NCJ Number
197482
Date Published
2002
Length
25 pages
Annotation
This is the final program report on SafeFutures, a project to help communities make the most of capacity building resources.
Abstract
SafeFutures communities have made innovations in services and changes in systems to integrate prevention, intervention, treatment, and graduated sanctions. To assist communities, the Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) made significant commitments to local capacity building. This included national training and technical assistance resources and dedication of at least $50,000 per year of local grant funds for training and technical assistance. A national training and technical assistance coordinator worked with sites to help grantees achieve OJJDP and community goals and objectives and build local capacity to continue to strengthen services for youth and families and improve service systems beyond the grant period. The report includes brief descriptions of program accomplishments and proposed changes in programs at specific sites, as well as details on the responsibilities and accomplishments of the training and technical assistance coordinator. The report suggests that OJJDP and the larger field would benefit from further exploration and documentation of aspects of the SafeFutures experience, including: (1) systems changes and service innovations; (2) the nature and extent of capacity building achieved through a demonstration project; (3) what works and what doesn't work in providing training and technical assistance for comprehensive initiatives; (4) what helps and what makes it harder for communities to sustain grant-funded innovations; and (5) what SafeFutures tells funders about planning and managing comprehensive initiatives.