The HOPE Institute

New York University is submitting a proposal to the Bureau of Justice Assistance to continue to operate the HOPE Institute under the announcement BJA FY 2022 Invited to Apply – Continuation of BJA Previously Funded Awards.

Swift, certain, and fair (SCF) is an approach to community supervision that aims to reduce reoffending and recidivism; protect public safety; and reduce racial, gender, and income-based disparities by improving compliance with supervision conditions. SCF is a behavior-response model that entails close monitoring and responding quickly, consistently, and proportionately to violations, with incentives and rewards for positive behaviors. SCF is receiving attention from policymakers, with implementations in at least 30 states and one Indian nation. The HOPE Institute will provide training and technical assistance (TTA) to BJA SCF grantees (and other eligible states, units of local government, territories, and federally recognized Indian tribes), and provide free resources and assistance to all interested parties.

The HOPE Institute will be staffed by an interdisciplinary group of practitioners and scholars with experience in community-supervision reform and TTA. It will maintain a website for BJA grantees, other SCF-implementing jurisdictions, and all interested parties, with resources to include SCF-related news, analysis, and research; support materials for SCF implementation; and means to contact the Institute for additional support.

The HOPE Institute will provide TTA to FY23 BJA SCF grantees throughout the first year of their awards (and to legacy grantees during FY24), from site-specific program design, action-plan development, and staff training; through startup and continual monitoring of fidelity to SCF principles and the grantee’s action plan; and ongoing process evaluation and program modification as warranted. The Institute will support grantees in the final year of their awards in plans for sustainability beyond the life of the grant. The Institute will engage with grantees through telephone, videoconference, and email communications, and will conduct onsite training workshops (as safe and appropriate, otherwise remotely) for all stakeholders and followup-observation site visits, with reports to the grantees and BJA. The Institute will work with each grantee’s data-management and IT systems to help them collect the data required for fidelity monitoring and performance-measure reporting and will coordinate with any research partners grantees may have.

The HOPE Institute will document lessons learned by TTA recipients and facilitate peer-to-peer learning (through site visits and quarterly webinars). The Institute will inform policymakers and the broader practitioner community through white papers, publications in professional and academic journals, and conference presentations.

New York University is submitting a proposal to the Bureau of Justice Assistance to continue to operate the HOPE Institute, under the announcement BJA FY 23 Invited to Apply – August.

Swift, certain, and fair (SCF) is an approach to community supervision that aims to reduce reoffending and recidivism; protect public safety; and reduce racial, gender, and income-based disparities by improving compliance with supervision conditions. SCF is a model that entails close monitoring and quick, consistent, and proportionate responses to positive and negative behaviors. The HOPE Institute will provide training and technical assistance (TTA) to BJA SCF grantees and eligible non-grantees nationwide, make microgrants and provide TTA to recipients, and provide free resources and assistance to all interested parties.

The Institute will be staffed by an interdisciplinary group of practitioners and scholars with experience in community-supervision reform and TTA. It will maintain a website for BJA grantees, other SCF-implementing jurisdictions, and all interested parties, with resources to include SCF-related news, analysis, and research; support materials for SCF implementation; and means to contact the Institute for additional support.

The Institute will provide TTA to FY24 BJA SCF grantees throughout the first year of their awards (and to legacy grantees during FY25), from site-specific program design, action-plan development, and staff training; through startup and monitoring of fidelity to SCF principles; and ongoing process evaluation and program modification as warranted. The Institute will support grantees in the final year of their awards in plans for sustainability beyond the life of the grant. The Institute will engage with grantees through telephone, videoconference, and email communications, and will conduct onsite training workshops for all stakeholders and followup-observation site visits, with reports to the grantees and BJA. The Institute will work with each grantee’s data-management and IT systems to help them collect the data required for fidelity monitoring and performance-measure reporting and will coordinate with any research partners grantees may have.

The Institute will issue a solicitation for proposals for microgrants, from public agencies and their community-based partners, and conduct outreach to inform the field of this funding opportunity. The Institute will provide TTA to micrograntees, including on building capacity to conduct grant-funded projects.

The Institute will document lessons learned by TTA recipients and facilitate peer-to-peer learning (through site visits and webinars). The Institute will inform policymakers and the broader practitioner community through publications in professional and academic journals and conference presentations.

Swift, certain, and fair (SCF) is an approach to community supervision that aims to reduce reoffending and recidivism; protect public safety; and reduce racial, gender, and income-based disparities by improving compliance with supervision conditions. SCF is a behavior-response model that entails close monitoring and responding quickly, consistently, and proportionately to violations, with incentives and rewards for positive behaviors. SCF is receiving attention from policymakers, with implementations in at least 30 states and one Indian nation. The Center will provide training and technical assistance (TTA) to BJA SCF/Community Supervision Strategies (CSS) grantees and micrograntees (and other eligible states, units of local government, territories, and federally recognized Indian tribes), and provide free resources and assistance to all interested parties.

The Center will be staffed by an interdisciplinary group of practitioners and scholars with experience in community-supervision reform and TTA. It will maintain a website for BJA grantees, other SCF-implementing jurisdictions, and all interested parties, with resources to include SCF-related news, analysis, and research; support materials for SCF implementation; and means to contact the Center for additional support.

The Center will provide TTA to FY25 BJA CSS grantees throughout the first year of their awards and to legacy grantees during FY24, from site-specific program design, action-plan development, and staff training; through startup and continual monitoring of fidelity to SCF principles and the grantee’s action plan; and ongoing process evaluation and program modification as warranted. The Center will support grantees in the final year of their awards in plans for sustainability beyond the life of the grant. The Center will engage with grantees through telephone, videoconference, and email and will conduct onsite training workshops for all stakeholders and followup-observation site visits, with reports to the grantees and BJA. The Center will work with each grantee’s data-management and IT systems to help them collect the data required for fidelity monitoring and performance-measure reporting and will coordinate with any research partners grantees may have. The Center will document lessons learned by TTA recipients and facilitate peer-to-peer learning (through site visits and quarterly webinars). The Center will inform policymakers and the broader practitioner community through white papers, publications in professional and academic journals, and conference presentations.