NCJ Number
226252
Date Published
2007
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This technical-assistance report provides coalitions and Weed and Seed Communities (WSC) with the tools to craft better and more sustainable prevention and intervention strategies designed to improve conditions in neighborhoods and communities.
Abstract
The U.S. Justice Department’s Weed and Seed Initiative is a community-based, comprehensive, multiagency approach to improving law enforcement, crime prevention, and neighborhood restoration. It is designed for communities with persistently high levels of violent crime and related social problems, including drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, and other factors that place neighborhoods at-risk. The “Weed” portion of the initiative focuses on crime control in consultation and cooperation with the residents of the targeted communities. The “Seed” component of the initiative addresses community revitalization, which includes prevention, intervention, and treatment, as well as neighborhood restoration. New to the process of obtaining Weed and Seed funds is the requirement that a program’s 5-year strategic plan include in the first 2 years a minimum of two priority problems related to crime or the factors that contribute to crime. This report explains the new application process for WSC, the use of evidence-based strategies in the context of Weed and Seed, and effective evaluation strategies that measure long-term and short-term progress in Weed and Seed projects. A section on “Strategies that Protect Communities” focuses on safeguarding communities from gun violence, protecting communities from methamphetamine abuse, and addressing prisoner reentry. Criteria are provided for measuring the effectiveness of a plan for sustaining Weed and Seed strategies and their implementation. A list of resources is categorized under the following topics: creating safe neighborhoods, evaluation tools, evidence-based programs, methamphetamine abuse, prisoner reentry, and sustainability.