MADD Victim Services, Prevention, and Awareness Initiatives

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.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) will use the funds to support a variety of victim services and prevention and awareness initiatives. Specifically, MADD will use the funds to carry out the following activities: (1) improve its capacity to effectively mobilize, engage, and retain volunteers in mission-based activities using a variety of strategies, such as designing and implementing a national volunteer recognition strategy; (2) enhance and expand supportive victim services to victims/survivors of drunk driving crashes through current victim service programs and newly developed programs and materials, such as implementing an on-line, bi-weekly chat support group and the Annual Victim/Survivor Tribute Ceremony; (3) train additional victim advocates to provide assistance and support to help victims and survivors navigate through the criminal justice process and also to also provide emotional support and guidance; and (4) train MADD volunteers and staff on effective ways to reach out to the Hispanic and African-American communities. MADD staff will develop in-depth, on-site training to assist MADD's outreach efforts in local communities across the country. This training will guide volunteers and staff on how to better understand the similarities and differences of this population compared to the general population and to asses the Hispanic and African-American populations in their communities. (5) MADD will pilot the "Take the Wheel" initiative in Houston (Harris County),Texas. Consistent with MADD's emphasis on DUI Enforcement, this program will utilize volunteers to track court cases and identify trends in the handling of DUI cases.

In addition, MADD will (6) support law enforcement officers and increase law enforcement efforts nationwide with the goal of increasing the adoption of scientifically-proven strategies for stopping or deterring impaired driving and provide MADD volunteers with the resources to support local law enforcement efforts; (7) continue implementing its Court Monitoring Program, designed to create accountability by the swift and appropriate prosecution of DWI/DUI and impaired driving offenders, by providing training and education to MADD affiliates interested in the Court Monitoring Program; (8) support a training institute for certified community volunteers and staff to enhance their knowledge of the organization, its history, and the research-based programs adopted to prevent impaired driving and underage drinking; and (9) train its members to help educate judges on creative and innovative sentencing by using a train-the-trainer model to train volunteers and/or staff to educate the judiciary on its perspectives on creative and innovative sentencing for drunk drivers.

CA/NCF