BJA FY 23 Department of Justice Death in Custody Act -Training and Technical Assistance Center

The goal of the proposed Deaths in Custody Reporting Act (DCRA) TTA Center is to increase state-level DCRA Program compliance with the objectives of improving understanding of why deaths occur in custody and developing solutions to prevent avoidable deaths.To heighten compliance with DCRA requirements, this project will first increase knowledge among State Administering Agencies (SAAs) and other state and local agencies about the requirements of DCRA.Next, this Center will serve as a resource for information about national and statewide DCRA data collection and reporting efforts, leading to improvement in the quality and completeness of data reported to BJA. It will also develop and disseminate sample state plans and/or a state plan checklist building upon current program guidance. And it will assist states in reviewing their state plans and providing feedback based on program criteria.Third, this proposed Center will provide cutting-edge, innovative resources, training and technical assistance, both remote and onsite, to support states in developing and implementing sound data collection practices to assure complete and accurate DCRA data reporting to BJA.And finally, the Center will, in coordination with BJA, develop additional guidance and standards for reporting to be disseminated among the states and to local agencies to facilitate their full and complete compliance with the Deaths in Custody Reporting Act requirements.