FY21 Project Safe Neighborhoods Northern District of Georgia

Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council
2021 Project Safe Neighborhoods Discretionary Grant Program
Project Abstract
 
The Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC), the State Administering Agency for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant, is pleased to submit this application on behalf of the Northern District of Georgia’s U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). CJCC is requesting funds to support local law enforcement and other agencies, including non-governmental organizations, that target chronic repeat offenders in the Northern District of Georgia. From October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2024, this intervention will aim to prosecute violent repeat offenders (VRO). A steering committee will provide overall guidance and direction to the PSN Task Force.

The USAO is implementing a comprehensive prevention strategy to complement the coordinated enforcement efforts throughout the entire District and VRO sites, including debriefing of juveniles to identify adults who are driving their violent criminal activity. The Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice will continue to implement a Credible Messenger initiative to intervene with high-risk juveniles who will be released back into PSN TEAs. The Credible Messenger Model is an evidence-based prevention strategy that has rendered significant reductions in shootings and killings (41 - 73%), re-arrests (33%), and attitudes supporting violence (14%). The Georgia Department of Corrections, Georgia Department of Community Supervision, Federal Bureau of Prisons, and U.S. Probation Office will intervene with high-risk adult offenders who are in state or federal custody.

The USAO will use a portion of grant funds, 30 percent, to support gang prevention and intervention efforts throughout the Northern District. The USAO is requesting funding to support EGRESS Consultants and Services, LLC on the development and implementation of a PSN Gang Intervention Specialist. The specialist will be responsible for providing gang prevention and intervention education and services to youth and adults in coordination with the referral source, to include the USAO, NDGA, Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC), Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), and Georgia Department of Community Supervision (DCS), as well as local law enforcement.

The research partner, Applied Research Services (ARS), will work with the USAO to develop a comprehensive, multi-year research agenda that reflects the USAO’s current strategic plan and will translate that plan into a research agenda. ARS also will build implementation guides and protocols by designing a systematic approach to identifying places at risk of repeat violence. This will include providing information on problem-oriented policing approaches to identify the causes of violence in target locations and to address the individuals responsible. ARS will link and analyze data relevant to USAO initiative outcomes.