School-Based Violence Prevention and Demonstration Program

The Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grants Program, administered by the Office of Justice Programs' (OJP's) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), furthers the Department's mission by assisting state and local jurisdictions in improving the criminal justice system and assisting communities in preventing drug abuse and crime. In fiscal year 2007, the Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grants Program will focus on funding local, regional, and national efforts within six major categories: 1) targeting violent crime; 2) preventing crime and drug abuse; 3) enhancing local law enforcement; 4) enhancing local courts; 5) enhancing local corrections and offender reentry; and 6) facilitating justice information sharing. All categories combat, address, or otherwise respond to precipitous or extraordinary increases in crime, or in a type or types of crime.

The Urban Institute (UI), in partnership with the Nassau County, New York District Attorney's (NYDA) Office, will continue and evaluate the outcome/impact of a School Based Violence Prevention and Demonstration Program. The primary goal of this project will be to fully implement and assess a data-driven strategy that will result in measurable reductions in school violence and serious disorder. In order to achieve this goal, the following objectives will be met: 1) extend a multi-agency partnership with the NCDA, UI, local police and four middle schools to target school-based violence and disorder; 2) collaboratively continue the implementation of a prototype school-based intervention recently pre-tested in four middle schools; 3) document how the violence prevention strategy was implemented; and, 4) assess program performance and document what measurable effects the intervention had on violent crime and school climates in the targeted schools.

CA/NCF