieu of comprehensive, confirmatory investigations. According to the U.S. Drug Administration, the average turnaround time for traditional toxicology testing can last up to 31 days. However, contingent on case complexities, systemic issues, rising caseloads, and other unforeseen circumstances, delays often occur.
In September, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention released an analysis conducted by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) Infant Abductions Program. Often, the most challenging task at hand upon the receipt of a missing child report is identifying the key factors surrounding the case. This crucial assessment of the initial facts will determine what actions the responding law enforcement agency will perform.
In accordance with the Crime Victims with Disabilities Awareness Act, the Bureau of Justice Statistics released this month a report on the violent victimization rates of persons with and without disabilities using 2008-2019 National Crime Victimization Survey data. In 2019, the rate of violent victimization to persons with disabilities was nearly four times the rate of persons without disabilities.