NCJ Number
175032
Date Published
1999
Length
70 pages
Annotation
The fiscal year 1998 annual report of the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) outlines the agency's role in crime control, specifically with respect to substance abuse, family violence, youth crime, offender management, crime victims, law enforcement initiatives, and terrorism.
Abstract
During 1998, the OJP administered funds to help emergency response agencies purchase personal protection, decontamination, weapons detection, and communication equipment for first responders and also trained first responders in how to handle incidents involving biological, chemical, or radiological weapons. The OJP has inaugurated several new programs to address timely issues. For example, in the wake of school violence, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) cooperated with the Department of Education to produce a publication on school safety. The OJJDP also teamed with the Office of National Drug Control Policy to administer the Drug- Free Communities Support Program for young people. The importance of international cooperation was recognized by the establishment of an International Center within the National Institute of Justice. The Violence Against Women Office awarded grants to an organization in each State to represent victims of domestic violence in civil legal proceedings related to domestic abuse. The Bureau of Justice Assistance worked with the National Association of Attorneys General to target health care fraud for prosecution, and the Bureau of Justice Statistics awarded grants to States to establish a national registry of convicted sex offenders. The OJP continued development of an Office for Victims of Crime program to assist U.S. victims of terrorism abroad. Another important initiative involved preparing States and local communities to respond to terrorist incidents. All OJP bureaus and offices collaborated in the development of the Integrated Information Technology Initiative to foster the implementation of integrated criminal justice information systems. In addition, the OJP continued to support programs such as Weed and Seed, Strategic Approaches to Community Safety, community courts, and community prosecution.