The Council of State Governments recently published a brief titled Addressing Misconceptions about Mental Health and Violence. This brief discusses the misconceptions that can lead to a perception that people with mental illness are more likely to be violent. Through understanding and dispelling these misconceptions, criminal justice professionals can further their goals of protecting public safety.
On August 18, 2021, the Bureau of Justice Assistance, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Education, and the White House Domestic Policy Council, hosted the third webinar in the Community Violence Intervention (CVI) Webinar Series. During the webinar, titled “CVI Webinar Series Part 3: CVI in Practice,” leading CVI experts shared their on-the-ground experiences on how to implement CVI strategies within communities.
The Council of State Governments, in partnership with the Center for Effective Public Policy’s National Resource Center on Justice Involved Women and with support from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, has developed Adopting a Gender-Responsive Approach for Women in the Justice System: A Resource Guide. The guide presents data on how women’s experiences in the criminal justice system differ from men’s, and strategies for incorporating gender-responsive strategies into criminogenic risk and needs assessment, case management, and correctional and community programming.
The International Association of Chiefs of Police, in association with the Bureau of Justice Assistance, has developed the Officer Health and Wellness Agency Assessment Tool and Action Planning Roadmap as a resource for law enforcement agencies who seek to establish or enhance officer wellness programming.
As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to support communities seeking to implement or expand community violence intervention efforts, the Bureau of Justice Assistance, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Education, and the White House Domestic Policy Council, has hosted a webinar series on Community Violence Intervention (CVI).
The recently published third edition of Law Enforcement Intelligence – A Guide for State, Local, and Tribal Law Enforcement Agencies (Law Enforcement Intelligence Guide) aims to spark a policy-oriented discussion of current initiatives, national standards, and best practices for law enforcement agencies aiming to enhance intelligence capabilities. The guide builds upon the previous two editions by describing changes in intelligence practices in the context emerging threats and criminal extremism beyond international terrorism.
The Regional Information Sharing Systems (RISS) Program, with support from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, supports local, state, federal, and tribal criminal justice entities by offering various resources to enhance law enforcement efforts. For example, RISS helps facilitate cross-agency collaboration through the RISSLeads Investigative website. Through this platform, law enforcement officers can interact with one another across jurisdictions to share investigative leads, information, or other issues.
The National Center for School Safety (NCSS) is a Bureau of Justice Assistance Students, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Program national training and technical assistance provider focused on improving school safety and preventing violence. NCSS aims to support STOP grantees and the nationwide school safety community as they work to address school safety challenges.
The National Police Foundation, in partnership with the Bureau of Justice Assistance, recently published a guidebook on Staying Healthy in the Fray: The Impact of Crowd Management on Officers in the Context of Civil Unrest. The guidebook aims to provide law enforcement personnel—frontline officers, mid-level supervisors, and law enforcement executives—a resource to use as law enforcement officers respond to mass demonstrations.
The International Association of Chiefs of Police created the Home Safe Library of Resources as part of their work supporting Kevin and Avonte Program grant sites through the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Reducing Injury and Death of Missing Individuals with Dementia and Developmental Disabilities program. This library is a free, publicly available, searchable online catalog that includes articles, webinars, tools, and other resources on wandering, elopement, missing persons, and law enforcement response to individuals with dementia and other developmental disabilities.