NCJ Number
80793
Date Published
1982
Length
40 pages
Annotation
This report provides a brief overview of the functions and achievements of 35 criminal justice programs designated exemplary by the National Institute of Justice and explains the program's focus for 1982 on projects to combat violent crime. Earlier projects are located throughout the country and involve victim/witness assistance, law enforcement, prosecution, adjudication and defense, corrections, juvenile programs, community participation, and alternative service delivery.
Abstract
Each met the National Institute of Justice criteria for Exemplary Projects by demonstrating that (1) they achieved their goals, (2) their programs are replicable in other jurisdictions, (3) they have conclusive evidence of project achievement, (4) they have shown cost effectiveness, and (5) their staffs have been willing to provide information to other communities. One victim/witness assistance project, the Child Sexual Assault Center in Seattle, has been successful in achieving the cooperation of criminal justice and social service agencies which historically have been isolated and often worked at cross-purposes in dealing with child sexual abuse cases. Similarly, a law enforcement project, the Police Legal Liaison Division in Dallas, has successfully integrated two parts of the criminal justice system that often operate in isolation -- the police and prosecutor -- resulting in increased convictions. The Major Violator Unit, a prosecution project in San Diego, has had significant success in enhancing the probability of successfully prosecuting robberies, while the Community-Based Corrections Program in Des Moines successfully coordinates four services for defendants and convicted offenders -- pretrial release on own recognizance, pretrial supervised release, probation, and residence at a correctional facility offering work and educational release. A juvenile program, Project New Pride in Denver, helps juveniles, most with lengthy records of prior arrest and conviction, to break out of what could become a lifetime pattern of crime by instilling a sense of self-pride. The Seattle Community Crime Prevention Program is demonstrating that crime rates can be lowered if citizens are willing to participate in crime prevention, and the Citizen Dispute Settlement Program (an alternative service delivery project) in Columbus, Ohio, provides an out-of-court method of resolving neighborhood and family disputes through mediation and counseling. Application materials for the Exemplary Projects Program are appended. Data on each program's achievements are included.